Free solar panels? Don't get fooled
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2023
- You’ve probably seen the ads on TV and online, that you may qualify for free solar panels. One elderly Houston couple took the bait and then called KPRC 2 Investigator Amy Davis when they realized they’d been hooked, tricked into paying tens of thousands of dollars for those so-called free panels.
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I hate that TH-cam doesn’t let us report those fake ads it’s so annoying
I see them all the time!!!
It's a google ad's thing, but you can, usually.... Sometimes.
Unless you look for them like "mrbeast free money"
Yeah its free after signing up for 3 or more services you dont need one i remember it was 700dllrs or so
I'm tired of TH-cam recommended me TikTok and Facebook ads. I wish we can block what ads we don't even want to see it just that Facebook and TikTok pay a lot for for TH-cam to play their ads.
because youtube is being paid big bucks to be the ones running the ads. Why would they let u report their own ads they are being paid to run?
Let’s be real, these nice folks only got their issue resolved because the local press got involved. Otherwise these people would have gotten the run around. There’s always people in every industry trying to scam people, even if the business is a legitimate product or service. Those individuals make the rest of us untrustworthy of sales people in general.
Sad but true
I sell solar and love working in this industry. So sad that these people Were taken advantage of. So sad because it makes the industry look bad. I’ve never said that solar is “free” I simply show people that it makes sense for the right person. Always be fair and transparent only way to do business is good 👍🏼 business.
@@jeffreys__journey2456I was in sales for many years. You are 100% right. Honesty is the best policy. You keep your clients for years, build healthy relationships and have a meaningful life of peace and lovely conversations with your community. Hard to go wrong with that!
The news report failed to mention the perpetrator's name.
She will keep conning others.
This is why we must always snitch to the news! Tattle telling never went away :)
"If something's free, YOU are the product."
You must be a business man. They always blame their victim for their lack of scrupulous.
@@teddypreston5525 I'm not at all sure how you arrived at that conclusion based on what I said.
At the very least, I now grasp the concept of leverage.
Creating wealth and financial freedom isn't as tough as many people believe. Building wealth and remaining financially stable indefinitely is a lot easier with the appropriate information. Participating in financial programs and products is the only true approach to make a high income and remain affluent indefinitely.
Most people simply enter the foreign exchange market without comprehending matters like this. The first stage in building money is determining your goals and risk tolerance, which you may do on your own or with the assistance of a financial counselor who works with a verified Finance agency. And also you can learn the facts about saving and investing and create a clear plan, you should be able to acquire financial security over time and enjoy the benefits of income management.
Thank you so much for the advice. Your coach was simple to discover online. I did my research on him before I scheduled our phone call. He appears knowledgeable based on his online resume.
scam
@@Conchapinon552John Desmond Heppolette is a fraudulent fake alias used to commit wire fraud
@@wishteria234 yep
This is what the news should be everywhere. Helping the community instead of trying to divide it. Great job guys 👏🏻
Who’s dividing you?
@@josedelgadillo6832 No one. The truth is there are multiple sides to the political spectrum, and some news stations show bias towards one side. They assume because one news outlet goes against their views they're trying to "divide the country." It's ridiculous lol
Spot on. 🎯💯
Unless it's a story that is cover throughout the country/world someone has to reach out to news media. Some rare cases on a local hot story the news media reaches out to someone but that's very unlikely.
Good job KPRC!
This is the type of journalism we need to support.
this. stuff to protect regular people.. no one really wants to hear about fear porn
Unfortunatwly, this is the kind of story that doesn’t sell.
Where they lie to you? Because there is definitely federal programs to help with the costs of solar. They could have said "no programs to fully pay for solar panels" instead. But hey, it's Texas, they're probably getting money under the table for making solar sound like a scam. Which is most definitely what this report's true purpose was. The fact that they were able to help the couple was completely secondary.
@@acutelilmint8035 this is the kind of stories i se everyday fear porn in the media is just a right wing buzzword to get people paranoid and untrusting of more things
Thank you to these two brave people for sharing their story! Hopefully it will save many others from getting swindled.
I've had these solar panel sales people knock at my door. I told them "I am not interested". Their rebuttal was "so you like to pay more for electricity", I said "yes I love to pay more". Being broke is my hobby. 😂
Wow... me, I just tell them I'm not the homeowner hehee..
They’re not “out to get you” for some people it makes sense & for others it doesn’t. If you’re ignorant on how solar works just say that. Solar locks you in at a flat rate where as energy companies have increased 30% in literally the last few months. Also you will pay energy till you die. Obviously for an 80 year old going solar makes no sense. But for a young couple there own energy can become an asset to there home instead of paying energy companies which is a liability.
@@Alecks_Martyn just had an install with a 81 year old lady. Her FPL BILL 320 on average her solar bill isn’t 244. So she has day 1 savings
@@MrJaydog125 yeah FPL makes sense. I didn’t mention any of that because these people on here ignorant to all of this information. But good job keep winning & closing deals 📈📈
@@Alecks_Martyn I'm a highly educated engineer and accountant graduated from one of the top 10 universities in the world, and I tell the sales people: "I'm just the maid here" and then I close the door. They believe me because I am a little mexican woman living in a high class neighborhood. lol.
That salesperson should be in jail for predatory practices.
You have no clue what you're talking about.
How about straight up fraud
No jail, just fired
That salesperson should be liable to pay for all the charges which they said were free.
