How to Stop Solar Spam Calls In 2019
We know it’s annoying and disruptive to get a call from a unknown number and answer it,
only to hear a pushy aggressive sales person or spam robo-caller trying to hassle you into buying a solar energy system.
In this post I will show you what steps you can take on your side to stop these solar telemarketing calls once and for all.
“Telemarketing is defined as: the marketing of goods or services by means of telephone calls, typically unsolicited, to potential customers.“
The Federal Communications Commission stated consumers received an estimated 2.4 billion robocalls per month last year. I would have to take a guess that American solar calls make up a good portion of telemarketing calls. Having a cellphone has its positives and negatives. The positive is being able to communicate instantly at demand and have instant information at your fingertips. The negative is that pushy telemarketers utilize your phone number to pitch sleazy solar offers and deals.
How To Identify A Solar Spam Call
Identifying a spam caller seems like common sense, but a lot of people fall for scam / spam calls every day. Keep an eye out for solar energy phone calls when monitoring for spam.
In the solar industry, many telemarketers employ certain tactics to get an impulse reaction out of you. Some of these tactics include:
Any mention of a sweepstakes or raffle: that you’ve been specially selected or won a free solar system / free panels. The saying goes, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” A lot of American solar call companies are notorious for offering too good to be true deals upfront only to disappoint the customer when the system wasn’t actually free.
Posing as an electricity utility company or government associate: I myself have received many of these calls. Telemarketers will use phony names that sound legit in order to trick consumers, such as Go Green Energy Center, Utah Public Utilities Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, CA Green Energy Center, etc.
Most of the time they will try to schedule a free energy audit, in-person free solar consultation or some sort of an inspection. There have been reports of falling for this trick and have a salesperson dressed up as a utility representative showing up at your door to conduct an audit or inspection.
If one of these utility representatives show up at your door, ask for a company ID to ensure they are legitimate. Also verify they arrived in a legitimate energy utility company vehicle is also a good way to distinguish real or fake. One of common scams is that one of the imposters will distract the customer while the other steals cash and valuables.
According to SDGE’s website the energy company will never proactively contact customers to get their credit card or financial information over the phone. Even if you have a past-due balance that needs to be paid, they will send past-due notices in writing before shutting off service. Also, scammers may utilize text messaging and mobile apps to demand or collect payment. Mobile payment apps are a way to trick distracted customers to submit payment for “fake bills.”
Time sensitive “deals”: Some companies will offer a “limited time offer” or only valid for this call only types of deals. These are used to get an impulse buy from the customer to secure the deal. Some companies have been known to say that you will not be eligible for rebates or tax credits if you do not sign with them.
To clarify, the Federal Investment Tax Credit is still at its maximum 30% throughout 2019 before it steps down to 26% in 2020. While it is economically smarter to go solar sooner than later, you still have throughout 2019 to get the maximum tax credit for going solar.
When getting solar, similar to choosing a vehicle off a car lot you should implement research to help make an educated decision. Utilizing google searches, solar review sites, and word of mouth will help you find out how many reviews the company has, the quality of their reviews, and how long the company has been in business for. Doing these steps ahead of time will help you save money and a huge headache down the road.
How To Stop Solar Telemarketing Calls
1. If it is a human calling you, say “Please put me on your do not call list” or “do not contact me with unsolicited offers.” This will communicate clearly to the sales person that you are not interested with the proposition they are making.
Be aware that they are trained to handle objections and might want to ask you why you aren’t interested. Being stern and not giving in is key to handling pushy salesmen.
2. Register your phone number on the national do not call registry list. You can register by visiting this website, or you can register by calling 1-888-382-1222. Call from the mobile phone or landline that you want to register on the no call list. If you go the website route you will have to verify your ID by your email. On their page they state that registering your phone is free and after your register, other types of organizations may still call you, such as charities, political groups, debt collectors and surveys. They also state that if you receive an unwanted call after 31 days from registering on the do not call registry, you can report it here.
3. Block the phone number on your cell phone. With repeat offenders, they can be blocked by going to your recent call list by accessing your phone app. Select the number that you want to block and hit block caller.
4. Use a carrier Caller ID application. Verizon, ATT&T, T-mobile, and Sprint provide a $2.99 month service for premium caller ID. These applications have spam filter built in and will identify where the phone number is coming from.
5. Third party apps such as robokiller, while there are many apps that serve as a blocking spam calls on the app store market. Robokiller is unique by using answer bots that talk back to the telemarketer and tricks them into thinking they are talking to a real person. The funny part is that the conversation is recorded and stored for your listening enjoyment.
6. File a complaint with the BBB. This is useful if they are violating the national do not call list. If the complaint is valid and approved, the complaint will be publicly available on their profile and negatively affect their business score. This will hurt their business reputation and make it harder to gain clients in the future. This should be a last resort after multiple attempts of telling them that you do not want to be contacted.
How do these tactics affect the solar industry?
Pushy, aggressive solar salesmen lower the value of solar. When homeowners are repeatedly targeted with unwanted telemarketing calls with “free” or cheap solar installations, it changes their view on solar as a whole.
There are many reports of pop-up solar companies that come up out of nowhere, offer subpar panels, do the installation poorly, and go out of business. This leaves the customer without a workmanship warranty and a BIG headache. Overtime these panels need to serviced or repaired by a different company when the installation starts to fall apart. It is important to research solar companies that have been business for several years to avoid being stuck with a company that will not last the length of the warranty and offer high quality panels that are highly efficient.
Many people have been burned from these shady tactics stated above. This has led to a decrease in public trust in the solar energy industry. Solar genuinely helps homeowners save money on electricity and help the environment. Many people think twice about going solar despite knowing how the benefits can improve their life in order to avoid being hassled or burned.
SolarTech Takes The High Road
We do not:
- Use robocallers
- Knock on doors
- Make cold calls
- Use bait and switch methods for solar installations
At SolarTech, we prefer to talk to people that want to talk to us. We take an educational approach by informing you of your options and help make you the best decision when going solar. Forcing or persuading customers is not a good way to earn happy customers. We have an abundance of happy customers and make sure we exceed their expectations each and every job. We make sure energy is easy for you.
Final Thoughts
If you’re tired of being called by solar robocallers and cold calls, you can take action by following the steps above.
If you’re thinking about going solar and want the process to be easy and pain-free as possible.
Feel free to contact us by click the button below to request a free consultation!
