I've been a massive fool...My planet UK Solar.

oliverfaac

Because you were sold finance at the same time as the solar system (which appeared to be tied up as a "package") and were clearly miss sold you may be able to get redress through the Financial Ombudsman. I read about a very similar case recently where Barclays was the lender, and were made to compensate.

organum

Interesting postings about MyPlanet

I am definitely going to install solar so first off asked the Ikea people who happened to have an office in Milton Keynes where I was visiting. This was a company called Hanergy who efficiently contacted me and arranged a written quotation subject to a surveyors visit which would cost £200, the price of an energy certificate I was told. Having read the quotation this looked a great deal and well thought out so I emailed them to say I was definitely interested but why the energy certificate costs up front.
Silence so I phoned and they said someone would contact me.
Still silence.

Since we really want to do a deal we asked a friend with a recent installation who they used and Clean Green came round. Actually he came twice because first time we could only give him half an hour which seemed to us to be enough time to do the figures and give a quote.
By the time he had waffled about how much detail he must go into the time was up, so he came back yesterday and did a pretty good job of presenting the figures with an estimated ROI of 8.3% and left the contract for us to check with our son in law who works in BRE.

Then in the afternoon a cold call came from MyPlanet about special deals in the area and so we arranged a visit. I told the office that we wanted a written quote and details of their panels etc to check and so the guy visits today.

It all started well enough and his figures, shown on a Powerpoint presentation, showed a return of 11.2% and reasonable ideas about our E/W with some S solution.

Then he started to say that the deal was conditional on signing up today and really started to pull out the 6" nails. It would be an extra £2k if he had to have a quote posted because it would another visit. We would go to the office we said.
Then the 8" nails. 64% of people are happy to sign on the day, the fact that we would not meant we are not interested.
15 minutes later he left as we made it clear that we do NOT deal with sales people on that basis.

Thanks for the MyPlanet info. Seems like we have made a lucky escape, no matter if the goods actually worked such sales techniques are BAD.

Cardew

organum wrote: »

Then he started to say that the deal was conditional on signing up today and really started to pull out the 6" nails. It would be an extra £2k if he had to have a quote posted because it would another visit. We would go to the office we said.
Then the 8" nails. 64% of people are happy to sign on the day, the fact that we would not meant we are not interested.
15 minutes later he left as we made it clear that we do NOT deal with sales people on that basis.

Thanks for the MyPlanet info. Seems like we have made a lucky escape, no matter if the goods actually worked such sales techniques are BAD.

Welcome to the forum.
Nice post.

Because of the dreadful reputation of the solar thermal 'industry', who made double glazing salesmen seem respectable! It was decided that all installers would be need to be MCS registered before any FIT would be authorised.

http://www.microgenerationcertification.org/installers-manufacturers/installers-manufacturers

The idea was that MCS registration and mandatory membership of the RECC would ensure that the cowboys wouldn't operate in the solar PV field.

Renewable Energy Consumer Code

The Renewable Energy Consumer Code was set up by the Renewable Energy Association. Their aim is to guarantee a high quality experience for consumers wishing to buy or lease small-scale energy generation systems for their homes.

RECC membership is a sign that the supplier has agreed to abide by the high standards as set out in the Consumer Code. This Code is backed by the Trading Standards Institute as part of its self-regulation initiative, the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme.

In order to become MCS certificated, installation companies must be members of RECC (or an equivalent scheme).

Some hope! It didn't take long for all the dubious practices to re-emerge. It seems as if RECC are unable or unwilling to police their members, and stories like yours are all too common.

gazmate

Massive thanks to this thread ive just agreed to someone coming round from my planet uk ..... thought id google them and now because of this thread i will be cancelling the visit!!


Sorry for your position but thankyou!

Gary

xHannahx

Cardew wrote: »

Mmmm.

Leaving aside the high assumed inflation rate for electricity prices, I make the savings figure for LED lighting much lower.

With electricity price inflation at 8.79%; if you save £70.08 in the first year you will save £76.24 in the second year(£70.08 x 1.0879), £82.94 in the third year(£76.24 x 1.0879) etc etc.