@@Wooster23 Yea good luck with that
The exact same thing happened to my elderly dad. The same story, the same pitch and the same everything. Good thing I came home on time before my dad put his signature on the contract. They were literally sitting at the kitchen table discussing the contract when I walked in. I asked the guy what the hell was going on and I told him to explain everything to me. Before he even finished, I kicked his *** out of the house
Wow. Hopefully your dad understood what was happening after otherwise you can send him this video just as reminder
Kicked his what
Same thing happened to me with my 71 year old mother. She didn't understand any of the numbers or paperwork and I did some quick calculations and found it would have been like $75k for her to have these "free solar panels"
His asterisk @@GloriousChad
that is the best defense these poor senior citizens have honestly. it's up to us, their young and coherent children, to save our elderly parents from the perils of these scams.@@VroomTech
I warn my 83 year old grandma all the time. If someone comes to you unsolicited to sell you anything, they're taking advantage of you, at least in some capacity. It may be straight up fraud or at best you're getting a bad deal. No one is wasting their time to go out and find customers to give 'good deals' to.
That sales lady should be ASHAMED! How desperate and despicable it is to lie to an elderly couple just to make a sale?! She needs to be blackballed from selling anything. Her moral compass is waaaay off.
She deserves worse than that if you know what I mean.
Breaks my heart to see people take advantage of the elderly. They aren't familiar with all the scams out there, and they come from a time when people were trustworthy and honest....at least a lot more than these days. This company is good for taking care of this for this couple.
Does it REALLY break your heart to see a complete stranger get affected like this ???
@@ACommenterOnTH-cam Yes, it's called empathy
@@ACommenterOnTH-camyes, probably because it's normal to do so.
@@ACommenterOnTH-cam honestly you know they be lying! Me personally I could careless when I see people get taking advantage of! Especially the boomer generations! They swear they know everything so let them deal with their bad decisions!
Scamming has been a thing since forever
Aaaand the reason that sales woman is not in jail for fraud is what exactly ?
Prosecutor is busy with more important stuff, like weed and other petty drug posession charges.
No fraud - just a greedy customer.
Her HIS license should get revoked.
People like this make our jobs so unfairly hard. Very dishonest rep unfortunately.
@@allnoyz7895they’re not greedy. Misinformed and pressure selling. I’m in solar sales and I hate that. Solar is not for everyone, nevertheless I have it on my house and love it.
@@thunderb00m Oh the weed propagandists are still alive and well I see.
I NEVER trust door to door sales people. A guy came to my door about solar panels. I spoke to him through the storm door. Told him no thank you. He was mad, but I didn't care.
Sunrun's sales people are everywhere--they go door to door, and are at Costco and Home Depot. I'm an old guy, and the "pay back" period for solar panels is just too long for me to be interested. I'm surprised that Sunrun made this right so quickly--they could have given this elderly couple the run around...must have been the attention from the Channel 2.
Tell them you rent.
Yeah solar doesn't work for everyone. Usually when i see an elderly person i emphasize that it's long term for this reason. Although i would check again when interest rates drop. 25 year loans will be far more reasonable.
@@babblesp1367Yeah if you've already seen that it doesn't work just say that you rent and the landlord lives far away
Now tell TH-cam.
And remove their solar scam ads
I am so happy to hear that this couple got a happy ending. I was worried that the company wouldn't take action. Most of the time the elderly lose thousands of dollars and no one does anything to help.
They are clowns for not reading the fine print and the terms and conditions.
@@therainmakerinsideryou obviously didn't watch the news clip 2:05, or you would know that the "fine print" was on one of the 38 pages the salesperson failed to show this couple.
They got a Happy Ending?? Where do I sign up?😂
“Old people are filled with wisdom” -SpongeBob
He was very very wrong
82 yr old getting a happy ending, people are into weird shyt.
OMG, a Company that actually stepped up and made it right. I'm honestly shocked.
After a news agency reached out to them. They were happy to send the bill and late fees before then.
Man they came to my house, did the pitch. I was like why would I pay you 350 a month for solar when my electric bill at it's highest is 200 dollars in the summer and around 70 in fall, winter and spring. She said this will save you thousands of dollars over time. I said what part about 70 dollars do you not understand?
I sale solar and I wouldn’t advise you to get it. I hate how bad companies ruin it for the rest of us. I will not add solar unless it makes sense for the families inside the home.
This scam is all over the Internet. The people walk around my neighborhood said the same thing. This is a scam and these scammers should go to jail.
yup . the utilities aren't scamming you AT ALL
*sarcasm*
TH-cam should be sued by showing these ads too.
Also Vivint Security systems are a scam and the salesmen are PUSHY (the guy who tried to sell me came by 6 times in 10 days, all after 8PM. Even tried coming in while my family was eating dinner and I told him "not now" literally over 10 times in 10 minutes). I nearly fell for it though, I was told my first 2 months are free, no upfront costs, and then after that it was only $79.99 a month for a doorbell camera, security system inside with motion detectors, and a motion camera on the driveway and in the backyard. They would install it all it did not sound too terrible so I started to sigh up on my front porch. Then when I got to a section where they were wanting to do a hard credit pull I asked why. It was because I had to get a loan for nearly $5,000 to pay for the equipment and installation, the salesman literally never mentioned that to me. The $79.99 was the payment for the loan. You can get a alarm system, door bell camera, and outdoor motion cameras on Amazon all for less than $500 combined FYI. I then asked what the price was if I paid cash up front. It was only $1,000! A $4,000 difference. Then I asked what would happen if I wanted to cancel in 6 months or if I moved in a year, he said I would have to pay off the remainder of the loan, there is no other way. It is a SCAM! Get SimpliSafe with a Blink outdoor camera and doorbell, all for $500 total.
The biggest scam is the utility company
I agree with you. Best for everyone to remember old words of advice: 1. if it's too good to be true, it probably is, 2. nothing in life is free. Here in Southern California the ads are all set up to make you believe that the government wants to give you free solar for you home. You don't pay a penny, and no power bills ever again. What a deal!
My late Father always said there’s nothing free in this world
The sunlight is free, oxygen is free.
@@WvhKerkhof not true, they sell oxygen in a can in china, because the air is so bad. If they could they would bottle sun next.
@@WvhKerkhofand darlin, if you can live on just sunlight and oxygen you ain't human.
