Complaints

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

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  ION Solar, LLC

  44 E 800 N Orem, UT 84057-3905

  
• 

  ION Solar

  9111 Jollyville Rd Ste 104 Austin, TX 78759

• 

  ION Solar - Oregon

  9425 SW Commerce Cir Ste B22 Wilsonville, OR 97070

• 

  ION Solar, LLC - Virginia

  2697 International Pkwy Virginia Beach, VA 23452

• 

  ION Solar

  359 CR 202 #4 Kyle, TX 78640

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:05/15/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  Originally purchased through vision, solar, who has apparently went out of business and ion solar has taken over. They are not honoring the contracts that we had with vision solar, and now want me to pay for something that was in our original contract is covered.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/24/2024

  Thank you for reaching out! ION Solar is not Vision solar. If you would like us to service your system, we are happy to. ION Solar did not take over the warranty for your system and is unable to service the system at no cost. If you would like to proceed with the repairs with the quotes that you have received, then you are welcome to reach out to our Customer Experience team to get further assistance in scheduling those services. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to waive the cost of these service fees or costs associated with replacing materials.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/08/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I have been dealing with issues in regards to ION Solar LLC. In the past 5 years after purchasing 30K dollars of Solar panels I continue to blow fuses. This is a problem. This could lead to faulty electrical work and lead to fire of my house. All they do is change the fuses once they blow. When these blow my panels do not work for months until they can come out to fix over and over. Recently I had a tech come out replaced fuses and they blew the very next day. So my panels have been offline since March. Something electrical is causimg these fuses to blow and go offline. Of course they still want payments of a system that is not working. This leads to false advertising of thier company of a proper system. At least they could do is upgrade my system and start over. Maybe that will fix the problem or limit how many panels are on each breaker. I dont know but this company is terrible to deal with on Custemor support.Thank you *********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2024

  Thank you for sending this complaint over to **. ION Solar is committed to addressing our customer's complaints.  We value customer's feedback as an opportunity for our company to improve, furthermore ION Solar will review this complaint and will work towards a resolution with the customer. ********************** has made contact with the customer to discuss the complaint and work toward a resolution. We are working on scheduling a technician to have the customer's combiner box replaced in an effort to resolve the issue.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/10/2024

   
  Complaint: 21685217
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  Yes I have been contacted by ION Solar and that is true the we are working on scheduling dates for this correction to take place. In addition, to changing out the Contier Box the technician also stated in the comments of too many panels on one circuit causing the fuses to blow. In the meantime I am not wanting to close this ticket until we have set a date and know what the fix is. I understand that this may not cure the problem just chamging out the box.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2024

  ION Solar is working with the customer to get the issue resolved and have been in communication to provide a resolution to this complaint. We have attempted to schedule a service appointment and will continue to follow up with the customer to get this onto the calendar. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/17/2024

   
  Complaint: 21685217
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/07/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I discovered that my solar system wasn't operational on April 30, 2024 and contacted Enphase on on May 1, 2024 who couldn't walk me through getting back online. I called ION for service and received a call back a few days later at 7:00 am in the morning, which I wasn't very happy about. This lady said she was issuing ticket for repair service and to this date I haven't heard from ION. The longer that I'm without my solar panels being online the more I will have to pay the energy utility company. The solar system is suppose to keep my energy cost down and this can't happen with the system offline
  On the other hand know one should be calling customers at 7:00 am in the morning and when I addressed this issue with this lady from ION, I believed she got aggravated and may not issued my repair ticket.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/13/2024

  Thank you for sending this complaint over to us. ION Solar is committed to addressing our customer's complaints.  We value customer's feedback as an opportunity for our company to improve, furthermore ION Solar will review this complaint and will work towards a resolution with the customer. ION Solar has made contact with the customer on 5/8/2024 regarding the complaint. We were able to have a technician in the area service the system the same day. The Customer's system is operating is it should be now. The system had disconnected from the homes WiFi due to the Customer's information changing with a new router.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/04/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  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.

