# Forum Home Renovation Solar Electrical Systems  Hard Sell

## Feralbilly

Hi All, 
Does anyone know anything about an organisation called "Australian Renewable Energy Association" They seem to have offices in Dandenong, Vic and Southport, Qld and are, apparently, opening an office in Cairns, Far North Qld. 
They currently have a salesman going round the Atherton Tablelands area who called on us after we got a letter from Dandenong and a phone call to make an appointment. They re offering all sorts of discounts and incentives in order to "establish themselves in the area". But in order to get the maximum discounts and offers we have to be the first in our area to get them to install and also allow them to put up a small sign outside our place and allow them to photgraph the installation for use in their advertising. 
However I am a llittle suspicious of salesmen who make special offers, discounts, etc, etc. and I wodered if they are actually a reliable company and if anyone anyone had any experience of them. 
They are not listed on the Clean Energy Council web site as accredited installers, but  the CEC do say that it could be the individual employees that are accredited and not the company as a whole, so I have asked this organisation, by email, for the names of installers, But have not had a response as yet.
They have a web site at www.powerreductions.com.au but that gives very little information about them. 
Any replies would be much appreciated as we are aware that there are shonkey mobs out there and we have no desire to get stung. 
Billy  *If it looks too good to be true, it probably is*

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## Smurf

1. I can't get the website to open. Possibly just a technical fault, but... 
2. I'd be very, very suspicious of anyone wanting to put an advertising sign in my front yard as a condition of being supplied with some good or service. It's not exactly a normal business practice, indeed it's basically unheard of unless you count radio station competitions requiring you to put a sticker on your car or free soft drinks given out by major take away chains on the same basis. You won't find Woolworths, David Jones, Caltex, Telstra, Qantas or even your local corner store paying for advertising via a sign on your front lawn... 
Be wary in my opinion.

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## Godzilla73

G'day, 
Down here we get roof restoration mobs offering a 10-20% discount if they can nail a sign to your fence for 12 months, only seems to be if you live on a major road or thoroughfare in your area though, and i have seen a few of the solar mob signs around too.

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## Feralbilly

Yeah, it wasn't a condition of sale that they wanted to advertise. They said that they wanted a "show house' as they were only just starting up in this area and would pay us if we allowed them to put up a sign and use us foe advertising purposes. This payment would be in the form of a discount. 
I am still wary as I have had dealings with attempted scammers in the past. This company is registered with ASIC and has an genuine ABN and ACN. 
The other thing I have discovered is that the mobile phone number of their Energy Consultant Manager is registered to an "Astrolergers and Clairvoyants" in Berwick, Vic. which is a bit of a worry.
I suppose that sho could have moved from "Celestial Moods" to this company and taken her mobile with her.

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## Bloss

Stay away from them - 'dodgy bros'.

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## Draffa

Yes, YMMV, but on the olds' house, they finally bit the bullet and had both SPV and SHW installed.  The SHW bloke put a sign out front as well (I think he just asked if he could, no discount or anything).  It lasted a fortnight before someone nicked off with the coreflute (left the stake.  How polite).  We've had no issues with either system, except that the SHW booster was wired up wrong (fixed the next day).

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## Bruiser

Ha, yeah, the sign - an old sales trick.  Same with 'first in' and 'establish ourselves in the area'.  What they want is your money, in exchange for their product.  And they already have you thinking about it...  good sales work, but not related to technical compliance. 
Do you want PV?  If not, there's your answer. 
If you do, then get 3 quotes (in fact you should be able to get 10 if you go to a few websites and email enquiries).  Work out what you want, what you want it to do and make sure it's all in writing.  '...we don't normally...' or '...it's just a standard form...' are comments that you fold your arms about.  Simple. 
In my experience, the sales team and the install team seldom like one another, if they ever know of each other.  Work out what you want or if you even want it, and go from there.  What's the rebate in your area?  Grid feed in tariff?

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## Ken-67

Registering with ASIC is a formality, in no way connected to a companies credibility. Likewise, an ABN and ACN is swimply a matter of applying for one as a trading business. They have a web site, Australian Renewable Energy Association - Power Reduction, but, again, anyone can build a web site (or get one built)
Having said that, none of this suggests they may not be reiable; they may be quite genuinely trying to establish themselves in a fairly new field. What does concern me is the cold-calling methods they are using. They would be better using a more conventional method of advertising, and slowly building a genuine reputation.
If you really want PV, you should use a well established company, or even go through your electricity supplier.

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