SolarSun4Life - Avoid

[solarsun4life]

I had an installation done by SolarSun4Life UK (Solar installation, Solar panel installers - N England) in February this year & I am posting this to record my negative feedback & warn others to avoid this company.
I am doing this as they still have not completed the contract (I am waiting for the bluetooth monitor) over 3 months after the initial installation & they consistently blame their supplier. I will post an update when (if) I receive the monitor.


After they had signed me up they informed me that they could not supply the panels initially specified before the March 2nd deadline. I therefore had to accept different panels.
They failed to turn up on several pre booked dates for the install without any courtesy calls to inform me. I had to do all the chasing. When they did finally do the install it was done on three separate non consecutive days (prep roof & electrics 1st visit, install panels 2nd visit, commission on 3rd visit). When they left on the final visit they just walked away; no tidying up & no goodbye. I wasn't even aware they had finished.

Unless you are the type of person that likes to be messed about by a company so you can negotiate a discount before settlement payment (I know people who do), I recommend you avoid this company.

 

[Ian-LS]

I had an installation done by SolarSun4Life UK (Solar installation, Solar panel installers - N England) in February this year & I am posting this to record my negative feedback & warn others to avoid this company.
I am doing this as they still have not completed the contract (I am waiting for the bluetooth monitor) over 3 months after the initial installation & they consistently blame their supplier. I will post an update when (if) I receive the monitor.


After they had signed me up they informed me that they could not supply the panels initially specified before the March 2nd deadline. I therefore had to accept different panels.
They failed to turn up on several pre booked dates for the install without any courtesy calls to inform me. I had to do all the chasing. When they did finally do the install it was done on three separate non consecutive days (prep roof & electrics 1st visit, install panels 2nd visit, commission on 3rd visit). When they left on the final visit they just walked away; no tidying up & no goodbye. I wasn't even aware they had finished.

Unless you are the type of person that likes to be messed about by a company so you can negotiate a discount before settlement payment (I know people who do), I recommend you avoid this company.

They have also cheekily taken leedssolar.co.uk which goes direct to their website. I think we were offered this website by somebody else who owned it for like £1000 so we politely declined

 

[MCS Renewables]

Whilst I am all for naming and shaming and IMO the solar industry needs a real shake up to get rid of the cowboys and conservatory companies and the career change chancers, the one week course - ex forces tradesmen etc etc , I expect the moderators will take a dim view of this kind of posting.

This entire forum could be overun with rants about solar installations and rogue companies and appalling tradesmen.

I suggest you contact Virginia Gaham at REAL , she promised to investigate every complaint and eject rogue companies . ( mailto:[email protected] )

 

[Strima]

ex forces tradesmen etc etc

I actually take great offence to that particular comment, there are many ex Forces who carry out jobs to a very high standard yet to be singled out for installing dodgy PV when there are many more 'qualified' people taking the mickey is just plain wrong.

 

[MCS Renewables]

Sorry but anyone who does a "one week training course" whether ex forces or not and then purports to be a tradesman and then competes with people who did 4,5,6, and seven year indentured apprentiships must be considered , dodgy at best.

Part P in the first week and MCS the second week - its got to be a joke !

Butcher, baker, candlestick maker and ex squaddies and florists can becomes MCS and part P approved in two weeks and it needs addressing. I am sure that some ex REME or similar technical forces are great tradespeople ......not so sure about the one week retrained drill sargeants or similar.



With regard to the actual post the chief executive of Real , Mrs Virginia Graham can be contacted on her personal email at [email protected]
and I expect she will take great offence at this post as well but WGAF.

 

[Ian-LS]

Im not sure you should be posting private e-mail addresses on a public forum

 

[moggy1968]

Sorry but anyone who does a "one week training course" whether ex forces or not and then purports to be a tradesman and then competes with people who did 4,5,6, and seven year indentured apprentiships must be considered , dodgy at best.

Part P in the first week and MCS the second week - its got to be a joke !

Butcher, baker, candlestick maker and ex squaddies and florists can becomes MCS and part P approved in two weeks and it needs addressing. I am sure that some ex REME or similar technical forces are great tradespeople ......not so sure about the one week retrained drill sargeants or similar.



With regard to the actual post the chief executive of Real , Mrs Virginia Graham can be contacted on her personal email at [email protected]
and I expect she will take great offence at this post as well but WGAF.

I also take offence. You are falling into the trap of assuming that anyone who didn't do an apprenticeship did a 5 day course, which isn't the case. There are more routes to qualifications than apprentiships. I have had more problems with apprentice trained guys than ones trained by other methods actually.
I've had short course guys work for me and they have been fantastic. Knowledgable and keen to listen, with a good work ethic and experience. I have worked with newly qualified and not so newly qualified apprentice trasined electricians I wouldn't trust to make the tea. Arrogant, unreceptive and firmly stuck in the belief that their way is the only way because they, after all, have an apprenticeship!

The companies we have subbed for in the past seem very pleased with our work which is often of a higher standard than the work of 'time served' electricians they have used.

It's not how you trained that matters, it's how good you are at your job.

