Great products !

"I recommend all of you once to have an experience of using siliconsolar products . We recently tried ordering couple of Solar Spot light & Flag Light 24 Ultra Bright LEDs ,sku is PatioPal-GS-SpotLight-24 and also a pump kit Solar Water Fountain Pump with Battery Backup Aqua-jet Custom Kit 24V with Battery Backup ,sku is AquaJetCustom-Kit-24V-V2. They are really amazing .I also had got in touch with the Sales Team with polite and helping attitude towards customers to suggest the right products as per requirement. I loved the services of them.Thank you team of Silicon-solar for suggesting me good products."

This is my first time purchasing with Silicon Solar and I’ve been very impressed. In particular, I’ve been impressed with your customer service, commitment and having my order delivered so fast!!. Thank you to all of you! Looking forward to purchase with you soon!!

I would like to commend Silicon Solar regarding about the replacement globe unit i received especially to Mafe who initially took my call.

Thank you very much for your help and speed response in resolving the problem. I appreciate your efforts an I extremely pleased with the results. Keep It Up!

I don't usually gave a feedback but I just want to share my experience about Silicon Solar I've purchased their Solar Water Fountain Pump with Battery Backup 24V – AquaJet Pro Kit and needed in less than 5 days because of a special event at my house as at the time i placed the order the customer rep named Brian told me that it will take 5-7 business days for the delivery but i requested to have it shipped earliest as possible as he said that they will do their best to have it shipped as soon as possible upon payment so after making the payment at that time with the receipt # and everything I was amaze that on the following morning I received a shipping tracking number of my order that it was already shipped never I expected in 3 days I already received my pump and I Love It all of my friends appreciate my pump after we install it and guess what they will purchase the pump i have with Silicon Solar thanks again I'll be purchasing more with you in the future!!!

Excellent Retail Company

“I have purchase the Genlight 2x! This is the first time I put my hand on green products, what an experience! I will definitely use solar things in the future.

This light kit is extremely to install, no installer require, myself can handle it, cause it is simple without connecting to the grid. Although it takes me sometimes cause i m new, but It will be so much faster in the future. I love solar things!”

Thanks again Silicon solar

totally negative they are horrible.
pump 6 weeks late now another 6 weeks?

Wow, I wish I read all these negative reviews before making a purchase with Silicon Solar!

They claim that they are Family Owned & Operated Since 1997 but customer service can barely type English. Silicon Solar is probably outsourcing their "support" to evade minimum wage laws in the USA. There's evidence that they write fake positive reviews here too. Fortunately Dave's Garden website at least put a stop to that.

I purchased their Solar Water Fountain Pump with Battery Backup 9V, the AquaJet-Pro-Kit-9V. The power was as expected but the battery portion stopped after a few months. I checked the battery with a volt meter and the battery only showed about 3 volts AC even after letting it charge in full sun for days. The battery is useless. Either it's extremely poor quality or defective.

After getting the run around for months, I finally got an email from Silicon Solar stating that they don't even warranty their battery after ONE month. Then they ignored my replies after that.

All I wanted was a solar pump for my bird fountain with a battery backup. I could have purchased the same or better quality on Ebay for a third of the price.

At close to $100 this was an expensive lesson. If other unsuspecting customers are trying to find reviews about products, hopefully they'll find all the reviews here. Don't waste your time and money.

Solar Fountain Submersible Pump AquaJet Pro 6-9V
AquaJet Pro Solar Fountain Submersible Pump 12-24V
Solar Water Fountain Pump with Battery Backup 24V AquaJet Pro Kit
AquaJet 6-9V Solar Pump Kit includes a 6-9V brushless solar pump with adjustable flow knob and dry run protection
24v AquaJet Custom Solar Fountain Submersible Pump Kit

Stay away from all of their products.

To anyone who is considering making a purchase with Silicon Solar, please be advised that this company is guilty of fraud.

Last summer I placed an order with them for an item that was on sale. Surprisingly this sale item as out of stock. I was told that it would be shipped by the end of September

September came and went and the order never shipped. By the end of October I requested a refund. After two months of emails, phone calls and constant promises that I would get my refund, I stopped hearing from them.

