Class-Action Suit Accuses 7 HVAC Giants of Post-2020 Price-Fixing Scheme
Seven HVAC giants just got sued.
A new class-action complaint filed March 20 in federal court accuses Bosch, Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Daikin, Rheem, and AAON of coordinating price hikes since the start of 2020. Together those seven brands sell roughly 90% of U.S. residential heating and cooling equipment.
The theory: the companies used COVID supply disruptions, SEER2 efficiency rules, and the A2L refrigerant transition as cover for parallel price increases that wouldn't normally pass antitrust scrutiny. The filing specifically focuses on the A2L changeover as a way to introduce new product lines at higher prices without drawing outright sticker-shock headlines.
Nothing has been decided in court. The defendants haven't even filed answers yet. But the facts being alleged are specific enough that the case is likely to survive an early motion to dismiss.
Discovery, if it happens, won't wrap up until 2027 or later. If you're a contractor or homeowner who bought HVAC equipment post-2020, keep your invoices. In states that allow indirect-purchaser antitrust claims (California included), documentation is what establishes standing down the line.
Read the full trade article at ServiceMag.
