Tesla Motors Club
I reached out to Tesla Energy for solar install. Finished the online formalities, sending them my utility bill etc.
First the positives, rep was very courteous, polite and professional. He was sensitive to our tradition of not wearing shoes inside house.
Though when we got talking about solar itself, I asked him questions about kind of panels and inverters. He had no clue of the types of inverters they use (if they are String or DC optimized or anything else). Well that's okay, maybe its too technical for initial contact. We went ahead with the conversation. He came up with a design with panels (showed me pictures of two Panasonic panels they use 315 W and 325 W). I asked him if there is efficiency dropped as temperature goes up and what kind of efficiency drop there is, again no clue. Well lets keep rolling. Showed me an initial estimate of a system with 6.125 kW capacity.
Then came the time to schedule a site survey, but first "Please sign this Docusign" and either pay $500 deposit or let us run a credit check.
I'm like, What?! I am Tesla customer. Tesla literally has my 60K for Model 3 (in TX we have pay before they ship the car, which I have already paid and don't have the car). Why a credit check for site survey, anyway I've frozen my credit (after Equifax issue). I live in a state where I have to pay to unfreeze, I am not willing to pay $40 to unfreeze just for site survey.
I am also unwilling to pay $500 deposit for site survey. None of the competitors I have spoken with have had this requirement. It like calling a contractor for estimate and he asking a deposit before any work or estimate of work is done.
What is Tesla up to with this approach?
First the positives, rep was very courteous, polite and professional. He was sensitive to our tradition of not wearing shoes inside house.
Though when we got talking about solar itself, I asked him questions about kind of panels and inverters. He had no clue of the types of inverters they use (if they are String or DC optimized or anything else). Well that's okay, maybe its too technical for initial contact. We went ahead with the conversation. He came up with a design with panels (showed me pictures of two Panasonic panels they use 315 W and 325 W). I asked him if there is efficiency dropped as temperature goes up and what kind of efficiency drop there is, again no clue. Well lets keep rolling. Showed me an initial estimate of a system with 6.125 kW capacity.
Then came the time to schedule a site survey, but first "Please sign this Docusign" and either pay $500 deposit or let us run a credit check.
I'm like, What?! I am Tesla customer. Tesla literally has my 60K for Model 3 (in TX we have pay before they ship the car, which I have already paid and don't have the car). Why a credit check for site survey, anyway I've frozen my credit (after Equifax issue). I live in a state where I have to pay to unfreeze, I am not willing to pay $40 to unfreeze just for site survey.
I am also unwilling to pay $500 deposit for site survey. None of the competitors I have spoken with have had this requirement. It like calling a contractor for estimate and he asking a deposit before any work or estimate of work is done.
What is Tesla up to with this approach?