In January I filed a consumer complaint with the New Mexico District Attorney General's office. The DA sent three letters to them and never received a response. The case has now been closed and I never got my refund.

Their web site proudly proclaims this to be a "family business". Well, there are families, and there are families.

If you are considering buying from them, I strongly advise that you not do so.

So many have told MY story... "charged my credit card... no notice of back order when placing the order... promises after promises of being shipped out with a tracking number and etc. with no resolution." After a month and a half (and keeping all email exchanges on the subject which proved useful), I advised them to cancel my order and refund my money: which they did not do but promised me to check via a tracking number. I didn't wait for them to do anything because I was highly suspicious of them at this point when I canceled the order. When I gave notice to them, I IMMEDIATELY contacted my credit card company and disputed the charge, and my credit card company immediately refunded my credit card and created a claim. The credit card company investigated and I assisted with my information. Incredibly, Silicon Solar disputed my claim for a refund claiming I had received but never returned the item, and then changed their story to say I was sent the refund via check. I provided my email evidence and asked the claim department request Silicon Solar to provide a delivery receipt for the tracking number they claimed to use or conversely, to show my signature on the canceled check they supposedly sent me (via a tracking number): of course they could not do either because they had neither, and promptly dropped their defense and therefore my dispute stands, making the refund stand. From beginning to end it was a 3 month ordeal involving Silicon Solar.

Keep records, cut the transaction short when you believe it isn't going the way it should, contact your credit card company right away after cancelling your order.

Best of luck to you.... I will NEVER use Silicon Solar and will tell my story over and over again of the horrible experience with these people.

Solar fountains from Silicon solar works really great. It is definitely not a waste of money as you can have great deals from them. I am actually planning to purchase solar garden lights with them because they do offer great service!

Note from the Garden Watchdog editors...

Silicon Solar had really great deals on their solar lights. I bought garden lights and was happy with how they work. I am really fascinated with how they look in the dark. These solar lights really added some accent on my garden. Now with all those lights, I find it more enjoyable to stay on our garden at night.

Note from the Garden Watchdog editors...

I purchased some garden lights with Silicon solar and I am really happy with their service. They responded courteously to all my questions and the delivery is very fast. As soon as I got the garden lights I excitedly installed it in my garden with the help of my husband. We never needed to hire a professional electrician as we can have it installed on our own. We actually had fun while installing those nice garden lights. Thank you Silicon Solar.

Note from the Garden Watchdog editors...

I bought a solar light from Silicon Solar upon a friend’s recommendation and I am really satisfied with the product. It works pretty fine and the light is bright which illuminates my porch really well. I feel like I am a professional electrician because I was able to install it by myself. I will definitely recommend Silicon Solar to my friends and relatives.

Note from the Garden Watchdog editors...

I ordered a solar water fountain with Silicon Solar and I am amazed with how timely their delivery was. Their customer service was also exceptional; the agent whom I spoke with is very helpful and courteous. The solar fountain is nice and works really great. I would definitely consider Silicon Solar for my next purchase of solar product.

Note from the Garden Watchdog editors...

I have had 2nd thoughts in purchasing here since I am overseas. They were very accommodating and patient with me since it was my 1st time to order such outside the country. I understand there are some bad feedbacks but for me the did well. Thanks Silicon. Looking forward in doing more business with you guys.

Purchased a solar water fountain from this company (had good reviews about the actual product). Delivery took longer than expected, however I am happy with the purchase. Product works great; If you need a product immediately, just call their office to confirm eta on item. ~Thanks

Note from the Garden Watchdog editors...

Pretty much the same exact experience as everyone else: Ordered a solar fountain pump on 6/14/14. Waited 3 weeks for delivery. No pump. Called and emailed Silicon Solar. Took several attempts, and finally received a response back telling me the pump was back ordered, and not expected in until 9/17/14. Requested a refund on 7/2/14. Have sent many emails, made many calls. All the same excuse, about taking "7 to 10 days, have to work through our gateway company to get a refund either credited back to your card, or mailed to you." No refund to date. Now, not returning my calls or emails. Fortunately for me, I used my debit card, and my bank has issued me a refund and are investigating the purchase and the company. I have also reported them to the New York BBB and will also file a complaint with the state's attorney general office. //www.ag.ny.gov/consumer-frauds/Filing-a-Consumer-Complaint . They need to be put out of business, based on all their complaints all over the Internet.

