Solar Energy Contractors
Freedom Forever, LLCThis business is NOT BBB Accredited.
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Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Freedom Forever, LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 1,388 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 393 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
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Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.
Initial Complaint
Date:11/04/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 4/21/2022 I entered into a contract to purchase solar panels. Since that time I have been billed 6 times. My electric bill has not changed except for last month. It was my understanding that I would be making one payment to Mosaic in the amount of $89 but I have been forced to pay FPL and Mosaic. I have called and spoken with many people and have been given explanations as to why the panels did not charge enough or why energy was not stored. We noticed a blinking light and alerted Freedom Forever and they said that the would send a technician out. That was almost 3 weeks ago and no one has called or come to inspect. I fully expect another FPL bill and now I have reached my limit. I do not want these panels. I want them removed, The last person I spoke with I told that i was going to stop paying Mosaic which would ruin my credit and he responded that I should do it and that my credit could be restored in the future. I am a senior and I do not speak English. Someone is typing this as I dictate. I believe that I was taken advantage of.Business Response
Date: 11/08/2022
To
whom it may concern:
After reviewing the BBB complaint submitted by ******
******* the following was found. The customer was pending an inverter
replacement. Freedom Forever has recently been experiencing a delay in our replacement
inverters arrival due to a supply chain issue with SolarEdge. The customers inverter just arrived, and we have them
scheduled for that to be replaced on November 15th. The customer has
a 3-day cancellation notice, after this period the customer can no longer
cancel the project because it has been completed. This is all mentioned in the
customers contract on page 16. The customer’s contract is in their language, and
I have contacted the customer via email and relayed all the information to them
in Spanish to they are aware of the contract verbiage and the system status. I
also went ahead and attached a copy of the contract with highlighted
paragraphs, so they can locate where everything I mentioned.Initial Complaint
Date:11/02/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Transaction date is 4/21/22
Freedom Forever Solar Company
My agreement start as stated above. They did well in installing the solar panels within two weeks of agreement. May.
The only thing I have been waiting on is the APS (Arizona Power Service) to give the final inspection and approval.
It is now November and nothing has been done. I have contacted the sales men many time in reference to what is happening and he blamed it all on APS lack of people. It has been 8 months and it still has not been hooked up.
My neighbor next door went with another company (Fusion Solar) and he had his approved within a month and is operating currently.
I would like and investigation to be done on why this has happened. I want to know the results. I do not want this to happen to other people. This has also cost me money as i am paying the loan and paying the APS bill.
To be fair Freedom has paid two payment out of 5 of the loan.
Also I have had to pay APS when I could have been on solar and this has cost me to pay APS when I did not have too, if the Solar had been turned on.
Please contact me at 925348180 or cd********[email protected] if anymore info is needed
Sincerely
*** *******Business Response
Date: 11/11/2022
To Whom it May Concern:
Upon reaching the solar project that is located on ********
Street in Prescott, AZ, the project is pending Permission to Operate the system
from the utility company APS
- Arizona Public Service Electric. This process can take 3-6 weeks
to complete. The project has had a delay because the approved plans show the
fused disconnect followed by the non-fused utility disconnect which is required
by APS. Construction Engineering has actioned the task to fix the PTO issues
as of 11/08/2022. The issue has been assigned to Branch Management as of
11/10/2022 because the photos need to show the non-fused utility disconnect is
installed before meter orders can be re-sent to continue the Inspection/meter
set process for APS. Once completed, Permission to Operate the System can be
grantedInitial Complaint
Date:11/01/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I signed a solar panel installation contract with Freedom Forever (FF) LLC on 6/8 but Freedom Forever did not obtain the necessary permits for the project until 8/29. FF has not installed solar panels at my residence in the more than 60 days that have passed since acquiring the permits, although their sales associate repeatedly assured me installation would begin soon. In fact, FF has not even acquired approval of an interconnection agreement from the utility company within the five months since the contract was signed. FF installed an electrical panel on 9/6 and it failed inspection on 9/19 due to incorrect use of different breakers. Although I immediately notified FF of this problem, including the sales associate and project manager, they have not remedied it and my home has not been approved for occupancy for over 30 days. The project manager did not respond when I followed up after talking to him about this on 9/20. The sales associate did not respond after I requested that he help me cancel the project following the poor quality electrical work.
Mosaic (the financing company working with FF) disbursed the first half of the payment for this project on 6/17 to FF, at the request of FF, before any permits had been acquired and without my knowledge. I have submitted cancellation requests to FF and Mosaic, and Mosaic says FF must approve the financing cancellation and return the funds disbursed. An escalation specialist with FF says they are continuing with my project despite my cancellation request, which I submitted because of poor quality work and lack of timely installation of the solar panels.Business Response
Date: 11/04/2022
To Whom it May Concern,
Mr. ********** signed his solar contract with Freedom
Forever on 6/8/22. The site survey was
completed on 06/16/2022. Once the site
survey was completed, we began the next steps of preparing plans and permits to
be submitted to Clermont County (OH). At site survey, we discovered that a main
panel upgrade was required. Freedom Forever began the process of getting a
sub-contractor on 06/24/2022, additionally, the permits were submitted to
Clermont County (OH) on 07/07/2022. As we had to draw up the plans and have
them stamped by a third-party company. Once the plans were submitted to the
county they were approved and back in the office on 07/18/2022.The subcontractor and main panel upgrade were started and
scheduled for 09/06/2022 due to utility, customer, and sub-contractor
availability. The main panel final inspection was scheduled for
09/09/2022 and was subsequently canceled by the customer as he would not be
home for the inspection. The final inspection was rescheduled and passed on 09/19/2022.
