Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  10/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am seeking the completion of a job that has taken far more time than promised, and to recoup $338.46 (so far) in payments that Soar Works promised in the contract to pay. They state that if the job is not completed in 6 months when I am due to begin paying $113,82 for the loan payment I secured to have the solar panels installed while still paying an electric bill, they would make the loan payment (as stated on their website). I have called ***** **********, the apprarent job manager two and three times a month asking her to make the payment and urging her to complete the job, and she has not complied. I would like the Better Business Bureau to please step in and encourage Solar Works Energy LLC to honor their obligations. 1. Finsh the job. 2. Repay the $338.46 that represents three loan payments they obligated themselves to make. Thank you.

  

  Business response

  10/02/2023

  To All Concerned,

  I have discussed this complaint with the customer. A reimbursement for three loan payments will be sent to her on Friday, 10/6/23, in the form of a check. Meter set for the project will be re-requested, after confirmation from the utility company that the customer's budget billing balance has been paid. We are going to request this meter set on Monday, 10/9. Once the project is completed, and the system has been turned on after the utility inspection, the customer will rescind this complaint.

  Thank you, 

  ***** ****
  Solar Works Energy
  Customer Experience Team Manager
  ***** ******** ************************

• Initial Complaint

  05/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Door to door sales from Solar Works. The young adults will not respect no soliciting and no trespassing signs. Then want to argue that they are not soliciting but are providing information. By definition that is exactly what soliciting is and I feel that they are being trained to violate this practice.

  

  Business response

  05/11/2023

  Dear Sir,
  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by our door-to-door sales team. We take your complaint very seriously and would like to assure you that we will address this issue immediately.
  We understand your frustration with our sales team for not respecting your "no soliciting" and "no trespassing" signs. Our sales team is trained to provide information about our products and services, and not to engage in soliciting. However, we recognize that this distinction may not always be clear to everyone.
  To address your concerns, we will reiterate the importance of respecting personal rights and property to our sales team and management. We will also ensure that our sales team is aware of the legal definition of soliciting and how it relates to our sales practices.  Furthermore, we would like to assure you that we have taken steps to ensure that you will not receive any further contact from our business. We respect your wishes to not be contacted by our door-to-door sales team.
  Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your feedback. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further concerns or questions.
  Sincerely,  The Solar Works Energy Customer Experience Team

