"I ordered a Pre Packaged SHW with Storage Tank and a few of the evacuated solar tubes had cracks in them. I called the customer service line, and replacement tubes were sent to me quickly and without cost. I was very impressed with the knowledge of the employees, as I also had some questions about my new system, but overall I gave the customer service an A+. Nothing is more frustrating than spending thousands of dollars on a product and not getting the help you need. So, Thanks Silicon Solar!!!! I will surely order from this company again"

"Do not order from this company! I do almost all of my shopping online and this has been BY FAR the absolutely WORST customer service I have EVER experienced! I was attempting to convert an existing electric outdoor fountain to solar as a gift for a family member. When I called, I explained to the customer service rep that the connector and cord for the solar panel had to be smaller than a certain size to fit through the existing fountain component. I was assured that it was no larger than a telephone cord even after questioning the connector size several times to make sure! I ordered it based on the reps information and, of course, when it arrived the cord itself was the size of a telephone cord but the connector plug assembly was much larger so would not fit through the component. On top of that, the pump that they recommended for my 26 inch outdoor fountain was smaller than the one that is in my 6 inch interior tabletop fountain! I called the very next business day with the intention of returning the panel kit and ordering one of their complete solar fountains instead. The service rep was rude even when I explained that I wanted to exchange it and that I was doing this as a Christmas gift so there was some urgency. I was told I would have to wait for a RMA number before I could return it and that it would take a couple of days to be sent one. She suggested that in the meantime I should just give the recipient an IOU. Excuse me?? I don't think so. Sensing that this was not going to be a typical online/mail order experience, I did not request that in the meantime they send me the fountain. Good move. Two full weeks later- now the 5th of January - I still had not received my RMA # so I called them again. Customer service again was rude and clearly annoyed. She told me that the entire company had shut down for 2 weeks over the holidays (at a retail operation??)and that it might take a few more days to get my RMA #. Three more days went by before I was e-mailed the number. I shipped it back the next day and had to call yet again a week later to confirm that they had received it. No e-mail acknowledgement. I was then told that it would take up to 4 weeks for them to refund my credit card!! So now, here it is, 6 weeks after I started the returns process and I still don't have a refund. And to top it off, it appears I will be charged a restocking fee for something I never would have ordered except that their rep assured me that it was the right size!

There are many online companies out there who know what good customer service is. Unfortunately, this is not one of them!

"

"I bought their solar chrismas lights originally to decorate my little brother's treehouse. They worked great and arrived when they said it would. I go to Cornell University and found out that they had opened an office by the mall, so I went in and talked to some of the people there, all very nice and helpful. They are great people and when I save up some money I am going to buy some more lights for my bro's treehouse!"

"I bought one of their sunMaxx systems and was looking for some information online for installation diagrams on how to integrate the product with my existing heating system and found this instead. I have to say this company def had some issues but wow do they get the wrong type of feedback. I bought this system with little problems, product looks and works great after all the installation I saw done in their local area. As for installing the system, they forwarded me to a few of their authorized dealers and I'm scheduled this spring! Very excited and hang in there guys, your doing the right thing! "

"be careful. better yet, find another vendor. here's my story. i had them "design" my system like they promote on their web page. when i did get my order, only two of the three pumps arrived, and these would not work with the controller they recommended, easily verified by the controller installation instructions specifying which model pump would work with the controller. Then 1 of three manifolds was missing. When my plumber started having problems with the pieces they sent, jared at silicon solar said he would default to the plumbers advice. I told him that the pumps were way too large (would use too much power, and i am trying to save it by installing solar!) and a heat exchanger was too small. He advised me to return them. I e mailed them asking for a label and i received no more e mails, no return calls and no mailing label. I mailed the pumps back at my own expense and they refused delivery. now i am left with disputing the whole purchase on my credit card. I also asked several questions about the wind worthiness of the roof mounts. The answers kept getting shorter and more irritated and they finally told me if i was not satisfied with what they provided to design my own mounts. (the 250 lb panels depend on 4 grade 2 bolts to hold them on the roof.)Once they get , they are gone. There are a lot of other vendors out there. Try someone else!

May, 2009. I was suddenly contacted by the customer service mgr who was actually very nice and refunded me completely. She went a long way to making this a much better experience. Maybe the posts about reorganizing are having an impact. Still, i would learn enough to design your own system."

