The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit in opposition to a photo voltaic panel set up firm working in Douglas and Sarpy Counties this week, alleging that salespeople used harassing ways. to market and misrepresent the prices and advantages of switching to photo voltaic.Â
Filed Wednesday, the lawsuit claims that Everlight Solar, a photo voltaic panel set up firm that operates in Nebraska and 7 different states, “harassed prospects of their houses, ignored the unsolicited legal guidelines, misrepresenting materials information to shoppers, and falsely related to official establishments.”
The AG’s Office sought an injunction to stop the corporate from partaking within the alleged misleading enterprise practices. It additionally requires the enterprise to pay civil penalties, and permit “injured shoppers,” or these affected by the enterprise’s practices, to obtain refunds and get out of their contracts.Â
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An organization spokeswoman mentioned in an announcement Friday that they “deny” the claims within the lawsuit, and known as the outline of their enterprise practices “deceptive.”
“At Everlight Solar, our group of representatives go to 1000’s of houses every month and are anticipated to stick to the very best requirements of courtesy and respect,” the assertion mentioned. “We are strongly dedicated to the moral promotion of renewable power options and proceed to encourage a transition to photo voltaic power, respecting the selection of shoppers whatever the supplier they select.”
The lawsuit, filed in Lancaster County, has three important claims: That the salespeople used unlawful and aggressive ways, that they misrepresented the fee financial savings related to shifting to of photo voltaic, and that they falsely declare to be related to the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) and different establishments.
Much of the 25-page lawsuit is dedicated to Everlight’s aggressive gross sales ways. The alleged ways embrace salesmen ignoring no solicitation indicators, going door-to-door till 8 or 9 p.m. and retaining individuals’s belongings after potential prospects refuse free session. On one event, in keeping with the lawsuit, a salesman stayed at a client’s property for greater than an hour and “wouldn’t go away till the patron signed a photo voltaic contract.”
The enterprise can be accused of misrepresenting the fee financial savings related to making the change to photo voltaic by saying that buyers’ month-to-month OPPD payments can be eradicated — a declare the AG’s Office mentioned which is overstated.Â
“Everlight overstates client financial savings in a deceptive method, misrepresents photo voltaic as a complete market substitute for electrical energy, omits essential collateral prices of photo voltaic power, and probably mislead some shoppers into spending greater than they really save,” in keeping with the lawsuit.
The lawsuit additional accuses Everlight Solar of falsely representing itself as affiliated with the OPPD. OPPD provides a rebate program for photo voltaic shoppers if they’ve panels put in by a member of their OPPD-approved “commerce ally program.”
Although Everlight Solar was beforehand related to this system, OPPD severed ties with the corporate in December 2022, in keeping with the lawsuit. Everlight isn’t listed on the OPPD web site as certainly one of their commerce companions for photo voltaic set up. However, the lawsuit claims that Everlight’s distributors proceed to painting themselves as affiliated with the facility district.
Everlight Solar is required to submit a solution to the lawsuit by June 8.Â
“We are taking this matter critically and are conducting an intensive evaluation,” an organization spokesperson mentioned.Â