The main panel upgrade passed the rough electrical inspection on 09/19/2022.Mr. **********’s utility requires pre-approval for any solar
installation. Freedom Forever began the process of obtaining pre-approval on
07/26/2022. The customer was sent documents to be signed so the approval could
be obtained. The documents were not submitted and signed until 08/24/2022.
Freedom Forever is still pending approval from **** Energy for the installation
of the system. Per the latest
update from ****, the application submitted in August did not have the correct
account number and address however this matched the utility bill that was
provided by the customer. Our interconnections department is currently working
with **** Energy to have this resolved as quickly as
possible so we can complete the
installation.Mr. ********** expressed the want to cancel his contract with Freedom Forever on 10/07/2022. Per our contract, there is a
3-day right to cancel the project. Mr.
********** is unable to cancel the project as work
has commenced, and the main panel upgrade has been completed.As soon as Freedom Forever receives pre-approval for
installation from **** Energy, we will schedule the
installation and move the project forward. Mr. **********’s project
has seen delays due to the pre-approval with **** and the scheduling of the
main panel upgrade. The contract indicates that
Freedom Forever has the sole and exclusive right to modify the completion date
due to things that are out of our control such as utility delays, including the
main panel upgrade. We do our best at moving things along in a timely manner,
however, these entities follow their own timelines based on their availability
and procedures.****** with our Escalations
Department has been working with Mr. **********. ****** has advised
Mr. ********** that we are unable to
cancel the project as the 3-day cancellation period has passed which is outlined
in the solar contract. This is outlined
on page 13 of the Supply & Installation
Agreement. Below is an excerpt from the contract outlining the
cancelation policy:You, the Customer, have the right to cancel this
Agreement at any time prior to midnight of the third (3rd) business day after
the date of this Agreement. A form notice of cancellation is attached to this
Agreement for your use and convenience. You may cancel by e-mailing, mailing,
faxing, or delivering a written notice to Freedom Forever at Freedom Forever’s
place of business by midnight of the third business day after you received a
signed and dated copy of the Agreement that includes this notice. Include your
name, your address, and the date you received the signed copy of the contract
and this notice. If you cancel, Freedom Forever must return to you any amount
paid by you prior to cancellation within ten (10) days of receiving the notice
of cancellation. For your part, you must make available to Freedom Forever at
your residence, in substantially as good condition as you received them, goods
delivered to you under this contract of sale. Or, you may, if you wish, comply
with Freedom Forever's instructions on how to return the goods at Freedom
Forever's expense and risk. If you do make the goods available to Freedom
Forever and Freedom Forever does not pick them up within twenty (20) days of
the date of your notice of cancellation, you may keep them without any further
obligation to pay for them. If you fail to make the goods available to Freedom
Forever, or if you agree to return the goods to Freedom Forever and fail to do
so, then you remain liable for performance of all obligations under the
contract.Customer Answer
Date: 11/06/2022
I am rejecting this response for the following reasons. Please see my responses inserted below and marked with GR>> and italics.Mr. ********** signed his solar contract with Freedom
Forever on 6/8/22. The site survey was
completed on 06/16/2022. Once the site
survey was completed, we began the next steps of preparing plans and permits to
be submitted to Clermont County (OH). At site survey, we discovered that a main
panel upgrade was required.
GR>>It is not clear that a main panel upgrade was required. The auditor told me the existing panel was sufficient. Please explain why the main panel upgrade was needed.Freedom Forever began the process of getting a
sub-contractor on 06/24/2022, additionally, the permits were submitted to
Clermont County (OH) on 07/07/2022. As we had to draw up the plans and have
them stamped by a third-party company. Once the plans were submitted to the
county they were approved and back in the office on 07/18/2022.
GR>>Freedom Forever applied for the solar permits on 7/08 but did not apply for the electrical upgrade permit until 8/29. The electrical upgrade permit was approved the same day. Permit application and approval records are public record and viewable online.The subcontractor and main panel upgrade were started and
scheduled for 09/06/2022 due to utility, customer, and sub-contractor
availability.
GR>> The subcontractor first texted and called me on 8/24 and the
earliest he could come was 9/6. I made myself available the first day
he was available. This is documented in my text messages to Ian Saunders
(see attached). Ian let me know on 8/16 that subcontractors would begin
contacting me once permitting was complete (see attached). The scheduling had nothing to do with utility availability and the electrician did not even schedule the inspection until he arrived.The main panel final inspection was scheduled for
09/09/2022 and was subsequently canceled by the customer as he would not be
home for the inspection. The final inspection was rescheduled and passed on 09/19/2022.
The main panel upgrade passed the rough electrical inspection on 09/19/2022.
GR>>The electrician (*****) did not attempt to schedule the
inspection until he arrived and the earliest the inspectors could come
was 9/9. I told ***** I would be out of town the rest of the week and
asked him to schedule for the following week. He did not do this and the
inspector arrived on 9/9 and I talked to him via my doorbell cam,
informing him of what happened. This is also documented in my texts with
Ian (attached).The inspector approved the rough-in but not the electrical work and
the house is not approved for occupancy. See attached for both
receipts. Item 2.3 in the contract states the following:[StandardFreedom Forever
of Performance. Freedom Forever shall perform all construction and
related services provided hereunder in a good and workmanlike manner, in
accordance with all requirements of the documents contained in this
Agreement, and all applicable laws, codes, regulations and other
requirements, including safety requirements.]
was in breach of the contract because the work was not up to code, and
they did not remedy this although I notified Ian Saunders and the
electrician on 9/19, and talked to project manager (Steve) on 9/20.Mr. **********’s utility requires pre-approval for any solar
installation. Freedom Forever began the process of obtaining pre-approval on
07/26/2022. The customer was sent documents to be signed so the approval could
be obtained. The documents were not submitted and signed until 08/24/2022.