  Customer response

  05/12/2023

  Complaint: ********
  I am rejecting this response because:
  As I put in my original complaint. This response reinforces exactly what the salespersons were explaining. "they are trained to provide information". Webster defines solicit as "to approach with a request or plea" and lists synonyms of the word as canvas, interview, poll, and survey. I even offered to allow them to provide me with a method of getting ahold of them at their residence where I could come visit them to receive this information, they so desperately wanted to enlighten me. They both refused, As I see the company as no desire to provide any retraining, so I offer to the company. You want me to have your "product information". Install the panels on my house free of charge to me. I will evulate them for myself and determine their value.
  Regards,   ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  02/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  First started in 2021, when We decided to look into solar panels. I looked at several companies then Solar works. I spoke with ***** from Solar Works and explained that if I were to do the solar, I would want to have my entire house covered, and the also have extra to run my machine shop if I wanted. I showed him the shop and the large lathe that runs on a lot of electricity. In the discussion he started calculating against my electric bills. Averaging my bills over a year and then when he brought up the loan, it would be less than the electric bill. I then said I wanted enough power to run those machines. We added extra panels on the order, which came out to 30 panels, so to take care of me adding in the shop machinery. I also asked that the system be able to add panels in the future so if I were to add load to the system such as a pool or something, then I could just pay to add the panels. He also promised that I would receive payment from PNM for overages at the end of the year if I didn't use it on the machines, also rebate from State and Federal taxes. Also when we installed the AC system years ago, they found some problems with my electric panel. It was left as was, but being in the business in the past I knew it could possibly cause trouble. ***** told me that was no problem as the company would send guys out to inspect and photograph it. With those promise, I decided to take the offer as others hadn't offered to do the upgrades and add panels for the machinery and follow through with the possible electric problem, and they were going to finance this for29,500.00, which was 1000.00 higher than other bids I received, but wouldn't talk to me about upgrading the panels for the machinery. So in May they started the install. One thing I noticed is no one came to look at the electric. The system was complete before they looked at the electric. Well they ended up replacing the electrical and told me they were only charging me half, which I figure was put on the loan with the rest of the bill. In December of 2020 they finally got the system approved through Rio Rancho Building dept. The next 4 months we had Electric bills along with the loan payments. I called monthly and was told it was due to the weather and other reasons beyond their control. After 4 weeks, I was told they had made a mistake and only set tje system at half power. After that the system worked correctly. They were kind enough to pay me back for the electric I was billed for. Well all worked ok until August. Then we started getting bill from the electric company for approximately 100.00, on top of the payment of 167.00 for the loan they set up for me. I called and the lady told me that we were using 4K more power monthly than all the years before. I called PNM and they disagreed. I also had PNM do their inspection of the house and usage where they found 4 light bulbs that were inefficient, and we replaced them. The PNM inspectors looked at my system and said I shouldn't have any problems being fully covered. I then started looking at things and found out that I only received 24 panels. I then check out my neighbor's system installed just prior to mine, and he has 35 panels. Problem here is my house has refrigerated Air, and his has an evaporator cooler. When I questioned the lady at the office, she said that they reengineered the system at the office, and this is what they came up with for my past bills. This didn't include that ***** and I upgraded the system due to the equipment and future. We went around and they insisted it was all my fault. I then called and had ***** come back out to ADD panels. This is where I kina got concerned and decided to watch closely. ***** told me that it would cost 28,000.00 to bring my system up to speed. I was somewhat shocked. Then his talking to the boss and all the sales tricks came in at 14,000.00. Beings I am at this point looking at retirement, and a loss of 30% of my income I didn't need the extra expense of panels and PNM bills and agreed, giving them 4200.00 down. When we were talking, we came up with 18 new panels, according to his little computer program. Not knowing the price of panels this did seem a bit high but figuring that would be approximately 775.00 per panel. This was high but I don't really know the price of individual panels. Well now counting, I only got 12 panels, but during the install the installers were changing out the inverter. I asked why, they said that they only install a 7K inverter and now would need a 10K. They said that the 7 was to small to add any more panels to. So I got to thinking about what went down and have to figure that when the folks in the office looked at my first install and my electric bills, they cut the system back to just meet the bills and didn't discount the system at all. I was told that I was buying a system that would cover all the electric my house would use and then any extra from the machinery, or I would get a check back for the unused electric. And if needed be able to add panels in the future if needed for any addons. Then when the system failed to do what was said, they blamed me and the electric company. Along with all these promises, I was told that I would get a tax credit from the State of New Mexico. Well now looking at all the details, I think that what went down was the office seen a system that they thought was over bid and decided to alter it to the specs that only looked at the PNM bills. Never asking me or ***** about why we oversized the system. Seeing this they resized the system again not discussing any of this with me and never rebiding or refiguring the costs and such. Then when the systen didn't work, and they had undersized the inverter, they were forced to install and entire new system, and put the bill on my back. Then when I was doing my taxes with a high level accountant in town, He looked at everything and said that I can't get my tax refund due to the wrong paperwork being done at completion. Also, then I spoke with PNM recently and was told that I do not get anything back for overages because the correct paperwork was never completed and sent in. Then to add insult to injury, they said I had like 23,000 watts overage. So now I am out the 4200.00 down payment for making the system do what was promised, the State tax write off, and the payback for unused electric which definitely seems quite high now. I sent a complaint to the NMAG office and they were trying to do what they could but was snubbed and I was sent a collection letter. I am considering looking for an attorney, as I feel this is an absolute case of fraud by a company against a consumer. I believe I am due the 4200.00 back, and something done about the lost tax write off,and loss payments from PNM. I feel that I was lied to frauded by the company changing the system after I signed the paperwork in the beginning and feel they are trying to get more money out af me after the job. As a former AC heating salesman for Sears Home Improvement, if I were to sell someone a system and tell them that it would keep their home down to 70 degrees during the hottest summer, and then when the heat rolled around, they couldn't keep their house below say 80 degrees, we had to replace the system with one that worked at no cost to the consumer. I feal this is the same type of problem. I also feel that there are probably many others out there that have had problems such as this, and don't follow up. Reading through the internet many many promises are made in bait and switch. They tell folks that the government or state will pay for their systems and such, then take folks when they least expect it. I also give permission to the NMAG office to release any and all information upon request. That way you can see what they have done also.

  Customer response

  02/07/2023

  We started approximately June/ July 2020 with the salesman, and start of install. It took until December 2020 to complete. Then in January through April we had electric bills and in April they said that they only had the system in half power. Then we had major electric bills after August of 2022. they then added the new system July 2022. 

