{"id":101020,"date":"2026-09-02T05:32:49","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T20:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=101020"},"modified":"2026-09-02T09:50:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T00:20:36","slug":"how-many-chances-should-you-give-your-solar-installer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/how-many-chances-should-you-give-your-solar-installer\/","title":{"rendered":"How Many Chances Should You Give Your Solar Installer?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/p>\n

Most of us want to believe the best in people.<\/p>\n

If your solar installer says they’re waiting on stock, you’ll probably accept it. If they ask for a few more weeks, you’ll give them a few more weeks.<\/p>\n

But when does patience stop being reasonable?<\/p>\n

That’s the question NSW homeowner Mark Barnes eventually found himself asking after seven months of delays, a missed installation date and, after cancelling his battery order, still waiting for the return of his $6,500 deposit.<\/p>\n

How Did It Get To This?<\/h2>\n

Barnes and his neighbour, John Smeros, signed separate but otherwise identical contracts with Macarthur Solar<\/a> in late 2025 for solar and battery systems at their respective villas in Revesby.<\/p>\n

The original advice was straightforward. Installation was expected within 9 to 12 weeks. When that didn’t happen, the explanations sounded reasonable as well.<\/p>\n

In late January, Barnes was still expecting his installation to proceed on schedule. Macarthur Solar sent customers an update explaining the turmoil affecting the battery industry. It said changes to government battery incentives had triggered unprecedented demand. Suppliers were struggling to keep up, and installation timeframes could “change dramatically in both directions”<\/em> depending on stock, weather, and staffing.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the company sought to reassure customers.<\/p>\n

“Just to confirm, this is not suggesting that there will be a delay\u2026”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At the time, Barnes had little reason to doubt it. But the original 9 to 12 week timeframe passed without an installation.<\/p>\n

Barnes says he struggled to get clear answers. Numerous emails to the company yielded little more than assurances that the matter was still under review.<\/p>\n

Then, on 9 April, came the first concrete setback.<\/p>\n

Macarthur Solar advised that the installation would not be completed before the 1 May change to the federal battery rebate due to nationwide shortages of solar panels, inverters, and batteries. It also promised to honour the original contract pricing despite the delay.<\/p>\n

Barnes waited. A month later, another email arrived.<\/p>\n

Macarthur Solar apologised again, saying supply chain issues were finally beginning to ease and that secure installation dates would soon be issued.<\/p>\n

They weren’t.<\/p>\n

\"A

Reviews for Macarthur Solar. This is from their SolarQuotes review page<\/a>. Please note that it only accounts for the last year.<\/p><\/div>\n

Later that month came another update. The company expected to clear its backlog within eight to ten weeks and again thanked customers for their continued patience.<\/p>\n

Each update brought another explanation. And another reason to wait.<\/p>\n

By mid-May, Barnes had become frustrated enough to contact the owner, Mathew Cox, directly. Barnes says Cox assured him the installation would be completed before the end of June.<\/p>\n

Around the same time, Macarthur Solar offered both neighbours upgraded battery systems due to ongoing supplier issues. They accepted revised contracts.<\/p>\n

“We signed a contract in good faith, waited patiently and agreed to the modifications they requested,” Barnes later wrote.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Even then, he wasn’t asking for his money back. After another conversation with his salesperson, Barnes says he was “still prepared to have that faith”<\/em> if the company could simply commit to an installation date.<\/p>\n

Eventually, it did. The installation was confirmed for 3 July. Here’s the timeline thus far:<\/p>\n