Freedom Forever is still pending approval from **** Energy for the installation
of the system. Per the latest
update from ****, the application submitted in August did not have the correct
account number and address however this matched the utility bill that was
provided by the customer. Our interconnections department is currently working
with **** Energy to have this resolved as quickly as
possible so we can complete the
installation.
GR>> I was in contact with Ian Saunders throughout the entire
process of Freedom Forever trying to gain approval of the
interconnection agreement. I had a conference call with Ian and ****
earlier on and we found nothing had been submitted. Then I received
emails from **** noting that items were missing. I notified Ian each
time this happened and have documentation of all of this, including
messages showing that I was looking for something to sign but the form
was not ready because **** didn't have everything from Freedom Forever.Mr. ********** expressed the want to cancel his contract with Freedom Forever on 10/07/2022. Per our contract, there is a
3-day right to cancel the project. Mr.
********** is unable to cancel the project as work
has commenced, and the main panel upgrade has been completed.
GR>>Freedom Forever has been in breach of contract since 9/19 and has done nothing to remedy that. Now the 60-day project completion date (i.e., 60 days since commencement of the work) has passed, another breach of the contract.As soon as Freedom Forever receives pre-approval for
installation from **** Energy, we will schedule the
installation and move the project forward. Mr. **********’s project
has seen delays due to the pre-approval with **** and the scheduling of the
main panel upgrade. The contract indicates that
Freedom Forever has the sole and exclusive right to modify the completion date
due to things that are out of our control such as utility delays, including the
main panel upgrade. We do our best at moving things along in a timely manner,
however, these entities follow their own timelines based on their availability
and procedures.
GR>>The delays were due to poor project management and failure to submit the correct documentation to ****.****** with our Escalations
Department has been working with Mr. **********. ****** has advised
Mr. ********** that we are unable to
cancel the project as the 3-day cancellation period has passed which is outlined
in the solar contract. This is outlined
on page 13 of the Supply & Installation
Agreement. Below is an excerpt from the contract outlining the
cancelation policy:
GR>>The cooling off period does not seem relevant to the poor quality work. Work that is not up to code is a breach of contract. My home has not been approved for occupancy since 9/19.You, the Customer, have the right to cancel this
Agreement at any time prior to midnight of the third (3rd) business day after
the date of this Agreement. A form notice of cancellation is attached to this
Agreement for your use and convenience. You may cancel by e-mailing, mailing,
faxing, or delivering a written notice to Freedom Forever at Freedom Forever’s
place of business by midnight of the third business day after you received a
signed and dated copy of the Agreement that includes this notice. Include your
name, your address, and the date you received the signed copy of the contract
and this notice. If you cancel, Freedom Forever must return to you any amount
paid by you prior to cancellation within ten (10) days of receiving the notice
of cancellation. For your part, you must make available to Freedom Forever at
your residence, in substantially as good condition as you received them, goods
delivered to you under this contract of sale. Or, you may, if you wish, comply
with Freedom Forever's instructions on how to return the goods at Freedom
Forever's expense and risk. If you do make the goods available to Freedom
Forever and Freedom Forever does not pick them up within twenty (20) days of
the date of your notice of cancellation, you may keep them without any further
obligation to pay for them. If you fail to make the goods available to Freedom
Forever, or if you agree to return the goods to Freedom Forever and fail to do
so, then you remain liable for performance of all obligations under the
contract.Business Response
Date: 11/15/2022
To whom it may concern,
Freedom Forever has been trying to work with the customer's sales representative on why a main panel upgrade was required but we have been unsuccessful. The customer has hired an attorney, and this will now be handed over to our legal team for Attorney vs attorney communication only.Customer Answer
Date: 02/01/2023
I am rejecting this response because:
Freedom Forever (FF) still has neither attempted to fix the problem with my electrical panel nor approved my cancellation request. My lawyer submitted a demand letter that they return the finance money to Mosaic and they refused, saying events not under their control delayed things. This is clearly not the case, given it was FF that did not submit required documents for permitting until August, 2022, and FF that did not submit all required information for the interconnection agreement until November, 2022. Moreover, these delays had nothing to do with the poor quality electrical work and their complete lack of diligence in addressing that (i.e., no diligence, no effort was made to fix the panel). I would not recommend this company to anyone who does not wish to litigate against them, which is what I'm having to pay to do now.Initial Complaint
Date:11/01/2022
Type:Order IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
The salesman came to my house on september 23rd 2022, and pushed us to sign the contract. They didn't explain to me it was the contract that I was signing. They only told me it was the estimate if I get approved for the service. On the next day September 24th 2022, I received email of contracts, it was including with freedom forever and mosiac - the loan company and vivint home security (this is a promotion of 3 years free service because i got freedom forever). After reading the contracts that I signed on the 23rd, I printed out the cancelation letter and sent it back to the company. They email me that they received the cancelation notice and will work on that. It's been a more than a month till now, they still haven't finished my cancelation but took the money from the loan company (mosiac) that they've been working with, whom supposedly to give me the loan to get service from freedom forever. When we contacted the Mosiac to notice them of the cancelation between us and freedom forever, they told us they didn't hear anything from freedom forever that was why they sent payment to them. Mosiac said they trying to get the confirmation from freedom forever before they can finish my cancelation, and I still have to make payments untill they finish with freedom forever. I also noticed vivint about the cancelation, and told them that i will pay for the service that i get with them and requested them to remove freedom forever promotion from my account, but then again they have to get the confirmation from freedom forever. I have feeling of being scammed by the company. They should have sent the cancelation notice to both mosiac and vivint after I sent them the cancelation letter last month. Besides that, there was a man said he's from freedom forever, has been calling me none stop and asked me to pay him $3000 because I got vivint promotion. This doesn't make sense to me. I already canceled freedom forever before they started the work, and I don't owe them anything.Business Response