@@WvhKerkhof NATURE OWNS NO ONE THATS WHY ITS FREE
Salvation found in Jesus is free
We got solar panels with Sunpro, and they are a terrible company. They almost blew up my house because they hired "contractors", I wish I knew more about what we signed. In the end, yes, it is not much different with paying our bills, but the, experience really made me not want to recommend solar panels to anyone. I don't wish anyone to be put out of their home for three months. It was a terrible experience. I'm glad this couple got a happy ending.
I'm glad I'm involved in my grandma's business and that she asks the family for their input on decisions like this. It's horrible how some people consciously and knowingly lie, scam, fraud, take advantage of our seniors, they should be thrown to jail!
I'll say this for a majority of sales:
1. If it's vocal... IT DOESN"T COUNT. Get that stuff in writing, documentation etc.
2. The worst companies will use "3rd party" companies to avoid accountability. They probably didn't really fire her. She's probably at another branch
3. A lot of shady companies will open up another shady company after they get burnt too much. Look at "Pink Energy". Literally the CEO (Jayson Waller) thought that changing the name from "PowerHome Solar" would escape bad press, lawsuits etc.
Do your research on the company. If they rush you then show them the door.
Hate to break it to you but all solar sales reps are independent contractors. On top of that no solar companies have in house sales reps, they just hire a sales organization.
There’s no accountability in the industry
If you get a voice recorder, it can help.
Whenever you hear it’s a government grant it seems like and probably is scam. A government program is usually the words but you should put that under scrutiny and always read read and reread.
@@WestCoastShredders Actually you can't really say all of them do. I went to school with a owner of a small one and his people weren't contractors.
Also, unfortunately pink energy (basically poster child for crappy solar sales companies) had their own people. They used to do vids etc all the time.
Totally agree on no accountability though.
@@ricksuarez5357 all sales reps are independent contractors. The installers can be employees.
They do this not to be held liable if I go to your home and steal your dog or lie about how solar works
Whats crazy is that the sun run company was probably trying to push that lady to make sales and then threw her under the bus when this went public
What's even crazier is she ADMITTED she told them there was a government program. I have no idea how that's not fraud.
Yea that was definitely SOP, for the sales reps, but it was probably never put in writing so that when something like this happens they have plausible deniability. Probably at least part of why they contracted with a secondary company to actually make the sales.
Sunrun is just the installer, most solar door to door sales are independent and are 1-2 steps separated from the installer. It's just typical. So be sure to ask if they work directly for the company they are selling for.
The sales woman still mislead and lied . Although you’re right that the company probably pushed sales, deceitful practices are a choice made by the saleswoman not the parent company.
@@user-gc5ly3tz8l you don't have much sales experience, do you?? It is not uncommon for companies to push their reps to use dishonest practices in order to secure the close. I've left a couple of companies that did just that.
THANK YOU! I asked the right questions when they came to my house and found out they were going to charge me over $30k for a 5kw system (and they didn't mention anything about getting a slow starter for my HVAC unit which would have allowed me to be fine with a 3kw system)... And that's if I paid it off in one lump sum. If I went the payment route, it would probably add up to more like $50k+. They disguise it as monthly payments based on your average electric bill. So if my average electric bill is $180/month, they say they will charge me $160/month. If you ask the simple question of "well, if it's free, and the solar panels should theoretically be sufficient to power my house... what am I paying for?" You get the honest answer, you are paying off the panels... so yea, they are not free. And not only are they not free, but in raw materials, that 5kw system without a battery bank would cost around $3k-$5k... So they are charging easily $25k+ in labor. And to top all of this off, your system will be hooked up to your local power company where they will buy any excess power back from you while providing power needed during the night (since you won't have a battery bank). Upon deeper investigation, I discovered that they will gladly charge you full price for any power you take from them, but any power they buy back from you will be at "wholesale price." In simple terms, this translates to, you will pay more to take power than to give it back. And what does this mean? This means that $160/month deal they tried to convince you was going to save you money now likely goes up to actually more than you were spending before...
.
I realize solar requires a fairly large initial investment, but it's crazy how manipulative these companies are getting. Just make sure you are asking the right questions and understand what you are getting into. All of this has convinced me to study up and teach myself how to set up a solar panel array. I could get a $5,000 (maybe more like $7k-$8k if we include a battery bank) loan and pay that off with minimal interest from my bank and then I never have to pay for electricity again.
A good battery system to power the average US home is actually closer to 10-20k, but it's still a better investment than leasing solar panels from an exploitative company. Even with that battery investment, most people will still save money over the 10 year warrantee of the batteries' lives.
I live in Florida and this whole discussion comes up all the time on Nextdoor and Facebook. We have folks that have systems that must have gotten some terrific setup or are simply SHILLS because they will argue day and night that the system pays for itself and lasts forever. But the system does not last forever, it requires maintenance, impedes repairs on the roof, becomes a liability when selling the home. Then there is the federal tax "credit" which is not a credit, it is a rebate on your taxes only if you happen to make some extraordinary high income. My elderly neighbor bought a system, did not produce power as it was blocked by trees, the invertor blew up, warranty no good because company folded, then needed his roof replaced.
Imagine paying $30k dollars just to have a 5kw system. Solar is the biggest scam in this world and I hope government see it us a way to ban solar in our homes.
You didn’t ask them the question of how much of the $30,000 was in “dealer fees” the bank adds to the cost of the system to give you a much lower than market interest rate on the loan. (33% on top of the contractors cost market average.) they probably have a 7.99-8.99 % APR option that leaves you financing the same as cash system which would leave you with a higher monthly payment but a lower overall investment. $19,000-$20,000 ($3.90/watt, which is still a bit more than national average. Add in Electrical Designs, structural inspections, wiring, city county and utility application & permitting fees, CAD Design, Predictions, monitoring, maintenance, warranties, flash sealing your railing mounts, inspection fees, and your hours put into doing all of this yourself will add up to more wasted time than you would’ve “wasted money” paying a professional to do what they specialize in. And if you know of a battery that’s $2,000-$3,000 and won’t require an $8,000-$13,000 inverter to function please share the link.
