I Wouldnt Buy Solar Or Batteries From A Cold Caller
My advice is to never buy solar or batteries from a company that cold calls. Im not saying its impossible for a quality installer to contact you, but the odds are against it and I dont recommend going against the odds when your money and possibly safety are on the line.
Its a simple matter of probability. If you pick a solar company randomly out of the phone book chances are you wont get a scoundrel. But if you go with someone who rings you up out of the blue you probably will. The reason the phone lines are rotten with reprobates is because they are looking for people who dont know much about solar power or what it currently costs and want to get a salesperson who is almost invariably on a commission to their place and seal the deal before they do any research.
Know How Much Your Utilities Are
The first thing we recommend is understanding how much you typically pay for your utilities.
Having three or four recent electricity bills on hand, is not only good for you to know your starting point, but it is also a great way to prepare for and provide to a solar expert.
Knowing the details of the statements can help you get you a quote that is accurate to your home and your needs. How much you pay your utility company is a key factor, when considering going solar, especially during the design and proposal stage.
Our in-house teams can create system arrays that will benefit you the most by providing these details. If you use a high amount of energy, we might add a panel or two to your design to make sure usage is covered. If you use a low amount of energy, we use the information to make sure we are not giving you more panels than you need to maintain your electricity usage for a low cost.
HOME ENERGY AUDIT
To run an energy-efficient home, which will undoubtedly save you money, a Home Energy Audit will be performed to identify places your energy uses can be improved. It might provide insights such as: upgrading your appliances or simply adjusting your thermostat temperature at night. You can also do a few things on your own, like switching your lights to LED bulbs, and being efficient with your dishes, laundry, and other appliances.
EXCLUSIVE FINANCING OPTIONS
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Solar America Class Action Alleges Violation Of Tcpa
This class action alleges that Solar America, Sunrun, and Clean Energy Experts violated the Telephone Consumer Protection ACT by placing unsolicited telemarketing cell phone calls, some of them to persons who were on the national Do Not Call registry. The TCPA was enacted to protect consumers from intrusive automated telemarketing practices, such as robocalls.
The lawsuit includes two classes:
- The Robocall class includes all persons in the US who received unsolicited telephone calls from Sunrun, Clean Energy Experts, or Solar America, which were placed using an automatic dialing system or prerecorded voice system, within four years of the filing of this claim.
- The Do Not Call class includes all persons who had a phone number registered with the Do Not Call registry for at least 30 days who received more than one telephone call from Sunrun, Clean Energy Experts, or Solar America promoting products or services within a 12-month period and for whom these companies have no record of consent to such calls.
Sunrun, Inc., which claims to be the largest dedicated residential solar company in the US, sells residential solar energy systems in fifteen states. Clean Energy Experts is a subsidiary of Sunrun which provides lead generation services for Sunrun and other companies. It operates under the name of Solar America.
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Scenario : Solar Industry Trick Free Health Check And Service Letter
Did you receive a letter in the mail notifying that you have not received your free health check and service and your warranty may be due to expire? The solar industry has its tricksters too, just like any other home-related ones What does the letter say? As a call-to-action, it asks the recipient to contact the sender to validate the warranty and request a free health check. It looks like this:
Be wary of any unsolicited approach and never agree to services, to having work done, or for someone to visit your home if approached in this way by so-called solar companies. If you own a solar panel, you should always talk to your suppliers before allowing any work or maintenance to take place on their panels. A solar panel system does not necessarily need servicing, although it may benefit from being cleaned if the panels are dirty.
Later on in this article, we have a Top 5 list with the highest-ranked solar panels systems, in case you think of purchasing one from a safe seller.
How To Discern A Us Census Worker From A Scammer At Your Door
There have been scams, and you should stay alert over the next few weeks in case anyone comes to your door posing as a census worker, warns Jerome Garza, the assistant regional census manager for the Dallas region.
Another scam, that appears to target those stuck living and shopping from home, is a text suggesting an update to a package ready to be delivered. To get the information, all you need to do is click the attached link which would likely load destructive malware onto you phone and open-it up to the crooks. “They want to access the information that you have on your phone,” says Guevara Torres, “That way, they can pull you into paying them.”
The Better Business Bureau’s Dan Parsons has a tongue-in-cheek description of what makes the scams possible, these days. “It’s called ‘isolation disconnectus’,” says Parsons, “We are at home, locked away, and our guards are down.”