  *** has been relentless as I have attempted to cancel several times. They are continually trying to charge me a $3500 CANCELLATION FEE. I was not informed properly of the contract, everyone who has seen what they tried to sell me realized how much it was overpriced. *** does not inform about any programs with solar. They had misled me and now I am telling all of my friends, do not work with them. I don't even remember who spoke with me. I learned more about solar from my neighbors. Horrible company. They TRIED TO CHARGE ME over $10,000 for a 6kW system... All that was talked about was the loan and how the monthly payment would be less. On top of that, they tried to misinform me about other competitors. All they are trying to do is save the deal. WASTE OF TIME. THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE CUSTOMER, JUST A CANCELLATION FEE.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2024

  Thank you for sending this complaint over to **. ION Solar is committed to addressing our customer's complaints.  We value customer's feedback as an opportunity for our company to improve, furthermore ION Solar will review this complaint and will work towards a resolution with the customer. ********************** performs a Pilot Call with the Customer to ensure that they have read and understood their agreement. The customer is also provided with a ***** period after signing the agreement to be able to cancel without penalty. Additionally: In the signed Customer Installation Agreement(CIA) on page 6 Section etc.

   

  CANCELLATION

  YOU (OWNER) MAY CANCEL THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO MIDNIGHT ON THE THIRD (3rd) BUSINESS DAY AFTER YOU HAVE SIGNED IT. To exercise this right, Owner must call ************** and speak with our resolutions department or send written notice of cancellation to our corporate office at: *****************************************. A form (and copy) of Notice of Cancellation accompanies this Agreement. If Owner requests to cancel more than three (3) business days after the Effective Date of this Agreement, the following cancellation fee(s) shall apply, any and all such cancellation fees shall be compounding, if Owner cancels: (i) 1-3 Days after signing this Agreement no fee; (ii) after site survey - $500; (iii) after final *** design has been completed - $1,000; and (iv) after permit application has been submitted - $2,000. In addition to these cancellation fees, Owner shall be responsible for (i) any and all costs incurred by a third-party in preparation for the installation of solar and (ii) any third-party financing/loan agreements. If Owner requests to cancel more than three (3) business days after the Effective Date of this Agreement in order to enter into a solar agreement with a separate company, Owner shall pay to Company a cancellation fee of $3,500.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/15/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Ram Seeda.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/03/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  I have told Ion Solar to quit calling ******* not interested! Please put on do not call or come to my house! I am not interested! Please do not contact me or come to my house. Try to sell me any product!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/06/2024

  Thank you for sending this complaint over to **. ION Solar is committed to addressing our customer's complaints.  We value customer's feedback as an opportunity for our company to improve, furthermore ION Solar will review this complaint and will add this individual to our 'no contact' lists. ION Solar has trained our Sales Representatives to respect 'no soliciting' signs and action is being taken internally to refresh this training.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/01/2024

  Type:Delivery 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.

  I ordered the solar August 2023 and still do not have any service. They scheduled 6 inspections and either they were cancelled or the inspector did not show up at my house. The sales person will not call me back after four attempts. No one in the company can give me any answers. I believe I am getting the run around. **************** is horrible because when I call they transfer me to a department that can not help me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/02/2024

  Thank you for sending this complaint over to **. ION Solar is committed to addressing our customer's complaints.  We value customer's feedback as an opportunity for our company to improve, furthermore ION Solar will review this complaint and will work towards a resolution with the customer. ********************** has made contact with the customer regarding their complaint and are working toward a resolution. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/03/2024

   
  Complaint: 21652283
  
  I am rejecting this response because: ION Solar has been telling me that they are working to get the solar working since February of this year. I believe that their inspection department has been giving me the run around because of being cancelled six times for an inspection. I did speak with a gentleman yesterday by the name of ****** and he said that he is working to get this problem resolved. Maybe he will but I don't know, I will have to wait and see.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/07/2024

