The ongoing problem with solar retailers
And why we should be avoiding them
Firstly, What is a solar retailer? A solar retailer is a company that wins the work, and then hires another company to complete the install.
Why would they do this you ask? Because all the risk, warranties and onus gets pushed onto the sub-contractor, and the retailer makes a cut on top for barely lifting a finger. A win-win for the retailer but the start of a never-ending nightmare for the end-user.
How retailers work
These retailers go above and beyond to win the work. Doorknockers, cold-callers, marketing campaigns, SEO experts etc. They send sales-reps to hunt in packs and target suburbs and area codes at any given time and even target the elderly communities with their pushy sales tactics. They’ll do everything they can to lock in that first appointment and once they do, you’ll be left to deal with a “trained solar salesman” who is working purely on commission.
Reckon someone working on commission is trying to find a solution suitable for your needs or do you think they’ll try and upsell you something you don’t need to better themselves off?
Hence the reason they’ll force particular brands down your throat which only really benefits the cashflow in their own pocket.
They’ll show you some funky graphs demonstrating how much your bills will come down and probably promise a ‘0% interest free loan’ which is also a lie (they just tie the interest into the final price and tell you there’s no interest).
Once you’ve signed on the dotted line, said retailer will start the next mission by reaching out to a smaller sub-contractor in your area in order for them to complete the work.
That’s right! They care about your needs soooo much that they’re then hiring another company to do the work. Baffling.
Thankfully, the sub-contractor knows what they’re doing! (most of the time).
That’s because in order to design and install solar and battery systems in Australia, the installer must be a qualified electrician, an accredited installer and an accredited designer in order to sign off on any work. And by signing off on the work, the installer then takes responsibility for the system along with all product and workmanship warranties associated; often unbeknown to the customer.
The problem
It’s a few weeks, months or even years down the track and problems start to arise. Bills aren’t going down, roof leaks, terminations have come loose etc. What do you do?
You’ll probably call the retailer you purchased the system off.
There’s generally 2 different ways it can go from here:
1.The retailer is pretty open with the fact that they’re sitting in an office somewhere around the world and can’t fix it themselves. They admit that they’re just a shell-company and that they’re not qualified to fix the issues nor do they really understand the issue because they’re not a qualified electrician & they’ve never had any experience installing these products; only really selling them.
Or….
2.The retailer promises to have ‘their team’ look into the issue further and they’ll get one of their trusted installers there immediately to rectify the issue”.
The retailer once paid a sub-contractor peanuts to complete the install and now they’ll try to pay the subby even less to go back and fix the issue.
Reckon that subby wants anything to do with it? No way! They’ve moved on to greener pastures and it’s “not really my problem” anymore.
The retailer will then try their hardest to call other subbies in the area. They can’t pay them too much, otherwise they’ll be losing profit on the job and therefore will really struggle to get someone in immediately. Weeks and even months have gone by and your system still isn’t working and you’ve decided to pay another company yourself, just so your system is up and running as it should be.
The price you pay for engaging a marketing company to organise your system instead of an in-house team of electricians…
Things to look out for when choosing a company:
Steer clear of door knockers. They’re sales reps purely standing at your door to make as much commission as possible. They’ll convince you with stories that “we donate proceeds to surf life saving clubs around the country” or whip up fake graphs of your energy savings. The bigger the sale, the more money in their pocket.
Make sure the company has an office/ warehouse within 100km of your home. If something happens down the line, will they really be there when you need them?
Check their reviews. Anyone can pay for a 5-star review but you can’t fake a bad review.
Ensure the install team is employed directly by the company you signed the contract with. If a third-party installer is used, they become responsible for the system including all warranties; often unbeknown to the customer. You may as well have bought the system from them and cut out the middle man.
EnergyFlo Renewables is an Australian owned and operated renewable energy company that specialises in solar, batteries, EV charging & more.
We take great pride in our work and design & install systems as if they were our own. All systems are designed and installed by our in-house team of electricians & electrical engineers. Our EnergyFlo AfterCare program also gives our clients a direct point of contact with an electrician for the lifetime of their investment.
Help is never too far away!