Date: 11/02/2022
To whom it may concern,This customer signed a legal binding document agreeing that he would be charged $3000.00 for the Vivint smart home if he terminated his agreement. Please see documents attached.Initial Complaint
Date:10/31/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Back in February of 2019 we had Freedom Forever come and install solar panels on our roof. In July on 2022 we noticed that there was a leak in our garage wall right near where the inverter is for the solar panels. We opened the wall and discovered that there were two holes on the pipe that faces the outside of the wall where the inverter is that they installed. We called Freedom Forever and it took me 5 phone calls and 3 emails to finally get someone to "help". I was told by ******* ****** that I could have my own contractor take a look at the damage and repair it. But I would first have to submit the estimate from them. I submitted the estimate from Thistle DKI to ******* ****** who then said she forwarded it to accounts payable & the branch for review. A few days later I got a call from ****** @ ###-###-#### in the escalations department. She informed me that I would no longer be able to speak with ******* as she has now taken over my claim. I then had to explain for a 5th time the situation. After going back and forth for 3 ish weeks, she stated that THEIR contractor had to come and provide a second bid which came in much lower than mine. I felt that their contractor was trying to do the bare minimum in fixing this issue. ****** stated that I could use my own contractor and she could issue us a check from their contractors bid. She stated that she would send me a W-9 to fill out and then she can issue the check. After filling out the W-9 she said she had a settlement docu-sign for us to fill out. After reading that docu-sign further, it stated that we would no long be warrantied for our 30 year warrant after they paid us about $2,000 to fix this issue. They are trying no longer warranty our solar panels since we did not want to use their own contractor. I feel that I am being bullied into using their people and they are using our warranty as leverage. I have emailed ****** once since 10/27 & texted her 3 times since then too. I have yet to hear from her.Business Response
Date: 11/03/2022
To Whom it may concern,
We have gathered the BBB that was sent to us for the customer, Mr. & Mrs. ******, the following was confirmed and relayed to the customers.
All previous issues with the water damages due to installation have since been taken care of and resolved in agreement with the customer. Therefore, the settlement agreement was sent out for the customer to sign.
In regard to the customers concern in the settlement agreement verbiage, it has been confirmed with the customer via phone call on recorded line as well as sent an email to confirm that the warranty is not voided and that it still stands for the remainder of the contract.Initial Complaint
Date:10/30/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I was originally working with a rep named ****, who I discovered is no longer with the company after I started having issues. Freedom Forever set me up to do two projects, both which were to be financed through a 3rd party. The first project was a nightmare, my yard was ruined, there was issue with the hook up and then I was told I wouldn’t be billed until the second project was completed. Then I was told there was an issue with permits with the second project but it would still be done. It was my understanding I would NOT be billed until the projects were both done as they were all under one master project. Instead, Freedom Forever sent my first project to be billed. I started getting collection calls and I still do not have anything started on the second one. I have called so many managers and had it escalated. The last manager (Caleb C) I spoke with has since ignored my calls and emails, after sending him documentation from the original person, ****. I have a half completed project, solar power that’s now shut off due to the billing before the project was done. Nobody will return my calls or my emails. I am just trying to get this completed and once it is, I have no issue paying but this is ridiculous. These people have handled this horribly.Business Response
Date: 11/03/2022
To Whom it may concern: We have received the BBB complaint
from Mr. ******* and the following were found and relayed to Mr. *******.
Mr. ******* has contracts for two separate projects, the
first one being a Ground Mounted system and the second project that was to be a
Roof Mounted system. The first project that was is a Ground Moun was already installed and is completed, this is why the billing with Mr. *******s finance provider
has started for the first project.
The second project for the roof mounted system was requested
to be canceled by Mr. ******* via email to our customer support team on 07/11. On 07/21 a retention specialist was assigned to assist with
the issues. On 07/25 an outbound call was made to attempt to get in contact
with Mr. ******* but there was no answer. On 08/10 the specialist attempted to
contact again and was not able to get ahold of Mr. *******. Do to this the
second project was canceled out.
The issue with the Mr. *******s yard is being addressed and
will be handled accordingly.Business Response
Date: 11/17/2022
To Whom it may concern: After Further review for Mr.
*******s BBB Complaint the following was found.
Mr. ******* had signed two different documents for two
different financing options. This first was signed 9/10/2021 for the Sunrun
Agreement for leasing the panels for the project listed under project ID
18**86.
This second document is for the Freedom Forever signed solar
agreement. This project listed as Project ID 18**89 was started on 9/10/2021
and the Solar Agreement was signed on 11/16/2021. In this agreement it is
listed how the customer will be paying the 3rd party finance company
for Project ID 18**89.
