ComplaintsforPlugPV LLC

• Initial Complaint

  09/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Solar company recommended to me by a friend. I am a single employed relatively new (2 years) homeowner in Ulster County. Since the beginning, I was misled and promised services that have not been fulfilled, or fulfilled partially, or incorrectly. I have been told one thing by 1 staff, another by another staff. I have been receiving error messages from my panels, essentially the whole time they have been up, about 6 weeks. I believe I was misled as to the power I would "bank" to get me through the winter. Not only me, but the person who referred me and another family ALL have had major issues with installation and production. They have had to come "fix" or take "photos" of work done/not done. At this point I do not believe anything they say. Today a tech was here for 2 hours, yelling on his cell phone, cursing. He had to install a junction box, which the "bank" stated was needed from the start for safety. The bank/funder has refused payment to them based in these deficiencies. I only know this from the tech who was nice enough to tell me. In addition he forwarded me an email/work order which instructed him directly "NO ENGAGEMENT WITH HO(homeowner). Likely b/c I have notified them directly of my complaints.

  Business response

  10/03/2024

  Dear *****,

  Please accept our deepest apologies for the poor experience you had. We have had our president of sales reach out to you several times over the last week or so, and we have a tech scheduled to come out to adjust the consumption monitoring CTs so that they reflect your consumption properly. We take these matters seriously, and hope to have them all resolved for you ASAP. We look forward to this matter being resolved after the scheduled appointment next Thursday. Please don't hesitate to reach out to our president of sales or customer service department any time. 

  Best Regards,

  PlugPV Customer Service

• Initial Complaint

  05/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This business has come to our home over 10 times. On multiple occasions we have kindly and then very firmly informed them that we are not interested. The constant knocking on our door, ringing the doorbell and interruption of our time has gotten out of control. I have made it very clear I am not interested in whatever they are selling and find it incredibly disrespectful that they continue to come unannounced to my home.

  Business response

  05/31/2024

  Dear Mr. ****,Thank you for reaching out to us. We have reached out to our sales partners in your area and advised them of your concerns. They have confirmed they will address the issues with their team to avoid this from happening to you again. Please contact us if you have any further questions.Sincerely,PlugPV Team

  Customer response

  05/31/2024

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  Regards, ******* ****

• Initial Complaint

  10/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing to express my extreme disappointment and frustration with company, PlugPV’s actions that have led to me being cheated into a contract. Crucial information was deliberately withheld from me to convince me to sign a contract that was not in my best interest. On April 27, 2022, I signed a contract with PlugPV for solar panels. A few months later, I reached out to your company several times because we were still receiving electric bills. I was given the run around and was finally told the system wouldn’t be turned on until September. This is five months after I signed the contract. I continued receiving large electric bills and reached out again. At that point on Dec. 15th, 2022, (see attachment) the project manager informed me that the system was not producing sufficient energy because there are trees that need to be removed on my property, and someone else's property. On Dec. 17th I received another email, (see attachment) stating that it will take one year for it to produce more than we consume. It has been a year and as you can see in my electric billing history, I continue to pay over $200 per month. We clearly do not produce enough energy. This is due to the trees that need to be removed. PlugPV intentionally concealed information that would have influenced my decision to enter in a contract. I would have not signed the contract if I had this information. I cannot afford to pay a monthly electric bill of over $200 plus the monthly loan amount of almost $300. I’m paying more now than before I had solar energy. I was misled and cheated into a contract by your company’s failure to disclose important information. This deception has caused me financial harm.

  Customer response

  10/24/2023

  I would like BBB to contact PlugPV on my behalf.  The desired settlement is $80,325, see attached statement.  Our solar panels are not producing energy. Please see the latest electric bill attached. We have had these solar panels for over a year.  WE contacted the company because we were still receiving electric bills.  That is when they informed me that we must cut down trees on our property and on someone else’s property. They failed to inform me of this when I signed the contract. 

