TAMPA, Fla. — Homeowners on both sides of Tampa Bay contacted the I-Team after signing up for solar panels with one of the nation’s largest solar contractors.
Customer complaints varied from workmanship and permitting problems to systems that did not generate any power because the contractor, Vision Solar, didn't connect them to the grid.
Tampa retiree Eula Gutierrez and her husband signed up for a $53,000 investment that came with a 25-year payment plan. Gutierrez told the I-Team that the saleswoman convinced her the savings on her power bill would help offset the monthly loan payment of $169.
“She said, but look, you're going to be saving from here to no telling when. You're going to be saving every month because your electric bill will be so small,” Guitierrez recalled.
Gutierrez said the installers damaged her roof, which caused a leak in her bathroom while putting on the panels last summer, and they never connected her system to the grid. For the last seven months, the panels have sat on her roof without generating a single watt of electricity.
The I-Team found 73 complaints filed with the Attorney General's office, which triggered a consumer investigation. Vision Solar's Chief Marketing Director Bennett Andelman admits the New Jersey-based company made mistakes during its rapid expansion in Florida — mistakes the company said it's working to correct.
In an email, Andelman told the I-Team:
“As far as permits and installing jobs without them. We own our past. As we were growing rapidly in your area, we had a problem with our CRM system and for a period of time were installing without permits without knowledge as the system suggested complete and approved. We have since fixed that problem, have worked with local municipalities and paid associated fines. I am incredibly confident in our current team and systems/processes where these types of errors will not occur again.”
Vision Solar corrected issues connected to every customer who contacted the I-team.
In Gutierrez’s case, the company removed the panels, sent out a roofer to permanently repair her shingles and reinstalled her system. Vision Solar said it will connect her system to the grid after the county comes out and conducts an inspection.
Vision Solar said it's working diligently with the Attorney General’s office to correct any mistakes they may have made.
Florida law requires home sales contracts to include a three-day right-to-cancel clause. Vision Solar and other companies have consumers sign electronically and then email the contract. Customers who do not use email may miss out on the opportunity to change their minds.
Never let anyone sell you something on the spot in your home. Take the time to research and get another quote before signing any contract.