You asked a question with the addenda to find the catch. I sincerely hope you don’t take offense to this but your comment was coming from a place of ignorance. This is coming from someone who has been on the design and engineering side of the business for 7 years now and while it is unfortunate how often people are mislead to purchase news stories like this do just as much damage as the scams themselves because it scares away people from a product that just like a home changes a perpetual bill like rent into a genuine asset that produces a commodity which almost everyone has rented from a monopoly for the last hundred years. And just like a booming housing market increases the value of a home so will the value of your energy production system as inflation and an increased dependence on electric cause rocketing power bills.
When someone comes to my home offering me something for free, I tell them: "NO THANKS!"
Rule #1, for all people of all ages: never get into a conversation with any person who knocks on your door trying to sell something. If we all acted together, door-to-door sales would disappear.
Ow c’mon …Elderly people are lonely. They need to talk to someone. Even a sleazy door to door salesman. Let them yank their chain.
It sounds like we both grew up poor but there are legit businesses that wouldn't survive without door to door roofing pressure washing and the like
@@BladeStar420 heck some companies actually give good incentives with calls/door-door sales, but generally you need to quadruple check the paperwork before they do anything, and if you don't agree to something on there, DON'T SIGN ANYTHING. If you didn't read it, then you're at fault, and you should always be allowed a copy, if they refuse, tear it up right in front of them.
You’re the type of dumb @$$ who instead trusts a car salesman and realtor and gets raped over and over again for hundreds of thousands, trusting them because they got a spot and a sign 🤣
Tbh, I got my internet this way, and it was legit. At&t was installing fiber in my neighborhood. But you definitely need to be vigilant and read everything. Was ecstatic to drop Comcast. F Comcast.
I hate when anyone gets scammed. Its a terrible feeling and situation to go through. Im glad they got help.
agree. they should be jailed. they always prey on seniors
they cant go to jail if under $500 stolen@@acutelilmint8035
Yeah.. they offered me free solar panels and said exactly tha same thing. " Free from the government" i told them .." I worked for the government for 20 years and nothing of free from the government!"
rule #1: tell the door to door sales person to go take a hike
Free tip: ALWAYS get as copy of the contract. If they can't (won't) provide one on the spot then don't sign until they do.
Using your printer is recommended
Don't sign an electronic contract and don't sign a contract without having your lawyer read it first or at least someone who reads contracts on a regular basis! Also, nothing wrong with video taping the whole meeting so that when you take them to court they can't lie and make it a their word against your word issue.
Better yet, before signing, leave contract so I can read it overnight and come back tomorrow
@@jayess6318who is going to have a lawyer read over every contract that’s ridiculous for most scenarios.
Well obviously
Thank you good couple and KPRC News for this report.
How about arresting the people who put up those ads about the government grants and locking them up?
I’m so happy they got the help they needed! So many elder get fooled and scammed!
Are you HAPPY ???
If it’s unsolicited, it’s a scam. Always.
When will people understand, nothing is free in this life.
Thank God they didn't have to go through a legal court battle!!!!
Something similar happened to my mother with a real estate agent signing forms "on her behalf," That woman didn't know that my mother raised a smart daughter. I feel for elderly folks who don't have family to take care of their business for them. Sick to target elderly people like that. SICK!
As a smart daughter did you at least try to sue them?
...and yet someone was signing forms on her behalf?
Huh? For a "smart daughter" you seem to have left out the part where you did anything.
Anytime some offers you anything for FREE but NEEDS to speak to the homeowner is a giant red flag...
I just say I rent and he's never around.... They instantly lose interest and leave...
I'm glad the couple's problem was resolved, but that "saleslady" needs to be brought up on criminal charges. She is dangerous as heck and they don't even give us her name?? There's lying and there's fraud: the intentional use of deceit, a trick or some dishonest means to deprive another of his or her money, property or a legal right. Fraud to the tune of tens of thousands of $ is a felony several times over.
They d0xxed the TMFINR lady, but this criminal is running around with her anonymity intact, scot-free!
Real news. Thank you for reporting this family’s story.
If someone finds it financially worthwhile to walk and knock on people's doors to sell product, you can be sure you're getting ripped off.
Direct sales are legit. it’s more of a direct approach, more personable, hard work and it pays off. I knock doors and I have met some of the best people that became friends after knocking on their doors. Mentors, great people that gave me life advice, some even became business partner or I have them referrals for their businesses. They’re part of my community and I care about them I don’t force anything on anyone, I’m here to help if I can, before working for the company I work for now, I did my du diligence their work ethics, products and service delivery. It’s easy for people to be harsh on our line of work, but it’s a job that feeds families like any other.
I never open my door for a stranger.
@@eradicator187 and that’s respected 😇
@@YUCIESD I'm friendly to door-to-door sales people, until they start lying in order to sell. I'm much more likely to buy from an honest salesperson who makes it clear that it's a sale, and avoid those who try to pretend they're doing me a "free service". If a salesperson proposes something that will give me value in exchange for my money, I just might buy whatever they're selling. However, if they try to scam me into loans disguised as a bill swap (like some solar sales), I will literally expose them online and tell everyone to avoid them.
@@JustinDaniels I totally resonate with your opinion. It’s very sad but true that there are dishonest people out there. My approach is very forward. I respect people when they say I’m not interested, my reply is literally “ that’s alright, I respect that, I’ll let you get back to your day”, most times they don’t expect that answer lol, because they expect door knockers to handle that “objection”, I just make friendly conversations , I dislike pressure selling, I dislike using “words” like free, government funded, my pitch is so direct in San Diego ( one of the most knocked cities in the nation). I knock and make friends if they want to have a conversation about solar and bring some value to their homes, finances and the environment. I’m there for my homeowners if I can help. I also work for a company that has been in business for over 38 years, trusted by the US military and big tech giants like Apple. My solar salesman knocked on my door and I was the tough one between me and my husband, but it made sense for us and we went solar before working in the industry. Thank you for sharing your thoughts 😊
The same company Sunrun almost got me. The representatives did say it was free because of government grants. They told us the government grants were to help the area become more "green" and want consumers to use the sun for more efficient energy. The only reason why we didn't sign up was because after we went over the monthly "electrical"bill which would increase every yr, I realize we would have in fact paid for the solar panels.