Mr. ******* has been informed that the project listed as
project ID 18**89 was completed on 07/16/2022 it was not until 07/20/2022 that
Mr. ******* reached out to cancel project. It has been explained to Mr. *******
that due to the project being already installed and way passed the 3 day right
to cancel as well as the grace period, we would not be able to cancel the first
project.
Mr. ******* had confirmed with us that he was aware that he had two projects in this first email response from him.Customer Answer
Date: 11/21/2022
I am rejecting this response because:
Within ** days of finishing the 1st phase the 2nd phase was supposed to begin. I clearly stated that if the 2nd phase could not be done then I wanted the first one canceled. I did not state that I wanted only the 2nd phase canceled like freedom forever claims. They also were not clear at all that 2 different companies were handling 2 separate phases..this was supposed to be one company 2 phases. Not 2 companies 2 projects. I had been more then patient in waiting for responses when I first started complaining about this and have gotten no where and only the rum around until I reached out to the BBB. The only acceptable agreement I will have to this whole ordeal is to either install the 2nd phase of this project or come uninstall the 1st phase and refund the 3rd party financial company. The reason I have not started paying at all for this is because of the deceitful nature this whole thing has panned out in my life including how this company has destroyed my yard and still do not have any reconciliation towards that.Initial Complaint
Date:10/29/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Freedom Forever requested 100% funding for my solar project in March. Job was not installed until late April. My system is not turned on and we have made 5 monthly payments. They owe us a $2,000 rebate, have not been communicating with Utility company. Utility sent me an email with an outstanding balance from Freedom Forever stating they will not schedule for Freedom until balance is paid. They have been fully funded for 7 months, I’ve been paying for 5 and it’s not turned on. I want our $2,000 rebate asap.Business Response
Date: 11/04/2022
To whom it may concern,
A power shutoff appointment with the customer's utility company is scheduled for 11/04 for line sight tap and
once that is completed, we can then move along the process to complete the next
milestone in the project, which is final inspection.July, August, and September finance reimbursement payments have been
mailed out to the customer as of October 20, 2022. October payment was
requested on November 1, 2022, once processed by Freedom Forever account payable team a check will be mailed.Initial Complaint
Date:10/26/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
On or about July 15, I was monitoring our solar panel production on Solar Edges' website portal. At that time, I discovered that the system was no longer recording production levels for our system. I notified Solar Edge and Freedom via phone conversation that the system was not showing production of electricity, Solar Edge walked me through the reconnection process to no avail. I was told they would need to send a tech out to assess the system. On or about August 2nd, I attempted to call Freedom forever and Solar Edge only to be transferred to a holding que for over 97 minutes and 66 minutes respectively (I have phone records to verify). On or about August 16th (Actually it was 8/16/2022 at 12:15pm) our solar system completely failed to operate. Once again, I tried to call both companies and talk to someone to notify them that the system had gone completely offline. I accessed the "Chat bot" on solar Edges website and fortunately was able to start a "ticket". On September 1st, 2022, I wrote an email (attached) to Freedom Forever, Solar Edge and Mosaic (finance company that financed our panels) and also "cc'ed" both “Zeke Parker” so called authorized dealer and “Sunder Energy” so called dealer company, to which I have no idea who they are, and neither ever answers nor returns calls, so can never be reached. Not to mention we don't even know them, because we thought we were doing business with "Freedom Forever". In this email I notified the aforementioned companies that we were no longer going to make any payments on the system until it was once again operational. Amazingly in September I was totally surprised when a technician showed up out of nowhere. He said that he was here to get our system back online. Unfortunately, after several hours and talking to Solar Edge, it was determined that the inverter needed to be replaced. He stated he was perplexed that we had 9100 watts of panels on the roof, and they only installed a 6k watt inverter, when it should be 10k.Business Response
Date: 11/07/2022
Upon
researching the system at the Metcalf residents, it was determined that the
production will meet the promised PG with the current inverter size. Freedom
Forever installs smaller inverters to maximize the production potential of the
system. It is outlined in this link located on the Freedom Forever site https://freedomforever.com/solar-academy/solar-academy-lesson-5-solar-inverter-oversizing-vs-undersizing/ . If
the homeowner still wants to move forward with upsizing inverter this would
require for him to pay for not only because system does not need it to produce
PG but because we would need to file for new permits and have a new inspection.
If needed, we can provide a quote for a bigger inverter. When it comes to the
production guarantee, that is an annual review that happens once a year for the
homeowner and is outlined in Exhibit A, page 19 of the contract.
6.2. Extra Work and Change
Orders. Extra Work and Change Orders become part of this Agreement once the
order is prepared in writing and signed by the Parties prior to the
commencement of work covered by the new Change Order. The Change Order must
describe the scope of extra work or change, the cost to be added or subtracted
from the contract, and the effect the order will have on the schedule of
progress payments. Change Orders shall be executed using the Change Order Form
in EXHIBIT B.
2.1 Production Guarantee. The Guaranteed Annual kWh of the
System for Production Year 1 is 14500 and is subject to all of EXHIBIT A,
ARTICLE 2. Freedom Forever guarantees that in each Production Year the System
will generate the Guaranteed Annual kWh for such Production Year, subject to
the other terms and conditions as fully set forth in this EXHIBIT A.