I purchased a solar pump for a garden fountain on May 21, 2014. After almost 2 months of non-delivery, I cancelled the order on July 15 and was promised a prompt refund. It is now Aug. 22, and after two emails promising prompt action in July, I still have no refund. They are no longer answering emails. My first mistake - paying with PayPal. PayPal has no responsibility beyond 45 days from the date of order, regardless of when it was delivered. So my only recourse is the company. I will also be filing a complaint with the NY State Attorney General Bureau of Frauds and Consumer Protection (//www.ag.ny.gov/consumer-frauds/Filing-a-Consumer-Complaint). Based on these reviews, it would appear that they have a pattern of failing to fulfill orders.

August 14, 2014, Maryland: After reading some of the reviews, we were cautious purchasing from Silicon Solar, but ordered a solar fountain (6-9v) with battery back up. We are completely satisfied! Some notes: 1. The packaging was perfect and well done; 2. All contents were there, and every component is of excellent quality; The battery back-up is excellent construction and works perfectly; the pump does exactly what was expected, but others should be aware that this system is for a relatively small water feature (ours is approx. 25 gallons); 3. The wires in the battery box are "right-sized" for the 6-9v); 4. The instructions are clear and accurate, but one must read them!; 5. The timing system works fine; 5. The shipping took a little longer than we expected (it's not Amazon, after all); 6. The solar panel is well constructed and quality. Conclusion: the 6-9v fountain pump with battery backup is an excellent choice and we are more than satisfied! Jim S.

Ordered a small solar water pump for a small fountain on April 27. Today is July 13. Still waiting. Keep getting emails about delays. Was under the impression they were a manufacturing facility but am now suspecting pump is made in China and they are waiting for it to get made? I don't know except after 3 months still no pump that was supposed to be here before mother's day to complete the present for my wife. In any case, I will be cancelling the order and probably fighting like hell for a hundred dollar refund. Oy vey. Move on when it comes to this company.

ordered a solar water heater in june 2013, paid for it. When I called and emailed again in june 2014 said they would refund after one year of emails and excuses. today july 2 2014, no solar water heater, no money! Good website, no action.

Sunmaxx doing business as Silicon Solar are thieves!!!! I have a complaint filed with the NY Attorney General's office of Consumer Affairs and Fraud. They claim an A+ BBB rating but the BBB has an alert posting on Sunmaxx as they are not rated and have MANY complaints against them. They took $4,500 from me for 3 solar arrays sent me some boxes that only contained legs for the arrays and told me that they were in the process of moving their office, so there would be delays in filling my order. I spoke to another person in the company and she indicated that my order was being drop shipped from a supplier of theirs. They lie to your face and don't respond to phone calls or emails. I'm taking them to court.

Well my experience is not a good one. Basically, I should have known better. Always check site reviews before purchasing so you don't get disappointed. I ordered a bunch of stuff from their site several solar cells and some other stuff so I could start a project of building a solar panel. Me and my friends were excited when I told them about it. I ordered it on 3/13/14. It's now 6/24/14 and I've yet to see a package arrive or a shipping order received. I don't expect to see it anytime soon maybe never. If it's never I guess we can call them a bunch of thieves. I kept trying to email them and each time your solar cells are in production we are expecting them to be completed at random date, fill in the blank, here __/__/__. They just keep pushing back further and further I guess that's what they're good at. All in all I'm down 150$. I'm going to look for a different site to buy solar cells maybe ask some local people in my friend group see if anyone else knows of a good site. Maybe I'll receive the package from them sometime next century.

My experience with Silicon Solar started shaky but it seems as they're making huge strides! Customer service and communication increased greatly and the product that they provided was high quality and very satisfactory! We're happy to continue business with this company. Sometimes you have to support businesses through their growing pains. Glad we did!