  Business response

  11/13/2023

  Hello, We left a voicemail for the customer to discuss the details of this complaint. We look forward to working with them to resolve it. Best, PlugPV Customer Service 

  Customer response

  02/07/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  I'm requesting to reopen this case.  It has been over 2 months since initial contact with them and Plug PVC has not followed through on resolving our issue. They sent out a technician on 11/21/23. He stated that we should have never had solar panels installed. He was going to take this information back to the company to discuss next steps.  I had a conference call with the company in early December.  They stated that they will either reimburse us and get the panels removed, or get the trees removed.  They also stated that they were going to reimburse us for the monthly electric payments that we have made. I sent them copies of all the bills. A few weeks later, they requested a tree removal company to quote us on removing the trees.  The company, called ********* ***********, submitted a proposal  on 1/7/24. I also sent them a copy of the proposal to them on 1/18/24. I have not received any updates from Plug PVC.   I have contacted them several times, left messages and texts with no response. They also have not reimbursed us for the monthly electric payments that we have incurred for more than one year that exceeds $6,000. We continue to pay monthly electric bills and the loan for the solar panels. This continues to cause a financial burden on our family.  Thank you for your assistance! Regards, ******* ********

  Customer response

  02/27/2024

  The company has still not contacted us yet. What would be the next step?

  Business response

  07/24/2024

  BBB spoke to Nick at the business and the following was relayed: We did return and take care of the customer, we trimmed trees and refunded the customer money. 

  Customer response

  07/24/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. BBB spoke to the customer and the following was relayed: The business did trim some trees as they said they would. However, they did not reimburse for the utility bills that we submitted and the bills are still much higher than they were previously.  Regards,  ******* ********

  Business response

  07/24/2024

  Hello, Throughout March and into early April, our customer service team worked with the client to pay for the cost of tree removal and also reimbursed for lost production. We appreciate the customer's patience throughout the process and believe we have done everything possible to rectify this issue. Please find the emails attached regarding the aforementioned facts. Sincerely, Customer Service

  Customer response

  07/26/2024

  Please see attached bill. We continue paying a high amount each month for utilities and do not undersand why the panels are not working even with the tree removal. I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.  Regards, ******* ********

  Business response

  08/06/2024

  Hello, We have agreed to a resolution and executed on that resolution. However, there was an unrelated inverter issue which is being resolved. While the timing is quite inconvenient, it is unrelated to the issues reported initially, and we have addressed those as agreed upon with the customer. We kindly ask that this complaint be closed, and if further issues arise, please reach out to us directly.  Best, PlugPV Customer Service

  Customer response

  08/07/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  I do not want to close this case yet because our solar panels are still not working. Our problem is not resolved 100% and our panels are not working correctly.    Regards,  ******* ********

  Customer response

  08/14/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. BBB spoke to the customer and the following was relayed: It has been two years and the issue remains, the solar panels have never worked properly. We just received another bill from the utility company for $400. We are paying for the panels and still getting billed by the utility company. The business stated that something is faulty and they were going to send a tech out.  I will close the complaint when the tech has been sent and the issue addressed and resolved.  Regards,  ******* ********

