The short answer
- A false promise can matter years later. Every state has a law against deceptive sales, and the cancellation window isn’t the only way out.
- Proof is what makes it work. A promise in writing, plus a bill or document showing it was false, is the strongest case.
- The lender may be responsible too. If the seller arranged your loan, its misrepresentations can often be raised against the lender.
- Deadlines apply. Many run from when you discovered the problem, so don’t sit on it.
Common misleading claims
Federal regulators have described the patterns. In its 2024 report on solar financing, the CFPB flagged hidden markups in loan balances, sales pitches built around a tax credit, payments that jump if a homeowner doesn’t make a large prepayment, and exaggerated savings. These are the pitches homeowners tell us about most:
| What you were told | Why it’s often false | What helps prove it |
|---|---|---|
| “Your electric bill will go away.” | Most homes still pay the utility for nighttime power, fixed charges, and fees | The proposal’s savings page and your utility bills from before and after |
| “It’s free” or “it’s a government program.” | No program gives away rooftop solar through door-to-door sales | Flyers, texts, or a proposal using government language |
| “The tax credit pays off your loan.” | The credit only reduced tax you owed, and it isn’t available for systems installed after 2025 | Your tax return for that year and the payment schedule in the proposal |
| “Your payment will never go up.” | Many loans jump if a large prepayment isn’t made, and leases and PPAs often rise every year | The re-amortization terms or the escalator in your contract |
| “You’re just signing up for an inspection.” | It was a binding contract or a loan application | The timeline of what you signed and when, and any texts setting up the visit |
| “The rate is only 2.99%.” | A large dealer fee may be built into the balance instead | The cash price compared with your amount financed |
| “The system moves with you” or “upgrades are free.” | Panels stay with the house, and moving them costs thousands | The proposal, texts, or the contract’s removal terms |
| “Your rates will go up 8% a year.” | Inflated rate increases make the savings look bigger | Your utility’s actual rate history |
Check a loan’s markup with the dealer fee calculator and a lease or PPA’s yearly increase with the escalator calculator.
Were you misled about your solar?
Tell us what happened. It takes about two minutes, and you decide what happens next.
See my optionsProblems with the loan application
Watch for signs that the financing was handled for you rather than with you:
- A salesperson filled in your loan application on a tablet
- An income figure you didn’t provide
- A co-borrower added to help you qualify
- Documents signed electronically that you never saw in full
- A credit-boosting step you were told to take
Those facts can matter both for a complaint and for how a lender should treat the loan. Ask the lender in writing for a copy of your loan application and the signed agreement. If your signature or information was used without your permission, that may be identity theft, which you can report at IdentityTheft.gov. See what to do about overstated income on a solar loan.
If the pitch was in Spanish or another language and the contract was in English, see sold in Spanish, signed in English. Some states, including California, require the contract in the language of the sale.
What makes it actionable
Every state has a law against deceptive and unfair business practices, and some have solar-specific rules on top. In general, a statement matters most when:
- It was a statement of fact, not opinion. “You’ll save $150 a month” is a fact claim. “You’ll love it” isn’t.
- It mattered to your decision. You signed because of it.
- It turned out to be false. Your bills, the contract, or the tax return show it.
Written promises are strongest, but verbal ones count too, especially when several homeowners report the same pitch from the same company. A contract clause saying no other promises were made doesn’t always protect a seller from a deceptive practices claim.
Deadlines vary by state and by type of claim, and many run from when you discovered the problem. Your state’s solar law page lists the main consumer protection law and the agencies to contact.
Evidence to gather now
- The sales proposal and any savings or production estimate
- Texts, emails, voicemails, and social media messages from the salesperson
- Your utility bills from the 12 months before and after installation. Most utilities let you download them.
- Your loan or lease documents and the loan application
- Your tax return for the year you expected the credit, if a credit was promised
- A written timeline of what you were told and when, while you still remember it
- Names of neighbors or others who heard the same pitch
Our document checklist prints the full list, and the secure document upload lets you share them for review.
What to do, step by step
- Write down what happened while you remember it: who said what, when, and where.
- Gather the evidence above and keep copies outside the company’s app or portal.
- Send a written dispute to the seller and, for a loan, to the lender. Say what you were promised, what happened instead, and what you want: a cancellation, a refund, or a corrected balance. Use certified mail and keep the receipt.
- File complaints with your state attorney general, the state contractor board, and, for a loan, the CFPB. The complaint letter builder puts it together.
- Keep paying while the dispute is open, unless an attorney who has read your contract tells you otherwise.
- Get your contract reviewed if the company won’t move, the balance is large, or the installer is gone.
When the lender is responsible too
If the seller arranged your loan, look for a paragraph in capital letters in your loan contract that begins “NOTICE: ANY HOLDER OF THIS CONSUMER CREDIT CONTRACT.” That’s the FTC Holder Rule notice. Where it applies, the seller’s misrepresentations can be raised against whoever holds the loan, even after the loan is sold or the seller goes bankrupt. Recovery is generally capped at what you’ve paid.
That’s why a written dispute should go to the lender as well as the seller. More in the FTC Holder Rule and your solar loan.
What it can lead to
Depending on your facts and state, a misrepresentation can support:
- A complaint that gets a written response and creates a record
- A negotiated release from the contract, or a reduced payoff
- A claim against the seller under your state’s consumer protection law
- A claim against the lender under the Holder Rule
- A share of a settlement if regulators act against the company
Regulators are active. Minnesota’s attorney general sued four solar lenders in 2024, alleging hidden dealer fees, and Texas sent investigative demands to several solar sellers in 2026. Start with our complaint guide, or see every option in how to get out of a solar contract.
Common questions
The salesperson only said it verbally. Does that count?
It can. Verbal statements are harder to prove, so write down what you remember and look for anything that backs it up, such as a proposal, a text, or other homeowners who heard the same pitch.
I signed a contract that says no other promises were made. Am I stuck?
Not necessarily. Those clauses don’t always protect a seller from fraud or deceptive practice claims. A lawyer in your state can tell you how they’re treated there.
It has been years. Is it too late?
Deadlines vary by state and claim, and some run from when you discovered the problem. Act soon rather than assuming it’s too late.
The salesperson worked for a different company than the installer. Who is responsible?
Often both. Sales companies, installers, and lenders are frequently separate. Name all of them in your dispute and complaints, and let them sort out who answers.
Can I get my money back?
Sometimes, through a release, a settlement, or a claim. It depends on what you can prove and on your state. A cancellation inside the legal window is the only fast, near-certain refund.
I was told I was only signing up to see if I qualified. Is the contract valid?
That can be a strong misrepresentation, especially if you weren’t given copies or a cancellation notice. Write down the timeline and get your documents reviewed.
Will disputing this hurt my credit?
A dispute alone doesn’t. Missed payments do. Keep paying while you dispute unless an attorney tells you otherwise, and ask how any settlement will be reported.
Sources
- CFPB: Report finds lenders cramming markup fees and confusing terms into solar loans. Four risk areas in solar lending
- CFPB: Issue Spotlight, Solar Financing (August 2024). Hidden fees, tax credit claims, and savings claims
- FTC: Solar power for your home. Questions to ask and claims to check
- FDIC: FTC Rule on Preservation of Claims and Defenses (Holder Rule). Claims against the seller raised against the lender
- FTC: IdentityTheft.gov. Reporting misuse of your information
General information, not legal advice.
This guide can’t tell you whether a right applies to your agreement. For that, talk with a licensed attorney in your state.