Solar panels

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Discussion

Russwhitehouse

Original Poster:

962 posts

130 months

Thursday 4th September 2014
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Just had a long winded conversation from someone claiming to be with EDF. Apparently they are campaigning to get solar panels installed on as many eligible houses as possible to make up for a forecast shortfall in generation capacity due to various power stations being closed in the future and as a result, install the panels at no cost to you, the energy generated is deducted from your bill etc etc. we all know the script..
Has anyone else had the call and if so how did it pan out? I seem to remember a while back someone posted on this forum that their parents had been royally stiffed by some panel installation outfit, so I am naturally very suspicious of the whole thing. Anyway, EDF are going to send someone round to assess the house so we'll see what happens. Is it just my suspicious nature or does it all wiff of "con"?
Opinions please Frenchies.

mikey77

707 posts

187 months

Thursday 4th September 2014
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We get pestered by this sort of thing all the time on the phone. They aren't linked with EDF in any official way - it's just a way of fooling the easily-led French into signing up. And it works.

Russwhitehouse

Original Poster:

962 posts

130 months

Thursday 4th September 2014
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Thought as much! Still, at least me and my eldest son will have fun winding up the "technician" when he turns up.

rdjohn

6,135 posts

194 months

Thursday 4th September 2014
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mikey77 said:
We get pestered by this sort of thing all the time on the phone. They aren't linked with EDF in any official way - it's just a way of fooling the easily-led French into signing up. And it works.
Me too, as soon as your hear any call centre in the background, it is best to just hang-up.

Russwhitehouse

Original Poster:

962 posts

130 months

Friday 5th September 2014
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Alas my son answered and he takes great delight in baiting them for as long as possible. My first action is also to hang up immediately. Anyone experienced the hilarious Indian call centre scam where someone who can hardly speak English claims to be from Microsofts trouble shooting technical department and tries to get you to hand control of your computer over to them. Excellent value and well worth keeping them going for as long as possible with lots of feigned computer ineptitude. Their frustration is almost palpable!

smifffymoto

4,527 posts

204 months

Sunday 7th September 2014
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Get fed up with the bloody Indians,however sometimes EDF do phone out of the blue,specifically from EDF Bleu ciel.Bleu ciel is the eco side of the business so 100% genuine.

lowdrag

12,869 posts

212 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
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Ah, the wonderful sales calls! Had the Indians on the phone and we have friends in Microsoft in Seattle. We know that these calls are scams, so I asked him for his telephone number so I could ring him back after I had discussed it with them. He even gave me the number!

Solar panels; I have a friend who knows this inside out. At first, the EDF paid handsomely with a lifetime contract and I know people who are making money hand over fist on their electricity generation (also the windmills too). Now the EDF have stopped it. Also, the majority of the solar panels, it seems, are made in China and have a life span of only 10 years. Beware! I know people here who were shown the EDF affinity contract, had the aeoliennes installed, they didn't work properly and then found out the whole thing was a scam, the paperwork falsified, and that the company had folded. Result was a 25,000€ loss.

A few years back it was heat pumps and the man turned up (I wanted to have a laugh), had no business cards or headed paper, gave me an estimate of 19,000€ and wanted me to sign on the spot. I was informed that there was a grant of 4,000€ from the state offset against my taxes. I explained I paid my taxes in the UK, at which point he supposedly phoned his boss who said that all I had to do was register with the Impôts and I'd get the money. I asked for the quote and confirmation of the grant in writing which of course I never got. That didn't stop them ringing back a few months later with the same patter and asking for another visit though! A proper installation is about 7,000€.

So I make my own enquiries, sort things out for myself and make appointments for the "arnaceurs" to come just to waste their time because I make sure I'm not there. Payback I call it. No matter what tradesmen call you, make sure they have a Siret, that they are properly registered, since they have to guarantee their workmanship. And remember that the VAT (or TVA) is substantially reduced for renovation work such as this.