Posted on April 28, 2014, updated May 5, 2014
All the reviews were 2008-2009. Supposedly, the recent college grad who had started this company had realized they had a problem and had reorganized the company and sorted things out. Apparently not. Here we are in 2014. We ordered a solar pump for our new ecosystem pond & stream. Husband spent much time with them to figure out best size. What they sent - and swore would work - barely pumped the water a couple of feet. Took a week of calls to get return authorization. Only one woman could authorize and she was out. Now we've been waiting for new pump for over two weeks. Got a box on Friday. Nothing in it but the solar panel. They swear they sent the whole system and "it must have been stolen out of the box." Sure. And then this weekend I read a virtually identical story on RipOff report: //www.ripoffreport.com/r/Silicon-Solar/Bainbridge-New-York-13733/Silicon-Solar-Ultimate-in-being-RUDE-EVASIVE-CON-ARTISTS-Bainbridge-New-York-370136

Now I doubt we'll ever get this pump. This guy has no business running a company. He should hire a grown-up to handle the business side of things.

Do NOT buy anything from Silicon Solar. I purchased $200 worth of solar lights and fountains. All is JUNK. The lights all are connected with very fine little wires that are all broken by the time you receive them. One fountain had a panel/pump combo that would not fit through the fountain opening so I had to hang it over the side out of the basin. It looks terrible. I spent months trying to get the company customer support to send me the correct items and all I got was a runaround. I finally, after 4 months emailed for the last time telling them that I was now very frustrated and asked if I was ever going to get what they promised. It has been another month and now they have completely stopped communicating. I wish I had come here first to read these reviews. So, DON'T get sucked in by their low prices for outdoor items. They have TERRIBLE customer service staff and the stuff is crap.

I bought a cascading fountain from this company online, 2 and half weeks ago and still have not received the item nor any info regarding my order status.

What i have got so far is the order number and even that i have to email them to get it. Their website that says you can track order is faulty as well.
The sales rep advised that he will will get back to me with a tracking number which he didn't. Subsequently, i send another follow up email couple of days later to follow up and was told that he is unsure and will check and nothing has come back since.

I have also send several emails to their customer support but with no reply whatsoever.Tried calling one day and told to leave a voicemail.

This is by far my worst online shopping experience. I can only hope that the item will arrive at my door step one day. God knows when?!

Just thought my experience would be beneficial to those looking at buying from Silicon Solar. The website seems to suggest they have good products with reasonable pricing but to say that their customer service is appaling is an understatement.

Bought a solar oxygenator from Silicon Solar this fall. At first glance I thought that it wouldn't make it through the winter. Left it out all winter. Was surprised to see it working under the ice. Amazing output and going strong this spring. The only weakness they was for the tubing attached to the pump. Had to glue a few pieces. They assured me they are working on that for future production. Excited to see and will like to purchase more in the future.

Note from the Garden Watchdog editors...

My name is Joel. I am part of the property management at D.D. Dunlap Companies. After our anchor tenant at the Huntington Harbor Mall (Trader Joe's) had a major underground electrical disruption in the wiring connecting there pylon sign to the power source, we began accepting bids to repair the damaged wires. With bids consistently coming in at the $13,000-14,000 range, we decided on a more cost effective solution and went with SiliconSolar’s Envirolight 2X medium billboard lighting kit and internally illuminated our sign with the GenX-12V-LED strips instead of using the external flood lights. The whole project cost was ($2,800). We thought it was too good to be true at that price, so we just went for it. The Installation was very easy, I was walked through the installation step by step over the phone while at the sign myself. We are very happy with the sign. Trader Joe’s already has a very good reputation of “being green” so they are very pleased with the alternative solution as well.

I ordered a solar fountain pump system and I was worried because of the negative reviews on solar fountain pumps. I spoke with a representative (Matt) and he went over all the changes they've improved on the design because of all the flaws in designs over the years. So I bought it and I must say I was very impressed.

Good service with experienced staff and the product came the same week I ordered it and I live in the opposite coast!

Thanks Silicon Solar, keep up the great work with great new products. Loving it and will be expecting more!

I decided to give Silicon Solar a try, despite the many negative reviews on this site and others, but because of the letter from the company I decided to give them a chance. Big mistake!!!

The best way to describe my purchase experience with Silicon Solar is by the email I received from them yesterday with the subject of "Feedback on Your Recent Order." The email was blank, no content, nothing. Silicon Solar is so far from having their stuff together that I have no idea why they are taking orders. The incompetence of Silicon Solar is beyond description and I cannot urge readers of this review enough to not waste their time with this company. I might recommend Silicon Solar to my enemies, but they would be the only ones and I would only do it so that they could experience the frustration that I did. Do not purchase anything from Silicon Solar!

