Honeywell Wi-Fi Touch Screen Smart Thermostat

When I recently had to purchase a replacement HVAC system, I picked an Amana system. The system was a 16 SEER-rate AC system and a 96% AFUE-rated Nat Gas furnace. The system provided "communications" that required a "communicating" thermostat. Amana had one -- for $550 -- but I asked my HVAC contractor and they confirmed that I could use any Honeywell programmable/communicating thermostat. I looked at thermostats locally at Home Depot and Lowes and finally realized I should check on the Honeywell site. I found the 9000 WiFi Color Touchscreen Thermostat and realized it was what I wanted. I checked on Amazon and found two sellers. I opted to buy it and it was received in two days. It is a definite new product, not an "open box item" or a "re-manufactured item" and it comes in the original Honeywell box with all papers. I read the reviews from previous buyers and realized there was a questions about whether or not there was a one year or a five year warranty on the device - or, as suggested by one review, "...no warranty by Honeywell if you buy it on Amazon." I called Honeywell and asked about the warranty issue and whether or not buying it from Amazon made a difference. In fact, I called Honeywell twice in order to see if I got the same answer each time - and I did. Honeywell sells this thermostat (Their Model TH9320WF5003) as a "PRO Install" model. That means that it is actually intended to be sold to and installed by only a licensed HVAC contractor. I asked if I bought it from Amazon and had my licensed contractor install it as a part of my new Amana HVAC system, was I covered for the five year warranty -- and the answer was YES. However, here is the tricky part -- the part that I think has caused the differing interpretations expressed in prior reviews. Page 58 of the User Guide for this thermostat contains the text of the Honeywell Limited 5 Year Warranty. That warranty says Honeywell will repair or replace the thermostat within the five years under certain (normal) circumstances. The first option in the case of a covered failure is, "...(i) return it, with a bill of sale or other dated proof of purchase, to the place from you purchased it: or..." and the next step (in case you can'y return it to the vendor for some reason [my words, based on what Honeywell reps told me]) is to call Honeywell and they will make the determination whether the product should be returned to them at a given address for a replacement. I think the bottom line is that if you have a failure during the five years after you bought it, you will have to pursue returning it to the Amazon seller from which you purchased the device. If that seller is still in business and if you can make the required contact, you will deal with them to make the return/exchange. If you had a contractor make the original instalklation, and if you paid them to do it as a part of the installation of a new system, you would have to negotiate with them whether or not they would come oout and remove the defective device so you could return it. If they would not, you are stuck with either removing it yourself or paying some other party to remove it (and then install the replacement). If you bought it yourself and installed it yourself, you are still stuck to the warranty terms of "returning iit to the seller with dated receipt" and asking fora replacement - assuming you can contact the seller. If you bought it and had a licensed contractor install it, you have to have them come out and remove it and you may have to pay them a service call to do that work and then another service call to install the replacement. I think this is a seriously confusing situation, so here is my method of dealing with it all. I bought it from a seller on Amazon and Amazon shipped it to me on time. I had my contractor install it. They are going to give me an addendum to my contract (for the new system) stating that their chief tech installed it today as a part of the system and that I paid them to install it. However, because I bought it from a seller who may not be in business in four years, I opted to go ahead and buy the Amazon-offered 4-Year Extended Warranty (about $25). In my situation, if the thermostat goes bad within the five years, I will try to see if I can return it with my Amazon order info to either Amazon or the seller, and if that works out and I get a replacement, I will install it myself and be done with it. If that does not work out, I will pursue replacement or refund under the 4-year extended warranty I purchased from Amazon. If that does not work out, I will buy another similar thermostat and install it and be done with it. For the record, the thermostat I replaced (from my old system) still worked well enough to control the new system for two days and nights. The reason is that all of the Amana system's control features are now on the control board of the furnace and any programmable thermostat works. That thermostat was none years old this month. The thermostat before that was also a Honeywell and it was twenty-five years old and worked great - but it was not programmable. In short, the ballyhoo about a five year warranty is not much of a real concern. As to the quality and appearance of this thermostat - it it definitely a full five stars - all the way. My tired eyes can see the (adjustable) bright display and the fonts and colors work like a tablet or smartphone. I had no issues connecting with my home WiFI and the acknowledging email showed up within seconds to confirm the successful connection. I registered the thermostat and then went to my tablet and them to my phone and downloaded the app to remotely monitor and control the system. I plan to go to my Amazon Alexa device page and download and install the skill to allow my to use my array of Alexa-devices to also control the system. I am very impressed with the apparent thoughtfulness and ingenuity Honeywell has placed in this device. I have three brothers who have similar HE Amana systems and I think I know what Santa is going to bring them for Christmas -- it's that good. And, YES, I will recommend this thermostat to anyone with a modern communicating HVAC system and a home WiFi.