Incompetent, UnProfessional, Untrustworthy
Overall, a painful, stressful experience. It started off well, with a quick response to my enquiry, immediately followed by a good quote and a sensible design. Unfortunately, from there, things started going downhill.
Day 8. Drone measurements done.
Day 17. Final design received; some puzzling items but, what the heck, surely they know what they are doing. 50% due. I paid.
Day 40. With no word on approvals, I am getting nervous. I ask for approvals. SolarUp: Sorry, but the drone used to measure the roof size coughed up numbers that were incorrect; could we have your numbers? (These are numbers I'd personally estimated from ground level.) So on what basis had the design been finalized? Sheesh!
Day 75. Installation due to start on day 110. With still no news on approvals, I had to use multiple communications to get a response. SolarUp: Sorry, but the structural engineer needs further information. Could I take images of the attic? What are these guys up to! Anyway, images sent.
A pattern had formed: nothing appeared to be happening unless I called.
Day 90. More communication initiated by me: have approvals been received? SolarUp's response: Blah, blah, blah; but don't worry, installation will be on time.
Day 120. The due date has arrived; installers should be busy on site, but there's no sign of them and, of course, SolarUp is silent as a tomb. Again, I need to make multiple communications to get a response. Finally, the Sales Manager calls: there's a delay. How much of a delay? Oh, one, maybe two months. What! Can you provide a firm date? No! But we can give you your money back. No, we will not refund you for the prerequisite pre-installation audit (That's $500 down the drain).
I thought about the refund offer for about a minute, during which scenes of dealing with SolarUp for maintenance woes in the coming decades flashed through my mind, then decided that, no, this outfit can't be trusted. The best way was out.
[In retrospect, my suspicion is that my contract was one of the first few SolarUp secured -- a fairly aggressive one. A few weeks later, when the government came up with the 10K interest-free loan, SolarUp was able to aquire more favorable contracts. The saga I went through was, I believe, their way of wiggling out of my less profitable contract. That's untrustworthy!]
SolarUp gives all indications of a fly-by-night startup that cannot be relied upon when the going gets just a trifle tough. IMHO, they are incompetent, unprofessional and untrustworthy.
By all means sign up with SolarUp; just make sure to read/fix the fine print (which gives SolarUp carte blanche to finish the project WHENEVER IT SUITS THEM while hanging on to 50% of the contract value). And... be prepared for interesting times.
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