Thanks, Mark.

Interesting thread . . . though there seemed to be a lack of clarity. I'll need to check with my local wholesaler and directly with Pentair and Hayward. I have no idea how they could determine a "certified dealer". I'm going to guess that the distinction will boil down to, "Was it sold through channel, or direct?"

That said, I would guess that warranty claims for DIY work would be 2-3x higher than from tradesmen, with many of the claims resulting either from installation errors or confusion about the product itself. I've seen this both in pool work, and years ago, in plumbing work. That increase of cost would, by itself, justify the action purely on the grounds of business cost.

But in practice, if the product is installed promptly, there's not going to be big difference between 60 day claims, and 1 year claims. The problem is going to be with the phrase "installed promptly". If a homeowner dawdles about installing, he may lose the warranty while the product is still the box.

I think the solution here is going to the same as with the Summer Escapes pools (sold by Walmart / Sams Club): install PROMPTLY so it can be returned to the vendor if necessary!