EVSE Home Assessment Reports

[planet4ever]

Thanks - that seems familiar now - that the $100 wasn't "refundable" like the $100 on the car itself, but that it was going to be part of the installation. But I should have gone back and looked - appreciate it. So the question is now, does the quote already include that $100 deduction? If so then their costs are even that much more outrageous. If not, then presumably I can get the $100 deducted off of their $721.12 EVSE price. If this is the case then I will be leaning a little more towards staying with them instead of going for someone else's EVSE. Unless, of course, they are sticking by literally the 'cost of the installation' and won't apply it towards the unit itself.

My guess is they say what they mean and they mean what they say. If AV doesn't do the installation you don't get credit for the $100. They won't bill you until after the installation is done. That is when you will see the credit show up.

As I said, my guess.

[JasonT]

My guess is they say what they mean and they mean what they say. If AV doesn't do the installation you don't get credit for the $100. They won't bill you until after the installation is done. That is when you will see the credit show up.

Your guess has now been confirmed as fact. I decided to call back Aerovironment and get this confirmed. Sarah told me that the $100 is only being applied towards the installation. Her reasoning was something to do with that the $100 is going to the electrician, so if the electrician doesn't come out than the $100 goes away. That sounds a little fishy to me, because I thought I read somewhere that the electricians aren't getting paid for the initial assessment anyway -- so the money hasn't gone anywhere, and should be able to go to whatever.

I'm getting less and less happy with this as it progresses. Unless Aerovironment can radically drop their estimate, I'm going to be looking elsewhere and kissing my $100 goodbye.

[Gonewild]

Thanks - that seems familiar now - that the $100 wasn't "refundable" like the $100 on the car itself, but that it was going to be part of the installation. But I should have gone back and looked - appreciate it. So the question is now, does the quote already include that $100 deduction? If so then their costs are even that much more outrageous. If not, then presumably I can get the $100 deducted off of their $721.12 EVSE price. If this is the case then I will be leaning a little more towards staying with them instead of going for someone else's EVSE. Unless, of course, they are sticking by literally the 'cost of the installation' and won't apply it towards the unit itself.

My guess is they say what they mean and they mean what they say. If AV doesn't do the installation you don't get credit for the $100. They won't bill you until after the installation is done. That is when you will see the credit show up.

As I said, my guess.

That is no different from getting an estimate on a car repair. If you do not get the car fixed by them you pay the $60 or so in diagnostic cost. Yes like the car repair it is included in the price

[TimeHorse]

Your guess has now been confirmed as fact. I decided to call back Aerovironment and get this confirmed. Sarah told me that the $100 is only being applied towards the installation. Her reasoning was something to do with that the $100 is going to the electrician, so if the electrician doesn't come out than the $100 goes away. That sounds a little fishy to me, because I thought I read somewhere that the electricians aren't getting paid for the initial assessment anyway -- so the money hasn't gone anywhere, and should be able to go to whatever.

Well, IMHO, on the one hand I think if we don't get the money back it better damn well go to the electricians at least eventually because they're the ones who schlepped their tucheses out to the houses to do the assessment, not just sit behind a phone in a cool office sipping latte. Okay, that's a bit harsh. As I said, I think AeroVironment makes a fine charger, and some of the people you deal with are quite nice despite all else. But I also have to admit for those of you with trivial installs, the fact that you had to have an assessment at all kind of sucks, never mind the $99 that may have better been spent on a local, bonded and certified electrician of your choosing. Interestingly enough, we should all remember that the guys coming out to our houses are in fact local, bonded and certified electricians of AV's choosing. Most stories I've heard about them have been positive. I just hope we've been positive too because you never know: when you pick up the yellow pages to call up a local guy of your choosing, he might just be the guy AV sent!

BTW, it is my personal belief that the outrageous "labor" quotes AV is sending reflects some large kickback AV is getting that's not going to the installers. I could be wrong, but that is a distinct possibility.

[gasmiser1]

Reps from Leviton and Schneider at the 2010 Plug-in show said that AV and Coulomb Tech (ChargePoint) were run by venture capitalists. I'm sure that is a large part of why the assessment pricing is so high.

[greenleaf]

Your guess has now been confirmed as fact. I decided to call back Aerovironment and get this confirmed. Sarah told me that the $100 is only being applied towards the installation. Her reasoning was something to do with that the $100 is going to the electrician, so if the electrician doesn't come out than the $100 goes away. That sounds a little fishy to me, because I thought I read somewhere that the electricians aren't getting paid for the initial assessment anyway -- so the money hasn't gone anywhere, and should be able to go to whatever.

Well, IMHO, on the one hand I think if we don't get the money back it better damn well go to the electricians at least eventually because they're the ones who schlepped their tucheses out to the houses to do the assessment, not just sit behind a phone in a cool office sipping latte. Okay, that's a bit harsh.

I doubt it. I bet AV gets to keep (most of) the $100.

No thanks AV. I am getting the Leviton unit and installing it without your outrageous fees.

[JPC2822]

AV also makes military weapons- the fighter drone. I think they are used to getting away with over pricing.

[evnow]

Reps from Leviton and Schneider at the 2010 Plug-in show said that AV and Coulomb Tech (ChargePoint) were run by venture capitalists. I'm sure that is a large part of why the assessment pricing is so high.

Venture Capitalists don't run compnies. They invest in them and let the management run the comapnies.

AV is a 40 year old company - not some VC funded startup.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeroVironment

Coulomb is a newer company started in 2007. Looks like it is founded by former Cisco & Lucent execs.

http://www.coulombtech.com/about-management.php

[garygid]

Do we know of ANYBODY, even one person, who has ACCEPTED their AV bid?

Perhaps AV will be left with a batch of EVSEs to "dump" on the marketplace?

[JasonT]

Do we know of ANYBODY, even one person, who has ACCEPTED their AV bid?

As near as I can tell, there currently is no way to accept the quote/bid. So even if someone wants to accept it, I don't believe they can at this time.