He says crooks recognize potential-victims are overwhelmed: trying to work from home, keep families organized, and stay healthy. Trying to avoid con-artists may not always be front-and-center.
“The people who that do this stuff are not stupid. They know your antenna is down, and your demand for fulfillment is up.”
The overarching advice, to stay safe, is to be suspicious:
– Don’t click on links when you don’t, really, know the source. Instead, call or go directly to a company or service’s website.
– Let unwanted calls go to voice mail.
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Solar Panel Scam Reports
05/10/2017
Green Energy Electrical have received several reports from customers who have received cold calls warning them about potential hazards with their solar panels.
In some cases, the customers have been told that their panels are a potential fire risk and that an urgent risk assessment is needed to determine whether protective measures are required. These are false claims, being used to put pressure on the customer to agree to a visit. Once in the customers home, they are told that their solar panel systems require solar isolator devices. Claims are made that without them, the fire service will not attend a fire caused by the solar panels and that home insurance is invalidated. Again, these are false claims and customers have been quoted up to £3000 to have these isolators installed.
In other cases, cold callers have told customers that a health check or maintenance is required on their solar panel system. During these health check or maintenance visits, customers are then falsely told that their system is in need of upgrade. It might be that the inverter is no longer functioning properly or that the system would be made more productive by adding different components. On some occasions, these cold callers claim to be connected to the MCS or even the original installation company. These people are not to be trusted.
More information published on the MCS website can be found at:
https://www.microgenerationcertification.org/solar-pv-scam-reports-update/
Dont Be Deceived By Impostors & Phone Scams
Scammers continue to target utility customers. Typically, they pose as utility “collection” employees and threaten to disconnect electricity service unless a payment is made immediately using a pre-paid cash card. This is a scam. We don’t want you to fall victim to it.
Contact us if you have questions about your bill.
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What Are Call Blocking And Call Labeling
When we talk about call blocking, it means technologies or devices that can stop a lot of the unwanted calls you get like scam calls and illegal robocalls before they reach you. Cell phones, home phones that make calls over the internet , and landlines each have their own call-blocking options. Just know that call-blocking services could block some legitimate calls.
Some companies also offer call labeling. Call-labeling services show categories like spam or scam likely on your phones screen for incoming calls. Then you can decide whether to answer the call.
Smart Home Solar Calls
Before applying for all incentives and tax credits the SmartFlower solar panel system ranges in price from 25000 to 30000 with the average cost to install at 27000. Prince Frederick MD 20639.
Lynx Solar Weather Proof Outdoor Wifi Surveillance Camera With Solar Panel Affiliate Surveillance Camera Solar Panels Solar
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Oppd Alerts The Public Of Solar Power Scam Calls
OMAHA, Neb. – When listening to the sales pitch of telephone offers on solar power, keep your eyes open for red flags.
After receiving a recent electric bill, Matt Spielman could see why installing a home solar system is a bright idea.
Solar panel wise, I saved $75 this month, said home solar customer, Matt Spielman.
An OPPD solar expert says for customers like Matt, the sun doesnt set on keeping electric bills down.
Its using the system as a battery. So, he produced power during the day that he gets to use at night, and he does that instead of buying new electricity, said Kirk Estee, OPPD.
Matt estimates the $11,000 spent on a solar system will pay for itself in about six to seven years. With the growing popularity of solar for homes, OPPD wants to shed light on suspicious calls and offers for installations of the panels and systems.
OPPD does not support or endorse any specific companies in that way, said Estee.
Not a lot of people know much about electrical work and solar panels in general so as long as theyre willing to educate you and give you the time. Thats a good tell too if theyre wanting to work with you, said Spielman.
A homeowner and an OPPD alternative energy expert say before investing in a home solar system, its worth asking every question under the sun.
To make sure you check them out, so you dont get taken advantage of or led astray, said Estee.
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Why Are You Getting Spam Calls
Scam calls arent personal. Not really, anyway. Representatives at the FCC and FTC both told us that robocall scammers might call numbers randomly or by sequentially dialing numbers by area code. Theres also a market for robocallers that call to see if anyone picks up and then turn around and sell that list to other scammers. The same goes for text messages, where they may test to see if you tap a link or reply to the message trying to opt out.