2.4 Production Year 1 Adjustment. In the event the Actual
Annual kWh for Production Year 1 is less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the
Guaranteed Annual kWh described in EXHIBIT A, ARTICLE 2.1, Customer agrees to
allow Freedom Forever to replace or install additional panels so that the
Annual kWh for Production Year 1 meets at least eighty-five percent (85%) of
the Guaranteed Annual kWh for Production Year 1, the new Guaranteed Annual kWh
for Production Year 1 will be the original Guaranteed Annual kWh multiplied by
eighty-five percent (85%) and the Guaranteed Annual kWh for future Production
Years will be adjusted to reflect the change, and Customer shall still be
entitled to submit a Performance Claim for the Production Deficit between the
new Guaranteed Annual kWh and the Actual Annual kWh for Production Year 1.
Freedom Forever will provide no notice of Production Year 1 Guaranteed Annual
kWh adjustments made. In the event that Actual Annual kWh for Production Year 1
is greater than eighty-five percent (85%) but less than one hundred percent
(100%) of the Guaranteed Annual kWh described in EXHIBIT A, ARTICLE 2.1, the
new Guaranteed Annual kWh for Production Year 1 will be adjusted to the Actual
Annual kWh produced in Production Year 1. Any adjustment of the Guaranteed
Annual kWh is subject to the degradation schedule set forth in EXHIBIT A,
ARTICLE 2.2.Customer Answer
Date: 11/14/2022
I am rejecting this response because:
Greetings Miss. *******,In rebuttal to the
company's response: Obviously they are lying, because had they actually
researched our information, they would know that the inverter started failing on June 30, 2022, and has not been in operation a full year. As I stated in the
complaint SolarEdge has no production information as of June 30, 2022, and our
system only just went online October 7, 2021. That puts the system in operation
for 38 weeks +/- a few hours, last time I went to school a year still had 52
weeks.As for the "under
sizing" even though I do not have a recording of the conversation, I
showed the sales rep's the utility bills that I had, and the one of the rep’s
pulled up some info for the previous year that I was not privy to, and they both
assured me that the system would nearly eliminate our power bills if we went
with a 9.1kWh system. The reps also emphasized that a system this size would
meet our needs and if necessary, we could upgrade it in the future. The reps
never said anything about installing an "undersized inverter", to
allow "clipping", as I ask them specifically at that time if the
system was big enough, and they guaranteed to me because of reviewing the
previous year's bills, the 9.1kWh system would meet our needs perfectly. I have
consulted at my expense with two electricians and another solar company about
our current residential system. They explained to me that the entire job of the
inverter was to provide our house with the needed electricity and redirect the
extra electricity in a synchronized wave back to the grid.Our residential power
panel maxed out (never going to happen) can handle 44kWh (200 amps x 220
volts), however, the rule of thumb is not to exceed 80% of that, so to be "safe"
our PV system should not be more than 35.2kWh. I informed the reps that I am
not naive, and that I have been researching PV systems and that I am a retired
software engineer, but what I did not tell them is I also have a minor in
electrical engineering, so if they were honest and said that they were
installing an inverter that would be clipping at 6kWh, I would have told them
NO! Thus, the BBB complaint of "Predatory Business Practices". I have
9.1kWh in solar panels on our roof, Freedom Forever installed a 6kWh inverter,
the extra 3.1kWh burnt up the inverter in ten months, all I want is for them to
replace the inverter with an inverter that is rated at 9.1kWh minimum.Once again, as I stated
in the complaint, our system went offline June 30th, 2022. Sometime in September
a technician was finally dispatched to our home to assess our system failure.
While assessing the system failure and talking to SolarEdge I learned that
SolarEdge was no longer receiving data from the inverter due to a contract with
a cell carrier expiring and that the possible reason for the failure was the insufficient
size of the inverter. The tech stated that the inverter was rated to handle
more than 6kW, however, he was perplexed as to the major difference in 9100
watts in panels and a 6000-watt inverter. When he asked SolarEdge about the
difference their technician was also surprised as they were only rated at 150%.As I also stated
earlier, the company did not investigate anything. Had they done their
"due diligence" they would know the above information as well as the information I have compiled below:According to Texas solar
the inverter completely failed August 16, 2022.My records from SolarEdge are
as follows:October 2021 | Nov 2021 | Dec 2021 | Jan 2022 | Feb 2022 | Mar 2022 | Apr 2022 | May 2022 | Jun 2022 | Jul 2022 | Aug 2022 | Sep 2022 |909.5 | 1030 | 845.65 | 996.32 | 938.3 | 1250 | 1170 | 1380 | 1450 | 0 | 0 | 0 | TOTAL Production =9969.77kwhThe contract as noted in the company's response states as follows."ARTICLE 2 - PRODUCTION GURANTEE2.1 Production Guarantee. The Guaranteed Annual kWh of the System for Production Year 1 is _14500___ and is subject to all
of EXHIBIT A, ARTICLE 2. Freedom Forever guarantees that in each Production Year the System will generate the Guaranteed Annual
