The free-solar bait
free solar panel scam
Typical pitch: No electric bill, no out-of-pocket cost, or a government program that supposedly pays for the system.
Evidence to preserve: Ads, canvasser scripts, proposal screenshots, tax-credit promises, and the final financing disclosure.
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Tablet signature ambush
solar contract tablet signature scam
Typical pitch: A rushed e-signature flow where the homeowner signs before seeing the final contract, loan, or cancellation notice.
Evidence to preserve: Audit trail, DocuSign envelope, timestamps, IP records, salesperson texts, and the first full copy received.
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Dealer-fee loan inflation
solar loan dealer fee fraud
Typical pitch: A low monthly payment that hides a larger principal balance, dealer fee, or payment jump after a promo period.
Evidence to preserve: Loan agreement, APR disclosure, cash-price comparison, tax-credit language, and payment schedule.
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Payments before PTO
solar loan payments before permission to operate
Typical pitch: Payments start while the system is off, inspections are unfinished, or the utility has not approved interconnection.
Evidence to preserve: PTO records, utility emails, inspection notes, lender statements, monitoring screenshots, and service tickets.
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Title trap lien surprise
solar UCC lien title problem
Typical pitch: A UCC-1, fixture filing, PACE assessment, or payoff demand appears during refinance, sale, or estate transfer.
Evidence to preserve: Title report, county recorder search, payoff letter, financing agreement, escrow notes, and lender messages.
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Installer ghosting and warranty stall
solar installer disappeared warranty complaint
Typical pitch: The installer stops answering, blames the lender or utility, changes names, dissolves, or abandons warranty work.
Evidence to preserve: Service tickets, call logs, bankruptcy notices, corporate records, warranty documents, and repair estimates.
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Savings fantasy spreadsheet
solar savings estimate false promise
Typical pitch: Projected savings, production, offsets, or bill reductions do not match the utility bills after installation.
Evidence to preserve: Proposal, shade report, production guarantee, pre/post utility bills, monitoring exports, and usage history.
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Permit and roof damage dodge
solar roof damage permit inspection complaint
Typical pitch: Panels are installed with roof damage, failed inspections, missing permits, bad wiring, or unresolved leaks.
Evidence to preserve: Photos, inspection cards, permit portal records, roofer reports, insurance letters, and repair invoices.
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Utility impersonation hook
solar company pretending to be utility
Typical pitch: A rep implies they work for the utility, a city program, or a neighborhood energy initiative.
Evidence to preserve: Door hanger, badge photo, phone number, recorded voicemail, email domain, and utility denial letter.
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Solar robocall lead-gen scam
solar telemarketing scam robocall
Typical pitch: A survey, rebate check, free quote, or energy audit call routes homeowners into a high-pressure solar sale.
Evidence to preserve: Caller ID, recording, consent language, landing page, lead form, appointment confirmation, and opt-out record.
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