suppliers playing silly buggers

[Gavin A]

10 days ago, took a sales call from a supplier (who we'll call Solfex for the purposes of this thread) about aurora power-one inverters, offering to be a secondary supplier for the inverters for us.

As it happened, I knew that our primary supplier was out of stock of the 3 phase units, so asked about them... yes, no problem, we've got plenty in stock, and we'll price match etc.

So, off I go quoting on a couple of jobs with the power ones again, even emailing to double check they're still available the day I'm about to sign the contract... yes still available, can't reserve them but get me a confirmed order and I'll get you a proforma across.

Next day, I place the order only to find that the Solfex sales guys have had an edict from on high, and they're now not allowed to sell the 20kW inverter by itself, only as part of a package with the panels and mounting kit included.

The pig headed sod of an MD at Solfex wouldn't budge even after I explained there was no way I could now change the entire equipment on 2 contracts just to suit them, and that we'd been discussing this for 10 days with their staff, not even after I asked Power-One to intervene.

So I've managed to rework things around the SMA tripowers from Segen, and Solfex can stick their inverters where the sun doesn't shine as they now sit proudly at the top of my suppliers blacklist.

Fair play to the guys at power-one for attempting to find a solution for us, but I do know my systems designs, and the option we'd been discussing for 10 days was the only power-one option that would work.



I also promised Solfex that I'd warn other installers about their shoddy practices, so this thread had to be born. mods - I have a full email trail to support this post if needed, so it's not slander etc and I hope you'll let it stand as a legit warning to other members.

 

[solarsavings]

Gavin I've been buying kit from Stuart Cooper the MD of Solfex for years but last December he said the same thing to me "you can only have power ones with kioto modules" but he was happy to sell me over priced mastervolts. I've not bought from him since and never will again.

Worcester had a run in with him too last year over the none supply of paid for inverters if I remember correctly.

I have recently bought Kioto modules elsewhere and at far better prices than solfex.

 

[SolarCity]

I think this kind of thread should be encouraged, especially in the Sun Lounge.

My personal experience of PV suppliers has been terrible. The majority of them do not know what they are doing and they should be held to account when they mess us installers around.

 

[Gavin A]

Cheers, I was hoping this would be ok in the sun lounge. Probably a bit more problematic in the public forums, but I felt I had to warn people about this sort of underhand practice going on.

btw, in case people haven't noticed, there are actually shortages developing of various bits of equipment, so best to be on your toes again to avoid delays in the jobs you have got booked in.

 

[dansk]

ditto, solflex stuffed worcester badley at the time from what he said. shoddy.

 

[SolarCity]

I don't see a reason why this can't be posted on the open forum either, to be honest. I just don't want to create any unnecessary hassle for the site owners.

As long as the criticism is just then the company's don't have a leg to stand on.

After some AWFUL service from a camera hire company (I was filming my mates wedding and the company failed to deliver the camera) I went on every forum I could find to complain about the company. They phoned me and threatened me with legal action. Almost every forum wiped my posts. The last contact I had with the firm was to tell them: "I'll see you in court." Idiots.