Yes that's what I'm saying. These people have come up to me at home talking about these solar panels being grants etc and act now, why wouldn't I want to take advantage of the great opportunity etc. Good thing I told them goodbye not interested. In America there is always scammers trying to scam people smh
Was it cheaper than your actual electric bill?
@@jamesritterjr the first 12 months. Then each yr it went up. Up to like 400 a month
@jamesritterjr first yr bill still would of been about $120 a month
Same here, the sale rep was in a hurry to have us sign contract without reading any of it. My wife asked him to send her PDF file of their contracts so we can go thru it. And after she read thru it , she said we would end up paying like $36000 + for 20 years lease on top of monthly bills from them.
Never buy anything off the street, never accept sevice from a salesman knocking on your door and never click on promotion emails
Whenever someone knocks on my door and I open I usually tell them the homeowner isn't home.
So you're a liar? I got my install from D2D and it was the best decision i ever made. Used to pay the electric company so much and now im only paying $104 monthly. Not everything is a scam yall just love to think you know everything.
Remember- no one has to knock on your door to sell you a good product. Door to door sales are only necessary when people won’t buy it on their own.
Not true at all it’s all dependent on that companies marketing strategy many large companies today started as D2d and still does it today
@@kingpin3714we get it you scam people
😊P00000
@@kingpin3714 yes it is true. If you have to go door to door for sales, then your company is not making money
isn't all marketing companies are pymaid scheme with scammer?@@kingpin3714
In this day and age there is literally ZERO reason to sell door to door. My favorite line is, "we'll be down the street next week installing (insert product name here) for some of your neighbors". Ya.... sure you are. LOL
Guess what buddy i was one of those people they were talking about and its been the best decision i ever made. Got my install D2D as did my family. Not everything is a scam.
Thanks for helping them ❤
Thanks for this article
I had a similar situation when I was looking to replace my central AC. The company's name "We Care Plumbing Heating and Air" here in Murrieta CA. A salesman came over and pitched us a new central AC. When we were going to sign the contract, he told me his tablet (which he had) wasn't working and that I'd have to sign the documents on his cellphone. Very convenient for them that the text was too small to read. Beware of crooks. They're everywhere.
Wow, this is wrong in so many ways. She needs to be held accountable for this gross behavior.
These are multi billon company and she is one of thousands workers. I don’t they will find worker or company accountable
Anytime someone says they want to help me or give me something for free I tell them I don’t want their help or charity. I don’t trust a stranger who wants to help me for nothing in return.
This TV program needs to find out: 1. How much energy the solar installation generates and save into it's batteries. 2. How much power does the customer use month/year typically. 3. How much of a dollar amount in savings is it to the customer over a month and over a year when they successfully use the equipment. 4. Does the installation add any real estate value to the property in case the customer needs to move later on. 5. What is the actual value of the equipment if you were to buy it yourself and install it yourself? 6. Identify all the possible benefits that a customer might enjoy in owning the system (For example - the system does provide emergency back up power in case of a power outage or emergency -- that has value).
Holy Smokes - the guys from the news really took care of these people :) Most of the time these become horror stories.
Nothing is FREE in life! You got it!
FREE: Fee Reoccuring Every Endofmonth 😂
Walking is free idk. Well kinda. I mean it does costs time but, not money.
The add came up right before I watched this lol Thank you for exposing the liars and deceivers and how it works. They come to our door weekly. Saying the same garbage! Elder abuse here.
"be careful when you are purchasing anything"
But they didn't purchase it.
The sales person digitally transplanted their signature from a different document onto the purchase agreement.
Glad to see these old folks are financially safe
Similar tactic was used at my home. Guy comes in a Porsche GT2 RS and says that our home is big enough to accommodate enough solar panels to power our entire home and even have a possible surplus of energy. We ask how much it will cost, and he said it would be mostly covered by the state of California because they are trying to get everyone to go green. When I looked at the documents it didn't show anything free and the total would actually be over $50k. The man said I wouldn't have to make payments to LADWP anymore and instead I would basically be making payments to myself to pay off the solar panels XD. The contract would be for 30 years and the panels have a life expectancy of 30 years. After that I have to buy new solar panels and repeat the process. The payments were more than what I was paying LADWP. What a sham!
Thank you for sharing your experience. I have a couple of neighbors who were scammed into paying thousands of dollars. If it sounds like too good of a deal it's probably a bad deal.
Hello guys, here is how it works. 50k over 25 years? Sounds like a lot, right? And you were gonna pay more for Solar than what you were paying to LADWP, right?
Let me give you an example. You said a guy knocked on your home, so I take it you’re the homeowner. Why did you decide to own your house and not paying someone monthly for rent? If you were to rent for $1,000 a month, vs owning your home and pay $1,300 for mortgage, which one would you choose? Pay less for rent or pay a bit more to own? You own a home so you get the concept and the answer is more than obvious. You decided to own your house because renting is money that you never see back. You’re flushing that money down the toilet. But since you made a smart decision of owning a house, even if it’s more a month, it’s simply because that’s equity, and your payment is fixed you don’t have to worry about a landlord raising your cost of mortgage every year. You signed a contract to pay monthly for your house over a period of 30 years and that contract was for $250 k if not more depending on what you got your house for. Doesn’t it sound like signing a contract of $250k for 30 years is a lot? Exactly, same concept applies to Solar.
