Sorry, You Got Screwed

How do you know when a deal is a deal? When you save money on new equipment, you should always ask why and make sure there is no caveat to the "great" deal you are getting. We recently had
a customer, who trusted a long time pool and spa industry friend to buy a heater from. At first glance, the price was too good to pass up. A "new" heater at almost half the price other companies, including ours was charging. The customer bit and soon the new heater was delivered. Here is what the great deal came with:

1. The headers were oxidized and rusted
2. There was an inch of accumulated dirt in the burner tray
3. Fittings and parts needed for installation were missing
4. Heater was sitting in a warehouse for 6 months
5. The heater was not the same as was presented to the customer

Unfortunately, the customer reached out to us too late as he had already paid for the heater plus other equipment and had it installed. He was disenchanted with the product he got and was asking some very specific questions as to what he should do now. Short of working with his Friend, I could not offer any options that would allay his reservations about his recent purchase. I did however leave him with some advise; "next time you think it's great deal, ask yourself why, before buying."