kWh for such Production Year, subject to the other terms and conditions as fully set forth in this EXHIBIT A."In the SolarEdge records noted above there is a deficit of 4530.23kwh per Freedom Forever's "Production Guarantee". Had the company installed the proper inverter initially, there would be no complaint and I would not be dealing with electric bills that the reps said I would no longer have. Even if I were to allow the company to install more panels per Article 2.4, the same issue would occur. again! AGAIN, had freedom forever installed the proper size inverter, they would have easily met the "PG", I would not be dealing with electricity bills or at least very small ones, Mosaic would be getting paid and most likely Freedom forever would have had 2 more systems sold.On October 10th, 2022, I was notified by someone named Damion that the installer in Round Rock, TX had a replacement. I asked him if it was the same size as the old one that failed, and if so, what was the logic is reinstalling another one that will burn up in ten months? His only response was talk to customer support and gave me a phone number. I have an attorney friend that wanted me to get the model number off the new one to compare to the old one, and Damion responded "Hey William, you can look on the inverter and get the model number. It's on the label", which implies to me that they are determined to reinstall an inverter that is too small for the size and number of the panels they sold me in the system. Even if you use SolarEdge's (inverter manufacture) operating parameters the 6Kw inverter is too small. SolarEdge says the maximum the 6Kw inverter is able to handle is 150%, simple math says that is 9000 watts, I still have more wattage in panels than the inverter can handle. Now, anywhere else in the continental United States this may not be a problem, but I live in the heart of Texas, aka Sunshine Capital, USA.This can easily be resolved by Freedom Forever installing a Solar
Edge SE10000H-US and reimbursing me $543.63 for their failure to meet the "PG". According to code enforcement there will be no need to get permits to change it, the house system can easily handle the production level of the 10K inverter, because any excess I do not use "GOES BACK ON THE GRID!"Miss. *******, Freedom Forever's actions are textbook definitions of predatory. I truly hope
you are able to achieve satisfaction for me, however, if not the next step is
to forward this to the Texas attorney general and Texas department of licensing.Business Response
Date: 11/18/2022
To whom it may concern,
Freedom Forever has
attempted to replace the inverter multiple times under the warranty described
in the contract and the homeowner has refused the replacement. Freedom Forever
installs smaller inverters to maximize the production potential of the system. It
is outlined in this link located on the Freedom Forever site https://freedomforever.com/solar-academy/solar-academy-lesson-5-solar-inverter-oversizing-vs-undersizing/ .
If the homeowner still wants to move forward with upsizing inverter this would
require for him to pay for not only because system does not need it to produce
PG but because we would need to file for new permits and have a new inspection.
If needed, we can provide a quote for a bigger inverter, or the customer can allow us to install the inverter that was received under manufacture warranty.When it comes to the
production guarantee, that is an annual review that happens once a year for the
homeowner and is outlined in Exhibit A, page 19 of the contract.
6.2. Extra Work and Change Orders. Extra Work and Change
Orders become part of this Agreement once the order is prepared in writing and
signed by the Parties prior to the commencement of work covered by the new
Change Order. The Change Order must describe the scope of extra work or change,
the cost to be added or subtracted from the contract, and the effect the order
will have on the schedule of progress payments. Change Orders shall be executed
using the Change Order Form in EXHIBIT B.
2.1 Production Guarantee. The Guaranteed Annual kWh of the
System for Production Year 1 is 14500 and is subject to all of EXHIBIT A,
ARTICLE 2. Freedom Forever guarantees that in each Production Year the System
will generate the Guaranteed Annual kWh for such Production Year, subject to
the other terms and conditions as fully set forth in this EXHIBIT A.
2.4 Production Year 1 Adjustment. In the event the Actual
Annual kWh for Production Year 1 is less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the
Guaranteed Annual kWh described in EXHIBIT A, ARTICLE 2.1, Customer agrees to
allow Freedom Forever to replace or install additional panels so that the
Annual kWh for Production Year 1 meets at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the
Guaranteed Annual kWh for Production Year 1, the new Guaranteed Annual kWh for
Production Year 1 will be the original Guaranteed Annual kWh multiplied by
eighty-five percent (85%) and the Guaranteed Annual kWh for future Production
Years will be adjusted to reflect the change, and Customer shall still be
entitled to submit a Performance Claim for the Production Deficit between the
new Guaranteed Annual kWh and the Actual Annual kWh for Production Year 1.
Freedom Forever will provide no notice of Production Year 1 Guaranteed Annual
kWh adjustments made. In the event that Actual Annual kWh for Production Year 1
is greater than eighty-five percent (85%) but less than one hundred percent
(100%) of the Guaranteed Annual kWh described in EXHIBIT A, ARTICLE 2.1, the
new Guaranteed Annual kWh for Production Year 1 will be adjusted to the Actual
Annual kWh produced in Production Year 1. Any adjustment of the Guaranteed
Annual kWh is subject to the degradation schedule set forth in EXHIBIT A,
ARTICLE 2.2.Initial Complaint
Date:10/25/2022
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I am working on getting solar panels installed. The company, Freedom Forever, has been dragging their feet since day one. According to freedom forever, I will get reimbursed for any payments that I have to make on my solar loan if the solar panels are not ready yet. I have already made two payments on my loan even though my solar panels are not active yet. I was told on Sept 16 2022 that my payment would be reimbursed after 3 weeks of processing time. Now, Freedom Forever is making every excuse in the book to NOT reimburse me! I’ve been waiting patiently for a reimbursement but it seems as though they refuse to pay me back.Business Response
Date: 10/31/2022
To whom this may concern,
Mr. ******* is concern regarding his solar project not being completed. Mr.
******* signed the Supply and Installation Agreement on June 8,2022. Freedom
Forever installed the solar panels on July 25,2022. A revision was completed on
August 16,2022, Freedom was unable to receive the new permit until September
14,2022. Without the correct permit in house, Freedom Forever was unable to
schedule inspection until October 10,2022 with the local AHJ. Currently, Mr.
