"Simplee Solar" / Energy Watch

trisontana

I noticed on Watchdog last night that the company blamed it all on individual "rogue" salesmen who were giving the false energy-saving figures. Funny, this excuse is used by a lot of companies when their lies are found out.

Siddie_2

We had the salesman round a while ago and signed up (£6600). We were worried, but let them carry on. The guys who fitted the panels were sub-contractors (one a roofer) who did care about their customers, and the guy who plumbed us in a couple of weeks later, again a subbie, again a very good workman. The quality of the materials and parts are also very good.

However, enough about the good side, the company organisation sucks!
When the salesman visited he told me about himself - a retired oil company salesman who had been headhunted to be their sales manager (Graham). He was very nice, but after my wife (who is very forthright) in front of him started looking up comments about the company on the web, he became quite threatening. I think he expected us not to be a sale. Now I wish that we were not!

The poor plumber was sent with no paperwork, didn't have a clue about our particular system, and had been given a stock tank to fit (the wrong one) when we should have had a custom made one. So now on a sunny day we have hot water, but not as much as we should have, and because he was not told how to set the system, when I want a very hot bath (as I do!) and turn on the gas water heating, when the temperature in the tank goes over 60 the excess heat is pumped out onto those lovely radiators on the roof to warm up the night sky! As the tank is small I want to heat up the water very hot so that I can add cold to make up the required quantity, but I only succeed in helping global warming!

Luckily I didn't make the last third payment (£2200) - at the suggestion of the plumber! So lets see what happens now...

So far I have phoned them three times (the system was finished two weeks ago) and was told that the Installations Manager Dave Walsh would be calling me back. But has he? No luck!!!

I also watched the plumber doing the setup of the system, so I know which buttons to press to get into the setup menu - but if anybody else has any details of what all the settings do, please let me know.

For what it is, the system is very expensive (a rip off?), the roofer was here for two hours fitting the panels and the plumber for one and a half days.
The control panel is good quality, however, and the pump is one of the best domestic ones you can get. From the chance I had to examine the panels before they went on the roof, they seem very good quality. All the main parts are German I think.

So my opinion is that the company can do good work if you get the right people (usually the sub-contractors), but don't believe the salesman!

uksolar

We are a small registered Solar heating company, we charge around £3000 for the complete vacuum tube hot water installation, materials and labour.
So why why why do all you people pay large amounts of hard earned cash to rip of companys when we struggle to get regular work.

Reply to siddie I do not know if you can contact me as I am new to this but if you can I will explain how your system works and how to get the best out of it. You possibly only need a mixing valve fitted to allow you to increase the temperature of the cylinder.
A non return valve will stop the heating of the solar panel at night.
Many thanks Dave Thompson.

uksolar

husskey wrote:

Check out Dorset Trading standards today:-

On 24 November 2006, at Bournemouth Crown Court, Simplee Solar Limited were found guilty of seven offences committed under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 after a four day trial. The company was fined a total of £40,000, and was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £ 27,000. The prosecution was brought by Dorset County Council’s Trading Standards Service, following a lengthy investigation into complaints made by consumers.

Yes this fantastic news £67,000 in total but SS average 20 jobs a week at around £7,000 each total around £140,000. SS should have been shut down not fined. However SE had a £80,000 fine a few years ago and are still here doing the same thing.

solarfoiler

OOOOPS...silly me.Someone emailed me yesterday for help but I seemed to have deleted their message
Please resend
Sorry!!

Siddie_2

Hey, Dave (uksolar) I would like some help please. SS insist that a 130lit torrent tank can supply 200lit hot water, but so far I have not even managed to get more than a half bath of HOT water (only warm - not much more than body temperature) and when I decided to have a shower I was under a nice hot stream for about 5 mins, and then it went so cool I had goose pimples!
Is this a failing of torrent tanks, or is there another problem? From a small tank that I had previously I could get a bath of very hot water but not now. I will have paid £6600 for a system that as yet doesn't work (and is worse than my previous system).

The plumber guy is coming to try and sort out the problem of the water returning to the panel at night. We will see how that goes...

