Sunboost Reviews
3.4
Leave a review Based on 208 ratings Aus Ranking
- 5 star 34
- 4 star 85
- 3 star 21
- 2 star 23
- 1 star 45
Average Customer Review
- Value 3.63
- System Quality 3.50
- Customer Service 3.21
- Installation 3.49
Timeline
Reviewer supplied photos:
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SunBoost is a large solar retailer that operates across Australia.
Sunboost Solar Reviews
Good product and easy install. They used a local company to install and they were fantastic.
Easy install as I needed a lot of help and advice. Happy with the end product. Show additional informationCutting corners on installation
Cables ran through the rib of roof line not to building code lucky no one got killed now i have to pay get fixed for they're incorrect and crap install. How does that work? Lucky i'm not dead. Show additional informationJust a professional installer with reasonable prices.
Via the phone and confirmed via email.No mess
Tes a bit helpful Show additional information
Good System, inflexible with any changes to the standard cookie cutter solution
Simple 13.3kw systemGreat price
Team showed up on time
Professional installation team, spent time talking through where they were installing.
They cleaned up ALL of there means when they finished (very impressed)
Polite and courteous
Sales process was very pushy, constant follow up by the rep daily. Show additional information
Great Solar System for the money
Installed a 6.6kw 20 x 330w Astronergy panels and Solis 3 phase inverter in April 2020 and has been working flawlessly since. I'm in Sydney and now in Summer seeing upto 46kw on a mid 30 degree day.I paid an extra $200 to get a 10 year warranty on the inverter. Neighbour paid nearly twice as much with exact same panels and size but with a European inverter and is getting the same power generated as my Sunboost system.
Would certainly recommend Sunboost. Show additional information
Satisfied now waiting for electricity bill !!!
Sales quoting was ok once the right requirements/information was confirmedInstallation went well did take most of the day
They were polite tidy etc although I was a bit concerned I wanted my inverter in garage but unfortunately couldn't do it due to double storey slab so it got installed on the side wall on the outside of the home
Yes they did organise the grid connection
I was a bit nervous about the deal as it was much cheaper than the other quotes and I didn't know who was going to installed it (if it was a registered technician)
But my hubby assured me all was doubled checked by him and so finally I gave in lol Show additional information
The price was a big motivator for me even though the system and the panel rating was ok not at the too but not at the bottom either.
Not completed as yet but I am in constant contact with them... Just waiting on them to be in my area.Customer service over all was not pushy and answered all of my question.
6.6 solar for 3600 in my area is great value. Show additional information
Don’t do it
The stress this company has put me through. They ruined our roof. Got a new roof. Did everything to ensure the panels did not compromise the new roof. Screws through the ceiling. Now there’s been 3 fires in a very small town from solar panels. Don’t bother. Show additional information
Bought 6.6kw Solar system with Solis 5kw inverter. during October it was generating 30 to 35kw on a normal day and 10kw on a rainy day. Experience with Sunboost is excellent. Sunboost pre-sales, technical and care team are 2nd to none.
Show additional information
Proactive Sales Person and Great Installation
Sunboost were very proactive in providing information during the sales process as well as following up on me making a decision.The guys from the installation company Darren Hall Electrical were punctual, friendly, knowledgeable, efficient and very tidy. Everything including the web based monitoring application worked perfectly when they left. Show additional information
great installers
turned up on time worked in the rain to finish .great company Show additional informationPower House
The company were very professional quick with my answers and completed the job to a very high standard Show additional information
Dealt with Nathan from Sunboost, he was very efficient he said it wold take 10 weeks to install.
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No problems
We cannot fault Sunboost in any way! Great deal, Professional Installation, No charge for upgrading meter box etc. Highly recommend them. Show additional informationThey charge you extra once on site.
Charge for 'slippery' roof: $200 Charge for extra cabling: $600: charge for wifi monitoring: $400They were unable to communicate in english or setup correctly, and referred to higher ups on the phone, who was themselves a sub-contractor. Better off getting someone who actually visits on site, not just sells from a call centre. Would not recommend. Show additional information
Good value for money
Good value for money. The job was done quickly and expertly, you couldn't fault any of that part of the job. On top of that the panels and inverter are all putting out power and hopefully saving me money.My only problem was the the overservice at the beginning. It was non-stop phonecalls from sunboost. Suggested that I find my own electrician for the extended work, And when I did they said they could do it cheaper than the local, they even rang the local electrician to encourage him to bill them rather than me after the electrician had given me a quote. For a small extra part of the job I let them have their way and the electrician billed it out to sunburst. I was told that they usually charge some of those other companies a little bit more as they so slow at paying the electricians. I was told the figure he quoted them and then on top of that Sunboost added little extra to me to help line the pot.