Solar means now you own your power not rent it anymore. It is better to pay $50k over 25 years for something you OWN than, paying $95k in 25 years towards something you don’t own and STILL having to pay for electricity.
Even in the best case scenario, let’s just say your utility company is nice enough to let you know that they will never ever increase your rates again and you will have a fixed payment from now on. (That would be great right? Sadly that won’t happen) but let’s say it did happen, you would’ve still have paid $50k for power, and after 25 years you’d still continue to pay that bill for the rest of your life, again, cause you don’t own the power, LADWP does. The difference is that those 50k with LADWP they kept very penny and you never see that money back. With Solar, those $50K is equity because you OWN your power.
Let me know if you guys have any questions
@@alanortiz2149What you forgot to mention is that right about when you finish paying the solar panels in 25 -30 yrs, they will be due for replacement. So it's nothing like having a mortgage
@@alanortiz2149"own your power" that doesn't work after you pay them off and saved you absolutely 0 dollars.... Yay! Morons
@@jpizel1070 life production of Solar panels is 40 - 50 years. 25 years is the term for someone to pay them off, that doesn’t mean they’ll stop working after 25 years.
In that case why would someone buy a house if it needs work to be done which costs money? Again, because of the ownership and the equity. Same with Solar, sure, let’s say someone would have to replace a solar panel in 25 years, lol that’s a long time, plus let’s say it costed someone $1,000 to replace that solar panel after 25 years. At that point, a customer had already saved at least $40k because of inflation if he would have stayed with the utility company, therefore, substracting 1,000 from 40k because of the Solar “replacement” then at least he saved 39,000 dollars and the value of his property is still higher than what it would’ve been without Solar :)
Also, if Solar needed to be replaced, paying the utility company means you’re maintaining the grid which is 130 years old meaning more chances of malfunctioning, more expensive, meaning more money spent by the utility, meaning higher electric bills for customers. Therefore, Solar will help them save a lot more regardless
A- not removing any property off my property without a court order. B- sue both companies for fraud and breach of contract. C- sue and file charges against the sales woman for fraud.
If the price would come down on the panels and installation, people would be more inclined to move forward. My real estate agent says the solar leases are a nightmare to pass on to a new homeowner.
The payment for the solar panels cost more than my electric bill
This, my home has solar panels. It averages out to the average cost of electricity bills. The only difference is, I pay more in the winter and less in the summer.
“But you’ll get your energy for free”.
Solar vs utility electricity is a classic economics class lesson of macro vs micro economics… a class I don’t think is taught anymore.
put the new roof thats old 30k
@@ericnewton5720 It's not one size fits all. Most use cases it pays for itself in 6-10 years.
Yeah - best not to buy them on a high interest plan. Works out at minimal interest and cash and adds value to your house.
Literally watching a TH-cam ad saying the US government will buy panels for me at no cost to me and I haven’t even clicked off this news story yet. INSANE!!
I had a salesman come to my mother's house while I was doing my laundry there. He was trying to sell me solar panels. Here is the gist of our conversation.
"How much do you spend on energy each month here?"
"About $100? We do not use much power."
"How about paying zero dollars each month using solar panels?"
"Don't I have to pay $30,000 for the panels?"
"Well, you can finance it. We can help you."
"So with financing, my total cost over time will be, say, $38,000? How long will it take me to get my money back?"
He wished me a good evening and left. Apparently he works for commission.
I’m so glad these nice folks got this issue fixed. Everything that happened to them was completely illegal and should have legal consequences for that sales person.
Only bc they reported to journalist reporter who exposes such frauds.
Sunrun, does that constantly.
@@depthcharge6215 absolutely agree, otherwise I feel like they would’ve been super screwed, smdh, this should be so illegal 🤦♂️
Now they have to hope their roof does not develop leaks when it rains or a downpour! even though the video states the roof was repaired, BUT to what extent and how good of a job was done to prevent any water leaks in a rain storm
Not legal consequences STREET consequences...
I have a sign by my front door basically saying.."I'm not buying anything from anyone door to door..Leave us alone." I've had a solar company come here 3 times. The same guy twice. I show him the sign without saying a word, and he says...I'm not selling anything...THEY'RE FREE! Right. I'd be paying for the stupid panels for the next 20 years one way or another. The 3rd time he came to my door I went ballistic on him. He started trying to talk about politics and all kinds of crap to get me to keep talking, and I told him to get lost and not come back to my house ever again. I was not nice about it, and he went away in a huff. If a company has to try that hard to sell a product, something is wrong!
Rule 1 - Unless they're neighborhood kids selling cookies - Never open your door for a solicitor. Door-to-door is a concept that should no longer exist in the Internet age. Whatever they're selling you can find online for a fraction of the price. And the tactics for too many are just like this video. I have a No-Soliciting sign that mostly gets ignored because many are trained that it's actually a prime target home... a sign that's often put up by the family of elderly people that find it hard to say no to visitors.
I'm from the government and here to help should strike fear into your heart. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Thank you !! I am so tired of people being greedy or stupid like the Mosley's. They are older then I am and I have heard this old saying over and over, "If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is."
I disagree that there's no such thing as a free lunch. The Tennessee Valley Authority just replaced my 24-year old heat pump and water heater *FREE.* It was part of a federal government upgrade for homes with heat pumps and water heaters that were over 20 years old. The new heat pump is commercial grade and the water heater is bigger than the one I originally had. They also went through the home and insulated all the cracks in the duct system. It's called the Home Uplift program, but I don't know if it's available outside of Tennessee.
the government literally provide free lunches and even dinners at public schools to kids from low income families lol, and then there's also SNAP
@@kalinystazvoruna8702 so the people who did all of this work did it for FREE ?
@@NomadWalker-io3ne so the farmers he grew that food did it for FREE ? The workers serving it did it for FREE ? I am always amazed that people can't grasp the simple idea of 'Free isn't Free'. Amazing !!!
