Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Solar BiZ's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Solar BiZ

  2136 Highway 180 E Silver City, NM 88061-7727

  
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  Solar BiZ

  PO Box 22 Glenwood, NM 88039-0022

  

The 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:04/12/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  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 12/22/2022 I placed an order for an SMA inverter. The price for the inverter including an up charge for shipping and shipping was 1933.63. I was informed by Solar Biz that the unit would not ship until end of January / Early February. This was an acceptable delivery time. By the end of January I had not heard from Solar Biz. A telephone call revealed that the delivery had slipped to end of March / Early April. Again, not convenient, but I waited. In mid March I again contacted Solar Biz. At that point they informed me that my order would not be available for at least a year and would I accept a substitution. They informed me that the inverter I ordered wasn't available anywhere from any vendor. This seemed an attempt to force the substitution. I was able to place an order with another vendor and had the inverter delivered within the week. While their terms and conditions specify an 8% penalty ($154.69) for an order cancellation, but in the attached documents is a lead times policy stating that they will refund my purchase minus a 3% fee if they were unable to provide the unit. Having an 8% cancelation fee applied to an order that first was months late and second was told that it wasn't available for another year was adding insult to injury. (Despite it being available from another vendor). Solar Biz forced the cancellation. I was very specific about my desire for the ordered product. Their lack of communication about my order cost me several months of a non-productive solar array. Their deception on the availability of the product I ordered seemed designed to make me take a substitution which I did not want. The first time I was verbally advised of the 8% charge was on 4/12/2023 after having my email ignored. This was not brought to my attention at any time when I canceled my order. Additional documents are attached showing their delivery slippage and why the substituted inverter was unacceptable.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/05/2023

  We are clear and upfront with our Terms and Conditions of sale and require all customers to agree to these terms and conditions as the sole contract between us.

  Solar BiZ is a manufacturer distributor of renewable energy equipment, as such we only distribute new equipment supplied to us by the original equipment manufacturer.

  This particular customer ordered a back ordered inverter from us. We informed him of the situation, and he agreed to wait. In order to get a customer’s name in line for a backordered product we are required by the manufacturer to pay for the product in advance, which we did. We require our customers to do the same.

  This item is not currently available through this manufacturer (SMA) We believe this customer may have found an older or similar item from someone who had some old stock. However, it is not available through normal distribution from this manufacturer.

   

  TERMS AND CONDITIONS (Our contract with the Customer)

  Cancellation Policy: Due to the possibility of an electronic transmission being lost, do not text or email a Cancellation Request. Cancellations will not be considered effective until you have actually spoken with your Customer Service Representative. Please have your order number available.

  To cancel your order, simply call during normal business hours and speak directly with your Sales Representative or our Customer Service Department. If your order has not yet been processed, or your credit card has not been charged or no payment has been received, there is no cancellation fee. If your order has not shipped and your order has already been processed or your credit card has been charged or payment has been received, there is an 8% cancellation fee calculated on the total invoice amount. The cancellation fee will be deducted from your refund. Some manufacturers charge a cancellation fee, even if the order has not shipped. Schneider Renewables and Surette Batteries charge 25% in this circumstance. If any portion of your order has properly shipped, a minimum of 20% restocking fee per item will be deducted from your refund. We do not refund shipping charges. Many of our products are custom built and are not cancellable once they are put into production. Custom-built items are not returnable once they ship. These items include, but are not limited to, Pre-wired Power Centers, Battery Boxes, Solar Mounting Racks and Trackers, HuP Batteries and all Industrial Batteries. If you need to cancel an order for a custom product, if allowed by the manufacturer, the cancellation fee will vary depending on the manufacturer. It can be as much as 65% of the cost of the item.

  Title & Risk of Loss: Excuse from Performance: The Solar BiZ will arrange for shipment of ordered product(s) to the Customer, Free On Board (F.O.B.) shipping point, meaning title to the product(s) and risk of loss passes to the Customer upon delivery to the carrier. The Solar BiZ will advise Customer of estimated shipping dates, but under no circumstances will The Solar BiZ be responsible for delays in delivery, and associated damages, due to events beyond its reasonable control, and The Solar BiZ is expressly excused from performance if performance is rendered impracticable by any accident; breakdown; sabotage; riot; insurrection; war; delay; discontinuance of manufacturer’s product; strike or lockouts; labor or transportation problem beyond its control; act of God or public enemy; acts of federal, state or local governments; fire; floods; civil disobedience; freight embargoes, broken supply chain and other causes and conditions, whether of like or different nature that affect Seller.

  Entire Agreement: These terms and conditions, together with The Solar BiZ Sales Order respecting the products ordered by Customer, are the complete and exclusive agreement between The Solar BiZ and Customer, and they supersede all prior or contemporaneous proposals, oral or written, understandings, representations, conditions, warranties, and all other communications between The Solar BiZ and Customer relating to the subject products. This Agreement may not be explained or supplemented by any prior course of dealings or trade by custom or usage.

   

  Please call me direct ************ with further questions.

   

  Kind regards

   

  *** *****
  
  ****** ***** ****** ********

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/05/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  SolarBiz sent an attachment to me detailing what would happen if the item became unavailable or had an unacceptable lead time.  They did offer a replacement, but it was not an acceptable replacement.  According to their own documentation they should have refunded all but 3%.  They held back 8%.  A copy of letter has been pasted into this response.

  Copy letter  received from Solar Biz:  
  

  LEAD TIMES
  The lead times have become an industry-wide problem. This problem is affecting all manufacturers. The industry is struggling with extreme shortages and production is constrained.
  To process your order, it must be fully understood that these lead times quoted by manufacturers are their best guess, and they can push the lead time out at times. Lead Times are not guaranteed. Your items are a customer order, and must be paid for, with freight, and you must agree to wait. Lead times and availability do vary.
  Payment can be made by eCheck, direct deposit, or credit card. Frequently lead times are pushed out. If the item becomes unavailable or the lead time becomes unacceptable to you, we will try to offer a suitable replacement.
  If you want to cancel, your payment by eCheck or Direct Deposit, will be fully refunded. If your original payment was by credit card, a credit card fee of 3% will be deducted from your refund.
  Please acknowledge your understanding of this by signing below. Thank you."
  

   

  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* ******* 

   

  
  

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/08/2023

  I have further researched this case and I see that my employee has indeed mis-sent an old document to our customer stating a 3% fee rather than our current fee of 8%.
  
  We take complete responsibility for this error and will honor the 3%, We have corrected the problem and sincerely apologize for causing this issue.
  
  *** *****
  
  CEO The Solar BiZ