My only real beef with Sunboost was that I was asked if I would willing to write a testimonial about them. I agreed to this because I thought they were worth it. I was sent a testimonial to fill out which was almost impossible to understand. I couldn't see where to fill in the testimonial but it did have the word submit so I did just that thinking it would come back to me with an area to be filled in.
Shortly after that a testimony was up, attributed to me, on their website saying how wonderful I thought they were and how fantastic the particular people, who they named, did such a wonderful job. Five stars and it was a testimonial that was totally overboard. But in reply they did say how wonderful it was of me me to say these things about them.
You lose faith in testimonials, Particularly those of a five-star value. Show additional information
Sunboost solar rip you off
Purchased 6.6 kw system listened to installers advice to have panels placed on garage roofPrice quoted $1000 total above original costs
Had to go to council for approval of tilt frame instal $280
Approved and contacted installer no reply contacted Sunboost 5 weeks later
3 days later yes we can install for extra $400 for tilt frames
I commented I was quoted for full install $1000 for which $500 was paid to installer
They insisted $400 to Sunboost direct other $500 to installer but at first install it was verbally agreed frames were to be provided free of charge
DO NOT TRUST UNLESS IN WRITING THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF Show additional information
Panel came off roof
Dodgy installation panel came off roof I copped the bill don’t sign with them bad service. Barr them. Show additional informationDisgusting, blackmail, no response.
OK, 3 weeks since the installers started the job and then walked off, blackmailing us with a surcharge of $1200 to finish the job.After calling Sunboost today, imagine my surprise, when just by coincidence Sunboost Adelaide calls me, telling me he will ring the installers and get right back to me with a date they will be back to finish the install. Now 3.30pm and not a whimper from him.
Will never ever use sunboost again, will give them nothing but bad reviews and never recommend them to anyone.
In fact a call to the Fair Trades Ombudsman is going to happen if I dont get a call back today. Show additional information
Great service, Did what they said they would do and when they would do it. Not much info on how to lead app and connect to system.
Fairly painless process. Everything went well. Would have loved more info/direction on connecting the app and getting info from it. They arranged grid connection after install. Show additional informationDon’t be sucked into their “special deal just for you.
My parents and brother purchases systems through Sunboost and due to the good value I asked for a quote for a single phase system. I only have a small house and am a single parent of 2 young children. I agreed to the quote and paid the deposit in November 2019. No one from the company visits the house, they just ask for pictures of the meter board etc. Out of the 4 of us that installed with Sunboost, my parents were the only ones that didn’t have any issues and that was probably due to the fact they already had a system connected and were just adding some panels.When Sunboost received my pictures they convinced me to go to the 3 phase system similar to my brother, who has a massive house with ducted air and a pool. They assured me that this was the best move so I agreed to the extra cost.
They took forever to then organise installation and I had to chase them several times. It took over a month to get an installation date in late January.
When they arrived there were a number of issues with the installation and they needed to get approval from Sunboost as there was going to be additional costs involved. They left while I battled through the issue with Sunboost and after some negotiation we finally came to an agreement. I should have pulled out at this point!
They returned at the end of February (3 months after signing up and paying my deposit). They installed the panels and hooked everything up so my solar was running without any updates being made to the meters. I still had very old meters and the solar power caused them to go in reverse - which led to issues with my electricity provider and estimated bills causing me to pay much more for my power. This also caused my off-peak to be turned off and due to my solar hot water system needing the booster to heat up, I was without hot water in the house from the date of installation to the day when I had to organise and pay for someone to come and fix up the mess they created.
