ComplaintsforFAFCO Solar

• Initial Complaint

  12/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 2/1/23 Fafco Solar (****) removed the solar panels from our roof at the request of ***** Roofing in order to repair our West facing tile roof. He removed the panels and pipes and placed them on our dock for re-install after the roof was repaired. At a later date, Fafco claimed that there were seeping headers and that we needed a new system ($7,550). The current system was installed 2/5/18 with a 12 yr warranty. I contacted FAFCO on 3/27/23 to have the system reinstalled. The system had been irking normal with NO leaks (see photos from ***** roofing 1 month before panel removal). On 4/20/23, talked with ***** and advised by her that ********* was scheduled for 7/21/23. On return from our summer home in **, on 9/2/23, the reinstall had NOT been done. Representative ***** said the warranty **** not be honored. The system had been functioning perfectly up to the date of the removal by SeeMore.Solar, **********, ** I am enclosing photos of the roof taken by the ***** Supervisor (*****), my Emails to Fafco Warranty Fulfillment Servicing and annotated Invoice # ******* dated 11/27/17 from FafcoSolar **********, **

  Business response

  12/27/2023

  We were contacted by a roofer to complete and removal and reinstall of an existing solar pool heat system.  The removal was completed on February 1, 2023.  The technician noted at that time that all panels had seeping leaks in the headers and need to be replaced. (Photo attached of technician's notes with the date and time stamp) Leaks in the header are not repairable per the manufacturer's guidelines.  On February 6, 2023 a member of our office staff emailed an estimate for a replacement system (attached copy of that estimate, however, it has expired).  That estimate was emailed to ***************** and our email tracker shows that it was opened. (See attached photo).  On February 8, 2023 ******* from Fafco (the manufacturer in **********) reached out to our office manager, ***************  ***************** had reached out to the manufacturer requesting that the panels be covered under warranty.  ******* made the determination at that time that the panels would not be covered under warranty as acts of god and extreme weather are both exclusions from the manufacturer's warranty.  We are a small business that is an authorized installer and warranty service center for the manufacturer.  We do not hold the warranty on the product nor do we make the decision as to whether or not something will be covered.  As a company we solely rely on the manufacturer to make that decision.  The next communication our office manager had with ****************** was on October 5, 2023 when ****************** forwarded an email response that he had received from the manufacturer after he made a new inquiry with them to try and get the panels covered under warranty.  I've attached that email chain as well.  I reiterated in that email chain that the warranty status was determined on February 8. 2023 immediately after ************** was there and an estimate for a replacement system was provided to ******************  I've also attached one photo to show a leak in one of the headers.  I can provide more, but there was an attachment limit of 5 with our response.  

• Initial Complaint

  04/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They charge $120 to make a repair covered under warranty, and will not even discuss the issue. It's just a system for getting paid whether it is honest or not.

  Business response

  05/17/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/27) */ Contact Name and Title: ******* B./MGR Contact Phone: XXXXXXXXXX Contact Email: *******@seemore.solar Mr ********* called our office and left a voicemail for service on April 20th. Our representative, Dotty, returned his call and offered to schedule him for service and he refused because it was just over a week out and said that he would call someone else. He called back on April 25th and spoke with Dotty again stating that he had another company come out to service his solar pool heat system and they could not service it under the warranty. The call on April 25th is recorded and the customer was very abrasive and argumentative with our representative. This solar pool heat system was installed in October 2014 and the panels are under warranty from the manufacturer until October 2026. We are not the manufacturer and must follow the guidelines laid out by the manufacturer when servicing panels. The plumbing and manifold are covered by a one year warranty that expired in October 2015. Mr ********* has had his system serviced 7 times since October 2017 and has paid the service fee each time with the exception of February 2021 when he complained about it and we waived the fee as a one time courtesy. Please note, that we did not have to service this system prior to October 2017 and Hurricane Irma hit our area in September 2017. Most likely, while there was no physical obvious damage from the hurricane, the system did suffer some weakening from the wind vibrations that are causing leaks over time. Regardless, the manufacturer's warranty dictates that if there is a leak in the body of the panel we must repair it and if the leak is in the header (the pipe and the top and bottom of the panel) then we can replace it. The manufacturer ONLY covers the cost of the panel so there is a labor charge of $40 per panel that is replaced. The service fee is charged to all customers for a service call regardless of warranty status. Mr ********* is currently on our schedule for May 11th.

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