Poll: How was your experience with signature solar?

[Bluedog225]

My only basis for evaluating signature solar is the many poorly executed responses to customer complaints that are well documented here.

 

[Hedges]

On YT 2 of 7 people who bought a Sol Ark would never buy one again.

That's pretty terrifying on a forum where people keep pushing 6500EX owners to Sol Ark saying they are better.

It may be most of the units are installed professionally. In which case the feedback was from DIY and doesn't necessarily reflect quality of equipment.

What reasons did they give?

 

[JJJJ]

Liked the perspective of learning curve. The first time I turned on my inverter it was thrilling. However the power distribution panel wasn’t working. Fortunately it was a simple fix at the distribution breaker box and I had a friend with electrical and more multimeter experience at my side. A five minute fix. However if I had tried to resolve it with a phone call I am not sure it would have gone so smoothly and this is a vendor with a great reputation.

I agree that technical support to new users of this technology adds a degree of difficulty since the tech if knowledgeable does not know the technical caliber of the person making the call.

 

[SparkyJJO]

It may be most of the units are installed professionally. In which case the feedback was from DIY and doesn't necessarily reflect quality of equipment.

What reasons did they give?

But that's closer to a direct comparison with SS since that stuff is going to be DIY also, right?

 

[Zwy]

But "I had an issue but they fixed it" doesn't mean there was something bad that happened. It could simply have been there was something that they didn't quite understand and needed a little help. They asked, got the question answered, everyone was happy. Don't assume the issue was a serious problem. If I had simply had a question or an issue setting things up because I didn't understand it, and I called and got help to resolve my question, I would have selected that option.

I think they way the poll is worded can make a difference in how people respond to the question.

Maybe a rating type of survey might be better, I know it isn't easy to create a poll that covers all the bases needed.

 

[cs1234]

I agree that technical support to new users of this technology adds a degree of difficulty since the tech if knowledgeable does not know the technical caliber of the person making the call.

Who knows what liability they bring on themselves by providing certain types of support either.

 

[Zwy]

This is a good point. In fact, I was counting these votes as positive. As someone else mentioned I had one issue with shipping damage and they took care of it promptly. On support issues it has so far been questions and their support working with me to resolve or answer the questions.

I looked at it as over 50% had an issue. That's a pretty high number, and even given the fact many may not be experienced, it surely wouldn't be more than 1/2 of that 50%. I'd say minimum it is 25% had issues that are not related to lack of experience.

 

[Koldsimer]

I'm not trying to put you down, but if they don't respond to people they are bad, if they do respond to people they are bad? I love it when they respond here, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. My attitude with them is that the Ox is slow....but the Earth is patient.

No offense taken at all... in fact i agree with you.

One of their main problems is that they have so many people representing their company here. If they could find just one that actually did a good job and knew how to squash potential issues, it would be greatly beneficial to their company and their buyers.

Off the top of my head, i know of two representatives of SS who have been blacklisted here because of their horrendous responses to cs issues. Hell, they had one guy who went on a drunklike tirade insulting customers and basically called them idiots. They quickly removed him from the board just like they did the guy the other day who pulled the "specs are subject to change" bullshit in the vanlife thread.

Richard was the best guy they had and he jumped ship long ago.

Again, i like the fact that they try to help people here. But how many years of the same excuses- we are growing super fast, Sulpher Springs is a tough market for hiring, we sell lots of stuff, we have implemented a new ticket system, etc.. Damn dude, just learn how to be empathetic and treat customers how you would like to be treated and this nonsense would stop.

Literally 10% of the participants in this poll would never buy from them again. James should be shocked and ashamed by this but nothing seems to phase him.

 

[JJJJ]

I'd say minimum it is 25% had issues that are not related to lack of experience

That is possible. Probably one of the reasons surveys end up raising even more questions

 

[rhino]

It may be most of the units are installed professionally. In which case the feedback was from DIY and doesn't necessarily reflect quality of equipment.

What reasons did they give?

I think this would be a big part. That survey would be too open-ended for interpretation since you do not know if the installer did something wrong or even promised "it will run this" and ends up it did not.. in which case it still isn't Sol-Arks fault but the installer. A person answering that survey with that experience would say they would never buy Sol-Ark again..

My only basis for evaluating signature solar is the many poorly executed responses to customer complaints that are well documented here.

This is better evidence than any survey.

 

[Zwy]

That is possible. Probably one of the reasons surveys end up raising even more questions

It wasn't my first rodeo, yet I had problems and it appears hardware related.

