Connecticut has filed a consumer protection lawsuit against solar panel company Sunrun and several businesses that market or install its panels.
State Attorney General William Tong said in one instance, a pair of salespeople forged a homeowner's signature and impersonated that person's voice. Tong said salespeople allegedly signed the homeowner up for a solar panel contract, even though the person had rejected the offer.
“That to me is shocking,” Tong said. “That somebody — when you need to confirm by voice that they actually do want to purchase solar panels — that someone would forge their voice.”
Homeowners were also allegedly put into long-term solar panel contracts without their full consent, and solar systems were sometimes installed that did not work, Tong said.
“We're also hearing complaints about Sunrun with respect to undisclosed terms in contracts, including price escalations, where people didn't know that the price would go up, and that they'd end up paying more than $100,000 more than they agreed to,” Tong said.
Sunrun didn't respond immediately to a Connecticut Public request for comment, but told WFSB-TV that the sales representatives and installation crews involved were not Sunrun employees and did not meet the company’s expectations. Sunrun says it’s addressing the matter.
Tong said this is the latest in a string of black eyes for the solar panel industry. Other solar companies have also been accused of improper sales and installation practices in Connecticut.
The attorney general says customers should always review contracts before signing and not give into high-pressure sales tactics.
“Always make sure that you know what you're getting into,” Tong said. “Pay attention — not just to the price, but also the length, the term that you're committed to.”
