ComplaintsforOne-Up Solar Contractor, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  10/12/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Contractor unresponsive to calls and emails seeking warranty replacement service for roof-mounted leaking NUVIS solar panels. Panels that provide solar heating for swimming pool have been leaking since August, resulting in loss of pool water and need to refill pool to make up water loss. As email and phone calls to One Up Solar have not received any reply, the distributor for NUVIS solar panels Leveredge, was contacted. Leveredge advised they would seek cooperation from One Up Solar through their Hollywood FL office. While appreciated, the effort of Leveredge has not resulted in a response from One Up Solar. On the contrary, Leveredge advised that One Up Solar claimed to not have been the contractor for the installation of the NUVIS panels, an untrue statement. To date, nearly SIX weeks have passed ***** seeking repair/replacement of leaking NUVIS solar panel(s) with no action. This evasion of performing warranty work as per contract with One Up Solar is unprofessional.

  Business response

  01/11/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 9, 2021/10/30) */ The customer does not understand the manufacturer's warranty for NUVIS and is seeking seeking services that are not coverered under the workmanship and installation warranty provided by One-Up Solar Contractor. On Sept 1, 2021 the cusomer contacted me by email stating: "One of the panels is now leaking. It is the panel itself and not a connection issue. The leaking panel is the third panel from the front of the house." The information provided is not related to workmanship or installation by One-Up Solar Contractor. The manufacuters warranty for the NUVIS panels applies. It is a 10-year Limited Warranty which extends to the cosumer for failure resulting from defects in material. It does not cover damage caused by neglect or abuse, or by accident, to damage caused by wind, hail or abnormal weather conditions, or damage caused by Acts of God, civil insurrection or extraordinary circumstances. The infomation provided to me by the customer enabled me to assess that the leak is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty and customer is unwilling to accept this fact. In February of 2019 One-Up Solar Contractor was hired to replace the 8 panels on a 2 story metal roof. We used piping to do small modifications to attach the new panels on the existing system. One-Up Solar returned to the job site about two months after the installation as the system stopped working. The reason the system stopped was due to an old controller that was not part of One-Up Solar Contractor's work. Then in July of 2019, the customer contacted One-Up Solar due to a disconnect of panel from the system, which was not accurate. One-Up Solar returned to the jb site to discover that the leak was actually due to a broken pipe that was not part of the work done by One-Up Solar Contractor. The broken pipe was an existing pipe. The customer told my installer that it was part of the warranty, which was incorrect and my company took a loss with no argument. The customer was red flagged for failure to pay for services. One-Up Solar has advised customer regarding the current issue: 1. The leak in the NUVIS panel is not covered by the manufacuturer's warranty. 2. You need a service call to repair (plug) a leak on the panel. Since Covid-19, One-Up Solar Contractor is no longer doing installation, maintenance or service calls between Key Largo and Key West. One-Up Solar contractor only covers West Palm Beach to Key Largo. 3. To send someone from Miami Dade to Key West does not make any sense. It will cost you over $1,000 for two technicians, driving a minimum of 8 hours for 1 hour of service work. 4. I recommend you find a plumber or and handyman in Key West to do the small repair. We can send you the repair screws for free at your request. Customer refuses to pay for services and does not accept that the damage to the panel is not covered by the manufacturer's warrarnty. Customer is seeking to damage the reputation of the installing company as a result. Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2021/11/10) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The manufacturer's warranty for NUVIS is a 10-year Limited Warranty for failure resulting from defects in material. It does not cover damage caused by neglect or abuse, or by accident, to damage caused by wind, hail or abnormal weather conditions, or damage caused by Acts of God, civil insurrection or extraordinary circumstances. The information provided to the contractor indicated a leaking panel that was not subject to damage caused by wind, hail or abnormal weather conditions, or damage caused by Acts of God, civil insurrection or extraordinary circumstances. The panel has very clearly FAILED. The leaking panel should be replaced as covered by the manufacturer's warranty. Further, as an attachment that customer provided as previously submitted documentation, the contactor One-Up Solar Contractor provided its own THREE YEAR warranty which the contractor will not honor. One-Up Solar Contractor now states they should be released from their own warranty as One-Up Solar Contractor is no longer doing installation, maintenance or service calls between Key Largo and Key West. The statement that One-Up Solar contractor only covers West Palm Beach to Key Largo is not the fault or responsibility of the customer. The distributor of NUVIS solar panels, a company called LEVEREDGE, has advised it is the responsibility of the contractor to follow up with warranty service and replacement, stating that the contractor must service the customer. Contactor's statement that "To send someone from Miami Dade to Key West does not make any sense. It will cost you over $1,000 for two technicians, driving a minimum of 8 hours for 1 hour of service work" should not release the contractor from their own warranty. The recommendation of contractor that customer should "find a plumber or handyman in Key West to do the small repair" is not a solution since local plumbers are not authorized NUVIS contractors and the staff at LEVEREDGE advised they will not deal with unauthorized installers. Contractor's offer to "send you the repair screws for free at your request" is appreciated but it is unclear what is meant by 'screws' and customer has no ability to determine what to do with 'screws'. To suggest that customer should undertake personal repair of NUVIS panel damage is inappropriate and unprofessional when in fact the panel should be replaced under warranty. Customer has no interest in damaging the reputation of the installing company ONE UP SOLAR but seeks professional courtesy and warranty replacement of leaking NUVIS solar panel that has failed. Business Response /* (4000, 16, 2021/11/24) */ Leveredge is a supplier company and not the manufacture of NUVIS solar pool panels. The customer needs to contact NUVIS and file the warranty claim, since the client believes the panel is covered under warranty, and inquire with the manufacture as to how much they will pay the contractor to remove and reinstall the replacement panel (if indeed covered by warranty). Client is responsible for all cost not covered by the manufacture. The contractor's warranty does not apply in this situation. The client will be responsible for paying the cost of the work. One-Up Solar will make the service call if client pays $1000 in advance for travel, removal of panel, and delivery of panel to manufacture for inspection. If manufacture confirms a panel defalt covered by warranty, the client will need to pay $1000 for delivery of panel, travel, and installation of panel. The client could save money by buying the panel upfront and paying One-Up Solar $1000 in advance for removal and reinstallation in a single trip to Key West; however client understands that the pool panel may not be covered by the manufacture warranty. The client has an issue with the manufacure and its warranty and does not want to pay to have the service call. This has nothing to do with One-Up Solar Contractor. Consumer Response /* (4200, 18, 2021/11/24) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The customer would be happy to contact NUVIS directly to file the warranty claim, and inquire with the manufacture as to how much they will pay the contractor to remove and reinstall the replacement panel (if indeed covered by warranty). However neither ONE UP SOLAR nor Leveredge has provided any information during numerous calls and emails as to HOW TO CONTACT NUVIS DIRECTLY. This customer has wasted many hours seeking installer and dealer support without success. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL and very unhelpful. It would be most appreciated for either installer or dealer to provide clear details as to HOW TO CONTACT NUVIS DIRECTLY to file the warranty claim. Thank you.

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