It then took Sunboost several weeks to put the request to Origin to upgrade my meters. The Origin Meter installer arrived in the middle of April (almost 5 months after sign up and deposit paid). He looked at the meters and advised that Sunboost had made a bad call advising me to go to 3 phase as they wouldn’t fit on the board and I needed quite a bit of work to make some space on the board. As I had originally requested single phase I felt I had been tricked by them who “upgraded me”. At this point I was handed off to someone else to deal with the issues.
They often told me they was going to get back to me and never returned my call. I would have to repeatedly call them until I got him to answer. After installation I had a leak in the roof that needed repair (this was repaired by the originally installer), I needed my hot water back on (it had been 4 months since I had hot water in the house) and the meters to be installed. Origin sent someone to investigate what had happened with my meters and advised that the solar panels should never have been turned on and advised that Sunboost had “taken me for a ride” by convincing me to go to 3 phase as I would never get the value of a 3 phase system with the size of my roof limiting the panels.
After lots of backward and forward calls and Sunboost obtaining a quote to upgrade my meter (at my expense) but refusing to provide me with the quote, I found someone who could upgrade my meter and install the new meters at the same time which would also resolve my hot water issues. At the beginning of July I finally had my meters installed and my hot water back on. I had purchased a Wi-fi system so I could track my usage however I had a inverter installed that required wiring into the internet. This was not done by the installers.
I forwarded the bill for the Meter upgrade to Sunboost and asked them to pay it and fix the connection to the internet. At this stage they became very argumentative and rude and eventually agreed to look into it and they would return my call. I am still waiting for the return phone call on this issue. An electrician did come to instal the cable to ensure the unit was connected to the internet at Sunboost’s costs. This was completed this week. 10 months after the initial purchase and 6 months after installation.
This whole process has been a nightmare. All through winter my kids and I have had to shower in the garage using a small hot water heater. I have had to boil a kettle to wash up dishes and have had to find ways of doing things without turning on a hot water tap. I received my first bill recently since it was hooked up. My bill was half what it normally was but considering I had paid them $5000 for a system that didn’t work for over 6 months and was also paying my full electricity bills (which were Higher estimates due to the meters going in reverse) I am way behind and will need a long time to make up the losses (including me having to pay for the power board to be adjusted to fit a 3 phase power meter).
My brother had just as bad an experience with the installers leaving the job half done with only half his panels connected and live wires exposed. He also purchased a wi-fi system only to have a wired system installed. When the electrician who arrived to install the cable he found the system was not connected properly and the live wires. He made it safe but my brother is still waiting for his system to be fixed. This is 10 months after his initial booking.
I have been told that Sunboost have a reputation such as this and they manipulate customers to leave good reviews and then fail in their support when things go wrong. When things get really bad they shut up shop and open up again under another name just to do the same thing again to more unsuspecting customers.
My advise is to pay the extra for a quality installation without the added hassles of dealing with these call centres with no experience in the area of solar power and have no right to be advising anyone on what they should or should not be installing as an employee told me that they are not experts in this area. I did point out that perhaps they shouldn’t be advising people then however they ignored this comment. Show additional information
Good all round offer & best value for money
Sales and quoting was easy and although they did follow up it was not a “high pressure” sales approach.Installation was carried out on the day that was booked without any long wait and they turned up on time. Although English was not the first language of the installation team the communication was adequate (but not great). They knew what they were doing, completed the installation without any issues, cleaned up after themselves and provided some explanation on the system.
Customer service was good. They called up after the installation to confirm everything was ok. The system included a separate plug device for wifi connection which had poor literature on the set up but customer service stepped me through this and did some of the set up for me.
They notified the retailer of the install and the meter will be changed in a few days which is late but that is the retailers issue not the installer. Show additional information
Good Pricing and Payment Plan
Happy with Sunboost, easy to arrange, all the steps along the way went smoothly, installer was very professional. The main reason we went with Sunboost was the interest free payment plan through Brighte finance. System is running well. Show additional informationStay away PLEASE, Dodgey, unprofessional, aggressive marketing tactics and spam
I didn't proceed to installation as I ended up cancelling for the following reasons: (I have evidence for these)- Too Aggressive marketing - even calling and texting on Saturdays, many emails that can be considered spamming, Even after saying I have actually gone with another company the calls never stop, offering 'deals of the day' etc.
- Sneaky Price tactics: Using obvious persuasion tactics, before quotes initially stated they could give a very good price especially for me, yet their first quote was 1K higher than 2 other companies for a lesser system!!
