Silicon Solar sells defective products and treats customers like dirt Bainbridge New York
My story's similar to others who have published on this site -- bad merchandise, worse customer service, nonexistant responsibility from the company. And I even gave them a second chance! Since I started having problems with their merchandise, they've increased their "restocking fee" from 15% to 25%. Way to stand behind your products, Silicon Solar.
They also won't issue refunds on "used solar fountains" -- how can you tell it doesn't work until you try to use it? The best you can hope for is company credit worth 75% of the original price of your merchandise.
Therefore, if you buy from their company and find out that the product is defective, you can either return the defective product (at your expense) and take your chances on something else from their company or take the loss.
***This company should not be in business with defective products and policies like these. Do not buy from them!***
Long story short, I bought a solar fountain, pump didn't work, returned the pump and panel (at my expense) for repair or replacement. The replacement didn't work either, and the fountain had problems of its own.
Returned the whole setup for an 85% credit, which I used toward another, less expensive fountain. This pump still works, at least ... if you define "working" as dripping for a few hours out of each day if the sky is completely cloudless. Even with that minimal usage, the terracotta-colored finish has worn off the surface in many places, exposing the white plastic underneath, which looks really, really awful.
Result: Factoring in of all my return postage and the restocking fee, I paid twice the listed price on a cheap fountain that barely works and looks awful. Full story and pictures here: http://mparlance.blogspot.com/
I've tried for more than six months to work with this company, been patient when I wanted to scream, and finally alerted the upstate NY BBB.
Nuthin.
I repeat:
***This company should not be in business with defective products and policies like these. Do not buy from them!***
MParlance
Austin, Texas
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Mparlance
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
more of the same from Silicon Solar,
#2Author of original report
Thu, December 20, 2007
Update: The second fountain's pump has quit working after less than two months. Since Silicon Solar has changed their warranty and returns policy since I ordered it, I'm waiting to hear back whether they will honor the policy I bought it under.
I'll soften my original warning to say:
***Before you buy from this company, read the warranty and return policy VERY carefully, and decide whether you want to risk loss in case the product is defective. If you're in the market for a solar fountain, be aware that Silicon Solar no longer offers any warranty on pumps. If they send you one that doesn't work, it's your loss. And you won't know it doesn't work until you try it out, making it "used" by their definition and disqualifying it from even the 85% refund on fountains.***