  ION Solar is in communication with the Customer about their project. We are currently processing the project to obtain Permission to Operate from the Utility Company and get the okay to turn on the solar.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/25/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I was Approached by a door to door sales person in late Dec of 2023. He asked if I was interested in solar, which I was. He setup an appointment to talk to a sales tech. We set an appointment in Jan 2023. When the sales guy came he explained the benefits of going solar. We showed him our most resent power bill, and by that he determined we needed a 13kw system. I didn't think it would be enough but he showed me the math. It only came to about 70% of our total annual usage. Which he said that's what they shoot for. Ok I planned on making some upgrade to my Appliances anyway. He showed me the cost of the system which was ****** and some change. I thought it was a little steep. At which time he told me about the federal tax rebate. He told me I'll get 30% of the purchase back on my taxes. Ok that will bring the total price down and keep the payments low, but at the time I still wanted to think about it. That's when he said I would have to sign some paper work on his tablet. He said it was to make sure I would be approved, and to get things rolling, and I could cancel if I decided to. A couple of weeks later I was informed that I needed a structural upgrade. Which would add $3500 to the total cost. It seemed Unnecessary after i seen what they did in my attic. Fast forward to April 10 after the system is installed and up and running. Thats when I find out the system will not produce what I was told it outputs about 70% of what I was sold. When I emailed them about this they don't seem to be concerned. Saying your system is performing great. That *** be the case but it's not what I was told I was getting, and it looks like it will only offset my annual power bill by 50%. Also the tax rebate isn't a rebate at all its a credit NOT A REFUND. So unless I owe $20,000 in taxes it dose me no good. It should be illegal for these sale people to tell you all these false statements to get a sale. It's wrong and unethical. I know in my case nothing will be done.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/26/2024

  Thank you for sending this complaint over to **. ION Solar is committed to addressing our customer's complaints.  We value customer's feedback as an opportunity for our company to improve, furthermore ION Solar will review this complaint and will work towards a resolution with the customer. ********************** has previously discussed this with the Customer before this was brought to the ********************. We provided the resources to the customer to show how the system size that was built for his home, will be more beneficial over the life of the solar panels. 
  We provided an article to the customer from the manufacturer, Enphase, "So, to get the most out of your solar energy system and to be cost-effective in the long run, the panel output power is always chosen to be higher than the microinverters paired with them. Typically module power is determined to be 1.25 to 1.4 times the microinverter power to compensate for real-world effects.
  Occasionally (the rare combination of a cool and sunny day), you might notice your panel's production exceeding your microinverter's peak capacity, leading to clipping of the output power. You will incur minor losses in your power production due to this, but the net energy gains you make by going for such a set-up will far outweigh the losses you incur due to clipping."
  
  We have provided the feedback to our sales professionals to use this as additional training and coaching. Additionally: In the signed Customer Installation Agreement(CIA) on page 3 Section etc. 
  
  
  
  DESIGN AND INSTALLATION SPECIFICATIONS
  Owner acknowledges that except for the System Size and Total System Price all other information presented to Owner and/or set forth in any of the Design and Installation Documents relating to or specifically labeled as Estimated Yearly Production, Impact of Energy Efficiency, Estimated Consumption and Production, Estimated Offset, and ***************** is subject to change and constitutes good faith estimates only which are subject to a variety of factors completely beyond the control or specific knowledge of ION and which, therefore, cannot and shall not be construed as constituting any form of guarantee or contractual term, condition, or commitment by *** to Owner. Owner, not ION, is ultimately responsible for Owners utilization (or lack thereof of the Solar System and as such for any production, efficiency, consumption, production, or savings realized by Owner. NO EMPLOYEE OR REPRESENTATIVE OF US IS AUTHORIZED TO MAKE ANY PROMISE TO YOU THAT IS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS AGREEMENT (WHICH INCLUDES THE DESIGN AND INSTALLATION DOCUMENTS) CONCERNING COST SAVINGS, TAX BENEFITS, OR GOVERNMENT OR UTILITY INCENTIVES. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY UPON ANY PROMISE OR ESTIMATE THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS AGREEMENT
  
