12.1 Never make a decision based on verbal sales promises

One of the most common disputes in the solar industry is the gap between what the salesperson described and what the contract actually says.

We have reviewed many contracts that homeowners sent us. In almost every case there is a clear mismatch between what the customer believed they agreed to and what the contract actually contains — and that belief almost always comes from the salesperson's verbal pitch.

So the simplest rule: don't trust anything a salesperson says — including our own salespeople. The contract is the only thing that counts. Make sure every important claim and commitment from the sales conversation lands on paper, or in a chat thread, or in an email where the salesperson types it out or at least explicitly confirms it. Don't accept verbal-only promises — you have no leverage in a dispute later.

Before signing, read and understand every clause. For each verbal claim, find the corresponding clause in the contract.

We require our own customers to read the contract carefully. Not because we plan to mislead them — but because some misunderstandings persist throughout the sales conversation without surfacing, and we want to make sure the contract matches the customer's actual expectations.

We do solar to deliver better returns and a more comfortable life for our customers. I'd rather lose your business than have you sign a contract that doesn't match your expectations and regret it later.

If you're about to sign with another company and the contract makes you uncomfortable — even if there's no chance you'll become our customer — send it to us. We'll review it and flag the risk clauses or hidden traps.