"This company has a great product, it's too bad thier service is so bad. I have been lied to from the begining as to when my order would be in. I was going to cancel my order but Todd the sales manager called and I thought everything was straighten out. Justin contacted me and told me my order was complete and was ready to be picked up. I drove to Bainbridge, a 2 hour trip oneway to pickup my order. They substatuded the differential temp controller for one with a very poor instuctions, written in pigeon English. Also the tank sensors were not in stock and would be sent to me. So much for my complete order. I emailed and called and finally was to be sent the sensors, I received the wroung ones. After more emails and phone calls I was promised I would be sent the correct ones. Well now I have 2 pairs of the wroung ones. In the mean time I ordered a differential controller from the Alternative Energy Store and received it in 2 days. I hooked it up and got my system working, with no help from Silcon Solar. I wish someone else handled SunMaxx collectors because I realy believe they are an excelent product. The sun has hardly shown since I finished the installation but even on a cloudy day it still makes hot water. It is a shame that this company is so bad when it comes to customer service. I've gotten more help from thier competition then from them. I wish I had found this site before I ordered from them, I would have avoided them."

"RUN !! RUN AND DONT LOOK BACK, Crooks just charged my credit card 9000. buckeroos the same day I cancelled the order. I waited almost two months for nothing just to be put on backorder again 3 to 4 weeks. After finding this site I cancelled the credit card they had on file sept. 12. cancelled the order sept 23 and they charged my card the same day the sept 23 for 9600.00 bucks. How were they able to charge a account that had been changed due to a lost\stolen card?It is now the credit cards co. problem. Filed a dispute. Let them hassle with this crappy co. "

"I initially ordered a 20w solar panel kit in March 2008, and received it with a broken solar cell. I contacted SS and they put in a replacement request, and got it all processed. However, and for whatever reason, they have failed to ship it to me, now October 2008. I have called more than 10 times, at least 2-3 times a month, and they keep saying they are out of stock. I look on their site and they still say they're in stock. I also would like to bring to light their practice of charging a shipping company for broken parts when the box was not damaged but a part inside was damaged due to defective worker. UPS is out $92 for a problem that is the fault of SS's workers. So far, they have shown their true colors as a slime-ball company. Don't do business with them at all. They will screw you over.

Now it is 7/27/09, and I still don't have a replacement solar panel kit. The website apparently changed the order history to 1 8W DIY kit. I would like to say that I will give up trying, but this is now a quest of mine. "

"I ordered a solar waterfall. What they sent me was completely different. In fact it wasn't even solar, it was a much cheaper electric table top fountain. It was impossible to get them on the phone and when I did they were rude. Claimed I would have to pay a $25 restocking fee. In other words I would have to eat the cost of their shipping errors. I gave up and decided to chalk it up as a loss. Than today almost 3 months later these criminals charge my visa card again. I contacted my bank and they are processing it as fruad and canceling my card. Word to the wise don't deal with these people. And if you already did cancel your credit card and get a new number. If you don't they will still from you like they stole from me. It amazes me nothing can be done to shut this company and their site down. They are crooks. This isn't just about bad service or merchandise. These people are actual criminals."

"Do yourself a favor and deal with a better company than Silicon Solar I ordered a small fountain pump om July 6. First they shipped it to a different state. Thenthey put it on backorder. After series of ignored messages and phone calls I finally received my pump on August 29th, a full month after they charged my card. I put it in the fountain and started it only to find the pump hums so loudly that it is unusable for the purpose; it overpowers the water sounds. I immediately asked to return it for a refund. Their reply was it was now "used" amd ineligible for return. I protested and was told that I "agreed" to these terms when I placed my order.
So if you want to "take a chance" with a strict no-return policy, Silicon Solar is for you. But if you want decent merchandise with service and a satisfaction guarantee, shop elsewhere.

following up. I contacted SS again asking for contact information for the owner of the company. They replied that they could not give out that information, and that "The owner does not speck (sic) to customers." That should be a good indication to you about how Silicon Solar cares about their customers. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM FOR ANY REASON. You will regret it if you do."

"I ordered a solar powered pump for a water fountain. It took weeks to arrive and when it did, it appeared to work intermittently when there was full sun. Jiggling the switch occasionally helped, but it finally stopped working all together a week ago. I called customer service and they told me they would send me an email and that I would have to pay postage to return the item. What a deal. Defective product out of the box and I get to pay to the return. This company should be avoided."