******* project is pending Permission to Operate. The process takes anywhere
from 15 – 30 business for the Utility Company to approve. Also, Freedom Forever
overnight Mr.******* reimbursement payment. The payment will be arriving on
Monday October 31,2022.Initial Complaint
Date:10/25/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
We were approached by a traveling salesman from Arizona who came into our home and overstayed his welcome but nonetheless sold us on installing Solar panels. The promise of total 3 months has now turned into 6 months; The panels have been installed and are sitting idly without use because no one values our time or wasted money. We are still paying a significant amount of money for our electricity bill AS WELL AS the cost of the loan for the solar panels that have already been installed. Salespeople refuse to allow me to speak to their supervisors, stating that they will remain my contact and are only able to offer me untimely reimbursements for my loan payments (Have only reimbursed me 2 months out of the now 5 months I will have paid). Furthermore, our summer in Texas was so hot that we had water restrictions while we could not even utilize the solar panels for the use they were installed. We have lost out on thousands of dollars secondary to this dishonest and misleading company with poor customer service. I have even requested that the solar panel contract be cancelled and I was told 'the deadline has passed' and I would be unable to request that. In short, we have been strong armed/ feel trapped into this horrible contract with this horrible company and its loan servicer Mosaic. I have requested multiple times to speak with ******* ********* and was deflected to her underling, ****** *******. My time and money are far too valuable to played withBusiness Response
Date: 11/03/2022
To whom it may Concern,
Mrs. ******** stated she was promised by her sales representative
that her project would only take three months to complete. Although Freedom
Forever does everything in its power to complete a project in a timeline manner.
Per Mrs. ********’s Freedom Forever supply and installation agreement, Article
5. States that Freedom Forever retains the sole right to modify a guaranteed completion
date due to circumstances that are beyond Freedom Forever’s control.
5.4 Extension. Freedom Forever retains the sole and
exclusive right to modify the Commencement and Guaranteed Completion Date due
to Force Majeure Events, Customer-Caused Delay, and other circumstances that
are beyond the control of Freedom Forever, including but not limited to: a.
Product delivery time constraints by manufacturer(s); b. Availability of the
Customer’s selected equipment; c. Completion of the Customer’s financing; d.
Permit process; e. HOA’s and/or Condominium Board’s approval process; f. Weather
conditions; g. Disease, pandemics and/or quarantines; h. Acts of government; or
i. The Work hereunder includes any of the following: roof work, main panel
upgrades, or ground mount(s).
Mrs. ********’s project required a main panel upgrade. The
original subcontractor that was scheduled to complete Mrs. ********’s main
panel upgrade was no longer available to complete the work. Freedom Forever then
had to go through a process of hiring a new subcontractor to upgrade Mrs. ********’s
panel.
Mrs. ******** stated that due to the delays in her project
she lost savings on her utility bills. Freedom Forever does not guarantee any utility
bill savings only system production, this is outlined under Article 6 in Ms.
********’s signed Supply and Installation agreement.
6.1 No Savings Guarantee. Freedom Forever has not
guaranteed, promised, or otherwise represented any reduction in electricity
costs in relation to the System that will be installed on the Property, and
further provides no warranty or guarantee with respect to any cost savings from
use of the System.
If Freedom Forever causes delays and Finance Company loan
payments to begin before the system is activated, we will work with the
Customer to reimburse the loan payments they have made before System
Activation. Mrs. ******** if not already received, should soon be receiving checks
in the mail for her July and August finance payments. The payment for September
and October has been submitted to our Accounts payable department to be
processed.
Lastly, Mrs. ******** requested for her contract to be canceled.
Due to the passing of the customer’s three-day right to cancel, the system being
installed, and Freedom Forever doing everything in its power to keep the
project moving forward, we cannot process this request.Customer Answer
Date: 12/01/2022
From the CONSUMER:Sent 11/29/2022 3:41:24 PMI am rejecting this response because:
1. I’m a female
- We sincerely apologize it was a human error.= seems to be a lot of human error with this company. Completely unacceptable.
2. The above listed document was signed immediately. See attachment. Their claim about waiting for the signature is incorrect. We have been extremely timely and cooperative working with this company. This is yet another example of their lack of courtesy and lack of professionalism.
- the document was sent on 11/12/2022, signature was received on 11/13/2022. We've notified our interconnections team that the document has been signed and permission to operate has been filed.=another application was sent today, please find attached screen shot. Attaching it for record keeping since this company is not to be trusted.
3. No one has communicated with me besides the escalation ‘specialist’ because they won’t allow me to speak with anyone else.
- Freedom Forever escalations handle our most complex cases and its internal process to allow them to resolve the customer issues.=they have not handled anything.
4. I have received minimal to no communication from anyone. I again uphold their lack of courtesy, lack of professionalism, and reject their claims of ‘empathy’
- The Escalation specialist assigned to this project has been in contact with the customer.=this is once again a lie. I have sent multiple emails to this specialist with no response. Please see attached screenshots. Last communication from him was 11/10; I have also had a communication from AEP that this company has not assisted in nor taken care of. Will attach as wellThis company does the bare minimum and are extremely unprofessional. Again, such a disgrace and displeasure to be a client of theirs. Horrible experience. Please help me BBB: they continue to give cop out and irresponsible answers. It’s been months of this back and forth with no resolution.Business Response
Date: 12/06/2022
To whom it may concern,Freedom Forever understand that there has been delays caused on this project do to our fault but we are trying everything in our power to keep this project moving forward and, in the meantime, we are compensating the customer finance payments made prior to permission to operate.
Freedom Forever, LLC is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.
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