A Amara NZero announced that it is carrying out the “Say No to Fake Power” campaign, in order to raise awareness among all participants in the solar sector about the risks related to the installation and resale of panels with counterfeit power.
“Fake Power” is the term used to describe a scam where the modules offered have lower power than what is advertised. In this type of practice, the consumer believes they are purchasing a product with greater power and quality, when in fact they are receiving equipment of questionable quality and power below what is promised.
One of the possible reasons for the high application of this scam is due to product offers with extremely attractive prices and below market value, a condition that, despite being attractive, can be classified as criminal.
According to Felipe Cunha, Commercial Director of Amara NZero Brasil, “Fake Power” is a serious threat to the photovoltaic sector, as it compromises the reliability of the entire supply chain.
From the moment that products of lower quality than specified are offered, they promote low efficiency and durability of the systems, which can trigger a generalized breakdown of trust, which affects major relationships in the market and undermines the seriousness of the segment.
“As a distributor that only works with high-performance equipment, robust manufacturers that are consolidated in the global market, we have suffered greatly with the marketing of low-quality products, including 'Fake Power',” he stated.
“In the immediate term, our sales are impacted by customers being deceived by low prices, but what we describe as most worrying is the loss of trust among integrators, end customers and investors, as these are years of relationship building. The blow could not only shake market confidence, but also harm its growth for years to come,” Cunha highlighted.
Below, Amara highlighted some precautions that consumers can take to avoid possible losses:
- High reliability distributors: look for reliable distributors and reputable manufacturers in the global market, not just locally known distributors;
- Manufacturers with quality certifications: check whether the manufacturing company has certification and validation from major institutes worldwide, such as PVEL, RETC and PV Tech, which validate not only the module's power, but also the quality of the other materials used in manufacturing;
- Below market prices: research the prices of the product you are looking for at different distributors, as quality photovoltaic modules have very small price variations between the main players. Prices that are much lower than the average indicate a high probability that they are products with fake power;
- Flash Test: Request flash card tests for all solar panels you are purchasing. Reliable suppliers are not afraid to share them.
Consumer Protection Code
The Consumer Protection Code makes the responsibility of the entire supply chain regarding poor quality products or products with misleading information very clear:
Art. 12. The manufacturer, the producer, the builder, national or foreign, and the importer are responsible, regardless of the existence of fault, for repairing damages caused to consumers by defects resulting from design, manufacture, construction, assembly, formulas, handling, presentation or packaging of its products, as well as insufficient or inadequate information about its use and risks.
Art. 14. The service provider is liable, regardless of the existence of fault, for the repair of damages caused to consumers by defects relating to the provision of services, as well as for insufficient or inadequate information about their use and risks.
The same law also protects the end customer's rights:
Art. 6 The basic rights of the consumer are:
(...)
III – adequate and clear information about the different products and services, with correct specification of quantity, characteristics, composition, quality, applicable taxes and price, as well as the risks they present;
IV – protection against misleading and abusive advertising, coercive or unfair commercial methods, as well as against abusive or imposed practices and clauses in the supply of products and services;
(...)
VI – the effective prevention and repair of individual, collective and diffuse patrimonial and moral damages;
Finally, it is important to warn about the crime that is categorized as the situation of selling panels with false power:
Art. 66. Making a false or misleading statement, or omitting relevant information about the nature, characteristics, quality, quantity, safety, performance, durability, price or warranty of products or services:
Penalty – Imprisonment from three months to one year and fine.
§ 1º Anyone who sponsors the offer will incur the same penalties.
§ 2 If the crime is negligent;
Penalty Imprisonment of one to six months or fine.
In other words, it is essential that everyone involved in the supply fulfills their legal duties, since the sale of products or services with misleading information can generate not only the losses already mentioned above, but also compromise the reputation of the companies that supply equipment, in addition to legal penalties.
In a sector that is becoming more competitive every day, transparency for consumers becomes a differentiator capable of reinforcing customer loyalty.
Don't miss any news from the electricity sector! Sign up to our Community by clicking here and get exclusive access to our content!
all the content of Canal Solar is protected by copyright law, and partial or total reproduction of this site in any medium is expressly prohibited. If you are interested in collaborating or reusing part of our material, please contact us by email: redacao@canalsolar.com.br.
