WARNING !

 

In light of the current solar panel shortage, some Internet based solar dealers that use shopping carts have begun the practice of collecting customer's personal information and credit card numbers without informing customers at the time of the purchase that the item that they're ordering is not only out of stock, but won't be in stock for weeks or even months ! We feel that this practice is not only unethical but should be banned !

If a product is out of stock the vendor should make the customer aware of this fact on their website before they collect the customer's data. We see it every day ! These shopping cart based solar dealers advertise product at ridiculously low prices that nobody can get, yet they take the customer's credit card number and personal information anyway.

If you want to protect yourself from this practice and identify these unethical dealers, Here's a couple of tests:

Click the buy it button on the product that you want to order. Change the quantity of the item to 10,000 and then click the update quantity or update cart button. (don't worry, you're not obligated to buy anything until you have submitted your credit card information.) After you have updated your shopping cart's quantity take the shopping cart transaction right up to the point where you have to submit your credit card information, then stop.

Check to see whether or not a message showed up informing you that the dealer does not have that quantity in stock. If you do not see a message then chances are pretty good that you've run into one of these dealers that doesn't keep track of their inventory or who doesn't have any inventory at all, because no matter how big the or small the dealer is, NO solar dealer on the planet has 10,000 pieces of any solar related product in stock !

A second test is to leave the quantity at the level that you want to order and again take the shopping cart transaction right up to the point where you have to submit your credit card information, then stop. Call the dealer and ask him if he has the item in stock ready for shipment. Even if you don't live nearby, tell the dealer that you're thinking about stopping by to pick up the item and would like directions to his store.

If the dealer tells you that the item is out of stock or that it will be a while before it ships, then you'll know that you've run into one of these types of dealers who is only interested in your credit card number. Go back to the shopping cart and cancel the process by simply closing the website window and steer clear from the dealer in the future.

 
 

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