2 Complaints Worth Noting Before You Invest in Solar Panels

2 Complaints Worth Noting Before You Invest in Solar Panels

The solar panel industry is widely tarnished for businesses intentionally misleading or mis-selling their products to consumers. Many companies, especially in the United Kingdom (UK), have made false claims about the performance of their solar panel devices, including solar batteries. Numerous homeowners choose solar energy solutions for their homes because they want to make a significant difference by saving energy. Unfortunately, some solar energy businesses use these possibilities by mis-selling solar panels.

The most frequent complaint levelled against solar panel salespeople is that they promise that the panels will result in energy bill reductions. Although solar panels may help you save money on your energy costs, the reality is far more complex. Suppose you are fortunate enough to live in an area with a consistent and dependable supply of sunlight and do not consume much power. In that case, it is quite conceivable that you may operate solely on the energy collected by your solar panels.

However, If you reside somewhere other than a location with continuous sunlight, you will almost certainly need a hybridized energy mix that mixes solar energy with grid-supplied power. Therefore the electric bill savings may not be as significant as your inflated expectations. Salespersons tend to fuel these expectations with their misleading sales pitches.

To guide you as you make the necessary move to make your house solar-powered, here are two other common complaints you might come across and what you can do should you experience it yourself.

“The Feed-in-Tariff on solar panels will pay the cost of the credit arrangement.”

That is one of the most common concerns that reclaim businesses when customers are claiming for mis-sold solar panels. Many consumers report that a salesperson sat in their homes for three or four hours, promising them the system would pay for itself and saying the feed-in tariff was going to be lowered.

Many businesses, including Apple Solar, Apple Green Energy, Apple Home Improvements, Apple Solar Energy, and others, have gone out of business while making similar promises. These businesses had the same director and marketed their items in an unethical manner across the south of England, including the Isle of Wight. If you bought solar panels or home renovation items from this group of businesses, you might be eligible for a refund.

Similarly, My Planet, Our Planet, and My Planet Solar, who marketed solar panel systems throughout the UK, promised customers that their Feed-in-Tariff payments would cover the cost of the financing. They stated that the panels operate in the daytime, not just sunlight, and had a 10-year warranty. They also informed their clients that they were “Partners” of Barclays Partner Finance, which was a clear and intentional deception.

“To pay for the system, we utilized a financing company. We’re still paying right now, and we have no guarantees. What are our options?”

There are two massive and significant benefits you have when entering a regulated finance agreement.

• The financing company is jointly and severally accountable for whatever you were told by the salesperson sitting in your house, as well as any misrepresentations or inaccuracies.
• The finance business is also responsible for your 10-year guarantee or warranty.

Under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, the “Creditor” is jointly and severally responsible for any breach of contract or deceit. This means that you are protected as a client of the financing institutions, investment funds, or credit card companies and may be entitled to a refund.

Suppose you purchased solar panels, solar batteries, or solar service contracts via Barclays Partner Finance, Hitachi Capital Finance, Creation Consumer Finance, Shawbrook Bank, or Ikano Bank. In that case, you are protected under UK law. You are safeguarded under the same if you used a credit card to make any portion of the payment, whether it’s a £100 deposit or the full payment. If you have all of your documentation, such as the Sales Contract, Order Form, Proof of Payment, and Estimates of Performance, you can always go ahead and file a complaint.

 

Final Thoughts

In addition to receiving bad financial advice, several customers have complained about the high-pressure sales tactics used by the businesses who sold the solar panels. Should you encounter a salesperson or a solar company with that kind of approach, politely decline and just walk away. It is one of the earliest critical factors in determining that a company is up to no good and can cause you headaches along the way.

At Consumer Reclaim, we specialize in consumer mis-selling of goods, services, and insurance. If you think that you have mis-sold solar panels, get in touch with us today!