Buying Solar Panels from SolarKing with their *get-it-today* discount

esscubed

Looking for some advice on whether the solar panels company below is trustworthy and quality. They are offering a sizeable discount if I say Yes today but I obviously want to check them out properly. I have work to be doing but will say yes or no in the next couple of hours. Any useful info about them or what to check greatly appreciated!

I've just had a 2-hour sales call from one of SolarKing Uk's salesmen. He had a quick look at the roof and then took me through a few presentations to give me a price and estimates on how much energy a panel installation would give me. I feel like they're trust worthy based on everyone I've spoken to so far, from the cold caller to the appointment booker and to this sales guy. They gave me plenty of info and offer finance too which is nice (yet to check the T&C's on that but he says overpayments and early repayment is essentially fine with minimal restrictions).

Price quoted for 7 south-facing panels plus three 60-degrees-off-south panels and a micro inverter, £7909, fitted within 7 days. They are MCS accredited, RECC, ISO 9001 and a some other things.

The crux is that they offer a 'Connect code' discount. They give you money off for having an ad-board outside the property for a couple of weeks, allowing them to take before and after photos and for putting you visible on their Connect system online (anonymously). The system monitors your numbers for a year and they use it to find faults in your panels. Then they show other customers in your area what your panels are achieving to achieve more sales - because they use RECC guideline numbers to make minimal figure estimates, then they show people like me the numbers other people are getting, which are much higher, and hey look, I actually want to buy from them (really). He was expecting the discount to be between £500 and £900 but when he put my super special code into his spreadsheet, lo and behold it was a mighty £1500.

So actual cost to me of them fitting my panels would be £6409, as a Connect customer.

It all sounds good, guaranteed tariff obviously, 25 year guaranteed panel outputs, 10 year system guarantee including a further 10 year guarantee on any parts that need replacing on warranty, estimated 40 year system life, HIES certified.

He mentioned they will start fitting batteries in future once solar panel fitting decreases but wasn't offering them today. He also showed me their vital stats on companycheck.co.uk to show they weren't an operation that will disappear overnight (turnover, assets, liabilities all in the millions, fwiw).

Anybody have any experience of this company or advice in this case? It's obviously not deal of the century but I don't look for cheapest providers with something long-term like this, I'd rather have piece of mind that it will be done properly and looked after in future.
Thanks

esscubed

I can't post links in the forum yet but these experiences are not endearing...
local.which.co.uk/forum/thread?thread_id=1863&pageno=2

Cardew

Post this in the Green and Ethical section of MSE forum, that is where the experts hang out.


The price is way over the top.

macman

Anyone selling anything where the 'discount' is offered on the basis that you need to sign up today is not to be trusted. The 'special discount' is simply achieved by quoting you an inflated initial price-a tactic used for decades by the double glazing nationals.
I'd be amazed if they offered a 10 year warranty on the inverter, which is the only component likeky to fail.

Cardew

macman wrote: »

I'd be amazed if they offered a 10 year warranty on the inverter, which is the only component likeky to fail.

Most of these types of guarantee - not just solar - turn out to be useless as the firms can stop simply stop trading.


The fact that they can open again using a different name but same premises, owners and equipment doesn't make the original guarantee valid.

Smiley_Dan

We have a 10 year warranty on our inverter from a reputable installer.

macman

High pressure sales tactics-run a mile. How do you know the price is good if you have had no alternative quotes?

Cardew

Smiley_Dan wrote: »

We have a 10 year warranty on our inverter from a reputable installer.

I didn't say all firms.


However now the Government seems to have come to its senses and are to virtually stop FIT subsidies, IMO many of the solar installers will move on to pastures new after dissolving their current business. Even many of the 'reputable installers' will have little incentive to stay in the solar industry.


Of course some warranties are backed by major insurance companies so these should be OK.