  Business response

  08/21/2024

  BBB spoke to Nick at the business and the following was relayed: We have addressed the original complaint issues and are continuing to work with the customer to address any additional issues. We have gone above and beyond for the customer, including paying for tree removal and compensating the customer for every amount that underproduced. There was an invertor that we noticed had a partial failure that we replaced under their 25 year manufacturer/10 year labor warranty. There is a communication issue with the monitoring which we will continue to address until resolved. The monitoring is not a guaranteed service and the issue is due to the customer's internet service and setup. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I decided to get solar panels with PlugPV, LLC. after listening to the representative explain how everything worked. Unknown to me it was a total fabrication of lies to make the sale. I was told my monthly payments would be $100.79 for the panels and $21.83 to ******* ******. I was told I would be getting a refund of $19,521.32. The panels cost $38,928.0.0, I could use the rebate to put down on the loan, bringing the total loan down to $$23,806.83 or I can use the money I was getting back to pay down on credit cards, buy a car, go on vacation or whatever I pleased. I never got any money back, nor was I told that this had to go through my taxes. Since there is no money coming back to me as I was promised, my monthly payments are now increasing. I'm disabled and, on a budget, this was my reason for getting solar. He also told me to put my mother's solar panels under my name, that people do it all the time, which I'm now being told it's illegal to do because I'm not on the deed. Same ordeal, set monthly payments, the refund, etc. made it sound really good. My mother got nothing but higher payments. Took advantage of an elderly lady with cancer. The representative intentionally twisted and misrepresented the information concealing important facts to make the sale and I just trusted what he was saying. He sounded so believable. I want at the very least what I was promised and specially for my mother after Andrew K*** telling advising me to sign for solar on a house that's not even mine, to now realizing I actually made it worst for my mother. I need resolution on this matter asap. Extremely Upset, ******* *******

  Business response

  10/05/2023

  Attached, please find the contracts for both projects for ******* ******. As discussed, while we make every effort to ensure the customer is comfortable and knowledgeable about the different issues brought up in the complaints, no matter how diligent and hard we work to ensure everyone makes the correct decisions for themselves, we cannot make their decisions for them. Therefore, we have the following things on each of our contracts, and we include only for situations like this, where customers, unfortunately, end up in a tough spot because they do not understand fully what their obligations and responsibilities are with regard to their contract and their loans, even though it is thoroughly explained and also written in our contract in many places, not to mention the finance companies documents, unfortunately, which I do not have access to due to privacy restrictions. PlugPV, nor its affiliated partners, committed the inappropriate things listed in the reviews. As we always do, we provide the best guidance for a client to make their own decisions, and we provide a quality experience from contract to installation to energization and long-term savings. We cannot be defamed this way when some people feel as if they were tricked or scammed because they failed to adhere to the obligations and responsibilities set forth in the contracts and financial agreements that they entered into. Below, please find some guidance on the relevant sections of our contract: You'll notice on page 2 of each contract we inform people in writing that the payment is based on them making the incentive payment per their loan agreement (between them and the bank). On page 4, you will notice our note about credits, incentives, and rebates and the direction for the customer to consult their tax professional or legal professional. In section 10 of the terms and conditions, it states the following: "10. Acknowledgement of Tax Estimate. Owner hereby acknowledges that the amounts of the Federal Tax Credit and State Tax Credit on this Contract are estimates only, and in no way constitute a guarantee that Owner will receive the stated amount. TAX AND OTHER FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL INCENTIVES VARY AS TO REFUNDABILITY AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR TERMINATION BY LEGISLATIVE OR REGULARTORY ACTION, WHICH MAY IMPACT SAVINGS ESTIMATES. CONSULT A TAX PROFESSIONAL. OWNER IS NOT PERMITTED TO RELY ON ANY ESTIMATES OF TAX CREDITS. OWNER’S EXECUTION OF THIS CONTRACT IS AN EXPRESS ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT CONTRACTOR MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES REGARDING AVAILABILITY OR ELIGIBILITY FOR TAX CREDITS AND OWNER HAS CONSULTED WITH OWNER’S TAX ADVISOR PRIOR TO EXECUTION." In section 11 of the terms and conditions, it states the following: "11. Acknowledgement of Savings Estimates. Owner hereby acknowledges that the amounts of the Savings on this Contract are estimates only, and in no way constitute a guarantee that Owner will receive, or save, the stated amount. THIS CONTRACT OFFERS NO GUARANTEED SAVINGS. OWNER IS NOT PERMITTED TO RELY ON ANY ESTIMATES OF SAVINGS. OWNER’S EXECUTION OF THIS CONTRACT IS AN EXPRESS ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT CONTRACTOR MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES REGARDING SAVINGS." In section 12 of the terms and conditions, it states the following: "12. Acknowledgement of Production. Owner hereby acknowledges that the amounts of System Production on this Contract are estimates only, and in no way constitute a guarantee that the installed system will produce the stated amount of electric power. Production  Estimates displayed in this contract include an annual degradation factor of 0.5%. THIS CONTRACT OFFERS NO GUARANTEED PRODUCTION. OWNER IS NOT PERMITTED TO RELY ON ANY ESTIMATES OF PRODUCTION. OWNER’S EXECUTION OF THIS CONTRACT IS AN EXPRESS ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT CONTRACTOR MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES REGARDING PRODUCTION."  In section 20 of the terms and conditions, it states the following: "20. All figures, tax estimates, savings estimates, production estimates, terms, and calculations displayed with this proposal and accompanying contract have been engineered and calculated in good faith by a third party solar software platform. For questions regarding these figures at any time, please contact: ********** ********* ** ********* ****** *** **** ****** ***** ********* As you can see, in addition to whatever similar declarations and documentation the client signed between them and the lender, we have also covered our bases to ensure that no customer can claim they were uninformed or misinformed by PlugPV or its affiliates. By signing this contract, they acknowledge that they have read and understood all of the terms and conditions including the ones I have specifically pointed out for you in this email. While we wish no customer ever had any issues, we cannot be accused of falsely accused of wrongdoing and asked to cover the cost of the mistakes the customer made by not fulfilling their responsibilities with the lender. If the system had an issue, we will fix it. If we did do something wrong, we would make every effort to fix it. But we cannot be extorted out of anger when no wrongdoing has occurred. Best, Nick 

