California-based boiler and water heater manufacturer Navien has taken a strong stand against equipment that is sold direct to consumers on the Internet. In fact, the company has taken the unique step of placing a consumer-warning label on every carton indicating that Navien’s warranty is void if purchased from the Internet.
“Navien is committed to preserving the authenticity and integrity of the trade by ensuring all Navien products are available only to and installed only by professionals, ensuring better served installations and, thus, satisfied consumers,” remarked Eric Moffroid, vice president of sales and marketing.
“Sales of Navien products over the Internet do not afford the authenticity and protection that Navien expects. Navien has issued and will continue to issue stop notices to violating vendors and e-commerce channels and is prepared to pursue its remedies at law.”
Consumer purchases of Navien products through e-commerce channels will not be entitled to the benefit of technical support services or the warranties associated with purchasing Navien products through authorized channels. In addition to the warning on packaging, a consumer warning to this effect is prominently placed on Navien’s website at us.navien.com.