The LATEST AND L.A.S.T. "EXPERIENCE" with Silicon Solar is I ordered a SPECIFIC pump for a Solar powered fountain that I bought from them they sent me the wrong pump packaged in a TORN IN HALF LEGAL ENVELOPE, charged me $12 for shipping on a $14 pump and when I DEMANDED a refund, they, refunded only the cost of the pump. I am out the outrageously high cost of $12, plus another $6 that it cost me to ship it back to them.
This is NOT the first time I have had BAD dealings with these ROOKIES. I should have learned from my FIRST MISTAKE--MADE back in 2003/2004 that I had forgotten about--when I HAD TO GET MY CREDIT CARD COMPANY INVOLVED TO GET MY MONEY BACK.

I think that anybody that has had a negative experience with this company in the past, should give them a second chance.I made a purchase from them over 3, almost 4 years ago (july2007).The project was at my vacation home.I could only work on my project 4 weeks per year at a time.I just now (feb 2011) got around to checking the equipment I had purchased 3 years earlier.I didn't have/wasn't sent, all of the parts!! I called the company and explained my situation and why I had not called YEARS earlier..Without any drama or fanfare ,they quickly shipped, AT NO COST TO ME, my parts !!! They are a family owned company and I think sometimes , its hard to work with/for family, which could have been the reason for all the negative comments.But I truly believe that this company is heading in the right direction.I will continue to do business with them.

Posted on October 18, 2010, updated January 17, 2011
I bought my roof hot water solar system about one year ago. It cost about $3k and almost $1k in parts for me to install it myself. The first thing I did was install the interior portion with the tanks and piping to a new stainless steel electric hot water heater (the almost $1k does not include this heater). I had to wait until next year when they put on the new roof to attach the collector over it.

The directions for putting this unit together are very minimal. Without experience I would not recommend it. I have had plumbing electrical, electronic and mechanical experience. Once I attached the controller to the roof unit it would not work. It turns out that it needs a 10k ohm thermistor that fits into a 3/16 diameter tube in the unit on the roof and in the tank. They sent me a 1k ohm unit that did not match the controller. After about 7 weeks they sent me two $3 thermistors that went with the controller. There was no way they would fit. They were the bolt on lug type. So, in the original shipment they sent me the wrong controller and sensors. They were mismatched by the company and would not work. I called them (many times) and their final answer was that I had exceeded the 30 day warranty. Can you imagine that?!? I am literally and figuratively left out in the cold. There is no way that anyone could assemble this unit in 30 days and wait for a new roof to be put on. They shipped my the wrong controllers that I paid for and want me to suck it up.

I picture Silicon Solar as a room of cubicals with salesman putting together units from suppliers and never knowing what they had for materials to sell. I never spoke to anyone that had first hand experience/knowledge with the unit. One comment was that the technology is changing rapidly. This made me think that what would happen if you needed a replacement part???

I read their comments at the beginning of this thread and nothing has changed as of 10/18/2010. The unit works good manually and i like the heat pipe design. It is not a solid panel and lets the wind through so that a gust will not take it away off the roof; but otherwise make up your own mind. If you buy one put it together quickly,very quickly!

They charged my card $96.24 last Oct and have sent NOTHING.

On June 12 2008, I ordered a DIY20W kit to make a small solar module. Since it was out of stock, I graciously waited some months and gave it no more thought since my card had not been then charged.
When my credit card was later charged on Oct 27 the item was still on back order, I stupidly remained patient for several months accepting their excuses.
After about 5 intervening email exchanges at least 5 phone calls every few weeks, they told me the vendor no longer makes them. Rather than wait forever for a substitute vendor to make them, I asked for my money back in early March. They of course promised the billing dept would refund in 3 weeks (end of Mar) but had to deal with some computer problems.

I'm still waiting for my money back and biting my tongue to keep civil.
This is my worst ever online order experience.

