In the Northern Territory, Consumer Affairs and NT WorkSafe have urged Territory residents to be wary of promotional material from an interstate solar installation company after reports of alleged questionable behavior from across the border.
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UPDATE November 23rd: Consumer Affairs and NT Worksafe have since released a further statement; Part of it says:
“NT Consumer Affairs and NT WorkSafe have since been contacted by a representative of National Solar Energy Group Pty Ltd, trading as Sunboost, and advised that their company has no connection or connection whatsoever with the company which sells PV solar equipment.
We regret that National Solar Energy Pty Ltd was incorrectly identified in our previous media release.”
Another new joint statement is now linked to the original NT government. Media page entry that doesn’t mention a company name at all, although the original can still be viewed via the original link. This is all very confusing.
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The two agencies say they were made aware of the (now unnamed) company’s coercive practices across Western Australia involving high-pressure, door-to-door sales of solar systems.
Consumer Affairs and NT WorkSafe say the company appears to be targeting Indigenous communities and pressuring people to buy solar energy through financing arrangements.
“Vulnerable and elderly people have also been targeted by signing and finalizing contractual agreements for solar energy and financing,” the press release said. “In some cases, installations malfunctioned or did not work at all.”
The allegations include:
- Not giving consumers the required 10-day cooling-off period
- Taking deposits and forcing buyers to sign illegal contracts.
Selling solar energy door-to-door is problematic
In general, selling door-to-door solar systems has a bad reputation in Australia. All too often, the systems were overpriced, of poor quality, poorly installed, or not tailored to the needs and circumstances of the household – and in particularly extreme cases, all four.
The Victoria Solar Homes Program experienced poor door-to-door and telemarketing sales behavior by some participants, resulting in a door-knocking ban being implemented in 2021 and a telemarketing ban taking effect on May 1 this year .
Australians who roll the dice and buy a system from a door knocker or telemarketer should be aware of their rights if things go wrong. These forms of unsolicited trading fall under the Australian Consumer Law and each state or territory may have different requirements.
When it comes to solar financing, when done right, it can be a useful tool for purchasing a system. If approached carefully, a high-quality and correctly sized solar system can save you more money each month than the financing costs (including interest) – but there are pitfalls that you should be aware of.
For tips on getting the right system for your needs at the right price, check out SolarQuotes’ Solar 101 Buyer’s Guide.
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