- Other sneaky price tactic was - Hiding the inverter brand being provided for the system - inverters can be between $800 dollars to $2000 - not naming the brand and just calling it 'inverter' on the quote was a serious red flag - every other company quote names the inverter.
-The quotes came back TOO Quick - Why is this a problem? I've noticed other solar companies take a day or two, and that is because it takes time for electrical engineers and design to calculate optimal solar exposure (which they also show on diagrams on email), possible shading from neighbours, layout of panels etc.
These guys did it in an hour, and guess what, they did it on the WRONG address, 4 houses down my neighbour hood instead of mine (also have evidence for this)
- Other red flag is - The retailer is not Clean Energy Council Certified (CEC) (despite being the 'largest PV provider in Australia' as they keep saying. Sunboost is NOT on the CEC list of certified retailers, their only claim is they use CEC installers instead, begs the question - are they outsourcing their work to different CEC installer contractors? If so may be complicated liability issues if there are problems with the system later.
Please do your due diligence, Show additional information
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY WORST EVER EXPERIENCE
I paid my deposit to Sunboost solar in January, I had to pay another $499.50 to have the meter box upgraded. They constantly call and email to get the money upfront but its now August and I have NO SOLAR INSTALLED, I have written emails , made calls with NO RETURN CONTACT. I have written formal complaints, requested the external dispute process all this information is legally required and still they just ignore you. After being committed to instalation within 6-8 weeks its been 8 MONTHS.I just want my money back and go to a reputable supplier.
Allan Border should be ashamed to put his name to this company they are the worst experience I have ever had and I am now in the process of commencing legal action.
NEVER USE THIS COMPANY!!!! Show additional information
Value for money
Ended up with a lot of research to access the value for money quotient.Highly recommend anyone considering solar to spend quality 10-15 hours researching and analysing facts before buying. I had quotes from 3,500-12,000 for the same configuration. Not claiming I got the best deal, but one should research to determine the right solution which is different to individual requirements. In my view there is no one size fit all. Show additional information
Professional Company
Sunboost explains everything. Paid deposit. They gave us a date. Four tradesmen arrived (all local). They worked hard most of the day. Everything works perfectly. Highly recommended Show additional informationWARNING - Dodgy - False claims - No communication skills - slack followup - difficult to contact
Signed a quotation in Feb 2020, promised installation within a couple of weeks ......nothing happened.....had difficulty in contacting them, given COVID-19 has a excuse and shortage of staff.Was promised another installation date...no one arrived...no phone call advising they were not coming...waited in all day.
Another installation date given, this time they turned up without all the material for the job....packed up and went home.
Numerous phone calls....none returned.
Bank notified to claim back deposit and sent emails requesting return of deposit.
Finally someone rang wanting to know why the bank is involved...explained the situation, a promise they will get it done ASAP.
Finally on the 25th May 2020 they arrived to do the installation. Before they started i explained what i wanted and also advised no roof penetrations .....they also installed the tilt brackets with the wrong foot profile to the roofing sheeting guess what i got...roof penetration, in addition they walked all over the roof sheeting causing considerable damage to the roof sheeting, they then advised they did not do the damage.
The situation currently is;
The entire roof sheeting will have to be removed and replaced, quoted price $14,000.00
The removal of the solar panels for the roof sheeting to be replaced and then the solar panels to be reinstalled, quoted price $5,000.00
The removal of a 4G wireless link and re-installation of same, quoted price $430.00
Nearly 2 months have passed and the roof has not been replaced. now when it rains water come in over the work area.
All quotations for the repair work have been given to Sunboost over 1 month ago.
Today, complaint application forms have been submitted to both the ACCC & the Department of Fair Trading for their attention.