Scammers, being unscrupulous, can also buy a list of phone numbers from a legitimate source for their illegitimate needs. When the folks behind the podcast Reply All dug into the possibility of mobile apps collecting and sharing phone numbers alongside location, they didnt find anything definitive. But theres not much oversight over how companies sell or share data after they collect it. First Orion, a scam-protection company, analyzed more than 40 billion calls and found that scammers are now using information from data breaches for more-focused scams, but the majority of robocalls are likely still randomized.
How To Stop Solar Spam Calls In 2019
We know its annoying and disruptive to get a call from a unknown number and answer it,
only to hear a pushy aggressive sales person or spam robo-caller trying to hassle you into buying a solar energy system.
In this post I will show you what steps you can take on your side to stop these solar telemarketing calls once and for all.
Telemarketing is defined as: the marketing of goods or services by means of telephone calls, typically unsolicited, to potential customers.
The Federal Communications Commission stated consumers received an estimated 2.4 billion robocalls per month last year. I would have to take a guess that American solar calls make up a good portion of telemarketing calls. Having a cellphone has its positives and negatives. The positive is being able to communicate instantly at demand and have instant information at your fingertips. The negative is that pushy telemarketers utilize your phone number to pitch sleazy solar offers and deals.
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What To Do If A Scammer Contacts You
If you suspect a phone call, email, or personal visit is fraudulent, remember:
- Never reveal personal information to anyone, including your SCE Account information, credit card, ATM or calling card number
- Never use the call-back number provided by an unknown caller to verify billing information
- Ask for the callers name, department and business phone number
- End the call or interaction and report the incident to your local law enforcement. Call us at the telephone numbers on this page or on your utility bill.
How Many Robocalls Do You Get A Day
As America slowly begins to inch back to business as usual, robodialers are already there. The number of robocalls last month hit pre-pandemic levels for the first time in a year, averaging over 159 million calls per dayroughly 1,911 calls per secondaccording to robocall-prevention service YouMail.Mar 5, 2021
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The Nuclear Option: Block Every Call From Someone Not In Your Contacts
Most smartphones offer a way to block any call from a phone number not in your contact list. This sounds great on paper, but if, say, your doctors office calls from a different line, a job interview calls back, or an automated message about a vaccine appointment attempts to make contact, you could be out of luck. Thankfully, calls show up in your phones call logs, and you can still access any voicemail the caller leaves, but its on you to check those things because you dont get notifications. If youre comfortable with this arrangement, heres how to set it up:
- Android: Open the Phone app, and then tap the three-dot icon in the top-right corner > Settings> Blocked numbers. Enable the Block calls from unidentified callers option. You may also find a setting here. If so, check the Filter spam calls box to send them straight to voicemail.
- iPhone: Open Settings> Phone, and then scroll to Silence Unknown Callers.
You can also block individual numbers. This approach is useful if the same number keeps spamming you:
- Android: Open the Phone app, head to the recent-history tab, tap the number you want to block, and then tap Block/report spam.
- iPhone: Open the Phone app, tap Recents, tap the Info icon on the number you want to block, and then select Block this Caller.
How To Protect Yourself From This Scam
- Do hang up on illegal robocalls.
- Do add all your numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry operated by the Federal Trade Commission . It wont stop fraudulent calls, but it will make them easier to spot because most legitimate telemarketers wont call numbers on the registry.
- Do explore free and low-cost call-blocking options, such as apps and services that screen calls and weed out spam and scams. Ask your phone service provider if it offers any such tools.
- Do verify the caller. If the robocall claims to be from, say, Social Security or your bank, hang up and look up the real number for that entity. Call and ask if they contacted you.
- Do report scam calls to the proper authorities . Every report helps authorities piece together a fuller picture of what scammers are doing.
- Do review a companys privacy policies before you give it permission to call you. You might be authorizing them to share your contact information with others.
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Cold Call : Claiming Your Solar Panel Installer Has Stopped Trading
Some 10% said that a cold caller told them that the company that installed their solar panels had gone out of business, when this wasnt true.
If youre unsure, try contacting your solar panel installer. Check its website and try the contact information it left with you at installation. You can also search for installers registered with MCS on its website.
Ask the cold-calling company how it got your details. Dont feel pressurised into signing anything with a new company before youve had time to digest all the information you need to make a decision.
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