Need some consumer protection advice badly

Lfirebucket on 25/08/2016 - 12:27

Hi Everyone hopefully you can give me some advice on where to from here. It's a bit of a long story, but I will try to condense it as best I can.

I recently bought 5 x Panasonic split system air-conditioners from Betta Electrical in Cooma for about $5000 and they arranged installation into my house at an extra cost of $3500. 4 are smaller units for the bedrooms and 1 is larger unit for the lounge room. I purposely bought them locally instead of going to Canberra so I would have some recourse and they are rated down to -15 degrees in winter which is needed in a cold climate like Cooma.

Anyway, almost immediately all of the smaller units in the bedroom began making strange noises throughout the night in heat mode which was loud intermittent clicking/ticking sound. It was totally impossible to sleep due to all this clicking and ticking. I have actually had to wear ear plugs if I use them while trying to sleep and have had to go out and buy some portable oil heaters to use. Which is quite laughable after spending almost $9000 for air conditioners. The larger unit does not seem to make the noise for whatever reason.

I have contacted the retailer and Panasonic Warranty providers in writing informing them of the issue and they keep fobbing me off to the authorised warranty repairman who happens to be based in Canberra an hour away. So much for local support. The warranty repairman will not even come and have a look at them unless I pay him $250 for travel. I have shown him a video of the airconditioners making the noise and he could not offer any explanation.

Can anyone advise where I stand here? If these Panasonic airconitioners were not installed in my walls I would already have returned them to Betta Electrical for a full refund as they are not fit for purpose in my mind. I should be able to use them without wearing ear plugs surely.

I would love it if they would refund me in full for the units - but who pays the $3500 install costs I have already paid out? Who pays for the install costs of new Daikin Air Conditioners? I don't want to be thousands of dollars out of pocket here.

Personally, I think the issue is not a fault as such, but a design flaw where the units seem to have an overly noisy defrost cycle or expansion/contraction issue. I don't know really as I have no idea, but one thing I do know is that these things cannot be used in bedrooms for sleep. The whole family cannot sleep including a baby. I have had Panasonics in houses before and never seen such an issue.

Please help me and preserve my sanity!! :)

Thanks in advance.

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • v2 on 25/08/2016 - 12:56
    +2

    Panasonic should be fixing it under warranty and you should not be paying any cent to a warranty repairman. In addition, you also have your consumer rights to obtain a refund, replacement or repair - whichever option you wish.

  • spackbace on 25/08/2016 - 12:58
    +2

    I have contacted the retailer and Panasonic Warranty providers in writing

    Please tell me you've called and spoken with someone!

    Who writes to a complaints department these days?!

    http://pau.panasonic.com.au/support/service-and-repair

    For Panasonic product service or repairs, please call our friendly customer care team on 132 600 between 8.30 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. Monday to Friday (EST).

  • pais on 25/08/2016 - 13:07
    +5

    I'd be contacting Betta first and foremost. If it's been installed incorrectly, it's not Panasonic's fault, it's the fault of the contractor that Betta is using (by extension: it's their issue to remedy and then deal with the contractor). If it has been installed correctly, and it's a fault of the unit itself… Then you're covered under ACL. So my first point of call would absolutely be Betta, and they cannot fob you off to a third party. If they want a third party to look at it, then they need to organise it.

    For my own peace of mind, I'd also be looking up your models online to see if this is a common problem or what might be causing it.

  • surm on 25/08/2016 - 14:45
    +1

    OP, I hope you are aware of your rights under the ACL.

    https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees…

  • surm on 25/08/2016 - 14:50

    Are you able to measure the noise of the air-conditioning units as heard from the bed rooms?

    If a decibel meter cannot be found, may be you can try an app like this

    http://www.healthyhearing.com/report/47805-The-best-phone-ap…
    https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/decibel-10th-professional/id…

    Then, you can ask the manufacturer whether that is by design or whether it is an installation fault. Even if it is by design, you should be able to get an opinion from the local council or a government body about the allowable noise limit. In this way, you have an objective evidence to support your claim.

  • supnigs super skids on 25/08/2016 - 15:33

    Is it clicking from the interior or exterior unit? If exterior maybe it's install too close to a window? Does it also have a quiet sleep mode? That may also help

  • ItsMeAgro on 25/08/2016 - 15:55

    Just curious - why didn't you go with ducted AC?

  • firebucket on 26/08/2016 - 16:01

    Thanks everyone for your comments. The clicking noise is about the same volume as someone clicking their fingers in a quiet bedroom while you try to sleep. Sort of a dripping tap torture haha. Betta Electrical have had the installer back and he has moved a few things around and says that its not his installation. Recent development - Panasonic are sending someone from Canberra to install a new inside unit. There must be a breakdown in communication somewhere because 4 units all have the same problem. But I guess I will get a second opinion when they get here. If I could just get refunded for the units and install costs I would be happy. And go with another brand. And yes mgowen, in hindsight I would have gone with ducted gas. But it seemed like a good idea at the time.

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