"First of all I would just like to say that I have purchase from Silicon Solar several times and am very satisfied with the quality of their products.

In response to many of the below postings, I’d like to give you a little background on Silicon Solar before you go running off to make assumptions. I live locally to the company and have known of their existence (since 1998) and have seen them grown into a well established organization in the area. They started as a research and development company in a small building designed and engineering solar energy products, since then they have moved a million times (almost) into larger, more suitable buildings. Reading the below posts is understanding given the considerable growth the company has experienced over the life of it’s business. I know for a fact that the organizational members are there day and night always working (people are always coming and going, even at 11PM!!). It upsets me to read these criticizing posts in which people have no understanding of the dedication this organization has to its customers. If I ever have a problem with any of the solar products, they are more then willing to assist in repairing or replacing the product.

Regarding some posts below about the BBB, I went to the website and see that they don’t even have the correct contact information or organization description, it’s a wonder people can’t get through on the phones when their calling the wrong number. I know the owners of the business and they are always willing to assist any level-headed customers with their needs. If you are having trouble, you can email the customer support manager (I called to get this) at ****@****

Hope this helps! If anyone wishes to contact me, please do!

-Frank
"

"My experience purchasing from this company was a nightmare! I ordered 6 solar lights in MAY. My credit card was immediately billed for all 6 lights, however, I received NO lights until more than 3 months later. In August, after several telephone inqueries, I finally received 2 of the 6 lights I had ordered. One of the lights is defective and one does not work at all. To this day I have still not received my entire order! This company if VERY DIFFICULT to get a hold of by phone. "

"hhmmmmmmm,
Well,the purchase went fine.Placed the order,got the conformation.And got the product within a reasonable amount of time.(20 watt DIY kit). No problem with that.The only problem was I didnt get what was advertised on their web site.
No soldering iron holder,(which isn't a big deal I guess)But the big problem was......NO INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!! How to assemble the solar cells,or how to "Build an inexpensive Housing" Like my SALES INVOICE STATED....
10/03/05
Recieved my "instructions" via internet today.....
Now......I'm a happy shopper..

John"

"This has been the worst experience I have ever had with a retailer. I purchased solar
garden lights from Silicon Solar advertised as stainless steel...I felt confident dealing with
this company because they offered a one-year guarantee...however they do not honor the
guarantee. The customer service is basically non-existent, they cannot be reached by
phone, if you call their number their voice mail service just switches you from extension to
extension and the call is never answered....I finally reached the owner via email, I
explained that the lights I purchased were now rusted and corroded after just a few weeks
and they were not stainless steel as described. I explained that I would like a refund for
the rusted lights. This man was totally disagreeable, belligerent and outright rude...he
refused to issue a refund and told me to clean the lights and apply a rust protector to the
outside surface. I feel this attitude was totally unacceptable, I had purchased NEW
stainless steel lights and I should not have to treat these lights after they have now
corroded....The owners attitude was basically TOO BAD ! I wish I knew about this
website before I made this purchase from Silicon Solar, I would have read all the problems
that their customers have had with misrepresentation and outright fraud in the past...I
cannot understand how the state of NY allows this company to continue to operate...I
have filed a complaint with states attorney general hoping for some type of solution to this
problem. I would advise anyone considering a purchase from Silicon Solar to stay clear
and find a reputable solar light dealer."

"Two of the components were okay, but the solar cells were absolute junk. Using a sensitive multimeter, couldn't discover polarity for two cells. The other was barely there.
Have made two attempts to get replacements, to no avail."

"This company does not follow through on their stated policies regarding the return of merchandise. The forms that they utilize for customers to make inquires do not generate any type of response. They will not accept any e-mail messages (an automated response is generated requiring the sender to use the forms that do not generate responses). They will only accept returns 14 days from receipt but in order to return an item you need to fill in a form to request a RMA and this form is never responded to."

"This company is impossible to get a hold of. Over a dozen calls were made to more than one of their listed phone numbers ***-***-**** & 7861)and no one ever comes on the line - just a computer voice. I have notified them via their customer service form and in two emails that I'm cancelling the order I placed yesterday. I have not found one positive rating on the internet about this company and it's customer service. No one else can get a hold of them, either.

