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

Lei_Chat

I've started looking into Solar PV and having had a visit from a MyPlanet sales advisor I'm now searching the internet for reviews good and bad.

£9900 for a system just below 3kW, 12 panels 250w each.
Hanergy quoted £4350 for a system just over 2kW, 18 panels 120w each.

emilysparkle

Just to add the the flak on My Planet, here's our story:

We received a knock at the door from My Planet and arranged to have a salesman come and visit. The salesman's name is [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]. When he arrived he commented on the neighbours' panels which he claimed were installed by his company (spoiler, they weren't). He spent nearly two hours in our house trying to convince us to install panels, claiming throughout that he wasn't on commission and it made no difference to him if he made the sale or not (I do not know if this was true). He told us that cheaper panels from China and other Asian countries were no good and I found his tone in referring to Asian panels racially distasteful. He claimed that his company was doing a round of the town and was installing panels on 120 houses in the town, which gave everybody a discount, from £13k down to £10k (no idea if true). But we had to sign up that day because it was his last day selling in the town and he wouldn't be back (high pressure selling tactics which I believe are illegal). We signed so as not to miss the deal (I know), then went to see our neighbours the next day. They had never heard of My Planet and their panels, which they were very happy with, cost them only £6k from another company. We cancelled our order right away and are now looking into alternative companies.

The salesman lied to us and used illegal high-pressure selling tactics. The man should be investigated and struck off. His name is [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]. Do not trust him.

System

Read Section 5. If you feel that you have a complaint then write to the RECC:

https://www.recc.org.uk/pdf/consumer-code.pdf?t=201503311101

Martyn1981

I've just had a very nice chat with a member of staff at RECC, and will be sending them a link to this thread (and others that I can find with similar tactics, or the same company name).

I asked if I could mention the phonecall, and was told it was ok, as they need (really need) people to let them know what is happening so that they can act ....... and, let's face it, protect us.

So please, please, please, anyone that has had dodgy treatment from this, or other companies, get in touch with them and report it.

Here's a link to their contact page:

RECC - contact us

Thanks.

[Edit: I should have said that I was inspired by Hengus' post to contact RECC. M.]

Mart.

Martyn1981

macman wrote: »

The system has been installed and commissioned, any cooling-off period has expired, even if it were done within 7 days.

Just to add, something else that was mentioned when I spoke to RECC (and reminded me of this early post), is that general consumer protection (not PV specific) means that when you sign up in the house you actually have 14 days cooling off.

But, here's the biggie, the 14 days start when the goods are delivered.

If you're ahead of me, then your head may already be spinning at that.

Since the goods, with regard to a PV install, typically are delivered on the day they are installed, you actually have 14 days from then to 'cool off'.

I'm a little shocked at that information!

Mart.

NigeWick

Had a bloke from Myplanet come and chat. He wasn't pushy and explained that the panels would pay for themselves. How much? £128 per month. If my bills now are £100 per month, how is me paying £128 per month, not including gas and elctricity when the system isn't producing enough going to work out that the panels are paying for themselves? How much if I buy the 4kW system outright? £9,000. Bye.

Had three reputable sales people quote me. £6,390 from excellent pitch and information. £6,300 from a chap who spoke my language. £6,000 from the nice man who got the sale after I told him exactly what I wanted. He had to phone for a price and explained he wasn't used to people ordering on the day.

The company who got the contract is Phaseline and the three men who came to fit the system were efficient, helpful and friendly. No mess left behind and the team leader filled out the paperwork for the Feed in Tariff (FiT) apart from the bits that were sent the next day. I e-mailed my supplier all necessary bits & bobs once all forms completed and was on the books that day so made it with days to spare before the FiT went down today.

organum

Update on previous posting.

After the MyPlanet episode and still keen to do an installation I went to one of those online quote sites and quickly had a reply from Green Energy NW Ltd who put together a great quote, always answered questions, had a great surveyor but kept asking for a bank transfer. I insisted on a credit card but all kinds of excuses as to why they could not do a cc. Then I find out that they are suspended from MCS approval so cannot install for six weeks minimum and in any case are registered as being in VA at Companies House.

So I looked back at my original IKEA/Hanergy quote and found that the FT came close, in January 2015, in calling this a Ponzi scheme built on dubious technology.

The whole business of solar seems so dodgy I am seriously considering giving up.

The only good news has been how helpful the government people have been, both in advice about panel efficiency and also accreditation. Transparency with the suppliers is a distant hope IMHO.

Cardew

organum wrote: »

The whole business of solar seems so dodgy I am seriously considering giving up.

A few years ago, before Solar PV became financially viable with the FIT subsidy, there were loads of firms dealing with solar thermal(supply hot water only)


The selling tactics employed by the 'industry' would have made a double glazing salesman of earlier days blush! Except I suspect quite a few double glazing salesmen moved across to selling solar. The Trading Standards offices were inundated with complaints.


With the advent of the FIT subsidy for Solar PV we were promised that the old selling tactics were gone - MCS Registration etc would ensure customers would get a fair deal.


Some hope! It is back to the minefield with outrageous claims and outrageous prices and no compensation for customers who have been mugged.

invisiblecabbage

Well we had a call from a company called Yes marketing solutions that said basically someone would come and explain about the government grant for installing solar panels and it was definitely nothing to purchase, it was purely someone giving us the info. So we agreed. Person arrived, discover he is from myPlanetuk, not 'yes'. He proceeded with a poor delivery of information, confused i think by our lack of distress over our fuel bills and our open embracement of solar cells. Crunch came ...just under £9k for 2.5kW system to be installed, sign now ......It was at this point we politely explained that we had no intention of signing up on the spot, we always took time to research and consider. He then asked us what return we were getting on our savings and isa's, trying to infer that pv cells would be a greater saving. Why he thought we would divulge any of our financial info beggars belief! Still undeterred he reduced price by £500. We repeated our mantra, re no impulse buys but he really found it difficult to swallow. Finally got there and he left. 5 mins later, impatient knock, ring and knock again on front door. Guess who! I thought he had left something, no he asked if he could have another word with us. Basically he had called his manager who had targets to meet and his manager had said he could offer us a £1300 reduction on price if we signed now. Short of using a sledge hammer, we managed to point out that although a very good reduction we would rather pay higher price after having considered it for a few days than rush in and save. Hassled to know when we would make a decision, wants to know within three days. Didn't take me 3days to research what i needed to know. Resounding NO to any deal with myplanetuk.
Ps. Also claimed to be registered with HIES, but i cant find them on the list.

System

'Registered with HIES'. I think that he meant MCS.

Edit= I learn something every day. Perhaps he did mean 'HIES'