  NO TAX CREDITS GUARANTEED 
  During the sales process, it is likely that Owner was informed of general tax credits and incentives that, generally speaking, may be available to users of solar energy. However, by signing this Agreement Owner expressly confirms and agrees that at no point has anyone (including but not limited to Contractor) ever analyzed Owners specific tax situation or ever promised or guaranteed Owner any specific tax credit(s), rebate(s), incentive(s) or the like. Owner acknowledges, agrees, and accepts that no one, except Owner and Owners tax advisors (which
  Contractor is not), is/are in a position to know what specific tax credits/incentives/rebates may or may not be available to Owner based on a variety of factors entirely unknown by Contractor such as Owners finances, tax filing status, etc. TAX AND OTHER FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL INCENTIVES VARY AS TO REFUNDABILITY AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR TERMINATION BY LEGISLATIVE OR REGULATORY ACTION, WHICH MAY IMPACT SAVINGS ESTIMATES. CONSULT A TAX PROFESSIONAL FOR MORE INFORMATION. Owner hereby agrees that Contractor is absolutely not responsible for anything related to any tax credits, rebates or incentives whatsoever and to that end hereby forever releases and waives any and all claims which Owner may have against Contractor (or any of Contractors agents or assigns) which arise from or relate to the availability or non-availability and/or the amount(s) of any specific tax credit(s), tax incentive(s), tax rebate(s) as well as any and all other claims arising to or pertaining to Owners taxes. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/26/2024

   
  Complaint: 21627849
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I know I'm not going to get any resolve from this. But they seem to train their sales team to use lie to make a sale. My experience is not an isolated incident. By other complaints I've seen looks like they use the same sales pitch verbatim to mislead, and misinform consumers into Hastily signing a contract. The lies like Actual ac power output of a system. This system will offset 70% of your annual power consumption. You're going to get a federal tax rebate to help cover the cost. I was also told by the guy (cause my roof is old) that when I have that replaced they would come and remove and reinstall the pannels for free. But that is also not true. I also feel the "Structural upgrade" was an upsale to get more money out of me.  Again I know I'm not going to get any Resolve out of this. My Intent with the complaint is to at least get the information out there so this company can't take advantage of the next consumer. Maybe the next guy can't aford a $72,000 mistake. The shady sales Tactics are wrong and Unethical. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/18/2024

  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.

  Me and my husband complaint isn't directly with the company, however it's due to misleading information we received from the sales manager, Lori H***** who completed our initial application. We were informed prior to signing our application that we'd receive a $12,000 incentive payment as an energy credit when filing our taxes and we'd have the option to do whatever we want with the money or pay it back to our principal balance. Lori informed us that if we paid it back to our principal balance that our payment amount would remain the same for the remainder of the loan, however, if we opted to keep the money, after 2 years our payment amount would increase. After speaking with our licensed tax advisor this year, she informed us that the information provided by the sales manager is incorrect, and the energy credit doesn't work as explained and we wouldn't receive the total incentive payment all at once. For example, one could file and receive a $3000 credit and someone else could receive $1000 which many factors are taken into account, like the pricing of the panels etc. She further stated that everyone's situation isnt the same and a sales person shouldn't advise a customer about a tax related issue. However, the incentive payment won't be a one time bulk payment. The problem with this is, our finance company is expecting us to pay this $12,000 incentive payment back towards our principal balance, which we don't have and won't receive. As a result, in the next few months our payment is going to increase and there's nothing we can do about it and this is all because of incorrect information provided by Lori. Me and my husband aren't happy about this because she's also the cause of us having to pay double payments prior to our installation due to there being a back log. When we tried to reach out to her she didn't return any of our calls. However, Rae with Ion helped us out, but the misinformation is unacceptable and we'd like the company to pay the $12,000 PMT.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/23/2024

  Thank you for sending this complaint over to us. ION Solar is committed to addressing our customer's complaints.  We value customer's feedback as an opportunity for our company to improve, furthermore ION Solar will review this complaint and will work towards a resolution with the customer. ION Solar performed a Pilot Call with the customer on 3/13/23. During that call, we ask questions to ensure that the Customer has had an opportunity to review the agreement to their satisfaction. We advise that the system financing may or may not include the federal tax credit and that if they have any questions, to refer to a tax professional because everyone's tax situation is different. Additionally: In the signed Customer Installation Agreement(CIA) on page 3 and page 5 Section etc.
  
  
  DESIGN AND INSTALLATION SPECIFICATIONS -
  NO EMPLOYEE OR REPRESENTATIVE OF US IS AUTHORIZED TO MAKE ANY PROMISE TO YOU THAT IS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS AGREEMENT (WHICH INCLUDES THE DESIGN AND INSTALLATION DOCUMENTS) CONCERNING COST SAVINGS, TAX BENEFITS, OR GOVERNMENT OR UTILITY
  INCENTIVES. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY UPON ANY PROMISE OR ESTIMATE THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS AGREEMENT.
  
