Mitsubishi accused of misleading Australian consumers

Global manufacturer Mitsubishi has been accused of misleading Australian consumers after a Brisbane woman had her warranty claim rejected because of a gecko.

Felicity Sawford was told the warranty to her Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning did not cover damage caused vermin after technicians claimed a gecko had short-circuited the power-board in the external unit.

"The two technicians that looked at it said look, they're classified as an animal and therefore they're not covered by the warranty," Sawford told Australia's national broadcaster on Wednesday.

"Even when both myself and my husband queried the fact that the wording in the warranty specifically references vermin, they said look, Mitsubishi just doesn't cover it."

Mitsubishi's warranty states that the owner is at all times responsible for the repair of damage to the product caused by vermin. Damage from moisture and dirt are also not covered.

"It must be a particularly prevalent problem and it should be pointed out to people that small animals, obviously something that 's significantly smaller than a mouse can get into these units," Sawford said.

Sawford described Mitsubishi's warranty as ambiguous and impractical.

In a statement to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric said it treats cases like this very seriously and has taken, and will continue to take, considerable lengths to prevent vermin ingress as best as possible.

"We handle instances of gecko or vermin ingress on a case-by- case basis, as there are often other contributing factors involved, " Mitsubishi said. Endi