My 6500EX units are in RMA as soon as I pull them this weekend. I have a pair of LV6548's to install in their place until replacements arrive. I won't be using PV input, just charge batteries off grid but wanted to compare scope waveforms and see if any light flicker is present. I never had light flicker with PV power anyway, always at night.

I think the majority of the issues that are not user induced are hardware due to the OE substituting components. SS was caught in a bad situation as a result. That is a tough spot to be put in.

 

[Will Prowse]

No offense taken at all... in fact i agree with you.

One of their main problems is that they have so many people representing their company here. If they could find just one that actually did a good job and knew how to squash potential issues, it would be greatly beneficial to their company and their buyers.

Off the top of my head, i know of two representatives of SS who have been blacklisted here because of their horrendous responses to cs issues. Hell, they had one guy who went on a drunklike tirade insulting customers and basically called them idiots. They quickly removed him from the board just like they did the guy the other day who pulled the "specs are subject to change" bullshit in the vanlife thread.

Richard was the best guy they had and he jumped ship long ago.

Again, i like the fact that they try to help people here. But how many years of the same excuses- we are growing super fast, Sulpher Springs is a tough market for hiring, we sell lots of stuff, we have implemented a new ticket system, etc.. Damn dude, just learn how to be empathetic and treat customers how you would like to be treated and this nonsense would stop.

Literally 10% of the participants in this poll would never buy from them again. James should be shocked and ashamed by this but nothing seems to phase him.

40% of sol ark customers would never buy them again by the poll I just made:

 

[cs1234]

I think this would be a big part. That survey would be too open-ended for interpretation since you do not know if the installer did something wrong or even promised "it will run this" and ends up it did not.. in which case it still isn't Sol-Arks fault but the installer. A person answering that survey with that experience would say they would never buy Sol-Ark again..


This is better evidence than any survey.

If it was sold and installed by a licensed Sol-Ark distributor / retailer and done poorly, that would still kind of be on Sol-Ark. I imagine most of Sol-Arks sales aren't directly to consumers, but to solar installation companies, most likely with more favorable terms /treatment vs what we get if we buy them individually.

As far as evidence from the threads on here, up until recently Sol-Ark didn't have an actual company representative on here, did they? If not, it's not really a fair comparison as they were intentionally avoiding playing with us. At least Signature Solar gave us the time of day on here, even if it was done poorly.

 

[rhino]

40% of sol ark customers would never buy them again by the poll I just made:
View attachment 147784

I would just worry that these type of surveys can be manipulated. I've worked at places where the entire company was told to "up vote" something they just posted to make it look like it has bunch of traction or interested. To me I consider that cheating and seems like ballot stuffing. You can have the opposite as well.

 

[Texas-Mark]

I looked at it as over 50% had an issue. That's a pretty high number,

But it is based on a small sample of those that belong to this forum. As I noted elsewhere, many people join a forum only when they have a problem, either to seek out help or to vent. I doubt that is the overall percentage.

Take AliExpress for example. How many people here gripe about issues they have had with batteries. But overall, that is probably a fraction of a percent of their overall trouble free sales.

 

[Tulex]

Pretty sure these types of polls are about as accurate as reality show voting.
Pricing over the next year for both units will be the real polling.

 

[Tulex]

40% of sol ark customers would never buy them again by the poll I just made:
View attachment 147784

Wonder what the numbers would be ( for both polls )if they had to be verified buyers.....

 

[SparkyJJO]

Well that's the problem, no one can really verify that.

 

[sunsurfer]

This is an interesting thread.

I think in general, companies that are rebranding the same products, best survive (good ratings) with good customer service and warranties. Take cheap mini splits for example, most are made by the same few companies from china that copy each other. "Brands" buy them and the one that takes care of the angry customers the best seem to have the "best made" product. Fact is, most of this stuff is just a sticker with a company name on it. Likely, they had zero involvement in the actual designing of the product.

Most of the time for equipment purchases, it's all about warranty shopping. I know this is not always the case but here we are non the less. Its a sad state of affairs in the affordable markets.

 

[Zwy]

40% of sol ark customers would never buy them again by the poll I just made:
View attachment 147784

I'm not seeing 40%. What I do see is of people who reported actual purchase of Sol Ark, by a margin of 2.5 to 1 (5% compared to 2%) had a good experience either straight out of the box or had the issue resolved and it works great How are you coming up with 40% would never buy again?

Results are skewed due to high number of non purchasers for both polls on Youtube, I will admit that.