"I purchased the demo hot water collector on 7/30/08. I received it on 8-5-08. Three out of 4 tubes were broken. The box was not marked fragile, glass etc, but was not damaged in any way, not even a crease. I think they sent me broken tubes. I opened a support ticket indicating the damage the same day. The next day the ticket showed closed. I called, waited 20 minutes and was disconnected. I called again, after 15 minutes David in Hot water sales told me the contact was on vacation and he would check on what to do. I reopend the support ticket. The next day, ticket closed, no work from SS. The day after I got an email to contact someone else(Justin), I emailed him, reopened support ticket. Next day, ticket closed. Two days later I got another email telling me to contact yet another
(Elizabeth). That was today, no response. Then I found this site. Wish I had found it before ordering.

Here is my ticket log:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8-05-2008
Three of the four tubes in my order were broken upon arrival. The box was not damaged. The box was not marked fragile, contains glass etc.
How should I proceed.
David Custer
***-***-****

Attachments P1010024.JPG (680.64 KB)



Capn Dave


Posted On: 07 Aug 2008 06:57 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spoke with David in Hot Water Support, was going to check on what to do, no word yet.


Capn Dave


Posted On: 08 Aug 2008 06:58 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Still no word from David. I am glad I didnt order the 3 30 tube arrays before I knew about the service I would receive.
What is the status of replacement tubes/or refund.


Customer Service 2


Posted On: 08 Aug 2008 07:04 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Customer,

Thank you for your interest in Silicon Solar Inc.

I would like to refer you directly to our Sales Associate Justin. You can reach them directly with the provided information below:
[email]:****@****
[phone]:607.563.SUN5 ext 211
Sincerely,

Silicon Solar Support Team

Visit www.siliconsolar.com/support/ for reference manuals, troubleshooting guides, knowledgebase and more!


Capn Dave


Posted On: 11 Aug 2008 06:22 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Still no word from SiliconSolar about my un-usable product. Support tickets keep getting closed with no actiiviy completed.


Capn Dave


Posted On: 11 Aug 2008 06:23 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emailed Justin on 8-8-08. No contact from him so far.


Customer Service 4


Posted On: 12 Aug 2008 12:59 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear David Custer,

Thank you for your interest in Silicon Solar Inc.

I am sorry for the hassle you are experiencing. Please contact the Solar Hot Water Assistant Manager Elizabeth at ****@****
Sincerely,

Silicon Solar Support Team


Capn Dave


Posted On: 12 Aug 2008 03:35 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth,
See below, Why is it that I called David, who had me contact Justin who had me contact Elizabeth.
Why doesnt the support team, uh, support?


"

"I ordered a solar powered fountain and paid an additional $45 for a battery pack so that the fountain would continue running even tho clouds might pass over. Website indicated that charge should be good for 4-5 hours. The battery part has never worked - fountain runs when sun is directly on panel, then quits. I spent two weeks exchanging emails with company. Finally called to speak with live person. "Christi" told me that there is no warranty on the batteries, that mine has failed (actually, never worked) and that I will need to buy a new one. I wish I had seen that this site rates this supplier very low before I bought. No customer service here. Also, the fountain looked a lot better on their website. Don't buy from these people.
Update February 24, 2009. I see that Silicon Solar has replied to my review - and it only took them seven months. I did everything their rep told me to do with this solar panel and their answer was that letting it run down ruined it. Since the purpose is to run the pump without sun (and run the battery down) I find their answer to be bogus. DO NOT order from these people. New York Attorney General is building a file on them."

"Arrrghhh, why didn't I check this site before I placed my order with this shambolic company. Here is the email I sent to the CEO of Silicon Solar earlier today:
------------------------------------
FAO Adam/Matt Farrell

I recently purchased one of your solar powered ball fountains as an anniversary present for my wife. On opening it today we discovered that the
ball fountain-head was split into two sections with a jagged shear-line. See pictures, available here:
http://dreadtech.com/siliconsolar/DSCF3533.JPG
http://dreadtech.com/siliconsolar/DSCF3534.JPG

At first I thought that it may have been deliberate, but when the pieces
were placed together, there were large, ugly gaps between the two pieces:
http://dreadtech.com/siliconsolar/DSCF3535.JPG

All of the other components were seemingly fine and in good shape.

I called your customer service number and spoke to a friendly lady, who put me on hold. Ten minutes of hold music later (our phone has a call timer), I get disconnected. So I called back and this time spoke to "******", who claimed to be the office manager. She was wildly unsympathetic
to my predicament: buying a present for my wife and finding it cut in half.
She told me that I would have to wait up to five days for UPS to arrange an inspection...and *then* send it back to you for inspection...In the end I suppose you may have sent me replacement but nothing of the sort was suggested. Is this the "no-hassle return guarantee" you mention on your website?

