Federal rebate on solar install

[silversaver]

Please keep the comments about the subject. Last warning to Admin and Mod lol

[Naptown]

Naptown - I have overseen (from afar) bribes you can not imagine on your best day - to have closer knowledge would be very illegal by US law. Living and working in the US please don't talk or think about corruption.

Where I have worked it has varied in scope from 1 $ to big time.

Read first and then comment.

I was not commenting on your ethics but the culture of the places you work.

[russ]

Added last line in the text

Not to mention that people in 3rd world countries know it is illegal and that you can't be a direct party - they keep things nicely isolated for your protection.

[russ]

Naptown - I have overseen (from afar) bribes you can not imagine on your best day - to have closer knowledge would be very illegal by US law. Living and working in the US please don't talk or think about corruption.

Where I have worked it has varied in scope from 1 $ to big time.

Read first and then comment.

If I pay an installer then I acknowledge it is a bribe to try to get the clown to do decent work.

Added last line in the text

[russ]

Than how on earth do you function in the third world countries you work in that require bribes to even show up.

Naptown - I have overseen (from afar) bribes you can not imagine on your best day - to have closer knowledge would be very illegal by US law. Living and working in the US please don't talk or think about corruption.

Where I have worked it has varied in scope from 1 $ to big time.

Read first and then comment.

[inetdog]

Than how on earth do you function in the third world countries you work in that require bribes to even show up.

russ noted that he has paid bribes. The concern in his last statement was about his own employees, not other contractors, vendors, or functionaries.

[Naptown]

The tip the workers boss - the owner of the company whose workers you are saying won't do a decent job without your incentive (bribe)

A worker that requires a bribe to do a decent job or to do a better job is not someone I want around.

Than how on earth do you function in the third world countries you work in that require bribes to even show up.

[russ]

I tip for something not well done too, don't know why but everyone is doing it
I do not tip for a lousy job and let the person know why.

I pay/tip worker for extra job I ask them to do. I don't tangle with them or watching them through the installation. I have my own job to do. They only need to call me once completed. There's no need to bribe someone who gets pay to do the job. I don't hope to gain something extra, instead I demanding the job I request.

The tip the workers boss - the owner of the company whose workers you are saying won't do a decent job without your incentive (bribe)

A worker that requires a bribe to do a decent job or to do a better job is not someone I want around.

[SunEagle]

Definitions:
TIP -paid afterward for something well done
BRIBE - paid in advance in hope of gaining something extra

I have paid both

I agree with your definitions. I have also paid in advance to get a better table at a restaurant or to enter an establishment ahead of the line of people.

I am providing a monetary "reward" to get something better in exchange. This is not unusual and really not a bad thing unless the "bribe" is for something illegal.

[silversaver]

Definitions:
TIP -paid afterward for something well done
BRIBE - paid in advance in hope of gaining something extra

I have paid both

I tip for something not well done too, don't know why but everyone is doing it

I pay/tip worker for extra job I ask them to do. I don't tangle with them or watching them through the installation. I have my own job to do. They only need to call me once completed. There's no need to bribe someone who gets pay to do the job. I don't hope to gain something extra, instead I demanding the job I request.

[russ]

Definitions:
TIP -paid afterward for something well done
BRIBE - paid in advance in hope of gaining something extra

I have paid both

[silversaver]

Not much of an installer to accept a bribe - you are not describing a tip when paid up front.

Bribe? I guess you don't usually tip anyone and that is okay. Yes, it is their job to make sure they have done the proper work. I know there are few broken tiles on the roof before the installation, so I ask the installer to make sure he "check and fix" my roof at end of day so I don't need to "go" up there to inspect the job myself. They are the actual workers whos doing the installation. People work for living. I am not the type of person who check atfter everything and I don't have time for that. I don't think any incentive of that would consider a bribe.

[russ]

I tips the installer $200 cash out front wishing a better work done but still have to do some cleaning job.

Not much of an installer to accept a bribe - you are not describing a tip when paid up front.

[J.P.M.]

I didn't know you bad experience with them. I'm not extremely happy with them, but overall result were ok in my book. I had my solar system installed by them, so my comment were more of trustworthy. Any additional incentive is good on consumer side. customer might or might not get a 1099 depends on vendor. If they cut their own profit without 1099, even better. We are getting 1099 misc for CSI anyway. I don't know how they setup their incentive, but that's good to have. I don't might to get a 1099 if they will offering me an incentive. I met with 8 different solar companies but only signed with 1, that doesn't necessary mean the others were bad. I do felt some solar companies wasted my time, because I told them I'm not interest in leasing and they still trying to put me in a single pay lease.

They didn't waste my time, my cost were $2.84/Watt gross. The job had taken longer than I though, but finally done. Maybe I'm a little demanding just because I tips the installer $200 cash out front wishing a better work done but still have to do some cleaning job.

Not a bad experience - its just business, at least with me. No rancor. No bad will. FWIW, that vendor's other jobs in my HOA seem to mostly have gone well as have most others done by established, professional outfits - my vendor included. From my dealings w/residents and watching their jobs as part of HOA duties, your vendor seems to run hot/cold when it comes to customer relations/interface. One of the things I learned way back when I was a salesperson was that no one ever won an argument with a customer. Not to put too fine a point on it, your vendor could have had some free, and IMO, useful tools, a job, and a bunch of very pregnant leads (as I tend to dance with who brung me) if they had handled me professionally and respectfully as I believe I treated them.

[silversaver]

My understanding is that a 30% tax credit applies to the balance of sale, i.e., after rebates or other price reductions, regardless of who provides them - the state, utility, vendor, whoever. Part of what I'm saying is that what you are describing and what I also thought of, as I'm sure most folks did also, sort of implies it may be smart and savvy to do something that may go beyond tax avoidance, and I'd rather not insult people by inferring they would entertain such an idea. Probably just my anachronistic old fart manners getting in the way of progress.

The last time I called this vendor was after they asked me to share some software I'd written. I suggested I'd entertain that idea after they gave me a written response to my formal request for proposal. They then told me that the best they could do was about $5.20 -$5.40/Watt for what I wanted. "Less would be a waste of our time." I took that as a decline of my RFP. I declined their request for my stuff. They suggest I not call them again. I have honored their last request. I expected more from a Gaelic outfit. (BTW: I got what I wanted as per my RFP for $4.50/Watt - 8 week startup after signing from another vendor).

Like you, I also have no idea if a 1099 is involved in their scheme. However, if I have a need to know about tax matters like that I'll call my accountant, not someone with skin in the game like the vendor.

I didn't know you bad experience with them. I'm not extremely happy with them, but overall result were ok in my book. I had my solar system installed by them, so my comment were more of trustworthy. Any additional incentive is good on consumer side. customer might or might not get a 1099 depends on vendor. If they cut their own profit without 1099, even better. We are getting 1099 misc for CSI anyway. I don't know how they setup their incentive, but that's good to have. I don't might to get a 1099 if they will offering me an incentive. I met with 8 different solar companies but only signed with 1, that doesn't necessary mean the others were bad. I do felt some solar companies wasted my time, because I told them I'm not interest in leasing and they still trying to put me in a single pay lease.

They didn't waste my time, my cost were $2.84/Watt gross. The job had taken longer than I though, but finally done. Maybe I'm a little demanding just because I tips the installer $200 cash out front wishing a better work done but still have to do some cleaning job.