SilverbackMP
Solar Addict
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2022
- Messages
- 949
This will be a long one. Multiple Posts to follow.
TLDR:
Ordered six Sunny Boy inverters from Solar Cellz USA September 1st 2023. One was eventually delivered via FEDEX. Series of excuses and promises of refund (which never materialized) followed. Bottom line - out $11,528.36 including five inverters, shipping charges, and sales tax.
Reported to the North Carolina Consumer Protection Division (Attorney General's Office) with negligible results. Communication from the vendor completely stopped. He's still in business as I am still getting targeted ads.
Made contact with the Charlotte PD today (who of course, doesn't want to actually do their job); will be soon filling a complaint with the FTC and getting lawyers involved - something I didn't want to do. My credit union charge back limit is 60 days. And I didn't want to even post this, as shown by the duration that I've let this go on for.
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So in late August I learned that SMA Sunny Boy inverters would be discontinued. Since I just built a system around 4 Sunny Islands (two brand new, two trailer take offs) and three (one backup) Sunny Boy 7.7s, I was a bit concerned. Especially since I planned to use the same hardware should I build other systems for the farm.
September 1st, 2023 - I found a quantity of six SMA Sunny Boy inverters in stock with Solar Cellz USA (https://solarcellzusa.com/) operating at 3540 Toringdon Way Suite 200, Charlotte, NÇ 28277 which lists Nathan REDACTED as the CEO. I called him and verified that the product was in stock.
On September 1st, 2023, I placed and order for six units that came to a total of $12,540.00 with additional shipping of $544.77 and tax of $749.27 for a total of $13,834.04. Note that the shipping was listed as “FedEx Ground” and each unit, in the cart, had separate shipping charge.
September 9th, 2023, I received a notification that my order had been shipped. Notice the delivery method being FedEx Ground.
Sep 23rd, 2023 - Nathan sent me an email that they were trying to contact me. I made telephonic contact with him on September 26th. He was looking for a phone number to send the order via a Less Than a Truck (LTL) commercial shipment. I had provided my mom's telephone number in the little additional info box in the initial order and when I called him the first time, but provided it again.
I stated that one of the reasons that I had ordered through him, was because of FedEx shipping. I am currently in the Republic of Korea (prior US Army) working on my wife’s permanent visa and the individual FedEx shipments were something that my mother could handle. I agreed that a palletized LTL shipment was acceptable as long as delivery was to be done via “short truck” with a gate lift. He agreed.
Nathan sent me a follow up email on the same day (September 26th, 2023) that they would be sending out my order tomorrow (September 27th, 2023).
On October 19th, 2023 - I notified Nathan that we had not received the shipment. I asked for tracking numbers.
October 20th, 2023 - Nathan emailed that the order was currently enroute and that they would supply the tracking number.
Note, I never received a tracking number from Solar Cellz USA.
October 26th - I notified Nathan via email (attachment 3) that one Sunny Boy was delivered via FedEx (Tracking number REDACTED). I asked him if the others were coming via FedEx as well. Nathan replied on the same day that the rest of them would also be arriving via FedEx. Note no tracking numbers provided. The existing FedEx delivery does not appear to be a multi box shipment per their tracking or labels.
November 2nd - I strongly enquired via email about the status of the rest of the shipment….questioning if these were ever in stock.
November 7th - Nathan replied that they were “still looking for my LTL shipment” and they were “investigating.” LTL? Are we back to LTL? I thought we were back to FedEx ground (which is not LTL).
November 24th 2023 - I notified Nathan that he had 24 hours to resolve the order or issue a refund (of the five remaining inverters, applicable sales tax, and shipping charges) or I would take action including notification of State Attorney General's office.
November 25th – filed complaint with the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Protection Division. POC Linda REDACTED. I also notified Nathan via email that I filed the complaint.
To be continued....
TLDR:
Ordered six Sunny Boy inverters from Solar Cellz USA September 1st 2023. One was eventually delivered via FEDEX. Series of excuses and promises of refund (which never materialized) followed. Bottom line - out $11,528.36 including five inverters, shipping charges, and sales tax.
Reported to the North Carolina Consumer Protection Division (Attorney General's Office) with negligible results. Communication from the vendor completely stopped. He's still in business as I am still getting targeted ads.
Made contact with the Charlotte PD today (who of course, doesn't want to actually do their job); will be soon filling a complaint with the FTC and getting lawyers involved - something I didn't want to do. My credit union charge back limit is 60 days. And I didn't want to even post this, as shown by the duration that I've let this go on for.
-------------------------
So in late August I learned that SMA Sunny Boy inverters would be discontinued. Since I just built a system around 4 Sunny Islands (two brand new, two trailer take offs) and three (one backup) Sunny Boy 7.7s, I was a bit concerned. Especially since I planned to use the same hardware should I build other systems for the farm.
September 1st, 2023 - I found a quantity of six SMA Sunny Boy inverters in stock with Solar Cellz USA (https://solarcellzusa.com/) operating at 3540 Toringdon Way Suite 200, Charlotte, NÇ 28277 which lists Nathan REDACTED as the CEO. I called him and verified that the product was in stock.
On September 1st, 2023, I placed and order for six units that came to a total of $12,540.00 with additional shipping of $544.77 and tax of $749.27 for a total of $13,834.04. Note that the shipping was listed as “FedEx Ground” and each unit, in the cart, had separate shipping charge.
September 9th, 2023, I received a notification that my order had been shipped. Notice the delivery method being FedEx Ground.
Sep 23rd, 2023 - Nathan sent me an email that they were trying to contact me. I made telephonic contact with him on September 26th. He was looking for a phone number to send the order via a Less Than a Truck (LTL) commercial shipment. I had provided my mom's telephone number in the little additional info box in the initial order and when I called him the first time, but provided it again.
I stated that one of the reasons that I had ordered through him, was because of FedEx shipping. I am currently in the Republic of Korea (prior US Army) working on my wife’s permanent visa and the individual FedEx shipments were something that my mother could handle. I agreed that a palletized LTL shipment was acceptable as long as delivery was to be done via “short truck” with a gate lift. He agreed.
Nathan sent me a follow up email on the same day (September 26th, 2023) that they would be sending out my order tomorrow (September 27th, 2023).
On October 19th, 2023 - I notified Nathan that we had not received the shipment. I asked for tracking numbers.
October 20th, 2023 - Nathan emailed that the order was currently enroute and that they would supply the tracking number.
Note, I never received a tracking number from Solar Cellz USA.
October 26th - I notified Nathan via email (attachment 3) that one Sunny Boy was delivered via FedEx (Tracking number REDACTED). I asked him if the others were coming via FedEx as well. Nathan replied on the same day that the rest of them would also be arriving via FedEx. Note no tracking numbers provided. The existing FedEx delivery does not appear to be a multi box shipment per their tracking or labels.
November 2nd - I strongly enquired via email about the status of the rest of the shipment….questioning if these were ever in stock.
November 7th - Nathan replied that they were “still looking for my LTL shipment” and they were “investigating.” LTL? Are we back to LTL? I thought we were back to FedEx ground (which is not LTL).
November 24th 2023 - I notified Nathan that he had 24 hours to resolve the order or issue a refund (of the five remaining inverters, applicable sales tax, and shipping charges) or I would take action including notification of State Attorney General's office.
November 25th – filed complaint with the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Protection Division. POC Linda REDACTED. I also notified Nathan via email that I filed the complaint.
To be continued....
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