• Initial Complaint

  08/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 25, 2023, my townhouse neighbor at ** ****** *** had solar panels installed by PlugPV. The solar panels appear to be encroaching on my roof by at least eight inches. I have communicated this to my neighbor, PlugPV, and my HOA. PlugPV said they would come out to confirm and repair a couple of weeks ago. PlugPV never came. The supporting documents show that the solar project is at least 8 inches wider than the width of my neighbors' home. According to the engineer's drawing, the solar panel project is 21 feet 8 inches wide. (16'-3" plus 5'-5" = 21'-8"). According to the survey, #** ****** *** is 20.95 feet wide (about 21 feet). The solar array appears to be wider than the property by at least 8 inches. Those 8 inches appear to be on my roof, which I am not okay with. If PlugPV made a mistake, they are responsible for removing the panels from my roof and repairing any roof damage they have caused. I have already tried to deal with this directly with my neighbor, PlugPV, and my HOA.

  Business response

  08/08/2023

  BBB spoke to Mike at the business and the following was relayed:

  The customer is correct and we are currently working on how to resolve for the customer. This will be taken care of for the customer.

  Customer response

  08/28/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I appreciate the effort in relocating the arrays to where the business "believes" they are no longer on my property. I need the business to provide written confirmation from a professional licensed surveyor that the panels are not on my property and are fully located on their clients' property. Also, the corrected mounting plan should be sent to the client in order for them to get retroactive approval from the ******** ** ***** ********* HOA for the installation of solar panels. The HOA requires all homeowners to receive HOA Board approval before installing solar panels. Please insist on seeing HOA Board approval before installation on future projects. The HOA Board will check the mounting plan against the as-built survey to confirm the project does not overlap onto other properties. The Solar Rights Act **************************************************) does not waive the requirement for HOA Board approval for the installation of solar panels.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** *******
  
  
  
  
  

  Business response

  09/05/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for your response. We are working with the customer to secure their HOA approval. However, we will not be hiring a professional survey as you suggested. It is very clear visually that the installation issue has been resolved and we kindly ask that you mark this complaint as resolved.

  -PlugPV Customer Service Team

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