Brian N

"On Aug 31, 2009 6:18 PM, Silicon Solar Inc. responded with:

Brian, I would like to sincerely apologize for your experience. What happened with the vendor was a matter of unfortunate timing, and then it seems that someone mistakenly charged this order to your credit card, which has since been corrected. Since then, we have mailed out a refund check to credit you the full amount. Again, I apologize and thank you for your patience in this matter."

How do I explain how bad my experience was? I'll start from the beginning. Well, I saw several bad reviews on siliconsolar before I made my purchase, but their price was just too good. I broke what I needed into two orders, one real small to test them, and then if they proved "safe" I was going to place the second and larger order.

Needless to say, it has taken 7 months, countless phone calls and emails to get my money back. They kept saying they would fix the order, but they didn't. They then said they would give me a refund, but they didn't. Finally the fraud department at my bank refunded me my $332.88. So I paid interest on $332.88 for 7 months, because they sent a partial order that I couldn't use, and never finished anything they started.

In order to give you an idea of how much crap I had to go through, I'm attaching one of the email chains that went between me and the company. If you notice, at one point I even cc'ed every email address I could find for every employee at the company just trying to get somebody to respond.

I did remove my name from the emails, that’s the only thing I changed. When you look at the dates, I want you to realize that my bank refunded me yesterday, 4-13-2009, for this purchase. After the last email from them, they were several phone calls, including one from my bank's fraud department, which at that point I was guaranteed a refund within 7 days. I see how much their guarantee was worth...


-----Original Message-----
From: Silicon Solar Inc Customer Service [mailto:cs1@siliconsolar.com]
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 17:16
To: Me, Me E
Subject: RE: RMA 5619 shipping date for missing items (inv.52663)

Dear Me Me,

We did receive your Rma and your refund will be issued shortly. You can contact Corey at 800-786-0329 ext 242 or by email corey.b@siliconsolar.com to get updated information about the status of your refund. If there is anything else I can help you with please feel free to contact me.
Thanks

Holly
Customer service
800-786-0329 x 208
Cs1@siliconsolar.com





-----Original Message-----
From: Me, Me E CTR NE Florida, N6
[mailto:Me.e.Me@navy.mil]
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 4:53 PM
To: Silicon Solar Inc Customer Service
Subject: RE: RMA 5619 shipping date for missing items (inv.52663)

According to the tracking information below, the package was received by
your company 10 days ago. I wrote the RMA number in bold letters on 5
different sides of the box. I also included in the box a copy of the email
in order to help ensure that the correct account was credited.
Also attached to this email is a letter with the order summary.

About how much longer should this take until I can finally get a refund?

Tracking Number: 1Z V28 52R 03 3445 550 9
Type: Package
Status: Delivered
Delivered On: 02/13/2009
1:11 P.M.
Delivered To: BAINBRIDGE, NY, US
Signed By: SMITH
Service: GROUND

VR

Me Me

-----Original Message-----
From: Silicon Solar Inc Customer Service [mailto:cs1@siliconsolar.com]
Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 15:47
To: Me, Me E CTR NE Florida, N6
Subject: RE: RMA 5619 shipping date for missing items (inv.52663)

Dear Me Me,

I apologize for the delay of the flanges and for any inconvenience that this
has caused for you. I have reopened your Rma and you may Return the Pump
back to us. Once its received back you will receive a refund .

Again I would like to apologize for the trouble. If you have any further
questions or concerns I will be glad to assist you.

Thanks
Holly
Customer Service
Cs1@siliconsolar.com
800-786-0329 ext 208
Direct line: 607-216-9416
Fax: 607-604-4324


-----Original Message-----
From: Me, Me E CTR NE Florida, N6
[mailto:Me.e.Me@navy.mil]
Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 1:35 PM
To: shipping@siliconsolar.com; cs1@siliconsolar.com;
adam04@siliconsolar.com; corey.b@siliconsolar.com
Subject: FW: RMA 5619 shipping date for missing items (inv.52663)

Can I get a response from anyone at this company?

-----Original Message-----
From: Me, Me E CTR NE Florida, N6
Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 13:28
To: Me, Me E CTR NE Florida, N6; 'Darla Van Ostrand'
Subject: RE: RMA 5619 shipping date for missing items (inv.52663)

I have been more than patient at this point. I still have yet to receive the
flanges, or an RMA # to return this purchase. If I can't get a response, I'm
contacting the BBB, and I'll leave a review on every website I can find as
to my experience with this company. How much longer?

