I’d like to say that I ‘stumbled across’ a solar ad today while reading the online version of the Arizona Daily Star…

But with today’s fully integrated advertising and tracking, there wasn’t anything close to random chance that a solar ad was in my feed that the word ‘stumble’ insinuates.

Anyways, the ad gave me a bit of a pause because of the headline:

New Program Is Giving Arizona Homeowners Solar Panels & Backups For $0 If They Qualify*

I’ll say, as a Tucson home owner myself, that sounds REALLY interesting to me. I mean, who doesn’t want to reduce their power bill from TEP AND do it for free? 

O.K… Here’s what is really going on with this ad.

These thirsty advertisers are trying to generate ‘leads’ by promising you potentially ‘$0’ cost solar panels and back ups.

They ‘protect’ themselves by putting that asterisk and saying ‘If They Qualify’ but the reality is there are NO grants or incentives that will get a Tucson homeowner a free set of solar panels, backups, or anything.

They aren’t local solar companies, they are non-local (sometimes even out of the U.S.) outfits (I won’t muddy the word company with what these bottom feeders are). 

These outfits are purely ‘lead generation’ combines that cast nets out as far and wide as possible to snare as many ‘leads’ as possible and then sell them to solar companies who are desperately looking for their next customer.

The ‘lead generation’ industry, in some ways, sprang forward with the arrival of the internet, but has really taken off recently due to a group of questionably motivated internet marketers who market to folks looking to own a business a promise of creating their own online advertising agency.

In that world, you and I are just a commodity where ads are designed to get us to sign up. The lead gen clowns don’t care one bit about how they get our info, they just want it so they can sell it to a solar company. 

This happens in many of the home improvement and repair segments such as roofing, kitchen and bath remodeling, landscaping, pool installation, and more.

So… Back to this ad.

A pure unadulterated bald-face lie is presented in the headline…

Paraphrased- you can get free solar if you qualify.

The reality is NOBODY will qualify because no such program exists. This is a bait and switch as pure as can be, and anyone who signs up for more information will find out as soon as they get on a call with the solar company on the other side.

Tragic for sure, an interested Tucson home owner gets their expectations (and hopes) set on a free solar home system, gets on a high pressured sales call with a highly trained sales ‘professional’ (more like shark), goes through 30-45 minutes of word ninja sales ‘discussion’ and then finds out (SHOCKER) that they don’t qualify.

Folks, don’t fall for the lead gen ‘outfits’ or the solar companies who employ them. Arm yourselves with the best knowledge you can before you start to reach out to the solar companies so that you can’t be duped by their highly skilled sales people.

Click Here to get on the waiting list so you can grab a copy of my upcoming book:

Tucson Solar Insider Desk Guide for Buying Solar

 

Be Good!

Curtis