  NO TAX CREDITS GUARANTEED -
  During the sales process, it is likely that Owner was informed of general tax credits and incentives that, generally speaking, may be available to users of solar energy. However, by signing this Agreement, Owner expressly confirms and agrees that at no point has anyone (including but not limited to Contractor) ever analyzed Owner’s specific tax situation or ever promised or guaranteed Owner any specific tax credit(s), rebate(s), incentive(s) or the like. Owner acknowledges, agrees, and accepts that no one, except Owner and Owner’s tax advisors (which Contractor is not), is/are in a position to know what specific tax credits/incentives/rebates may or may not be available to Owner based on a variety of factors entirely unknown by Contractor such as Owner’s finances, tax filing status, etc. TAX AND OTHER FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL INCENTIVES VARY AS TO REFUNDABILITY AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR TERMINATION BY LEGISLATIVE OR REGULATORY ACTION, WHICH MAY IMPACT SAVINGS ESTIMATES. CONSULT A TAX PROFESSIONAL FOR MORE INFORMATION. Owner hereby agrees that Contractor is absolutely not responsible for anything related to any tax credits, rebates or incentives whatsoever and to that end hereby forever releases and waives any and all claims which Owner may have against Contractor (or any of Contractor’s agents or assigns) which arise from or relate to the availability or non-availability and/or the amount(s) of any specific tax credit(s), tax incentive(s), tax rebate(s) as well as any and all other claims arising from or pertaining to Owner’s taxes.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/23/2024

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

  We were informed by the sales agent, Lori that we'd receive the incentive payment. We would've never agreed to sign the contract if we knew that our payment would increase after a few years due to requirement of receiving an incentive payment if we knew we weren't going to receive it, when our primary reason for switching to solar was to save money. Additionally, it's noted in the finance company contract that if the incentive payment isn't received our payment will increase. How can a contract be valid if it's requiring an incentive payment that the customer may not receive. This has to be illegal.

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ** *******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/29/2024

  ION Solar will discuss the complaint in further detail with the Customer and work to provide a resolution towards the complaint.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/03/2024

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

   

  I spoke with Ion Solar agent, Colton today and there was no resolution. Colton's attempt in resolving the issue was blaming me and my husband for not reading the fine print as related to the tax credit. As I stated before, I don't understand how a contract can have in fine print that a tax credit/incentive payment isn't guaranteed, yet the finance contract requires the incentive payment/tax credit to be paid by the customer to maintain the same payment although the customer might not receive the incentive. This is a sign of deceptive and shady business practices. Ion's Sales Rep should have informed me and my husband up front about the possibility of not receiving the incentive payment/tax credit, but she didn't do that because she was more interested in making a sale and didn't care how me and my husband would be impacted. According to the finance company, me and my husband aren't the only customers that have experienced this with Ion, as I was informed by the finance company, that they now have to keep a log due to so many customers having the same issue/problem. Both, me and my husband are very dissatisfied with what has happened and will weigh our options for next steps possible. I feel that the sales rep intentions were deliberate and is unacceptable. Furthermore, I'm sure these type of practices are illegal.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ** *******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/08/2024

  ION Solar takes multiple steps to ensure that our customer's have read and understand our agreement to their satisfaction. We attempted to discuss the complaint with the customer in additional detail. We explicitly ask during our Welcome Call with the customer that they have had enough time to review the documents, that they understand no tax credits are guaranteed, and that each person's tax situation is different, so we recommend working with a tax professional. Additionally, on page 3 of the Customer Installation Agreement:
  
  DESIGN AND INSTALLATION SPECIFICATIONS
  
  - NO EMPLOYEE OR REPRESENTATIVE OF US IS AUTHORIZED TO MAKE ANY PROMISE TO YOU THAT IS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS AGREEMENT (WHICH INCLUDES THE DESIGN AND INSTALLATION DOCUMENTS) CONCERNING COST SAVINGS, TAX BENEFITS, OR GOVERNMENT OR UTILITY INCENTIVES. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY UPON ANY PROMISE OR ESTIMATE THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS AGREEMENT

