If you plan to purchase a heating or air conditioning system, ask your family and friends for recommendations of experienced and professional merchants.

Finding an experienced merchant

An experienced merchant :

• will be able to guide you in choosing the appliance and answer your questions;
• will be able to calculate the house’s heating and cooling load;
• has received the appropriate training;
• is an authorized dealer for the sale of the parts and appliances the merchant offers.

Beware of companies that give you only a telephone number to reach them. In case of a problem, you could have trouble tracking down the merchant.

Shop around with different merchants. Compare prices, appliance features, warranties offered, energy savings claimed, etc.

Check whether the merchant holds the required authorizations

Make sure the person who installs your appliance holds the appropriate licence or permit. This may be:

• a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec;
• a permit from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (in French only);
• a licence from the Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (in French only);
• a licence from the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (in French only).

These organizations issue documents to an individual after verifying his or her professional competency. Please contact these organizations directly for more information on this subject.

Check whether the contractor has an itinerant merchant's permit

Are you doing business with an itinerant merchant? This type of merchant must hold a permit from the Office de la protection du consommateur and provide you with a written contract.

A person is considered an itinerant merchant if he or she tries to sell you a heating or air conditioning appliance outside his or her place of business, for example, if the person comes to your home without an invitation.

Getting information about a merchant

You can get further information about a merchant using the Get information about a merchant tool. By entering the name of a merchant into the tool, you will know :

• if they hold a permit, in the case of an itinerant merchant;
• if the Office has previously intervened with that merchant;
• if the merchant has received formal notices from other consumers.

Getting information about warranties offered and after-sales service

Check out the length and coverage of the warranties offered. They vary from one manufacturer to another.

Find out about the quality of after-sales service. You can, if need be, ask for references from customers of the business.

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