[RE-wrenches] What's the right action?

[David Katz]

Hi Allan
You could credit him the interest on the $600 he loaned you.
David

From: Allan Sindelar [mailto:allan at positiveenergysolar.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2011 03:32 AM
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Subject: [RE-wrenches] What's the right action?

OK, here's one way off the beaten path.

I live in an historic offgrid rural neighborhood of eccentrics. Makes for quite rewarding life and work. In 2003 a neighbor came to me for a system. His budget was $6K and needs were modest. He didn't want installation, would install it himself. We built a system on a plywood panel with DR2424 and XP250, DC175, SunSaver, Tri-Met, with all proper disconnects, prewired with connection points labeled. Array was two SX150s on a pole-top rack, and it used eight golf carts; a good budget system for that time. Phil Undercuffler (of Outback now) did the work well. The neighbor was pleased with the result and took the system home with him except for the batteries. Paid in full, check was good (as they virtually always are).

He never came back for the batteries. We saw each other periodically, and after once or twice I stopped asking about them, figured he had his reasons. Golf carts are the only batteries we routinely stock, and his were eventually rotated back into stock to keep it fresh, so no special-order loss there. Last week we passed on our "road" and he stopped me to ask for the dimensions for the battery box he was about to build, and said he'd be in touch to get the batteries.

In 2003 golf carts were $75 and cores kept the beer fund stocked in good weather. Today they're $150 exchange, with a $20 core value. So I'm posting to get preemptive guidance when he comes for his batteries.

It seems the most straightforward approach is to simply tell him the current cost of the batteries and offer to apply the $600 he paid in 2003 toward the current cost for eight without core exchange. He won't be expecting to fork out an extra $760. I'd like to keep him satisfied, and can see at least eight different ways to approach this, all justifiable and none ideal.

Has this ever happened to you? What would you do, that's fair, equitable, and is likely to keep a reasonable customer happy?

I'll post what eventually happens when it's done. Of course, that could be another eight years.

Thanks, Allan
--
Allan Sindelar
Allan at positiveenergysolar.com<mailto:Allan at positiveenergysolar.com>
NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
Positive Energy, Inc.
3201 Calle Marie
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
505 424-1112
www.positiveenergysolar.com<http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/>


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