Warranty claims and defective part returns

Overview#

The Warranty Desk tracks every claim from the failed part to the credit. Technicians check coverage on the unit before using a part from their truck, and start a draft claim on the job. The office completes it, submits it on the distributor's or manufacturer's portal, records the outcome, ships the defective part back and reconciles the credit. TradesWork tracks status and deadlines; it doesn't submit claims to manufacturers for you.

Before you start#

• The desk needs warranty.read (Owner, Admin, Dispatcher, Customer service, Accounting, Viewer).

• Working claims, returns and credits needs warranty.manage (Owner, Admin, Dispatcher, Accounting).

• Technicians start drafts on their own jobs with warranty.draft (Technician, Dispatcher).

• Coverage is most accurate with install dates, warranty dates and manufacturer rules on file.

Steps#

Check coverage and start a draft (Field app)#

1. Open the unit on the appointment. The warranty card says, for example, Parts covered or Coverage unknown, and "If you replace a part today, the claim is due by {date}."

2. Adding a part to an invoice or estimate shows a banner when a unit at the address is under warranty.

3. Tap Start warranty claim. Fill Failed part, Part number, Old (failed) part serial, New part serial, What failed and how you found it, Failure code (if the brand uses one) and Labor hours. Leave The manufacturer wants the failed part back (keep it, tag it) on unless told otherwise.

4. Pick Photos from this job and tap Save draft claim. "Claim saved. The office submits it."

Start a claim in the office#

1. Go to Purchasing › Warranty Desk › New claim.

2. 1. Find the unit: search by serial, model, manufacturer or customer, and click Choose.

3. 2. The claim: check the coverage badge and messages, pick the job and click Start claim.

Complete and submit the claim#

1. Open the claim. In Claim details, fill Failed part, Part number, Claim goes to (Distributor or Manufacturer), Distributor / vendor, serials, Failure code, Diagnosis code, Labor hours (quarter hours), Failed on, Repaired on (sets the file-by date), Replacement part PO, Labor allowance ($), Part credit ($), and the description. Add photos from the job.

2. Submit the claim on the distributor's or manufacturer's portal.

3. Back in TradesWork, in Move the claim, click Mark submitted and add the Distributor / OEM claim #.

4. When they answer: Mark approved (with Approved amount ($)) or Mark denied (with Why it was denied). A denied claim can be Reopen to fixed and resubmitted.

5. When the money arrives: Record credit with Credit received ($) and Credit memo #.

Claim statuses: Draft, Submitted, Approved, Denied, Credit received, Canceled. Drafts past their file-by date show Past file-by.

Ship the defective part back#

1. Go to the Part returns tab. Returns open automatically when the manufacturer wants the part back.

2. Enter the RGA # (the return becomes Ready to ship), then the Tracking # and click Shipped.

3. When the vendor confirms, click Received.

Return statuses: Awaiting RGA, Ready to ship, Shipped, Received by vendor, Not required. Ship-by dates come from the manufacturer rule; overdue and due-within-7-days returns are highlighted.

Settings that change this#

• Warranty Desk › Manufacturer rules: claim and return windows per manufacturer.

Tips#

• Enter the repair date right away; the file-by and ship-by dates depend on it.

• Use the claim's Money card (requested, approved, credited, variance) to spot short payments.

Troubleshooting#

• "Enter the repair date before submitting."

• "Enter a failure code or describe the failure before submitting."

• "Pick the distributor the claim goes to."

• "Use quarter hours (e.g. 1.25)"

• "Enter the RGA number before shipping."

• "A {status} claim can't be edited." → reopen a denied claim to fix it.

• "Claim photos must be from the claim's job."

• "A warranty claim is already open on this unit." → work the existing claim.

FAQ#

Does TradesWork submit claims to the manufacturer? Not yet. Submit on their portal and record the status here. Direct submission is coming soon.

Are warranty credits applied to invoices or QuickBooks? No. Credits are tracked on the claim and in Credits for reconciliation only.

Coming from ServiceTitan#

• Similar to: tracking warranty parts and claims against equipment.

• Different: a full desk with file-by and ship-by deadlines, part returns and credit reconciliation.

• Where it lived: ServiceTitan warranty tracking on equipment and inventory; Purchasing › Warranty Desk in TradesWork.