Canadian company Sunwave Solar is under fire from several Alberta homeowners who claim they paid for a product/service they still haven’t received – months later.
Okotoks resident Larry Swanson has been thinking about getting solar panels installed for a while. So when a Sunwave salesperson came to his door in June, he jumped at the chance.
“I’ve been reading and researching a lot about solar power and I’ve been very interested in it,” Swanson said.
Swanson signed a contract and paid a $3,500 deposit. He said he was told he would be contacted shortly after to start the job, but did not receive a call.
“I waited about two months and heard nothing,” he said. “So I gave him a call.”
Swanson said he was told the company was working on the design and he would be contacted when it was done. Fast forward to early December and he still hasn’t heard from the company.
“I think we’re taken,” Swanson told Global News.
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Swanson’s neighbors, Jim and Virdell Barclay, were also approached by Sunwave.
They were also keen to invest in solar power, adding that they believe it is environmentally friendly and wallet friendly.
“It will save us money in the long run,” Jim Barclay told Global News. “It will be a while before we will make up any costs, initial costs, but we will actually save money on a monthly basis.”
But after also giving the company a $3,500 deposit, the Barclays said they had no further contact with Sunwave either. They started researching the company and said they were surprised by the negative reviews from many other customers.
“I wish we had checked a little more initially,” Barclay said. “How many people right in this close (section of street) paid this money?”
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Global News also checked some reviews, including those on the Better Business Bureau in Ontario where the company is based. Many customers complained about the same issues as Swanson and Barclay, prompting the BBB to give the company an “F” rating.
Global News also contacted the company by phone, email and text and received a statement from customer service.
It read in part: “Sunwave takes all customer complaints seriously and will continue to resolve all complaints direct with his clients.
“We will do our best to investigate and resolve the matter.”
Sunwave also requested that we refer consumers to its website and contact the company themselves – something the Okotoks residents said they all did.
Swanson finally got a call back from Sunwave Solar on Monday morning, after Global Calgary reached out to the company. He was told by a customer service representative that the delays were due to “stock shortage” issues. He was also told that he could wait for those to decide whether to submit a request for a refund.
He did the latter, but said he did not hope for a solution.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
