Warranty responsibility

[NeilTheCop]

What is the name of your state? New Mexico.

Longish story
My house is off grid and it runs on two solar inverters which turn the 48 volts DC from my batteries into 120 volts AC for the house. These inverters are the same make and model and have a circuit board installed that allows them to be used in parallel. The idea being is that if one quits I still had power while the other was being repaired or replaced. This is what happened and one of them started smoking.
I ordered an identical replacement for just under $700 from a Texas company that advertised it as US stock and it comes with a 1 year manufacturers warranty. I used PayPal for peace of mind.
It arrived about a week later direct from Taiwan, not from the US as advertised. Seemed OK and I needed it, so installed it. Before connecting it to anything other than the batteries I tried to set it into parallel mode so it would play nicely with the existing one, but it refused.
Contacted the sellers technical support who just asked for photos of the serial number, which I sent. This was followed by a series of ridiculous suggestions including turning off the split phase which my models don't have. They even linked to a YouTube video showing a totally different inverter.
After 10 days or so getting the run around by technical support I filed a warranty claim asking for a replacement, but heard nothing. During this time I found the problem with my old inverter, ordered the parts and fixed it, reassembled the whole system and it's working fine. I still want a spare unit rather than a refund as these units are now almost obsolete.
Made a claim with PayPal and now the seller wants me to turn off the power to my house, dismantle the system, reinstall the defective unit and take a video because the manufacturer (in Taiwan) wants it before they can process my warranty claim.
I said no, it's already been packaged up ready to be returned.
The web site says free returns within 30 days, but later it says there will be a 15% restocking fee and I'm responsible for all the return shipping costs, maybe to Taiwan where it was sent from.

Anyway finally to the question.
Who is legally responsible for the 1 year warranty, the seller here in the US, who got paid, or the manufacturer in Taiwan?

 

[zddoodah]

Who is legally responsible for the 1 year warranty, the seller here in the US, who got paid, or the manufacturer in Taiwan?

The entity liable under the warranty is the entity named in the warranty. However, this doesn't sound like a warranty issue. The seller is responsible for sending you the item you ordered. It doesn't sound like that happened. If the seller fails to make good on that, then it's in breach of contract. If you can't get satisfaction from the seller, then you should pursue your claim with Paypal.

 

[AlmostThere]

Just because something is manufactured in Taiwan does not mean it is not manufactured for an American company. A great example is that most Apple phones are manufactured outside of the US, for the US company.

Where did you order this item from? Did you look into the company to see where it is headquartered?

 

[NeilTheCop]

Would the administrators mind if I linked to their web page?

 

[NeilTheCop]

Just because something is manufactured in Taiwan does not mean it is not manufactured for an American company. A great example is that most Apple phones are manufactured outside of the US, for the US company.

Where did you order this item from? Did you look into the company to see where it is headquartered?

But if you have a warranty claim with an Apple phone don't they take care of the warranty here. The same must apply to BMW cars made in Germany or Mexico but sold here.
I did some checking after you mentioned it and alarm bells are beginning to ring.
They have two distribution centers and one mailing address. One of the distribution centers in Texas, which is why I chose them in case of issues.
The other distribution center is shown as the New York distribution center but gives an Ohio address.

The Texas distribution center gives an address in Houston next to the airport, but the only business there is not the one who sold me the inverter. They are strictly an import/export business, not a retailer.

The Las Vegas address is an office building that has lots of small business, but the suite number they give is for this business;
https://nvinc.com/

And the New York/Ohio distribution center address is for a UPS print and ship store with mailbox rental.

I should have checked beforehand, but I'm glad I used PayPal

 

[adjusterjack]

How much did you pay for the item?

 

[NeilTheCop]

How much did you pay for the item?

$680
Since then they have increased the price but say it's out of stock.
Funny thing is they just sent an e-mail offering me $25 if I take a 2 minute survey