Solar is a great product, but like any big-ticket home purchase, it attracts its share of high-pressure and dishonest sellers. The good news is that bad operators tend to behave in recognisable ways, and once you know the warning signs, they’re easy to spot. If you see these red flags, it’s not a deal to negotiate — it’s a deal to walk away from. Here are the ones that matter most.
Red flag 1: High-pressure tactics
The clearest signal. If a salesperson is pushing you to sign right now, won’t leave without a decision, or makes you feel rushed, that’s a tactic — not urgency. A sound investment in a 25-year system never needs to be decided on the spot. A good seller gives you the quote, answers your questions, and lets you think and compare. Pressure is the single most reliable red flag.
Red flag 2: “Today only” pricing
Closely related: a price that’s only available if you sign today, or a “special discount” that evaporates by tomorrow. Genuine pricing doesn’t expire overnight. This is manufactured scarcity designed to short-circuit your judgement and stop you getting other quotes. Treat any expiring “deal” as a reason to slow down, not speed up.
Red flag 3: A fake “government rebate”
This one’s specific to watch for in New Zealand: there is no national solar rebate or subsidy. Any pitch built around a “government rebate”, or a “scheme closing soon” you’ll miss out on, is either misleading or a finance offer dressed up as a subsidy. It’s designed to create urgency around money that doesn’t exist. Anyone leaning on a rebate that isn’t real is telling you something about their honesty. (See solar rebates and incentives.)
Red flag 4: Vague answers about certification
When you ask who does the electrical work, whether you’ll get a Certificate of Compliance, or whether there’s an inspection — a good installer answers clearly and confidently. Evasiveness, vagueness, or “don’t worry about that” is a serious warning. The certification is your legal and safety protection; an installer who’s cagey about it may not be doing the work properly or legally.
Red flag 5: Savings that sound too good
A single big, round savings figure, a promise to “wipe out your power bill”, or a suspiciously short payback (like three years) are all signs of overselling. Real savings depend on your usage and self-consumption, and honest installers quote a range with assumptions. Numbers that sound too good usually are.
Red flag 6: A price far below everyone else
A quote dramatically cheaper than the others isn’t necessarily a win — it often means corners cut (budget gear, a rushed install, things left out) that cost you later. A suspiciously low price is a prompt to ask what’s been sacrificed, not to grab it. (See why cheap solar can cost more.)
Red flag 7: No references, no track record
If an installer can’t (or won’t) provide references, recent local installs, or evidence of how long they’ve been operating, be cautious. Warranties only matter if the company survives to honour them, so a thin or hidden track record is a real risk on a 25-year purchase.
What to do when you see one
The response to any of these is the same: slow down. Don’t sign under pressure, get two or three quotes, ask the questions that separate good installers from bad, and walk away from anyone who can’t answer them honestly. The market has plenty of good, straight operators — you don’t have to settle for one waving red flags.
The verdict
The warning signs of a solar deal to avoid are consistent and easy to spot: high-pressure tactics, “today only” pricing, a fake government rebate, vague answers about certification, savings that sound too good, a price far below everyone else, and no verifiable track record. Any one of them is a reason to slow down; several together are a reason to walk. A genuinely good investment can withstand you taking your time, comparing quotes, and asking hard questions — so insist on doing exactly that.
Get a free assessment for an honest, pressure-free starting point.
Sources: High-pressure sales and scam-warning guidance per NZ consumer protection and industry references (2026); no national rebate per EECA.