I am VERY happy to see Sunrun stepped up & did the right thing after such a clear case of fraud on the scummy salesperson's part. Nice to see a company being so stand up.
They did it only because the news people got involved and exposed their scheme.
They would have handled it an entirely different way if the case wasn't passed to media.
At least the company reapired the roof and voided the contract.
I am sure they haven't made things right for the other thousands who have been swindled.
They got caught thats why they did what they did.
Never,ever believe anything a sales person says to you ,NEVER !
I was at a festival that had a solar panel sales table and spoke for a few minutes . Me being aware of shady business stuff i asked specific questions. They essentially tried to say “your electric will be free and the panels will pay themselves off!” But then i got them to pretty much admit theirs a payment plan you owe to the company over time for the cost of the panels AND the installation. We declined , and when i went home researched that the solar panels can only cover so much energy , and that if you have the AC running a lot (I’m in Texas) then you’ll still have an energy bill.
So bottom line you still pay for utilities, as well as paying for the “Free” solar panels. Total scam
No you just need the right amount of panels to cover your energy usage. I have Solar ive never had this problem. My panels were bought from D2D i never got scammed they made it very easy to understand as well. If you get something like a tesla that now draws more power yes you will need more panels.
I almost fell for it. I was approved for the loan by a bank, but I called the bank ASAP to cancel the payment to the solar company, after I read that besides making the monthly payments of about $157.00, they would also take my government incentive yearly.
well if you read news thats what they do..duh even i knew that one
@@peter-pg5yc Smart one aren't you?
That's why you buy them. Solar panels are great as long you pay for it. Don't rent/lease.
@@thezfamily989 The bank loan was to buy them not rent. Finish reading my post.
@@thezfamily989they are not great. Its a scam top to bottom right now
Honestly I’m so happy that the couple were able to be voided of the contract, the company did the right and honest thing.
I still can't believe people fall for these scams. People there is nothing for free in this world.
TH-cam have these ads too. Robocalls constantly scam you too.
In a world where everyone is trying to make money, how can anything be free.
Can't remember who said it but it is a line worth remembering.
There no such thing as a free lunch
These people still are allowed to go around and do this . The worker should be put in jail. Their main goal is to take your home.
Anytime when someone knock on your door and say that they are giving stuff for free, tell them to go fish.
Reminds me of back in the day when cell phones first became a thing and every kiosk at the mall tried to stop you and give you a "free" cell phone. I got so sick of them always trying to pull me in that one day I just grabbed the "free" phone from the guy said thanks and started walking away. Argued with him for a good 5 minutes that he said it was free before I gave it back and left. I don't know what exactly I did right that day, but I never got hassled for a "free" phone again after that.
Nice story but does not really apply to this situation. It would be more relevant if the kiosk asked you to sign something in exchange for the free cell phone.
@@prisonbreakpsych Yeah that's what they were doing. You get a "free" phone when you sign up and pay for a contract.
But they would hassle you as you walked by, all in your face with the phone "hey buddy, you want a free phone?". It was pretty annoying.
@@halecj1 Great story, but it doesn't apply here. It would of made more sense if the kiosk asked you to buy a new Ford Mustang in hopes of unplugging the TV and switching the refrigerator for your pet kangaroo
@@yonikperez3110 would have*
You're a hero.
Dang, that is pure evil to take advantage of the elderly homeowners. I have one simple rule, I do not buy anything from anyone who knocks on my door. My neighbor has a "no solicitation" sign on her door. I had someone knock on my door one day, and saw them heading onto her driveway, and I said, "Nope, don't do it. She has a sign. Leave her alone." Got them to turn around. The other neighbors across the street from me, I'll text and say, "Don't answer the door. Salesperson." We've got a network. Go away thieves.
Having a no soliciting sign doesn't matter in the slightest. Technically door-to-door salesmen are supposed to have a solicitation license, which allows them to knock on a door even if there's a sign
This is an example of a closed-minded person, with all respect.
You never know if someone actually will help you. Salesperson? Lol, you’re a salesperson yourself. You sell your ideas to whoever you talk to on a daily basis.
If you actually knew how Solar worked, you would do it, no questions asked.
Saying no to Solar means saying yes to your utility company. It seems like you love them, you like renting your power from them and give them your money, which you’ll never see back, you like allowing them increasing your rates every year and have them control your rates and your power, and depend on them, I don’t get it, but it’s okay.
Your comment simply shows that most likely you rent a house for a living, you rent the car you drive, nothing belongs to you maybe.
Because if you do own a house or a car or anything, then you would make a logical decision by owning your power instead of renting it
Mine says no trespassing
Who doesn’t read a contract and can easily be convinced that the government will pay for everything, lived eighty years but don’t know the rule trust but verify?! Kind of ridiculous.
Door-to-door salespeople are usually scammers or worse thieves. Couple is lucky they weren't robbed or hurt. Further lucky they actually got their money back. Lesson is avoid answering the door. Likewise with the phone. So many scammers.
Cities should pass ordinances that prevents any kind of door to door solicitation. Why are honest citizens being held hostage in their homes everytime some scammer knocks? Just like the phone scammers. What we should all do is get phone numbers of our politicians from all levels of government's and start putting them on scammer call lists. Maybe that will get them to BLOCK all calls linked to India or any other non-U.S. country. The phone and internet companies can do it, if the government let's them.
@@markragland3109 This sounds like one of the best ideas, I've heard in along time. but how do you get the number of government on the list if you are using your phone number to make contact?
Show up with a double barreled gun and a vicious attacking dog at your door . That will do. It will also help to spread your reputation as a mean cuss.
@@markragland3109 Scammers already get round those blocks, and easily.
Not all solar companies are like this smart one , what career do you have ? I’d guarantee that they’ve been in the spotlight for misinterpret malpractice as well.
I always tell my peers: nobody would come knocking at your door trying to help you save money or offer you free things.
