MrTWales Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 Sigh. Getting sensible quotations has turned out to be a nightmare, but I have one I was going to go with before doing some digging. At first thought I just wrote it off but now I'm wondering whether this is actually pretty common for the sector unless you go with a larger (more expensive) firm. Certainly, a lot of instal firms haven't existed for long even if the Directors have experience in the sector. The company is question has existed for a while but has barely (if at all) traded - the guy I spoke to, who recently became the owner/director clearly knows his stuff and says that they have been doing commercial work recently. He used to be Director for another company before they went insolvent. It looks like they didn't want to have to visit old installs, under a warranty, so just started a new company. Shitty stuff really. The new company has just one review on Trustpilot but it's clearly fake (written by a former partner, who has his own instal company). In addition, the cost saving projection is utter nonsense, unlike the other quote I had. I don't care about this but it doesn't really give much confidence. So red flags everywhere, though I honestly think that they would do a decent job (he 100% knows his stuff) and they clearly need some good reviews posted to build this business. They are MCS so I'd get an insurance backed warranty, but I'd only be able to use this if they ceased trading (I believe) and it's a hassle. I guess, as it's a flat roof instal, there is probably less that can go wrong and issues may be easier to fix, but still.. I should just run a mile and not think any more about it. right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 4 minutes ago, MrTWales said: I should just run a mile and not think any more about it. right? If they give you very good payment terms - EG 20% upfront, you pay for the materials and the delivery is to your site, you only pay for the install once it is signed off it might be worth a punt. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMo Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 Not sure I would trust, we had a company doing work for us, it went insolvent, we had paid them loads, they paid none of their suppliers, started up a new company in his wife name. Lucky for us the job was finished before the insolvency occurred. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTWales Posted June 22, 2022 Author Share Posted June 22, 2022 20 minutes ago, JohnMo said: Not sure I would trust, we had a company doing work for us, it went insolvent, we had paid them loads, they paid none of their suppliers, started up a new company in his wife name. Lucky for us the job was finished before the insolvency occurred. 23 minutes ago, MikeSharp01 said: If they give you very good payment terms - EG 20% upfront, you pay for the materials and the delivery is to your site, you only pay for the install once it is signed off it might be worth a punt. Thanks both. I really don't know what to do as I really want the darn panels installed and getting quotes is horrendous. I did get one more quote last week though, from a firm that had decent reviews, but they were a lot more (£12.9 v £10.4). The install would be within 28 days and they want 25% up front. I really don't think they are going anywhere (they have taken on a salesperson and keep updating the website), and I really think the install would be OK. It's more the aftercare as I don't think they'll be there is 4/5 years as he'd start another firm most likely so there would be no call backs under a warranty. But, with the MCS guarantee, is this just a risk that you have to take in this sector? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillsue Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 Anyone habitually starting and binning companies every so often is dodging/hiding something whether its paying tax, avoiding warranty calls, inability to run a business, scamming suppliers or customers etc etc. No matter how knowledgeable they are, would you want them doing that to you or part way through your job?? If they take credit cards, pay the deposit on a card so at least youve got section 75 cover 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 (edited) 44 minutes ago, MrTWales said: but they were a lot more (£12.9 v £10.4). By charging extra a company is, to a certain extent, selecting customers who are better able to pay. They may also take more care. Check that they take credit cards, if not, avoid. Edited June 22, 2022 by SteamyTea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTWales Posted June 22, 2022 Author Share Posted June 22, 2022 2 minutes ago, Dillsue said: Anyone habitually starting and binning companies every so often is dodging/hiding something whether its paying tax, avoiding warranty calls, inability to run a business, scamming suppliers or customers etc etc. No matter how knowledgeable they are, would you want them doing that to you or part way through your job?? If they take credit cards, pay the deposit on a card so at least youve got section 75 cover That was my thought really, but then again I suspect that you realistically can't have much expectation that the same firm will be there in 10 years to back the warranty. It's only one time this guy company wound up a company but it probably won't be the last time, and it's clearly for dodging warranty calls imo. I think the work would be done as it's short term and very quick (less than one full day), but I'm balancing not wanting to give scummy operators work with wanting panels and getting fed up with waiting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 (edited) 13 minutes ago, MrTWales said: and it's clearly for dodging warranty calls So installed badly in the first place. PV is so reliable that it is only in an extreme case that you would need to go back. (Once had the electrician fit the wrong inverter, picked up the wrong box) Edited June 22, 2022 by SteamyTea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTWales Posted June 22, 2022 Author Share Posted June 22, 2022 (edited) 11 minutes ago, SteamyTea said: So installed badly in the first place. PV is so reliable that it is only in an extreme case that you would need to go back. (Once had the electrician fit the wrong inverter, picked up the wrong box) I really should run a mile but the fact I'm even sort of considering it says how fed up I am of waiting! Looking at this guy's previous firm, the Google reviews were fairly typical but then someone from the (already wound up) company - maybe this guy - responded within the last year to all negative reviews, even old ones, with the most dick-ish rude replies I've ever seen. He's clearly a bit dodgy and screw it, I'll have to give it a miss I guess. Maybe I'm wrong about the winding up reasons, it just seemed the most likely reason. Maybe he just ran down stock at some point and then got away from a creditor, not sure. His LinkedIn still boasts about growing the now wound up company. Edited June 22, 2022 by MrTWales Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorfun Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 6 minutes ago, MrTWales said: I really should run a mile but the fact I'm even sort of considering it says how fed up I am of waiting! Looking at this guy's previous firm, the Google reviews were fairly typical but then someone from the (already wound up) company - maybe this guy - responded within the last year to all negative reviews, even old ones, with the most dick-ish rude replies I've ever seen. He's clearly a bit dodgy and screw it, I'll have to give it a miss I guess. In a couple of months when the sun has stopped shining maybe other 'not so potentially dodgy' PV companies might not be as busy and then you'll get one of them and know you've made the right choice! FOMO is a killer and is really hard not to give in to it but you have to try hard. something better is often just around the corner. 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTWales Posted June 22, 2022 Author Share Posted June 22, 2022 5 minutes ago, Thorfun said: In a couple of months when the sun has stopped shining maybe other 'not so potentially dodgy' PV companies might not be as busy and then you'll get one of them and know you've made the right choice! FOMO is a killer and is really hard not to give in to it but you have to try hard. something better is often just around the corner. 😉 Very sound advice. I guess I miss out on a few months of sun, but then again batteries seem to be getting better by the month almost and I could maybe get a slightly better system for the same price. It's just so damn frustrating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorfun Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 10 minutes ago, MrTWales said: Very sound advice. I guess I miss out on a few months of sun, but then again batteries seem to be getting better by the month almost and I could maybe get a slightly better system for the same price. It's just so damn frustrating! yep. it certainly is. I've had my PV panels on the roof since late last year. I still don't have an electricity meter or the consumer unit installed so don't have the inverter connected up yet. so I've basically wasted 8 months of potential SEG payments. and on a 10.5kWp array that could've been quite a bit. but these things happen and life's too short to beat yourself up about it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 I would look elsewhere There add lots of companies out there Large and small with great track record 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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