Added 8/11/05 - Finally found a phone number on the internet to get a hold of someone. I called and spoke directly with the owner, Adam Farrell @ ***-***-****. As I expected, he was full of excuses as to why his secretary was not answering the phone today (personal leave of absence) and why I could not get a live person on the phone (they are handling 1000's of orders daily). All BS."

"How I wish now I had found this site, or RipOffReport.com BEFORE I made the mistake of thinking I could succeed in doing business with this company.

I was impressed by their web site assurances of "serving solar markets for more than seven years", "goal ... deserve the trust of our customers", "determined to combine honest helpful dealings with the best service", "long - term customer satisfaction", "knowledgeable and courteous customer service staff", and the clincher: "Webpage and Prices are Updated Daily".

I ordered an American-made (according to their web site) solar panel & pump, the Solar Fountain Plus, because its size and specifications fit my application, from Silicon Solar's web site, paid more by VISA for delivery by FedEx. The order shipped the following day via UPS.

When I complained about the incorrect shipper before the goods arrived, their response was a curt explanation that they no longer use FedEx, and their telephone number and hours of business. Essentially, so what if you paid more for a service we no longer use.

The item that arrived turned out to not be the one I ordered or was invoiced for. The only identification on the box, parts or instructions is a QC sticker which, together with the language of the instructions, indicate an origin remote from the USA. The pump is about twice the required size, and therefore quite useless to me, and the solar panel is substantially smaller than the description for the Solar Fountain Plus.

I emailed them again promptly after receiving the order last Friday. Further emails, including my use of web site contact forms were ignored until Wednesday night, when they admitted shipping a different unit than I ordered. I was given an RMA for just the pump.

"The unit you received is actually the Sun Flow unit. We will authorize and RMA number for you to return the upgraded PUMP ONLY, and send you an obsolete replacement pump of 2" high by 3.5" wide that you can use for your custom application."

The size of the solar panel I received does not match their online description for the Sun Flow unit, either.

Calling by telephone (not toll-free), on more than one occasion during their quoted office hours, gets one to a voice response system which eventually refers you back to their web site!

I am not a happy camper. I have yet to see the claimed customer support or after sale service, or an explanation of how "Webpage and Prices are Updated Daily" resulted in me be able to order an apparently "obsolete" item. They have ignored my requests to do the right thing and refund my full purchase price.

I have done all I can do - handed this over to my credit card company. The Federal Trade Commission, NY State Attorney General, Better Business bureau, and others, all will hear about this fraud, bait and switch, or whatever you wish to call it.

Caveat Emptor! You have been warned!

A search of the web confirms that the site www.solar-cell.org has the same address and telephone numbers and contains references to www.siliconsolar.com.

Latest development: On 07/06/2005 I received, by Priority Mail, yet another incorrect pump. According to the invoice, it was an inferior (compared to my $99.95 order) Aquajet selling for $69.95. No refund in sight. The shipment was refused, as I will all future shipments from this rip-off artist. At this time I am down the original $110.76, plus $12.00 for return shipping and Priority Mail to my VISA provider. All the motivation I need to continue to report this fraudulent behavior to every authority with jurisdiction.
"

"This is an update to my previous review:
Today (June 17) the fountain I had ordered from Silicon Solar finally arrived. This was after my credit card company informed them that I was disputing their charges. The question remains whether Silicon Solar would have sent the merchandise if I hadn't alerted the credit card company. All I can say is that if Silicon Solar is not dishonest, then it is terribly disorganized. Buyers beware!"

"I’ve had many of the problems described below.

I ordered a solar fountain in April. I received the solar panel and pump within a week. It took two more weeks of poor communication on their part to finally get the fountain. On assembly I found out that the pump can not physically be used with the fountain. The pump is too big to fit thought the hole and you can not disconnect the wires from the panel. I requested a return number for the whole order. They had a couple of lame things to try to get it to work. Then they pointed to their return policy says that you can not return solar panels. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY FROM THE SOLAR PANELS THAT CAN NOT BE RETURNED. That is why they sent the panel so quickly. That way if you get disgusted with the order and their treatment they still get to keep some of the money. It’s FRAUD. They are selling something that doesn’t work as advertised and they don’t care!