We have now submitted a letter of demand requesting the repairs to be carried out within 21 days or we will be taking legal action for the repair costs and legal/court costs. Show additional information
So dissatisfied
No after sale help with our problems need to talk with a technician so we just sit and wait so dissatisfied Show additional informationVery good start to finish. Great payment plan options available and easy finance too
Yes very good Exellent payment plan options. Everyone easy to deal with. Show additional informationGreat service
Very polite professional service, always keeping me informed of the status of the installation. Install team very tidy informative and obliging. Commissioning assistance very professional. Show additional informationSo let down
Signed up in Dec 2019 and was told installation mid January ...... I waited and couldn't get in contact with installation team and they just dumped me. Kept getting told in 2 more weeks, 2 more weeks. Promised discount for delays.....Then Covid hits in March and though they are still installing this delayed further. Comes May and date is scheduled for June. Arrive and they want a panel change as Asbestos there (this was done by local electrician at half price to what they quoted and not actually necessary as they wouldn't have needed to get in to panel). Also advised by installer that they cant fit as many panels on as designed / sold and capacity nearly halved........ Now been waiting over 4 weeks for my deposit refund.Dec to July - no panels, no service and I still have full electricity bills.
not happy. Show additional information
Value for money
The constant updates on the whole process of paperwork, panel location, inverter location ,cable positioning etc, was excellent. The whole team were well led and professional in their work. I had a minor hiccup with a technical issue which was resolved with one phone call as well as an explanatory email. Show additional informationInstallation not complete to be contented!
Sales process guaranteed fixed price, which was not the case.Installation then requested $300.00 more for switchboard changes, which came down to $100.00 which was agreed too.
Then told extra payment not required by installer, so the $100.00 was not included.
Red Energy then came to connect and told us that due to workmanship completed it was not possible.
It is now coming up to towards six months since we booked with SunBoost with no connection to date.
We are now told we need to pay up front another $972.00??
Installation guys did their job well with what they had, left a bight of rubbish and broke a couple of roof tiles. Show additional information
very happy
I had four quotes price range was $6.500. to $3.400.The installation all good, tidy.
Yes Show additional information
Very efficient
Quote was competitive for the string system, your preferred businesses only wanted to push the micro inverter systems, yes they are better, couldn’t justify the additional 10 - 12 K.Installation quick, high quality workmanship Show additional information
Solar installation
Answered all questions from sales person. Installers were from the local area efficient installation on day when they said they would install system Show additional informationGreat install
Great price for a great system. Very helpful and knowledgeable salesman.Install was done very professionally, in the timeframe promised.
Top customer supprt helped me set up the wireless monitoring system.
Very pleased and would recomment Sunboost to anyone. Show additional information
Installation
I would not have chosen Sunboost, had it not been for installer. I found Sunboost to lacking communication and other services. Installer was very professional and did good job. Show additional informationSteer clear!!!
Paid my deposit and entered into a contract last December. Tried to cancel in March after little contact and no installation. After several requests for a refund of deposit, they persuaded me to go ahead, with a discount and promised installation within a fortnight. Due to complicated installation, they quoted an extra - fixed - $600, which I accepted. Three weeks later, with still no installation, they called seeking a further $1400. Of course, I refused and they have now cancelled the contract. Show additional informationThe easy way to solar
Received four quotes all up which varied by nearly $2,000 from cheapest to most expensive. The quote was carried out by phone in less than half an hour including photos of meter box and account. All went very well.The installation went smoothly, on time, neat work and a couple of nice guys.
The customer service was informative, received all paperwork on the day,now awaiting to have meter changed on the 5th may.
My only complaint is the time taken by different authorities to address their part of the process. Show additional information
Misleading Contractors - Don't install anything above 5 KW Invertors.
I have no rebates and only generate 20% reduction in my bills after installing a 11 kW system.They misled me and did not advise an economic installation. I regret the entire effort to go Solar. Even Synergy themselves are not good and take your generated energy and don't pay anything for it. Show additional information
Fake promises
In response to their advertising campaign I contacted Sunboost for a quote on installation of Solar Panels. I was surprised that they were able to quote instantly without a site inspection. I accepted their quote and forwarded my deposit. When the day came for installation, the installer didn't turn up, but promised to attend after the weekend, again he did not turn up. A week or so later Sunboost booked another installer, unfortunately they didn't tell him that my business premises are only attended from 9am and the poor guy had to wait 1.5 hours for me to open, only to find that the number of panels suggested by Sunboost was not possible. So installation did not proceed. I expected my deposit to be refunded but that has not happened, the only way Sunboost will return my call is if I pretend to be a new customer and then they make fake promises about returning my money. I would give this company a big miss. Show additional informationDon't buy SunBoost!!!!