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/17/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  I am filing this complaint because I was lied to and taken advantage of by ***. Several weeks ago I told ION that I was not in a position to have solar panels installed at this time. I said I would revisit the process at a later date and call them back to restart the process if necessary. I had been in contact with *** for several weeks up until March 29th telling them I could not have panels installed right now. When *** finally listened to what I was telling them, I received a $3,500 bill on March 29th stating the amount was due on March 29th and was told to pay in 30 days or it goes to collections. I called ION, the rep said that I had to pay to cover permits, the panel design, and the site survey. My contract says if I decide to go with another company I would have to pay $3,500. At no point have I tried to purchase solar panels through another company and even told ***** would revisit with them later on. Now, I'm supposed to pay an engineer for a design the sales rep gave me during the informational brief about ***? Also, the sales rep used a picture from ****** maps and placed images of solar panels on it, which is surely not worth $2,000. The only thing someone did was come out and do a site survey. I never signed anything with my *** or set a date for ION to come install. When I told the last rep I spoke with all of this, he said "we are ready to install the panels even without your consent on the *** docs and without signing the docs to schedule a date for ION to come install". How can you install with no permission? I was told they don't want to get legal involved as well. I do not appreciate the way ION treats their customers, especially service members. I am looking into what can be done about issuing a warning to all service members about ***, and filing a complaint to Attorney General of Virginia. I will pay dominion energy before I ever do business with ION.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/25/2024

  Thank you for sending this complaint over to **. ION Solar is committed to addressing our customer's complaints.  We value customer's feedback as an opportunity for our company to improve, furthermore ION Solar will review this complaint and will work towards a resolution with the customer. During the first phase of the ********** project, *** performs a Site Survey to ensure that the system can be installed according to design. ION Solar completed the ********** design on 12/23/2023 and this can be supplied to the Customer to show that the work has been done for the design. This would begin the *************** and City approval processes. The permit was approved by the City on 12/29/2023. Due to the stage that the project reached before being notified that the Customer could not proceed with having panels installed currently, the cancelation fees would be applicable. Additionally: In the signed Customer Installation Agreement(CIA) on page 6,
  
  CANCELLATION - 
  If Owner requests to cancel more than three (3) business days after the Effective Date of this Agreement, the following cancellation fee(s) shall apply, any and all such cancellation fees shall be compounding, if Owner cancels: (i) 1-3 Days after signing this Agreement no fee; (ii) after site survey - $500; (iii) after final *** design has been completed - $1,000; and (iv) after permit application has been submitted - $2,000. In addition to these cancellation fees, Owner shall be responsible for (i) any and all costs incurred by a third-party in preparation for the installation of solar and (ii) any third-party financing/loan agreements. If Owner requests to cancel more than three (3) business days after the Effective Date of this Agreement in order to enter into a solar agreement with a separate company, Owner shall pay to Company a cancellation fee of $3,500.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/29/2024

   
  Complaint: 21589627
  
  I am rejecting this response because I am being asked to pay $2,500, which started off at $3,500 for services I did not receive. The only service I received was having someone come out and do a site survey. The person inspected my attic and stood on a ladder to check for compatibility. That process took all of 30 minutes if that. I know others who have purchased solar panels, and I have looked into the process and cost for permits myself; $2,000 is the most extreme cost I have seen and it is from ION Solar. Not only was ION's sales representative, ***************, dishonest about the stipulations of the contract, the contract itself is written to set people up for failure if they enter into any sort of agreement with ION and no longer wish to continue, even if they are not going with another solar company. It makes no sense to have people sign a contract stating they will pay a penalty if they go with another company when that is not the case. It is also not right to charge customers for services they did not receive, or charge extremely high prices for their services.
  

