"Simplee Solar" / Energy Watch

full-time-mum

Skiduck wrote:

Simplee Solar was set up by a regional manager of Zenith Windows - very aggressive sales technique.

We had a letter from them too. If the above story wasn't enough, then the Z-word certainly is....

They once cold called 3 times within 2 minutes to sell windows - finally OH used unforgivable language in words of one syllable!

rosiewastaken

My mother just had a visit from simplee solar. I was interested too so I went along for a listen. I had already researched online and had seen the typical numbers quoted of 3k to 6k. My mother was quoted 10k. Then he said if she signed up now, she could get it for 7k if she agreed to be a "monitor property" and take temperatures 4 times a month for 9 months and have a board up outside her house. At no point did he give any indication of why his system should be double the price of anyone else's. And he told her not to expect to call up next week and still be able to be a "monitor home", that he get's 120 invites per week and the offer would probably only be valid today...

AND he stayed for ages and AGES...

jackdon

I wish I had read this thread before yesterday. I must have had a mental breakdown or been hypnotised because we signed - a pair of old fools that we are. After a sleepless night we are going to cancel and have started the proceedings. Any advice to get the cancellation done quickly and surely would be appreciated.

solarfoiler

Can I help....
It should be fairly painless to get your deposit back
I just cant believe that "SS" are sending out their mailshots in our area again...received one just the other day!!

yummymummy79

Just wanting to clarify about the cooling off period that has been mentioned earlier on here.

This applies (at the moment although maybe changing in future) to unsolicited visits (cold calls on doorstep) or visits occurring after an unsolicited phone call. If you see a leaflet or advert and then decide to call them in, you won't get the automatic 7 days to cancel. This is mainly because you have made the decision to get them into your house, rather than them just turning up and you being pressured into a decision. This is in the Consumer Protection (Cancellation of Contracts concluded away from Business Premises) Regulations 1987 and it is a criminal offence for the trader to not mention this in writing.

ALSO

If you sign a credit agreement away from trade premises, you have different cancellation rights and these escape me in full at the moment but it is either 5 or 7 days from the day after the agreement, but there is a bit more to it than that.

It's late and my brain wants to sleep!

Help!amItoolate?

Serious help needed. I have paid £1000 deposit. Simplee Solar have put a panels on the roof, delivered the tanks, and they are coming too install in two weeks. They will be expecting an additional payment of £6671. What can I do? I feel I am being totally ripped off and I thought I was doing my bit for the environment. I too was pressurised into signing there and then...single mum, trying to cook dinner, seeing to kids and dog whilst man was there...and he went on and on too!Price went from £12000 down to £7771.
Do I have any chance at stopping this going ahead??

yummymummy79

You would struggle to cancel under any automatic rules especially as they have started the work, although it may depend on when you agreed and the way in which they contacted you (as I mentioned before).

One option (although not ideal) would be to cancel the contract now to stop any further work going ahead, you can give any reason you want really. You would not necessarily be entitled to your deposit back, but it may get you out of having to pay any more. SS would be entitled to ask for an amount of money to cover what they have done so far. To keep this amount down you can argue that they can use the tanks for someone else and possibly the panels (depending on how they are installed etc). The main thing to remember about this is that anyone can cancel a contract at any time, you just have to expect it to not be free in this kind of situation, but they can't force you to carry on with the rest of the work and pay the full amount.

I would suggest that you call Consumer Direct about this for some full advice (kind of telephone side of Trading Standards if you didn't know - 08454 04 05 06) as they can give you some options. This will involve writing to SS at some point, and there may be a possibility of your local Trading Standards helping you out although this will depend on the services available as they do vary from area to area.

souwesterly

My dear mother is 83 and as mentally confused as a child. Simplee Solar sold her almost £7,000 of panels, etc.
Fortunately she 'admitted' what she had done to me and we (three sons) managed to take over. Equally fortunately, our mother had the presense of mind to stop the £2,100 deposit cheque. We wrote to Simplee Solar telling them that the order was to be stopped.
The only unfortunate thing is that my mother waited for about ten days before she told me and before we could cancel the order.
Today we have received a demand from Simplee Solar as follows:

"As has already been pointed out, the contract which your mother signed on 31st August 2006 does not have a cooling off period. Your mother acknowledged this by signing the reverse of the contract. Since your mother returned a card requesting that we make an appointment, our visit was a solicited call which therefore has no cooling off period, as stated by the OFT.

Your mother's bank has informed us that her deposit cheque has been returned as a Stopped Payment. This is a criminal offence. We therefore require a replacement cheque for the sum of £2100 to be forwarded to ourselves within the next 7 days. Failure to do so will result in the file being passed to our legal department to instigate legal proceedings."

Where do we stand and what is the best reply to them? Please don't be too rude!

Elmer_Dudd

Souwesterly:

Firstly I would contact the Watchdog website and ask if they would cover your mums story. This should embarrass the firm to leave off.
If they will then contact Simplee Solar and inform them.
Then contact local press/local radio/free papers and ask them to cover the story.
Send cuttings of reports to SS.
Contact Trading Standards immediately and ask for assistance-they may already be investigating other cases against these parasites.

Inform SS that they are under no circumstances to approach your mother or call at her property due to her health problems and that their visit has caused her to become terrified of financial problems.
Write them a strongly worded letter (Recorded Delivery)saying that your mum has been taken advantage of by high pressure sales and you feel that she has been coerced and misled into signing a contract that she does not understand or need at her age! Tell them that you are approaching the BBC/Local Media/Radio and Trading Standards.

See what they say to that!

Do not get panicked into sending them money!

Good Luck,
Elmer

Arthur12_2

My wife and are the latest victims - same MO, total K7.25. Our legal advice is we won't get our deposit back. SO - is there anyone out there who has had or knows somebody who has had the Simplee Solar System installed? What is the quality of the materials, labour, after-sales service etc? How good is the company at fixing problems? Knowing that the sysem is up to scratch would take away some of the pain from paying over the odds . . .. .We would love to hear from you!!
Arthur12