Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/02/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had this company install solar at my home. It was complete end of May 2024, I thought. It is not and cannot be connected to the power grid because the company never filed a permit for the solar panels. This is what I sent the company this morning. 1. I called *** to find out what was taking so long (to get my meter connected). You guys were working with the WRONG power company. 2. I tried filling out the *** information on line since I couldn't get your company to do it. I hit a snag because the inspection was never done.3. I called *********** and asked about the inspection. I spoke to *** (*****'s replacement). They are NOT closed. He told me that a solar permit is ALSO required. That is why there cannot be an inspection. 4. I called the Santa Rosa county permit office and started asking questions. They referred me to the office that handles Solar permits. You never pulled a permit. Nothing else will happen until YOU DO it. I sent the names and email addresses of those they need to contact at the ************************************* permit office. They have reached out to by email to try and help Bushido complete the permit. I also sent the link for Bushido to register the company and get the permit form completed.They are now saying, "our contract has been fulfilled with our scope of work that we were hired to do. The trenching, pole barn was installed and your solar panels were installed as well as the batteries and inverter." While that is correct, I do not have permission to operate and I've paid in full. Please help me convince them to pull the appropriate permit so I can get this connected.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2024

  We were hired to do the installation of a pole barn with solar panels attached to it, there was also installation of batteries and an inverter for the panel to produce energy. We are not licensed electricians in the state of *******. Once we were there the pole barn location changed due to customers request which changed the plans we had in mind, as a result we had to trench over 150 ft and had to make changes on the spot to please customers request. Prior to us arriving to complete install the customer expressed to us that no one in her area had been willing to help her and or do the installation the way she wanted to be done, we worked with her throughout the process speaking to her HOA about approval and prior to us arriving we were in communication with ***************** in regards to the install. We explained to ****************** that she would need a dual meter and would assist her in the process of getting that done, MetroPower is in possesion of permits needed for her to acquire a dual meter at her home so her panels could produce, MetroPower was undergoing changes within their company and we were not hearing back from them at a reasonable time, when we explained this to ****************** she proceeded to call MetroPower and the county to the point that neither of them were willing to assist or give any information needed. Santa Rosa County provided the customer with a link to a self portal site where she could apply for it herself, as at time the customer was unwilling to provide information needed for us to assist her in applying, we walked her through the process over the phone at one point to get the permitting done. We had a plan in motion and this was relayed to customer on several occasions , she has every right to call the county and Metropower to get information, I was told however at one point the calls and constant emails at odd hours of the night made them unwilling to help due to the confusion of forwarded emails from her behalf. I explained once to customer that we had a plan in motion for her after the fact and assured her that we would do our best and assist her in getting permitted. The contract we have with customer which was signed by the customer and what we were hired to do has and was completed ,otherwise she would have not completed the final payment. Prior to us leaving we did a walk through with the customer and she was able to see the everything was powered on and working fine. We did the installation of the pole barn, installed the solar panels, along with the installation of her inverter and the batteries, also the trenching we did was covered up. We have sent over to the customer information she would need to complete the permit process  on the self portal site, which covers battery info, solar panel info, etc. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/21/2024

  Complaint: 22071913
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I was told by ************************* that they would take me all the way to "permission to operate".  Before they left, he said I was producing power which would be reflected in my next power bill and I was fully operational.  I believed them and paid their bill.  When I received another power bill, I called him.  That was when he told me about the dual meter requirement and said Florida Power and Light (***) was rejecting my power bill.  I believe they were contacting the wrong ***.  There are two.
  

  I started investigating and learned that there was an *** application required for dual metering and Bushido had never applied.  I said I would complete the application form if he could give me the required specs on the panels.  **************** talked me through the *** dual meter application process but the final step was to upload a copy of the inspection.  Since Bushido never applied for the solar panel permit, *********** was unable to get their permit approved.  Without both permits, there can be no inspection.  Without a passed inspection, *** will not accept an application for dual metering. 
  

  Bushido insisted they had to wait weeks for Metro offices in ******* to open in mid-August.  *********** offices in ******* were NOT closed for the summer but fully operational.  They should have been contacting *********** offices in ******* since that is the branch that did the work.  I provided Bushido with Metro names and phone numbers repeatedly.  I also had the ***************** permit office contact Bushido and they offered to assist Bushido in the online permit application process.  Despite emails and phone calls from the County, Bushido never responded.
  

  In addition to not being able to connect to ***, I do not have the app for my phone to use the inverter.  I do not have warranty information for all the components including the solar panels, wiring, inverter, and batteries.  I do not have the operations manual for the system or any of the components.  I do not have the installation or warranty information on the pole barn.  There were supposed to be stabilizing bars sent to me to keep the pole barn from swaying.  They never arrived.  I do not have "permission to operate". 

  What do I have?  I have rising power bills.  I have solar panels that cannot be connected to *** on a pole barn that sways.  I have a solar system with no way to operate it or connect to ***.  Basically, I was convinced to pay in full for a system that is useless because they didn't finish the paperwork for the installation.  Bushido refuses to take ten (10) minutes to complete an online permit form so this installation can be completed, so I have a useless $64,000 paperweight.
  

  I haven't been able to reach **************** in weeks.  I have to believe that if he knew what a disaster this installation has become, he would have someone at Bushido take a few minutes to complete the process.
  

  
  Regards,
  
  *********************