Don't count on Sunboost for warranty!I informed Sunboost of a faulty system almost 6 weeks ago (current date 14 April 2020). One of the isolators has stopped working. Since contacting the company they have given me the run around. They simply have not been able to organise an electrician to inspect and replace the faulty part. A SunBoost employee even asked for the contact number of installers I might know so SunBoost could progress with the warranty! Such up-professional delays and fobbing off customers is unacceptable. I can not recommend Sunboost.
I actually wonder if SunBoost is 'going under' (financially)? I think I'll have to fill out the paperwork I have received from Consumer Affairs and VCAT as SunBoost seem unwilling to meet warranty obligations. Show additional information
Worst Customer Service, Non-Delivery and Non-Compliant
We got in touch with Sunboost as we seen their promotional video on TV. They called me immediately and pushed their products and suggested to lock in the price as the deposit is refundable (DONT' BELIEVE THIS, it is refundable but with a lot of PAIN).First they said we can easily fit a 6.6kw on our roof, and they would get in touch with me after they receive my documents. I promptly provide this to them and then things go downhill immediately.
First, they will never get in touch with you, and you're forced to chase them up on a weekly basis for updates. This went on for 8 weeks, EXCUSES, EXCUSES and more EXCUSES. They says they will call me as they are busy in meetings and they ghosts me after.
Then after 8 weeks I tell them I need a feasibility study to see if its actually possible to install panels and where are these panels go, they send me a google maps shot and tells me that no reputable company provides a feasibility study (I think he was referring to Sunboost, as ALL companies I dealt with had provided me with a feasibility study).
I later understood why they didn't want to provide me with a feasibility study was because there is no way to claim if your system does not provide the output in the future i.e. there is no claim on the system output
This should have been the first flag but I just chose to ignore it in my haste for a system ASAP. They says we will have an installer call you in 1 week. One week passes, two weeks passes nothing, couple of emails and a guarantee that an installer will call me the same day... nothing.
I told them if we can't have someone call me and advice of an installation date we should cancel by the end of the week. I get a call the same day. They call me to let me know that we can't install a 6.6kw system CONTRARY to their own layout plan but can install a 3 kw system. They also say we need to upgrade our meter box as an installer came by and said that the meter box is old (THIS IS A LIE, 1. we have cameras that notifies us if any one comes close to the box).
They say we should get one of our electrician friends to install a new meter box so it would be cheaper, and if we dont have any friends who are electricians, ITS VERY EASY TO UPGRADE A METER BOX AND I SHOULD DO IT MYSELF.... :-S. (WOW These guys are ******* criminals, and putting PEOPLES LIVES AT RISK)
In order to push my cancellation, I tell them no it's ok, we just don't have funds at the moment and we need to cancel. They say we will send the cancellation form to my email.... you guessed it, NO CANCELLATION FORM FOR 1 WEEK, I manage to get a cancellation form from their call centre. As they are busy, in a meeting, mother is sick, father is sick, children are sick, in the toilet etc... I submit the cancellation form, no refund for 14 days.
I put in a dispute claim with my credit card, and I presume a dispute went from my bank to their bank, cause I get refund directly from Sunboost a couple of days later.
I WOULD NEVER EVER RECOMMEND SUNBOOST TO ANYONE, I have been told they use the cheapest products and just imagine if you have a problem in the future, I can't get them to install, what would happened if the panels fail (which it will certainly will considering quality) An Average/Good solar panel plus inverter (Enphase or Solar edge, not the crap that Sunboost uses - "Solis" never heard of) for 6.6kw is around 6 - 7.5k. This is what you should expect to pay not 2.5-3k Show additional information
Dodgy
Paid $300 deposit back in Sep 2019, didn't go ahead with the installation, as I could not get any response from them when installation was going to be. Email after Email, still no reply. Asked for my deposit back time and time again, they finally got back to me, telling me installation would be 6th Feb.Emailed them probably 6 times and cancelled installation. Then mid March without warning they rock up at my house to install the system. Told the installer wasn't going ahead with it. He said oh no not another one.
Then he told me I was lucky that I didn't go ahead with it. He then told me they are dodgy to deal with and weren't even based in Australia..
Here it is April 5 and still no response and still no refund of my deposit.
People beware of this crowd.... Show additional information