Local couple scammed into paying more for solar

EDITORS NOTE:

In the video originally attached to this article, the solar customer (Jim Kindle) mentioned the name, Jimmy Esparza. According to Esparza, he has no affiliation with neither Jonathan Kirkland or the customer.

An electronic signature allegedly forged and a rate that a longtime Foothills couple says is rising without reason.

Now they are warning: buyer beware.

This potentially being tied to the owner of another solar company that has already scammed several Arizona residents from thousands of dollars.

In June of 2017, Jim Kindle and his wife thought they were going to be able to take part in the clean energy that solar panels promise to provide.

Kindle believed having solar would end up saving him money, but instead, he said he ended up paying more.

Back in June of 2017, Jim Kindle, who’s been living in the Foothills for about 30 years, signed a contract agreeing to lease Sunrun solar panels.

According to Kindle, it was not until December 15 of 2017 that their solar was “switched on.”

In the coming months, kindle came across additional “usage” charges on his APS bill.

After paying the extra charge for several months, Kindle refused to pay it any further.

On top of the rise in charge, Kindle still had not received a copy of the original contract he had signed.

He finally received it after complaining to the company several times, 14 months after he signed the dotted line.

To Kindle’s frustration, he was presented with a different contract, one that he said he didn’t see and that had his forged signature on it.

He says on the contract he signed, he used an electronic pin pad, something he regrets and wouldn’t do again.

“Go back to the old fashioned way, write your name out completely and date it and if you want a witness have a witness but don’t take initials on an electronics signature anymore that is too easy to end up someplace else that you’ll be unhappy for,” said Kindle.

Kindle’s contract also included a signature by Jon Kirkland who was involved in a separate scam with AEOS solar company, that we reported on last week.

Above Kirkland’s signature, the contract states he is quote “Sunrun accredited…and that [he] obtained the homeowner’s signature on this agreement.”

I have reached out to Sunrun to which it released a statement saying quote:

“At Sunrun, we take every single customer concern about our products and services very seriously.

We have been in touch with Mr. Kindle to better understand his concerns and are committed to continue working with him on a resolution. We look forward to working with Mr. Kindle on this resolution and to improve his Sunrun experience.”

Sunrun said it has never heard of Jonathan Kirkland. KSWT is still working on determining how Jonathan is connected to all it.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a scam and want to share your experience, you can contact us at KSWT.com.