BBB says free solar panel offers can be costly - Massillon Independent

BBB says free solar panel offers can be costly

Straight Talk: Free solar panel offers can be costly

If you are in the market for solar panels, be very careful when evaluating installation offers. Con artists use misleading sales tactics to trick homeowners out of money and personal information. If you have received an offer for "free solar panels," it could be a scam.

How the scam works

Someone contacts you via email, phone, social media, or even in person pretending to be a solar company salesperson. The "representative" has a special offer: they can install solar panels on your home for a very low cost – or even for free. This amazing deal is only available for a limited time, so you must act now!

From here, the scam can take several turns. In some versions, the scammer is after your personal information. They ask you to fill out forms with your banking details "to see if you qualify." Other times, the "solar representative" claims you need to pay upfront costs, which they promise will be reimbursed by a (non-existent) government program. In other instances, the scammer may begin the installation of the solar panels on your home but then never return to finish the job. Or, poorly install the panels resulting in panels that do not work. If you reach out to the scammer to finish the job or fix the panels, they will become unreachable and disappear with your money.

BBB Scam Tracker has seen numerous reports of this kind of scam. One homeowner was approached by a door-to-door salesperson "claiming he could get me a new roof plus solar equipment, with a government rebate for 26% off cost, essentially paying for the new roof." After doing their research, the homeowner found that while a government rebate program existed, the salesperson misrepresented it to make a sale.

In another case, a homeowner shared, "[Company name redacted] is a solar company promising one free year and other incentives upon signing but they never followed through on anything in their contract. After the instillation of solar, they stopped answering their phones and went silent on customers. We financed a 70k solar project for our house and are still waiting on them to finish instillation a year later. They promised to provide a lifetime upkeep and maintenance on the panels but are not doing so. They took the money and ran."

How to avoid solar panel scams

• Do your research. Genuine incentive programs and reputable solar energy contractors do exist. Before you accept an unsolicited offer, do some research on solar companies in your area. Investigate each company's reputation and business practices before signing a service contract. Ask for references from previous customers and talk with them about their experience.

• Do not give in to high-pressure sales tactics. Con artists want to provoke an emotional reaction that would cause you to give in to their requests without thinking it through. Take your time; know that a legitimate company will not pressure you to act. If someone uses aggressive sales tactics, especially if the offer was initially unsolicited, it's best to cut off communication immediately.

• Get competing bids from several solar installers if you plan on going solar. This makes it easier to spot a con.

• Ask plenty of questions and consider the answers. Ask questions about any aspect of a contract or proposal you do not understand. If the company gets upset about your questions, refuses to answer them, or is vague with their answers, consider it a red flag.

FOR MORE INFORMATION – Find solar panel installers at BBB.org/near-me/solar-installation, and check out BBB's guide to going solar at bit.ly/BBBSolarGuide. Report solar installation scams at BBB.org/ScamTracker. Your report can help expose common scam tactics.

FOR BBB INFORMATION – Visit BBB.org or call us at 330-454-9401 to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, read tips, find our events, follow us on social media, and more!