  Hope this helps

  *** *****

  

  Business response

  02/10/2023

  Tell us why here..We at Solar Works Energy appreciate each of our customers, many of whom have purchased multiple systems with us. Mr. ***** has purchased two systems from our company. In this case, however, Mr. ***** seems to have been expecting something that is not genuinely possible in the solar industry. It is not possible to accurately anticipate the future energy usage of a customer beyond data from the utility bill provided at contract. There can be guesses made, if a customer informs us that certain things will be added to the home, but solar companies attempt to guard against oversizing systems. The reason for this is because there is a very small return on investment for surplus energy generation from utility companies. If a system is oversized at the start, costing the customer much more than a smaller system would, any return on surplus energy generation will not offset the increased cost of the larger system. 
  
  
  It is important to note that all customers sign installation agreements with Solar Works Energy. These agreements include system size and the anticipated first year's production. There is no data that we surprise the customer with. We ask that they sign installation agreements after reading them, and we also ask that they examine the system design specs and approve those as well. When a customer is providing a recollection of events and conversations, it may indeed be an accurate account of what they believe happened. However, written documents are often at odds with memory, and memory is not a perfect guide in understanding the accuracy of a situation. The installation agreements that Mr. ***** signed, and the designs he approved, reflect the number of panels that were installed. The customer expressed that he thought he purchased 30 panels initially, but he signed an agreement for the number of panels installed, which is 24 (24 panels of 300 watts is a 7.2 kWDC system). 
  
  
  Mr. ***** was provided with information to file for federal and state tax credits (not rebates, the language of rebate was not used) on February 23, 2021, and again on March 5th, 2021, to make sure he received it. Solar Works Energy attempted due diligence to get the customer these tax credits, and we have documentation to that effect. When Mr. *****'s system was not functioning properly for a period of time, Solar Works Energy reimbursed him for nearly $500.00 of lost production. If our intent was to defraud our customers, then we would not be prone to reimbursing them when systems malfunction. 
  
  
  Mr. ***** chose to sign a second agreement for an add-on system, because his energy usage increased. Whether or not there were conversations that took place mentioning that his usage would increase, it is impossible to anticipate future usage accurately. Systems are designed to offset current usage, with a small surplus built up in optimal production months to offset higher usage in summer and winter. This is standard best practice for the industry. Many companies, most notable ******, have been sued for charging customers for oversized systems that they did not need. 
  
  
  When Mr. ***** asks for a return of his down payment and refuses to pay the rest of the cost for the add-on system, he is refusing to pay for completed work that he contractually approved. He approved the system size and the twelve-panel design, despite the contention that he initially wanted 18 panels added. The add-on system of 12 panels (twelve 400-Watt panels for a 4.8kWDC system size) has prevented him from getting large utility bills, because it offsets his current increased energy use, as it was designed to do. He is receiving the benefit from the system. If Mr. ***** had been charged for an oversized system at the outset, he would be paying more than he is now, because the second system was installed at a discounted rate. Solar Works Energy regrets any misunderstanding that has occurred with Mr. *****, but we have provided the services that he contracted with us for.
  
  
  Thank you,
  
  
  ***** ****
  Solar Works Energy
  Customer Experience Team
  ***** ******** ************************

  Customer response

  02/13/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  *** *****

   

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If 

• Initial Complaint

  05/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I talked to a Solar Energy Works about installing solar panels in late Aug. / early Sept of 2021. We decided it was something we wanted. Went through the financing process. We were told that once financing was approved it would be six weeks before any work was started. Six weeks came and went and nothing. After many calls within Nov. , Dec. and Jan 2022 the came in Feb. and the solar panels were installed but not connected. I was told electrician would be coming in a few weeks to do the electrical part of it. That never happened. Here we are the end of May 2022 and still nothing, but I did receive my first bill for this project on Friday May 20th, 2022 I called the bank, Key Bank Solar and told them the work had not been completed and I was informed that I had signed a document stating that the.work had been completed, which was false, I never signed such document. Never the less I'm responsible for the payment plus the electric bill. If I don't make payments it will go on my credit report. I did file a former complaint through Key Bank about Solar Energy Works, they are going to investigate. Later on Friday the 20th I talked to another Key Bank representative and I mentioned the signed document of completion and she told me they didn't have the signed document but Solar Energy Works had submitted a document in mid April stating the work had completed. Communication from Solar Energy Works are poor. They tell me they'll be called to follow through, doesn't happen, I'm always having to call them for information. Solar Energy Works says Dona Ana is part of the problem shorted staffed.

  

  Business response

  08/09/2022

  Afternoon - this customers system has been fully installed and the utility has granted permission to operate as of 08/02/2022. We also processed a refund for their June and July utilities bill to compensate for the delay. Thank you - ***** ************

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