OPINION: Beware of scams involving backup inverter/battery/solar systems

Residents of the South Coast are warned to be extremely wary of fraudsters who are installing backup battery and inverter systems.

Due to the present status of the South African grid, many people are installing backup inverter, battery and solar systems, and as a consequence, there is a shortage of experienced and qualified electricians to do this work.

This shortage has opened up the field for fly-by-night scammers to move in and the South Coast has not been spared this scourge.

Apart from the larger electrical firms that undertake installation of inverters/batteries and solar panels, there are many hardworking and honest private operators.

Unfortunately, a certain man is not one of the latter and is currently operating on the lower South Coast. It is thought that he is currently resident in the Uvongo, Manaba or Margate area.

I am one of those who has been scammed by this man and have paid my ‘school fees’ for trusting the smooth talking scamster, who can at-best be said to be a stranger to the truth.
In my case he quoted for a 5kW inverter/battery system and requested a 60% deposit. This is not unusual, as many smaller operators, do not have the capital to finance the purchase of the required equipment, which is expensive.

I paid the deposit that he requested; he eventually installed the equipment and I paid the outstanding balance, even though there were three small jobs still to be completed.

That was two months ago and that was also the last I saw of him. He has made many promises to come around to finish off, but has always cancelled at the last minute. Phone calls and text messages now go unanswered.

The mandatory certificate of compliance that he supplied has proved to be totally fictitious. It is in fact a photo copy of an original COC and, for all I know, may possibly have been used to cover some or all of his other installations.

According to a qualified electrician who has inspected the work in my home, the system that he installed is not compliant and required further equipment to be installed and work to be done, before it passed inspection This work is of course an added expense.

Despite my misfortune, I am actually more fortunate than another couples in the area, who had him come round and give a quote.

They accepted the figure of just less than R50 000 and handed over a healthy deposit, whereupon the man did a midnight flit.

He has, on numerous occasions promised to return the money or to the deliver the equipment, but not one of these promises have borne any fruit.

If anyone else on the South Coast, or in fact elsewhere, has suffered a similar experience, contact me on 076 3120417 so that we can share experiences and try and bring this man to book.

ARTHUR CARY

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