Houston man claims illiterate stepfather with memory loss issues was scammed into $98K solar panel debt

7 hours ago 14

Isable Aguirre, a 72-year-old Houston resident, can’t work oregon constitute and speaks lone Spanish. The elder besides struggles with representation loss.

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His stepson thinks these factors made Aguirre the cleanable people for unscrupulous star sheet salespeople who near him successful monolithic debt, according to a study from KPRC 2.

The elder said helium doesn’t retrieve signing consenting oregon signing to bargain star panels that person been installed connected his location since 2023. But his stepson, Oscar Garcia, believes that’s precisely however the occupation started.

“Even if you travel to his location and archer him, ‘Hey, motion this and motion that,’ helium volition motion it,” Garcia told KPRC 2. “And past adjacent clip he’s like, ‘What did I sign?’”

Aguirre recalled, “I intelligibly told them I didn’t privation that, and they ran away.”

But now, helium has star panels sitting connected his roof, locked and inactive. No payments person been made connected them, but helium is staring down astir $98,000 successful debt.

Garcia said a lien has been placed connected his stepfather’s home.

Solar sheet complaints up implicit 800% successful 5 years

Aguirre has lived successful his Northside Village location for much than 15 years, and relies solely connected Social Security for income.

According to Garcia, the income squad pitched a too-good-to-be-true story: “They were telling him thing astir that, I deliberation Medicaid was going to wage for them oregon his Social Security was going to wage for them.”

Garcia wasn’t contiguous erstwhile the woody went down, but a declaration helium shared with KPRC 2 names Texas Energy Resources Innovation arsenic the contractor, and GoodLeap arsenic the indebtedness institution present charging Aguirre.

Texas Energy Resources Innovation is not Better Business Bureau accredited and has an F standing for nonaccomplishment to respond to 15 complaints filed against it.

GoodLeap is BBB accredited and holds an A rating, but it’s besides racked up implicit 1,000 user complaints successful the past 3 years. The institution was besides named successful a 2023 suit by the Minnesota Attorney General, accusing it and 3 others of “making misrepresentations and engaging successful different deceptive behaviour portion selling their loans to prospective customers.”

According to a study from non-profit Texas Appleseed, solar-related user complaints to the Texas Attorney General’s Office jumped a monolithic 818% from 2018 to 2023.

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“Many of the harmful practices targeted older Texans and radical who are not autochthonal English speakers,” it said. “These practices included misleading statements that residents would nary longer person electrical bills aft panels were installed, mendacious promises of authorities taxation credits, and forgeries of signatures oregon different deceptive practices utilized to execute financing contracts.”

Common complaints included defective oregon damaged goods, problems with income practices, nonaccomplishment to supply repairs, and unsatisfactory workmanship. In astir 8% of cases, customers said they were billed for instrumentality oregon services that they ne'er received.

Forty-two percent of the complaints progressive star loans, and different 11% mentioned leases, which are the 2 astir communal ways radical wage for residential solar. GoodLeap and Solar Mosaic were the lenders astir commonly cited successful the complaints.

Lawmakers are paying attention. House Bill 1640 would necessitate the Public Utility Commission of Texas to make a user usher for going solar. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 1036 aims to make a regulatory model to support consumers.

How to support yourself

Thinking astir going solar?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that star scams tin statesman with a telephone call, a connection connected societal media, oregon a elemental sound astatine the door. Here are immoderate things to support successful caput erstwhile dealing with star salespeople:

There’s nary specified happening arsenic escaped star panels, adjacent if idiosyncratic claims the authorities volition screen the outgo nether a peculiar program.
Salespeople whitethorn exaggerate oregon prevarication astir rebates, taxation credits, oregon inferior incentives that you tin receive. Make definite to bash the probe and verify these facts yourself.
Don’t get pressured into signing connected the spot oregon paying upfront oregon immediately.
Promotional rates oregon abbreviated periods of comparatively debased payments are often utilized to disguise the existent cost.

Solar tin prevention money, but lone if the woody is existent and close for you. With the star manufacture increasing fast, it’s much important than ever to work the good print, cheque institution credentials, and ne'er unreserved into a deal, nary substance however sunny it sounds.

Vist the the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Consumer Solar Awareness website for much utile accusation and guidance to debar scams.