Me Me

-----Original Message-----
From: Me, Me E CTR NE Florida, N6
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 13:06
To: 'Darla Van Ostrand'
Subject: RE: RMA 5619 shipping date for missing items (inv.52663)

I still haven't received any communication from your company. What RMA
number am I supposed to use to ship this item back?

-----Original Message-----
From: Darla Van Ostrand [mailto:darla.v@siliconsolar.com]
Sent: Friday, October 10, 2008 12:10
To: Me, Me E CTR NE Florida, N6
Subject: Re: RMA 5619 shipping date for missing items (inv.52663)

Me, Me E CTR NE Florida, N6 wrote:
> Darla
>
> I think I've been more than patient, it will have been almost a month
> since I placed the order. I placed the order that far in advance in
> order to do the install myself on the one free weekend that myself and

> my help had available.
>
> Now, I'm stuck with half of what I need, the other half on backorder.
> And half of the half that I have, will not work for my needs. After
> careful review, the pump that was sent has a one way valve, that was
> not advertised on your site, and will not work for my project.
>
> Can I use the existing RMA number to return what parts I have received

> so that I may get a refund?
>
> VR
>
> Me Me
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Darla Van Ostrand [mailto:darla.v@siliconsolar.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 11:23
> To: Me, Me E CTR NE Florida, N6
> Subject: RMA 5619 shipping date for missing items (inv.52663)
>
> Dear Mr. Me,
> I spoke with a representative in our Returns/Exchanges department and
> she said the solar hot water equipment will be received by us
> (currently on backorder) and once we receive them we can ship out to
> you the missing equipment. We should be shipping these out tomorrow or
Friday.
>
> I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you and realize you
> had scheduled to complete this project this weekend.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> --
> Darla Van Ostrand
> Customer Service
> 15 Catherwood Rd.
> Ithaca, NY 14850
> 1-888-solar11 (765-2711) x237
> darla.v@siliconsolar.com
>
> This e-mail is confidential and is intended solely for the use of the
> recipient (the part to whom it is addressed). This message may contain

> material protected by the attorney-client privilege. If you are not
> the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this e-mail
> in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing, or
> copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited.
>
>
Dear Mr. Me,
I apologize for all the inconvenience and frustration you are experiencing.

I have turned this order and your request over to our Solar Hot Water
Customer Sales Dept.
Hana is the representative you should contact in the future regarding your
order.
Her direct extension is: 256

She may not be available until next week as she is currently working in the
warehouse working to get all the SHW orders and partial orders out.


--
Sincerely,

Darla Van Ostrand
Customer Service
15 Catherwood Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
1-888-solar11 (765-2711) x237
darla.v@siliconsolar.com

This e-mail is confidential and is intended solely for the use of the
recipient (the part to whom it is addressed). This message may contain
material protected by the attorney-client privilege. If you are not the
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Note: This is AFTER the Jan 2009 comment about improved customer service.

Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice... And I must be an idiot.

I'm not sure if they just don't care about the smaller orders or if their entire system is filled with incompetence. I ordered from them a few years ago and had problems then. (order lost, found, lost again, shipped, item didn't work, got it to work, stopped working after a month, gave up). I decided that it had been awhile and they were still in business, so hopefully things had improved. So I attempted (being the operative word) to place another order this week.

It turned out to be an adventure in futility. The online system refused to take a credit card. I tried multiple times and multiple cards. Still refused. I called customer service and was told that they knew there was a problem and they could do the order manually. About 30minutes later and repeated attempts they thought they had the order completed and would 'watch it'. Today I received an email noting the order was not completed. I called the phone# noted and spoke, again, to customer service. After many more attempts (and about 30 more minutes) the result is still no order. It appears they don't need my business after all.

I will say that the people on the phone are nice, just that they can't seem to get anything completed. They don't offer any problem escalation or even any compensation for all of the time and effort required (discount, priority shipping, whatever). This seems to be either very poor customer service, poor training, incompetence or all of the above.

