Solar Panel Rip Off

[AJS-]

My parents who live in Limousin seem to have got themselves into a bit of bother with solar panels, and I was wondering if anyone here has had a similar experience or any advice.

Basically they signed up for a deal whereby they got panels installed on their roof 2ith finance arranged in their name on the notion that selling the electricity would cover the loan repayments.

The panels are installed but not connected up and the company that installed them has now gone bust, leaving my parents with panels on their roof and a massive (~19k Euros) loan in their name.

So far their strategy is to not make any payments and they are aiming to get in touch with others in the same boat.

Very frustrating. I know they made a mistake but it seems like they're being asked to pay for something that wasn't finished and stinks of scam to me.

Anyone else in the same boat? And any ideas on the consequences of simply not paying the bills?

Thanks in advance

[magooagain]

The only advice i can give is to tell your parents to get an appoinment with an Avocate asap.To see where they stand legally.

[mogv8]

Where in Limousin? Have they spoken to anyone about the cost of finishing the job?

If they have €19k worth of solar panels installed and they just need hooking up maybe that is the answer.

Also is the loan secured on the panels or taken out personally? If it is secured on the panels it may be worth taking legal advice.

In the UK they could have some protection under connected lender liability and section 4 of the consumer credit act depending on the type of agreement, but I assume this is a French loan taken under French law? If so there may be similar provisions as in the UK but that would need legal advice locally.

[Fatt McMissile]

magooagain said:

The only advice i can give is to tell your parents to get an appoinment with an Avocate asap.To see where they stand legally.

I'll add to what magoo said they should be able to get a free first consultation. If they don't speak French they should make the most of the time available (30 mins?) and take along someone who does and who is well briefed. Good luck to them.

Steve

edit link added
http://www.avocats-limoges.org/permanences.htm

[AJS-]

Thanks for the input. My mother's French is pretty good but still probably worth taking a French friend. I think half the problem is that they're embarrassed about being so daft in the first place. They getting on and this is the biggest but far from the only error of judgement they've made in the last couple of years...

They don't seem to be very sure if the loan is secured on the panels or a personal loan. Anyone know if France is basically the same as the UK 8n this regard? Either way I would be tempted to simply default on it but they are rightly worried about the repercussions.

I will definitely put them on to an Avocat as soon as possible.

[Fatt McMissile]

Have a look at this: http://sosconso.blog.lemonde.fr/2013/03/20/la-gale... its a similar situation to that of your parents except the company didn't go bust, it just didn't finish the job. If your French isn't up to it copy it into google translate.
It appears that the courts originally found in favour of the householder but the credit company appealed and because the panels were delivered and signed for they had to be paid for by the householder. Note that the avocat's bill was 6000 euros.
Perhaps your parents could get an estimate from another firm to complete the work before they decide on a course of action, but in this case they will need to establish ownership of the panels; if the installer did not pay his supplier for them they may not be your parent's property.
Typing arnaques photovoltaique into google.fr will bring up plenty of dissatisfied customers of these firms.

I'm not sure about failing to pay the instalments unless they genuinely can't afford to do so, in which case there are alternative avenues - I'd be inclined to get a conversation going with the credit company.

Your parents are probably nice folk and make the error of thinking that others are the same, but they're far from being the only ones, French and English, who are victims of solar panel salesmen, so don't be too hard on them.
Good luck, Steve

[AJS-]

That's great. Thanks McMissile. My French is nowhere near but we'll see how my mother gets on.

Oh they're lovely people and I have more sympathy for them than anger, it is frustrating though as they are both intelligent and used to be quite switched on but they are starting to make some classic old people mistakes.

My anger is directed more towards the slimey git who sold it in the first place. Apparently they did double glazing before getting into solar panels, and that also went bust leaving unfinished work and unpaid creditors.

[Russwhitehouse]

Don't you just love con men that pray on the elderly? I bet they get up every morning and give themselves a pat on the back for their efforts. My late Mum was conned out of money for a patio she had laid. They quoted three grand, then halfway through the job, explained they needed another three grand to finish. That wasn't enough however and they convinced her to hand over yet another three grand, standing over her while she wrote the cheque, meanwhile they took the original quote and paperwork away to be "ammended" ie never seen again. So a three grand job, which was not even done well, actually ended up costing her nine grand! None of this came to light until after she had died because she was too embarrased to tell me and was afraid I would be cross. I hope they all die a slow and painful death!