You’re an idiot
Great reporting
Why is the salesperson not in jail?
no such thing as free solars and college loan forgiveness.
"college loan forgiveness" - Not according to Biden 😂😂
I used to work for door to door sales at sunrun. They were very clear in the training to not say the panels are free since they technically aren’t. How it usually works is if a home’s roof qualifies, meaning it gets enough sun-hours per day, the home would qualify for a lease on the panels that would cover the home’s electric needs. Electric solar rates are usually cheaper than what the city charges you for using the grid, especially in states like California and Texas. That’s what makes it cheaper than using the grid and essentially “free”. However, the customers are still charged a fixed rate, once a month, for leasing the solar panels themselves. Sunrun is certainly not a scam but they do have terrible customer service after the initial contract is signed. Plus, getting in contact with your original sales representative is next to impossible. All in all, it’s not a bad option for a lot of people, but it also isn’t “free”. These guys, however, got totally screwed over and lied to.
This is how my solar panels are set up. But we knew going into it that there would be a charge for the panels every month. We love having them. It's way cheaper than just having to pay the electric company.
A lease, what a scam. Just let me own the damn things
It's a scam they charge you a fix rate and they collect the taxes at the end of the year for the solar panels. You're basically renting solar panels and they're making thousands by claiming the taxes🤷🏽♂️
They'll tell you "oh it'll lower your bill" or "it'll increase the value of your home" which is a lie. Since you're leasing the panels and do not own them they don't increase your properties worth and it makes it harder to sell.
I'm in real estate and own homes I know exactly what I'm talking about 💯
And don't forget that The Big Guy also has to get his 10% cut.
@@zenmaster9195question: What was your electricity bill BEFORE the panels? What is the electricity bill AFTER the panels were installed *PLUS* the monthly cost of the panels themselves? Seems like either way, you are still paying for electricity, just in a different way,🤔
Never invite door to door salesmen into your home. No legit sales crew would go door to door.
You’d think by now people would know that NOTHING IS FREE.
I don’t know what is worse this or timeshare 🤦🏾♂️
Pretty equal
Glad those elderly folks got it straightened out but had KPRC not done something then it could have been much worse. Those solar clowns have knocked on my door at least a dozen times despite my NO SOLICITING sign.
you can install a gate to prevent them walking up and knocking.
or buy a bigger sign stipulating no solar.
you can petition the government to release the free electricity devices we know they never will :)
otherwise there is a problem , bills are going up too steeply for those with fixed incomes.
Solar is the solution . or move to cheaper area.
I save lives. literally. all my clients are family and I can go visit at any time and bring food ect.
none of them want the panels removed.
The way I see it, nobody walking up to my door uninvited has anything good for me. I say call the cops.
I got so tired of the door to door sales guys for solar, pest control, vivint security etc. After saying no they came by 4 more times to speak to other family members. I got so annoyed I bought like 100 no soliciting signs and literally went door to door to give them away just to spite these sales guys that Id run into.
This is why I have a no soliciting sign in the front of my lawn. I also have no issue repeatedly telling salesmen to their face I'm not interested over and over until they stop their snake oil tactics.
They are so frustrating. You tell them no and they keep trying.
@@Ryan-wx1bi if the deal they are trying to sell was that good, they wouldn't be needing to go door to door to convince people to buy it in the first place. I'm not interested in your product that always appears right at the same times every year.
@@ZMayat-my4pjI can understand your frustration. The solar industry has a bad rep due to poorly trained individuals selling people a product that they are not fully educated on. I sell solar here in California and I was in the solar industry for 3 years before I ever handled a project for a family myself. Solar works great depending on what your utility rates are, how many Sun hours your roof gets, and your financial situation, it is NOT fit for everyone. Sadly we have companies training individuals for 2 weeks and sending them out to work when they have almost no knowledge on the capabilities of each program and the benefits and negatives of each. That being said I do knock on doors because this is how I market, in order for me to actually put people in a better situation I have to talk to people who own their homes. I have empathy for people who aren’t fond of this tactic because I understand how many amateurs knock on the door feeding false promises, it makes my job a lot harder. I also revisit all my customers years later and I’m always pleased to find them giving me referrals and thanking me for knocking on their door years prior. I record videos with past customer to show potential clients so I can ease the tension and help them understand that I am a professional in this field. If you would like I can answer questions for you through here I’m an open book and don’t have to be at your kitchen table to provide you a service 👍
@@ConsueloVillegas-bh1uj it has so far, one young kid however still tried to sell something but I'm assuming he didn't know what Soliciting is
Nothing is ever free. Especially in the good ol' US. As a senior they should have known that! Every day is a learning day 🙏
So sad when vulnerable people are taken advantage of this way, when most people can see this doesn't make any sense. Olde people should always get another trusted person involved. This couple appear to be quite independent for their ages, but unfortunately they still needed to be more curious and skeptical.
Usually there is a clause in contracts that says any verbal promises or guarantees made by the sales person that are not expressly written in the contract are not enforceable. That is why they use these shady "independent contractors". That removes the responsibility from the unscrupulous company. The only reason these people got results is because it was made public with the media. Think of all the scammed customers who have not contacted the media. Also, why has the media not contacted that lying sales person's new company to point out her illegal activities? She should never be allowed to work in sales again.
nope i sold kitchens and if you state it forget it in contract company still liable..had a class on that..1 year on verbal contracts
Why in the world would you let strangers, salesman, into your home!!! What is wrong with people
Why didn't they released the sales person's name
NO NO NO you should have kept those solar panels and everything it came with. Tell them take me to court. They told him they were free so that company has to uphold that. Free solar it could have been. Any judge would have sided with them.
That would have ended badly. Written contract controls. Judges don't make the laws though it sometimes seems that way. The couple was lucky to get out of the deal. That alone is a win considering how these situations usually play out.
@@ronbennett7885 I agree, they were so so lucky the company didn't hold them to the "written" contract...especially considering they could have lost their house.