With the promise of boosting the efficiency of properties, there is a steady rise in demand for solar panels and products among homeowners. The bad news is that along with this increase in popularity is the surge of scams and fraudulent schemes and tactics. Some solar companies take advantage of and prey on homeowners who might be interested in these revolutionary solar products.
Solar Scams: One of the Top Ten Scandals of Our Time
Solar scams often involve offers that sound too good to be true. These include free solar systems being given away, government rebates programs, pension transfer claims, mis-sold products and pensions, disrepair, and more.
Mis-selling of solar panels is considered as one of the most common solar scams and, unfortunately, it has been going on for years. In fact, thousands of people became victims of these solar scams as they bought solar panels and failed to receive the returns they were promised, such as generating power and saving thousands of pounds in electricity costs. Worse, they took on costly loans to pay for mis-sold solar panels. As a result, they complained to the Financial Ombudsman Service, and the Barclays Bank has to allot £38m to deal with these potential claims.
What Are the Most Common Ways Solar Companies Scam Homeowners?
1.Telemarketing
Telemarketing refers to a direct marketing method that involves selling your contact details to solar retail companies who can reach out to you to offer you their products. While this is a legal practice, you must be careful and stay vigilant to determine legitimate telemarketing businesses you can trust.
2. High-pressure sales strategies
Some solar scams contact you via call or email or even visit your house. They offer their solar products and demand you to pay or sign up on the spot. To protect yourself from this solar scam that uses high-pressure sales tactics, ask for their company details and check if they are legitimate by verifying their identity.
You must also stay away from those who are offering to upgrade your solar panels or switch your existing solar products with the latest or brand new ones without any charge. Oftentimes, you might end up paying costly fees due to low-quality solar products.
3.Social media
As marketing strategies get more innovative, solar scammers are getting more creative as well and actively keeping up with the times to prey on more homeowners. These illegitimate companies also use social media now to advertise and reach out to their potential victims.
Prevent yourself from falling victim to solar scams on social media by looking into these advertisements carefully. Avoid those that seem too good to be true as they are likely fake. You may also read reviews and testimonials online from their other clients to learn more about what other people are saying about them.
Conclusion
Getting solar products for your home can be a worthwhile investment, but you have to ensure that you are purchasing from a legitimate and trustworthy company. Remember the mentioned solar scams above and learn how you can avoid them.
Meanwhile, if you fall victim to a solar scam, end up paying for mis-sold goods in the UK, and need assistance in getting the compensation that you deserve, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today. We will get back to you as soon as we can!