They want the rest of the money by return of post! I still do not think that they have kept to their part of the contract.

Siddie.


p.s. please don't try to email me - send a private message.
Thanks.

paddytess

I feel I have to comment on some of the posts that have been submitted about simplee solar.I purchased a system in May 2006 and have been very happy with the company and system from the initial sale to completion.It was explained to me at point of order that it was a non cancellable agreement and I had to sign to say I understood this,so it puzzles me why people sign the contract and then try to cancel.I also note that some of the posts complain about high pressure tactics,would someone please explain what high pressure is?.cant people say NO!!!.I actually didn't buy solar for the fuel savings but because I am concerned about the enviroment,i'm a bit of a greenie,but I have made savings on my oil bill which has been an added bonus.

happy_hotwater

I am at a loss to understand this i had my system fitted some 2 years ago i am over the moon i have had cause to call this company twice for minor problems they have been more than helpfull in fact having called them on boxing day 2006 they claimed to have a call back system that they returned the call within 4 hours we had a little family bet me to see just how quick they responded i was amazed 2 hours 34 mins later the installation director called back as he was manning the calls over this period to give his staff a break he apologised for causing us a problem over the festive period and gave me some sound advise assuring me that an engineer would be with me on the 3rd of jan 2007 guess what ? they did turn up about an hour late , but i was more than happy as the engineer said the call was F.O.C even though out of warranty, i cant ask for more than that Thank you Simplee Solar i find it amazing that you have had such bad a bad time from the gutter press and members of this forum i truely hope you can weather this storm for my sake and the sake of all your customers who are not hell bent on bringing you to your knees Good Luck

happy_hotwater

Siddie wrote:

We had the salesman round a while ago and signed up (£6600). We were worried, but let them carry on. The guys who fitted the panels were sub-contractors (one a roofer) who did care about their customers, and the guy who plumbed us in a couple of weeks later, again a subbie, again a very good workman. The quality of the materials and parts are also very good.

However, enough about the good side, the company organisation sucks!
When the salesman visited he told me about himself - a retired oil company salesman who had been headhunted to be their sales manager (Graham). He was very nice, but after my wife (who is very forthright) in front of him started looking up comments about the company on the web, he became quite threatening. I think he expected us not to be a sale. Now I wish that we were not!

The poor plumber was sent with no paperwork, didn't have a clue about our particular system, and had been given a stock tank to fit (the wrong one) when we should have had a custom made one. So now on a sunny day we have hot water, but not as much as we should have, and because he was not told how to set the system, when I want a very hot bath (as I do!) and turn on the gas water heating, when the temperature in the tank goes over 60 the excess heat is pumped out onto those lovely radiators on the roof to warm up the night sky! As the tank is small I want to heat up the water very hot so that I can add cold to make up the required quantity, but I only succeed in helping global warming!

Luckily I didn't make the last third payment (£2200) - at the suggestion of the plumber! So lets see what happens now...

So far I have phoned them three times (the system was finished two weeks ago) and was told that the Installations Manager Dave Walsh would be calling me back. But has he? No luck!!!

I also watched the plumber doing the setup of the system, so I know which buttons to press to get into the setup menu - but if anybody else has any details of what all the settings do, please let me know.

For what it is, the system is very expensive (a rip off?), the roofer was here for two hours fitting the panels and the plumber for one and a half days.
The control panel is good quality, however, and the pump is one of the best domestic ones you can get. From the chance I had to examine the panels before they went on the roof, they seem very good quality. All the main parts are German I think.

So my opinion is that the company can do good work if you get the right people (usually the sub-contractors), but don't believe the salesman!

i have been told the company have produced a dvd and video to help wih explaining the systems why dont you ask

MORPH3US

paddytess wrote:

some of the posts complain about high pressure tactics,would someone please explain what high pressure is?.cant people say NO!!!.

Not quite that simple is it. I have never had dealings with Simplee Solar but have had "high pressure sales" before and its not as simple as saying "no". Some people don't take no for an answer. I'm not sure if that is true in this case, but something to consider!!!

M