I realize that the green industry is getting a lot of attention now and they probably have a lot of other customers. But I have to believe that the individual can make a difference. I feel it my duty to warn as many as possible to avoid this site if they want to avoid a lot of time and frustration. Buyer beware indeed.

"On Mar 26, 2009 12:56 PM, Silicon Solar Inc. responded with:

We explained we were having problems with our online payment processing. Then sent an email explaining & that we apologize for the inconvenience and offered a discount toward next purchase."

I ordered solar lights (christmas lights) for Outdoors in November. They told me they would not be able to fulfill the order, which was fine, so I asked for a refund. I had to call about the refund about 6 weeks later because I had not received it. It's March and I'm still waiting for my refund. I'm filing complaints, I was ripped off. Save your money..find a reputable business!

"On Mar 3, 2009 8:29 AM, Silicon Solar Inc. responded with:

We do apologize for the delay on your refund. We are reorganizing our customer service. A request has been done to our billing dept to refund asap."

I am writing this in response to the message from “I”, “The Silicon Solar Support Team” posted January 14th 2009.
This company’s customer support policy has NOT improved!
I ordered a HP-300FX High Output Solar Pump Kit with the "Night and Day Power Pack". The unit would only function directly connected to the solar panel, not with the "Power Pack". After checking the wiring in the "Power Pack" I discovered there was a diode (one way gate for electric current) that was not installed correctly. I called Silicon Solar and explained the problem. They didn't believe me. I emailed diagrams along with photographs showing a voltmeter attached to the unit and that it could not possibly function properly in its present configuration. They still didn't believe me. I rewired the diode correctly and it has been working ever since.
But the story does not end there. I should have learned something from my previous experience:-( Doh.
I ordered a SunMaxx 20 hot water solar array from Silicon Solar. It arrived with no obvious damage. I finished installing the unit the middle of February 2009 and noticed a slight white discoloration at the bottom of one of the tubes.
Now for the real story:
I called customer support and was put on hold for 15 minutes, after which time I was given the option of leaving a voice message. WHAT? I did not leave a message. I continued trying to reach a real person over the next several days.
I finally reached a real person.
Here is the transcript:
ME: I’m calling about a defective evacuated tube.
CS: Please describe the damage.
ME: I noticed a slight white discoloration at the bottom of one of the tubes when I removed it from the box it was shipped in. We had an ice storm shortly after finishing the installation. The following day was sunny and the discolored tube was the only one the ice had melted off of. I measured the exterior temperature with a hand held infrared meter and discovered the discolored tube was 20 degrees warmer than the adjacent tubes.
CS: The evacuated tube is defective. I see by your invoice that you ordered this a while ago. You have to report damage within 24hrs of the shipment arriving.
ME: What? You did not supply any information on how to evaluate the condition of the tubes on arrival. There was no obvious damage. How was I supposed to know that a slight discoloration was a fatal defect?
CS: We have since changed our policy to include information on what to look for upon arrival of the shipment.
ME: So will you replace the tube?
CS: Please email me a picture. If we approve the replacement, we cannot ship a single tube. We only ship four tubes at a time. We may give you a credit for one tube. Then you would then have to order four tubes, get credit for one and pay for the other three, plus shipping.
ME: What? You can’t send a single tube?
CS: I see that you are not far from our factory. Perhaps one of our drivers could drop one tube off if you are approved for a replacement. We will get back to you in a few days.
End of transcript.
I did not damage this tube.
This is not what you would expect from a company that has a ”mission to ensure that we provide our customers with the highest level of service.”
I have been running service companies for over 30 years. I wouldn’t dream of treating a customer this way. If I did, I would have been out of business in short order.
The SunMaxx 20 cost me $750. There are 20 tubes, a manifold and aluminum framework. I would guess that the tubes are worth $30 each. That leaves $150 for the manifold and frame. And that’s at retail rates. You would think that for $30, they would see the value in customer satisfaction.
I will be posting more about this on YouTube and this forum when I know more.

"On Mar 2, 2009 12:00 PM, Silicon Solar Inc. responded with:

We do apologize for the communication between you and our customer service. We are glad you were able to repair your pump yourself. As far as the tube is concerned, we show we refunded the $30.00. We are in process of reorganizing our customer service. If there is anything we can do for you please call 1-800-786-0329."