Adding together each years savings, after 20 years my calculations produce savings of £3,500 not £5,754. (can someone please check my figures)

I wonder if they have(incorrectly) used a spread-sheet that calculates savings assuming the £70.08(year 1) and £76.24(year 2) etc etc are left invested earning 8.79% interest??

e.g at the end of year 2 you will have saved £146.32 which earns interest at 8.79% so have £159.18 invested(£146.32 x 1.0879). To this sum you add £82.94 for the third year etc etc???

Sorry for quoting an old post, the savings increase I believe should be inflation plus electricity price increase. I.e. 2.5%+8.79%, so 70.08*1.129 for year one in the op examples. The RPI provided to us was 2.1% and electricity increases of 7.89%

We had one of these rip off companies turn up a few days ago going door to door, and I was just reading how they calculate the figures. I haven't worked out if that will come to their £5754 though.

our front roof points north (not much use for solar panels) and our back roof which points south is shaded by a block of flats so the sun doesn't reach it. Hubby found it appropriate to waste the sales persons time as the sales person was insistent our lack of sun shouldn't reduce the efficiency.

jakesgone

hi , I have just had a visit from Myplanet for solar panels, we signed up for to have them put on the roof , but I noticed that I would be paying over 12k for 2kw solar system, and after reading your post I phoned the company this morning to cancel the agreement, the lady at Myplanet said that is no problem but we will have to talk to the person who arranged the loan agreement, We signed the agreement on Saturday 28 feb so I am not sure why we need another visit from this company, as far as I know you have a 14 day cool of period to change your mind and cancel is this not true, can anyone tell me if that is correct, so much conflicting advise out there.

ljonski

I would put it in writing,with keeping a copy and getting proof of postage!

Martyn1981

jakesgone wrote: »

hi , I have just had a visit from Myplanet for solar panels, we signed up for to have them put on the roof , but I noticed that I would be paying over 12k for 2kw solar system, and after reading your post I phoned the company this morning to cancel the agreement, the lady at Myplanet said that is no problem but we will have to talk to the person who arranged the loan agreement, We signed the agreement on Saturday 28 feb so I am not sure why we need another visit from this company, as far as I know you have a 14 day cool of period to change your mind and cancel is this not true, can anyone tell me if that is correct, so much conflicting advise out there.

Be careful. Don't mess around with this! You may well have 14 days to cancel, but I'd do it asap and within 7 days, since they can't install anything for at least 7 days under the Regs.

Cancel it in writing, send an e-mail, and perhaps ring them to make sure that this is clear/have received your e-mail.

The only reason they'll want you to speak to the salesman again is to attempt to talk you out of cancelling. But you need to cancel, then run, run, run away in the opposite direction. If they repeat that you have to speak to the salesperson first, ask if that is legal and under what rules/regs/requirements they are stating it. If necessary slip in a mention of your intention to speak to MCS and REA.

If you would like PV, then don't be put off by this bad experience. Ask on the Green & Ethical board for advice, where many folk are now reporting prices of £4.5 to £6k for 4kWp systems.

Given the timing, I'll repeat, cancel, cancel, cancel now. Listen to ljonski, do it in writing and keep copies and send recorded.

Perhaps keep a spare copy of the letter handy, and if you get a surprise visit from them, you can hand them a copy!

[Edit: Belt and braces - check your paperwork and contact the company behind the loan agreement to cancel that too, just in case? M.]

Mart.

ely_ellis

Rather than avoid the company, why not get as many people as we can to arrange for a quote and have them come round, just don't sign up for anything and send them on their way.
Let them waste there time and money.
On top of that, people could then post all their dodgy quotes on here and just build up a catalogue of what this company are doing.

nicnmark

All this sounds so familiar!! We had a cold call stating 'Government perks etc' and when they came round - denied all knowledge of this. We agreed to hear the sales talk just to waste their time!!! (Had already decided after the initial 'lie' that I wouldn't purchase). Insisted that deal would only be 'low' if we signed that day - I can't understand how any ethical salesperson or company would INSIST you need to sign without private family discussion!! DISGUSTING.