Four things:
1> If a customer buys a product from you, they have a legal right to receive it in working order. Regardless of your "returns policy", if it's broken,
they should be sent a replacement asap.
2> The customer shouldn't be involved in deciding whose fault it was (ie UPS or you) and should not be expected to act as go between.
3> Being told that "the CEO doesn't take phone calls" really paints a grim picture of you and your organization.
4> I have several reasons to believe that UPS were not, in fact, at fault. I'd like to talk to you about that in person.

So now, I feel that I have been conned.
A present for my wife has cost me financially and made us both very unhappy.
Even though I know you "don't take calls" (why should you, we're just the customers), do you ever make them ?

My number is xxx-xxx-xxxx
------------------------------------
Well, I hope that's who I sent it to - I had to Google him and guess the address.

Their mail server has seemingly been configured to reject all mail to invalid addresses with a "temporary delivery failure" which means you don't know it's failed for several days. Perhaps they've had a lot of angry mail ?
Further Googling yielded accusations of other types of malfeasance in the past too.
My advice - stay away."

"I can not believe the poor level of service and the lack of communications from Silcon Solar. I ordered a SunMaxx Demo solar heater on April 11, 2008. The order was back ordered as they were waiting for their shipment - Understandable but no one called or emailed me to let me know. The order was shipped in May, 2008 and received on May 9, 2008 with the tubes all broken and shipping boxes smashed and parts missing. I contacted Silicon Solar and sent pictures and they appoligised and was told that a replacement unit would be sent right away. I have contacted them a number of times and each time they have promised to ship the unit that day with the latest being June 23, 2008. So far nothing. Hopefully their products are better than their service.

UPDATE: June 25, 2008
Called Silicon Solar June 24, 2008 to check order status and was told the order had been shipped and was given an UPS tracking number. Checked the tracking number on the UPS site on June 25, 2008 and found out the ordered had been voided. Called UPS and they informed me that Silicon Solar had not shipped the unit. Called Silicon Solar and spend over 2 hours on hold on the phone. Still have not got through to anyone.

Update June 27, 2008
Called again to check order. Talked to Justin who talked with Francesco, said it would be taken care of today.

Update June 30, 2008
No news or call from Silicon Solar. Called again left message for Justin and Francesco to call me.

Update July 1, 2008
No call back from Silicon Solar so calleds again today. Was informed that it had not been shipped as promised and that they would look into getting it shipped soon. More waiting.....
Called back to Silicon Solar in the afternoon and they said it would be shipped today and I would have a tracking number tomorrow (July 2, 2008).

UPDATE July 2, 2008
Called Silicon Solar today and they cage me a new UPS tracking number. Tried the number on the UPS tracking website and it returned a:
>>> UPS could not locate the shipment details for your request. Please verify your information and try again later.
UPDATE July 3, 2008
Checked the UPS tracking number and now shows that the billing information has been submitted by Silicon Solar. Information on UPS shows one package at 20LBS, the previous system was 2 packages at 15LBS each. Phoned Silicon Solar to inquire why the difference and couldn't get through to anyone.

UPDATE July 4, 2008
No Return call from Silicon Solar. Assuming closed for the long weekend holiday.

UPDATE July 7, 2008
Well to my suprise, a package showed up from Silicon Solar. However it was a box of broken tubes and not even the system I had purchased. I submitted a damage claim to UPS and sent the new photos to Silicon Solar. Called Silicon Solar and they said a new system was on the way. At least now their trying!

UPDATE July 14, 2008
Received an email from Silicon Solar on July 9, 2008 with a UPS tracking number. Checked the tracking number Silicon Solar sent me today and nothing has progressed. UPS still has not got the package from Silicon Solar even though they said it was shipped on July 9, 2008.

UPDATE July 18, 2008
Still no product! Called and actually talked with Liz, the assistant mamager at Silicon Solar, who finally told me that they were waiting for stock of the solar hot water heater and that it wouldn't be in untill mid August and that they could ship it then. Four months now and still not a working system as of yet......

UPDATE July 24, 2008
Conclusion: Silicon Solar is not a company you want to deal with - Four Months and No Product - Run Away and Stay Away! YOU WILL LOOSE YOUR MONEY!

UPDATE August 12, 2008
Signed up for Vonage phone service (FREE long distance calling) and called Silicon Solar an average of 20 times a day for almost a month, I tied up their phones, their staff and called all line options, over and over again. They finally got tired of hearing from me and they finally refunded my credit card the full amount just to get rid of me.

BE AWARE! This company has NO morals, DO NOT BUY FROM THESE PEOPLE or YOU WILL GET RIPPED OFF!"