  Sincerely,
  *************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/01/2024

  During our Site Survey, the surveyor will gather photos for our engineers and designers to complete a *** design so that we *** proceed with obtaining appropriate approvals and permits. Though the survey *** or *** not take additional time, that information is then relayed to the designers to move forward with the next steps of the project. ION Solar does take into account our employees, engineers, and other professionals that work on our Customer's projects, so it is not solely the cost of the permits themselves. As we previously stated, ION Solar is willing to provide the customer with the completed *** design for their records. In our Customer Installation Agreement, we provide the customer with the information regarding the cancellation process and the fees are advised for which point cancellation is requested. We perform a Welcome Call with the customer and ask that they have had enough time to review their agreement to their satisfaction, to which the Customer answered, "yes". ********************** had made multiple attempts to work with the customer in progressing their project, but we were unable to obtain Customer signatures for their Utility and HOA application. The Customer did first request cancellation in January of 2024, but did decide to proceed with the project after speaking to our team; our permits with the City were approved on 12/29/2023. While the customer *** have not decided to go with another solar company, the project did get to the stage where the permit applications were submitted and also approved. 
  
  Additionally, per the signed Customer Installation Agreement on page 2:
  
  OWNER COOPERATION/WORK AREA ACCESS -
  
  Owner also agrees to cooperate and work with Contractor to: (a) schedule site surveys and other pre-install inspections as soon as possible, (b) complete and provide to Contractor any and all required jurisdictional and utility documents (such as NEM agreements and interconnection agreements that must be signed by the Owner), (c) cooperate with Contractor in applying for and securing the necessary permits, (d) cooperate in the scheduling of the Installation and its related inspections, (e) timely execute and return any documents that *** be required by Owners third-party lender(s) to finalize the loan documents and/or to fund Owners loan(s) such that Contractor gets paid the Total System Cost, and (f) otherwise cooperate with Contractor as Contractor shall reasonably request.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 21589627
  I am rejecting this response because regardless of whether a customer understands a contract or not, it doesnt make it okay for salespeople to tell them whatever they feel like to make money off of them, nor does it make it okay for a company to word their contract in a way that will set people up to be taken advantage of. I appreciate ION for working with me when they did, even when I did not ask them to and I made mention of that on the phone with them, but it doesnt change the fact that people lied to get my signature and lied about what the contract meant when I asked for clarification in the initial brief. Now, everyone employed by *** has no repercussions and will still be paid with no issues, and Im out $2,500. I have still submitted a complaint to Virginias attorney general and have begun discussing what warnings can be put out to service members about ION and any company like it. Maybe ION will reconsider the way they do business in the future. If a product is that great and majority of your customers have no issues, there is no need to lie to get new customers on board or have them pay outrageous fees if they cancel. 
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/17/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  We are filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau against ION solar due to their use of dishonest and pressure-oriented sales techniques. The *** sales representative repeatedly confirmed that we would be able to cancel for any reason without any fees. We were then guided through a lengthy video that we had to confirm our understanding of. After the videos we were presented with the documentation to sign. The sales representative reassured us that we could sign the documents without reading them as everything in the documents was already reviewed in the video. I recognize that not reading the documents was folly on my part. However, the deceptive techniques used by the sales representative is on the company and is demonstrative of ***s ethics. I made several attempts to explain the situation and the response to our initial email to *** was met with a threat to send to collections within 30 days. Additionally, anyone considering doing business with this company should be aware that *** will begin the work prior to the customer excepting the loan agreement. This is what happened to us. Once we got the loan agreement, we realized that the APR was ridiculously high and decided not to move forward. *** had already completed the site survey and design which automatically triggered the cancelation policy. The manager I spoke to indicated that they consider this to be buyers remorse despite the fact that we did not except the terms of the loan which would have been a requirement for buying anything from them.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/22/2024

  Thank you for sending this complaint over to **. ION Solar is committed to addressing our customer's complaints.  We value customer's feedback as an opportunity for our company to improve, furthermore ION Solar will review this complaint and will work towards a resolution with the customer. As the Customer states in the compliant, ********************** does perform a Pilot Video Call to ensure that the customer has reviewed and understood the terms of the agreement to their satisfaction. During the video, it does explain that there would be cancelation fee outside of the customer's ***** Right of Rescission. Additionally: In the signed Customer Installation Agreement(CIA) on page 6 Section CANCELLATION 

  If Owner requests to cancel more than three (3) business days after the Effective Date of this Agreement, the following cancellation fee(s) shall apply, any and all such cancellation fees shall be compounding, if Owner cancels: (i) 1-3 Days after signing this Agreement no fee; (ii) after site survey - $500; (iii) after final *** design has been completed - $1,000; and (iv) after permit application has been submitted - $2,000.