I think you hit it on the head, an honest, simple explanation. If he is unreasonable, just go buy him some Johnson Control specials for $68 at Sams Club.
Larry Crutcher Starlight Solar Power Systems On Oct 6, 2011, at 3:32 AM, Allan Sindelar wrote: > 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 > al...@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 > > > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Options & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out participant bios: > www.members.re-wrenches.org >
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