Here’s a list of sites I am going to submit to:

Better Business Bureau, Inc. http://www.upstateny.bbb.org (search for Silicon Solar and see all of the complaints)

N.Y. Attorney General’s Office http://www.oag.state.ny.us/home.html

Internet Fraud Complaint Center, FBI http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

Internet National Fraud Information Center Watch www.fraud.org

http://www.fraudbureau.com


Legal Dictionary definition of fraud:

fraud
n.
[Latin fraud- fraus]
1.
a. Any act, expression, omission, or concealment calculated to deceive another to his or her disadvantage; specif A misrepresentation or concealment with reference to some fact material to a transaction that is made with knowledge of its falsity or in reckless disregard of its truth or falsity and with the intent to deceive another and that is reasonably relied on by the other who is injured thereby
b. The affirmative defense of having acted in response to a fraud
2. The crime or tort of committing fraud (convicted of securities fraud) see also misrepresentation
- A tort action based on fraud is also referred to as an action of deceit.

Update 6/1/05

I looked at undoing the wires at the panel before they recommended it but the cover doesn’t slide completely off the screws holding the wire clamp bar. It was impossible to back the partially covered screws out. I can post pictures if anyone is interested. Also if I tried to follow their directions I would loose 20% fee if I damaged anything.

Everything was returned as I received it and can post pictures if they start playing with the 20% fee.
"

"Inacceptable business practices and total lack of communication sum up my experience with Silicon Solar. I placed my order on 3/13/05 for a birthday present, received an automated reply that my order would be shipped within 5 days. On 3/24/05 I logged into the company website to find out that my order was on backorder for 3 weeks (no note from the company though). I tried to call the company to find their phone either busy or playing "all our representatives assisting other customers". I emailed the company - no response. Four weeks after placing my order I tried to contact the company again. No response. I then cancelled my order by sending an email to all the addresses listed on the company website. Again no response. On 5/6/05 I received an email from UPS that my order was being shipped; my credit card was also charged. I will complain to the Better Business Bureau (New York), adding my voice to a long list of complaints already lodged against Silicon Solar."

"I am trying to speak to a person from SiliconSolar . I am based in the middleeast (Dubai) .I have sent faxes, over a dozen phone (international) calls to the phone no. mentioned on the website but no sucess yet. Can you please help?
V.S.Menon (****@****)"

"I ordered and received a Crystal Flow fountain kit for use in a small outdoor pool. The pump was advertised as submersible but it came with a warning saying that the end with the electrical connection must not go below water. I phoned and emailed the company to clarify this but got no response. After a month I gave up waiting and decided to try it out. For the first time I removed the solar panel from the bottom of the shipping box and discovered it was smashed. It had only been packed it a piece of brown paper. I called UPS and initiated a claim. Because of the low value of the item ($80), UPS never bothered to pick up or inspect it. When I followed up with them a few weeks later they said that they had approved the claim and sent the money to Silicon Solar. I was again unable to reach any one at the Silicon Solar by phone, but this time they did respond to my email saying that when they receive payment from UPS they would send a refund to me. That was early September, 2004. I have never received a refund or an explanation even though I have tried several more times to contact them. "

"Placed an order and when I received credit card statement I noticed that I was charged twice for the item. I then discovered that you can't get the company to answer their phone or espond to emails."

"I ordered a Multi-Purpose Solar Flag Light which cost $152.69, stock number 04-1213. This order was placed on 02/03/05. I received it today March 10, 2005, over a MONTH later. Not only did it not include a shipping invoice or a instruction sheet, but it was the WRONG solar light. I was sent a different model, a Motion Solar Light which they sell for $72, stock number 04-1029. They sent me the wrong stock number, no instruction book, no invoice. What good is a motion solar light when it is intended to highlight a flagpole? I paid good money for what I ordered and received a worthless solar light at half the cost.

March 16, 2005. Several calls placed to this companies customer service number. Could not reach a real person. Could not even leave a message. I have contacted my credit card company to dispute the charges and activate a fraud investigation. "