Will they _fix_ the damage under warranty?

Yes, but I'd rather have a brand new downdraft, which is what I purchased in the first place! I've been on the phone and email with both the retailer and Dacor to resolve this and my contention is that I received a damaged product to begin with and should receive a new one. I purchased a new product in good faith and that is not what I received.

You have a brand new downdraft, it's just needs to be repaired. If you had kept the packaging, you'd be able to possibly return it for a new one depending on when you bought it.

If you bought a new car and then discovered that the starter motor had a manufacturing or assembly fault, would you feel that you were owed a new car?

Warranties exist in part for exactly this reason - to protect the consumer in the event that the manufacturer or dealer cause a problem with a product due to faulty materials, manufacturing, assembly, transport or delivery. Very few warranties provide for replacement of the product without giving the vendor an opportunity to fix the problem.

This is normal.

Please call the Dacor local representatives and ask them to come out to your home to see the new Downdraft damage themselves. That it was obscured until mounting due to it's design is a very valid point. Type up the sequence of events and email it to Corporate and local office. That is how I got my change out my cooktop upon first purchase and was the basis for my encouragement subsequently of their product. I didn't have packaging either: the small problem was obvious.

Should Dacor not be responsive to customers with brand new products, their reputation will fall flat given todays high end market. I am very sorry to hear they are not taking responsibility to your satisfaction.

Hang in there and keep pushing them.

Thanks SparklingWater, you understand completely my point -- I was SOLD a factory defective/damaged item and it should be replaced, not repaired, regardless of warranty. I have called Dacor and emailed them photos and a timeline of the purchase and my correspondence with the retailer sofar.

You're welcome clarygrace. I believe I am in your area too, so if I can help further please let me know...

Sparkling are you in the greater DC area? We are in Western Fairfax County... Cheers!

When I had a problem with a Dacor product, I found them deceptive and unresponsive which seemed to be company policy. There were really good at stonewalling. That made me insistent and unrelenting. I found my way to the relevant Dacor engineering department and got information which I used with customer service. They never acknowledged the problem but eventually they made partially good by replacing the product. They did not make good on the installation/un-installation cost.

You do not have a defective starter in an automobile. You have a fundamental defect in the main component of the product. They need to make good. Be persistent and good luck.

Got confirmation today in writing from retailer and Dacor -- they are replacing the downdraft with a brand new one. I could not be more pleased. Judeny, sorry you had a bad experience with them...I was polite but firm, and the Customer Service rep at Dacor was very helpful, so I must say, my experience was not that gut wrenching with them. I had more of a problem getting the retailer to push for resolution, so I went to the source directly, and lo an behold, within 24 hours, issue resolved.

I am so glad that you got your issue resolved! I am wondering - do you have drawers under your cooktop with the downdraft and if so how deep and tall are they? I am trying to figure out what we can do with our downdraft.

thanks!

Glad to see this has been successfully resolved,clarygrace.

I'm glad they're taking care of it for you!

Thanks everyone! Docmamma, indeed we have two full size drawers that will be installed underneath the cooktop for cooking utensils and they will not interfere with the downdraft. I didn't want all drawers so we have cabinet doors below the drawers -- I needed tall storage for very large stock pots and my very heavy cast iron cookware. Large/deep pot drawers are located to the left.

Gotta love those high end appliance companies. Make the product look like the front end of a new pickup truck, charge 3 times more with a paltry warranty? Sign me Up!

Yaaa clarygrace! Glad this is getting resolved, as it should!