 

[Trimglafix]

I expect the moderators will take a dim view of this kind of posting.

This entire forum could be overun with rants about solar installations and rogue companies and appalling tradesmen.

I suggest you contact Virginia Gaham at REAL , she promised to investigate every complaint and eject rogue companies . ( mailto:[email protected] )

Thank you for your advice. I will do.

I disagree about it being a problem if many more people air their opinions about rogue companies. If I had seen a post like mine before signing up I would have tried a different installer.
I did search before I committed to the contract & only found one reference to them (neither positive or negative).
Many large companies allow feedback on their own websites & retain both positive & negative comments. We all expect different things from the goods & services we purchase; (eg. one persons annoyance from a dent is another persons relief at a chance of a discount.) If people are allowed to air their comments from experience any potential new 'purchaser' can make their own mind up about the company but with the benefit of other peoples experience.
It is the silence that allows the rogues to prosper.

 

[moggy1968]

Thats why we belong to checkatrade!
only helps if your in the south though I'm afraid.
It's not a completely watertight way of avoiding the rogues but it certainly gives you a head start.

 

[pww]

"I did search before I committed to the contract & only found one reference to them (neither positive or negative)."

And yet you went ahead with them???

 

[MCS Renewables]

Andy ...

Checkatrade is a joke , anyone can set up multiple email addresses and get themselves a near ten average in under a week.

The biggest rogue solar company in Poole, as featured on watchdog, currently scores a 9.7 !

Another Poole based company "who just ripped off wholesalers for a quarter of a million pounds with a name change" also scores 9.7

Solar Fusion Bournemouth , ejected by REAL in 2010 for miss selling etc etc since reinstated also scores 9.7

 

[moggy1968]

like I say, it's not water tight but it's better than sticking a pin in the yellow pages. I certainly wouldn't call it a joke. It's a very useful tool both for consumers and companies.

It provides you with a start point, but you then need to go on with the same research you would then do with any company you intend to give several thousand pounds to.

There is random selection and verification of feedback and multiple emails will all have the same source ISP unless you also use multiple locations.

There's a firm on there with 9.7 we used to sub for, who I know are rubbish and still owe me a few hundred pounds, so I know it isn't watertight!!

Don't believe everything you see on the telly. The producers start with a particular axe to grind, and then grind it regardless of any other evidence that comes their way. I've seen stuff on watchdog that I know about and the reality is very very far away from what they portray, and thats not unusual in the media.

Didn't a career change sparky who used to work for me do some subbing for you? He's pretty good at his job!!

 

[Wetilenl]

I have had the opportunity to have several occasions where my customers have required solar pannels for properties I have worked on. I am aware of problems Solar Sun have had with the company who supplied their Inverters, this being said they were very helpful and attempted to deal with these matters in a speedy manner. I feel it is very bitter indeed to use forums to clearly over state a view that can at best be described as over the top. Problems can arise on any job and I have had my fair share, Solar Sun attempted to resolve any issues my customers had. Comments like this undermine the industry and make harder for small firms such as mine!!!,!!

 

[Eco Deal]

Wetilenl = 1 post (wonder where he works)

 

[Dan]

Wetilenl​ has the same IP address as a person who's emailed in complaining about the initial post. It is the owner by the looks of it.

Leaving false positive feedback on a forum is more damaging to small businesses than genuine negative feedback.

And you confirm in your false post that you are aware of problems with your company. So I'm assuming the original post is genuine, and you're confirming that in some sense too.

I'm sure if you have rectified your problems with your supplier now, I would have avoided bringing it up to current discussion myself and just left it at that.

 

[grandfortune]

as my teenage son would say "pwned"

 

[solarsun4life]

I would just like to confirm that I am still waiting for my 'wireless monitor' from SolarSun4Life.
I am still getting the excuse about supplier problems 8 months on! I could go out & buy one right now as an end user; yet they can't get one in eight months direct from the manufacturer as a trader?
I must also assume every customer with an installation done since mine 8 months ago is waiting.
Justify that if you can.

 

[Gavin A]

what wireless monitor is it?

We've had no problem with getting stocks of any remote display unit / wireless monitor over that period other than the occasional brief hiccup

 

[solarsun4life]

Hi Gavin,
it is the Bluetooth monitor that goes with a Sunny Boy inverter. I was originally told they had a batch but with the wrong chips in & were waiting for replacement chips so they did not have to return the whole unit.
That excuse lasted a couple of months or so, but now they just say they are waiting for new monitors to come in. There may have been some truth in original story (though I doubt it), but there can be no truth in excuses that last 8 months just for supplies!
Cowboys, no less.

 

[whinmoor]

Hi Gavin,
it is the Bluetooth monitor that goes with a Sunny Boy inverter. I was originally told they had a batch but with the wrong chips in & were waiting for replacement chips so they did not have to return the whole unit.
That excuse lasted a couple of months or so, but now they just say they are waiting for new monitors to come in. There may have been some truth in original story (though I doubt it), but there can be no truth in excuses that last 8 months just for supplies!
Cowboys, no less.

Complete twaddle. Bog standard kit. Available off the shelf from numerous suppliers.