Solar Analytics Ditches 3G Lifetime Subscriptions – Discover Your Rights and Next Steps

Solar Analytics Is Taking Away My Lifetime Subscription — What Can I Do?

Solar Analytics provides a solar monitoring service for households.  It’s one of the better ones available and it’s not difficult to find people who say it is the best.  It requires a subscription and, currently, you can pay for it by the month, the year, or five years.  In the past, Solar Analytics sold lifetime subscriptions but they have decided people with older 3G monitoring hardware with lifetime subscriptions will lose them.  This will occur before either these people or the solar systems being monitored are dead.

At the moment, this only applies to those with older 3G monitoring devices.  Those with 4G devices or integrated Solar Analytics in newer Fronius, Goodwe, or Sungrow inverters won’t be affected.  There’s a 3G device problem because the 3G network is going away.  Telstra will completely shut down their 3G network in a little over a year in June 2024.  Solar Analytics says 3G service is already being reduced and some 3G devices have lost their signal. 

A Troubling Email

Solar Analytics has sent emails to those with old 3G monitoring devices stating they can purchase a 4G replacement for $199 plus shipping:

In addition to its $199 cost, it will be necessary to pay a qualified person to install it. 

The email goes on to say the device must be purchased by the 26th of this month, which is three weeks away.

To me, allowing such a short period of time looks like an attempt to rush people into making a purchase decision.  While it’s possible some people will lose their signal soon, the 3G network is not about to suddenly disappear and there’s no need to rush.

If you have a 3G device and a lifetime subscription and purchase a new 4G device, instead of having your lifetime subscription continue, you will receive a 5 year subscription instead.

Notice how Solar Analytics says lifetime subscriptions are no longer available as if it’s out of their hands?  But guess who decides if lifetime subscriptions are available?  It’s not God.  It’s Solar Analytics. 

What Can I Do?

If you have a Solar Analytics 3G monitoring device, your options are:

1. Do nothing.  Your solar monitoring will stop when 3G service is no longer available or possibly earlier.
2. Contact Solar Analytics and inform them you want to retain solar monitoring until 3G service is no longer available. It is possible this will occur before the Telstra 3G network is completely shut down in June 2024.
3. Purchase a new 4G monitoring device and pay to have it installed.  If you currently have a lifetime subscription you can take the 5 year subscription that’s offered.
4. Attempt to obtain a better outcome using the protections provided under Australian Consumer Guarantees.

Do Nothing

There are plenty of reasons people may choose to do nothing:

• They’re ambivalent about having solar monitoring.
• They’re planning to move soon.
• They want to replace their old solar system with a new one.
• They just couldn’t be arsed.

Hang On Till 3G Dies

You can keep Solar Analytics monitoring until the 3G network is shut down.  Note it’s possible this could happen for you before the June 2024 deadline given by Telstra.  You may want to contact Solar Analytics to ensure they will allow monitoring to continue as long as possible.

Buy The 4G Device Offered

Purchasing the 4G before the 26th of this month is an option.  This will involve paying the following:

• $199 for the device and shipping.
• Cost of paying a qualified electrician or solar installer to install it.  This can vary but may be $150 or more.

The $199 should include GST.  But when they give they usual price they don’t include it:

When GST is added to the $255 usual price, it comes to $280.50.  So the special offer price should be $81.50 or 29% less. 

If you currently have what was referred to as a lifetime subscription or a lifetime offer, you will lose that but they will give you 5 years subscription.  What they currently charge for this depends on the size of the solar system:

• 15 kilowatts or smaller $249
• Over 15 kilowatts $449

Use Australian Consumer Guarantees

Fortunately, we are protected by Australian Consumer Guarantees.  They’re pretty good.  Because I’m not a lawyer I can’t give you any professional advice on them, but I can read a pamphlet and repeat what it says. 

There are nine different consumer guarantees and the first one is:

•  Suppliers and manufacturers guarantee that goods are of acceptable quality when sold to a consumer.

This includes being durable.  This means it should, “Function for a reasonable time after purchase, without breaking down.” 

The 3G monitoring devices had a five year warranty.  While I know they’re not perfect, I would expect them to last considerably longer than five years.  Some people bought their devices only three years ago and they will become useless in around one year from now or perhaps sooner.  In this case, I would be certain they’re not meeting the first consumer guarantee and, in my opinion, those who purchased them should receive some form of remedy. 

An exception would be if customers were informed the 3G network could close down and cause the monitoring device to stop working.  If a customer had this explained to them and they decided to buy it anyway, then the responsibility for that decision is their own.  But I have no problem believing many people weren’t told about it.  I’d also find it very strange if people were informed but still decided to pay full price for it.  So I strongly suspect anyone who paid the usual price wasn’t informed.

Note that the 3G monitoring devices would not have been bought from Solar Analytics but from a retailer.  The business that took your money for the device is the one you should contact.  If they are no longer around then you can get in touch with Solar Analytics.

A Lifetime Is A Longtime

The second Australian Consumer Guarantee is:

• Suppliers and manufacturers guarantee that their description of goods (for example, in a catalogue or television commercial) is accurate.

Note this guarantee gives the example of “in a catalogue or television commercial”.  This is very important because it means that conditions or exclusions hidden away in warranties or terms and conditions documents can’t take away promises made on company websites or subscription pages. 

I don’t have a photographic memory, but back when — not very long ago — Solar Analytics was still selling lifetime subscriptions their webpage said something like “lifetime subscription” and not “subscription for the lifetime of the 3G network”.  If something is described as a “lifetime subscription” then it means it will last for a lifetime.  People might think it means the lifetime of their solar system or they may think it means their own lifetime, but very few people are likely to think it would mean “for the lifetime of a specific type of phone network”. 

I think a reasonable person would conclude that “lifetime subscription” at minimum, means the lifetime of their solar system.  In my non-professional opinion, this means Solar Analytics has committed themselves to providing at least that to everyone who bought one.  If Solar Analytics didn’t want to provide that, they should have used different words.  It’s not as if Consumer Guarantees were a completely new thing at the time.  They’ve been around in their current form since 2011.

What Would I Do?

What actions should be taken in this situation is entirely up to the individuals involved.  Some people may want to do nothing.  Others might want to buy a new 4G device and have their lifetime subscription turn into a 5 year subscription.  But others may insist Solar Analytics live up to their obligations under Australian Consumer Guarantees. 

If you were to ask me what I would do if I were in this situation, I would fight it.

If I had a 3G device for 5 or more years I wouldn’t be too worried about paying for a new one.  But I’d just get Anthony to put it in and not everyone is fortunate enough to have a solar installer on hand.  What I definitely wouldn’t tolerate is their attempt to change a lifetime subscription to “number of years so far + 5”.  Solar Analytics sold lifetime subscriptions rather than charging the same price for 5 year subscription because they knew they would sell more that way.  The people who bought them were not under the impression they were buying a “subscription until the 3G network stops functioning” and as far as I can tell, Solar Analytics did not make sufficient effort to inform people that’s what they were buying before taking their money.  Solar Analytics should live up to their obligations under Australian Consumer Guarantees.

If they don’t, they are not the company I thought they were.

Original Source: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/solar-analytics-lifetime-subscriptions/