Solar Centre Reviews

Name: Solar Centre
Rating: 4.26

4.3 Rating 207 Reviews

83 %

of reviewers recommend Solar Centre

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4.3

Based on 207 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Courier, Postal Service
Average Delivery Time	Next Day
On-time Delivery	95%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	Greater than 88%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Telephone, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour
Customer Service	4.4 out of 5

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Solar Centre 5 star review on 25th October 2024

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Filter: Rated 1 None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“I don’t normally write reviews - but PLEASE avoid this company. Shoddy products and appalling customer service. We bought expensive outdoor Christmas lights from them which lasted just a few weeks. Immediately doubted their quality and asked for a refund; they refused and sent new lights after Christmas. Tested and worked but when we actually put them up the following Christmas they again lasted just two days! And this was after they made us shell out another £15 on a new battery. They refused to replace this time as “out of warranty”. So… two/three failed products, two Christmases without the magic our kids had hoped for outside the front door; and zero sense of accountability. Just avoid them. They are obviously too big a company making too many cheap products and don’t care one bit about customer service.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 months ago

“Purchased through Amazon Solar Centre Truro Solar Wall Light - Anthracite Edition It is a very cheaply made, poor quality product that works for an hour max, I wouldn't buy any of their products again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 months ago

“Purchased Lantern (expensive), it failed just out of warranty, not interested in replacement, not premium product or service anymore - buy elsewhere as they sell disposable products that fail after 1 year”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Great products, look good and work well for a limited time. They will not last in my opinion and from experience, for more than a couple of years. If quality was better they would be very good products.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Disappointing service, no longer good quality products as they used to be, they seem to be heading for the cheap quality, high prices with discounts every week market. Onsite reviews quite suspect as all are good! but look on other sites, different picture, sad to see a company losing its values and such poor customer service, email with an issue or fault see if they bother to reply at all. Poor details of products.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Out of four lights ordered, one was completely faulty - would not turn on. For the remaining three lights, they do not work in winter as advertised. They only hold enough charge to be powered up for less than 1 hour, and then after running out of charge turn on the next evening on the colour selection cycle, which apparently is how they are designed. Extremely poor service as they are now refusing to refund even though I have returned the lights, and I’m having to dispute via PayPal. Avoid at all cost.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Premium product at a premium price, but sadly not premium customer service We purchased a set of lights from the Solar Centre in November 2022 and within a few weeks we had problems with the units not holding their charge. They only stayed alight for a very short time, so we reported the issue to them on 8 December. It has taken them from then to now – 17 February 2023 – to send us a replacement USB tube. That is 11 weeks of delaying tactics and countless messages – I actually have 42 emails on the subject in a folder! They asked me try this…..now try that….now plug this bit in and see if it works……..and finally they asked me to try something and then they “would immediately send a replacement”. When I reported that it did, indeed, do as expected they promptly dropped the case and I had to remind them that the original problem still existed. Today, I have finally received the replacement tube…..without a replacement battery – and currently have it on charge to see how well it works, if at all. This should have been dealt with promptly and efficiently over 2 months ago instead of all that fuss and needless bother. And all for a USB tube that can be bought for just £12! Goodness knows what it has cost their company to involve so many of their staff in all that unnecessary work, but I do know that it has cost them a great deal of customer goodwill. Never again!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Ordered a number of items with one item awaiting stock. I had no problem with waiting for this item but after a while and no delivery I emailed the company and was told the item was delivered with the original order. I then had to prove from their own web site and emails from them that the item had not been delivered. I then was emailed back and told “I have looked into this and I do apologise I can confirm the post for the albany light has now been discontinued”. I then ordered some further items with two being delivered and one again awaiting stock. I am now going through the same rigmarole as before. It is such a shame as the products are really good but the customer service team are fobbing customers off without properly checking.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I have received a faulty Truro Solar Motion light which in spite of adhering to all instructors has never worked since it was removed from the box. Like other customers I have found their customer service non-existent. Almost a month later I am still waiting for refund or replacement. Emails take days to be answered and my last response felt almost hostile - this company really does not care - there are many more great solar companies out there so avoid this one at all costs.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Nicole in customer service was extremely helpful and promised to send a replacement set of fairy lights, however this is will be our third set and will be interesting to see how long they last this time!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“The customer service of this company is now non existent! I have been trying to get a return code from them since the beginning of June, no reply to any emails and phone lines have been shut. I won't return the item now as I'm not sure that I will be refunded without a code! Shocking service, will not us again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Very poor quality goods - cheap looking plastic and two out of three of my purchases have not worked properly. When you try to return them they make you try lists of trouble-shooting measures to fix the problem and ask you to send photos as "proof" before they will grant you a refund code to return them. You have to return things at your own expence. Having waited three weeks for my code and paid return postage I'm now told I won't get a refund becuase the lights have been "used." Appalling company - avoid at all costs.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I have returned my fairy lights as they failed after 3 weeks. I was instructed to return them for refund and was given a return code. I was told to get a Certificate of Postage and not a ‘signed for’ return. Now I’m told that my parcel had gone missing and they have no record of it. Surprise surprise! I will send a copy of my certificate when I return from holiday and see what happens. No response to live Chat or phone calls. Emailed several times but takes about 8 days for a response. Some previous purchases have been good products but customer service is Very poor. Should have gone to John Lewis.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“The Solar Centre unfortunately sells dreadful products which are not environmentally friendly at all as they fail in a very short period of time. I purchased a set of mini London solar powered lights but they failed in around 12 - 18 months. The support team lead by Parys and including Aminah only offer very poor service. I was told by them in a support email that "our products are expected to last for 2 years but this varies depending on the location, installation and the customer so the warranty is set to one year." They would not offer me a replacement set of lights or tops as the warranty period of 1 year was exceeded. This is clearly very poor from company that doesn't care about product quality or customer service. I would advise buying normal LED lights with replaceable batteries as they will be much better for the environment in the long run.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I received my Edinburgh festoon lights on the 20th May and after investing a lot of time getting them set up and hanging them correctly on my pergola, by the 13th June I was contacting The Solar Centre asking to return the faulty item for a full refund as they had ceased to work. Under UK Consumer law a customer can return a faulty item and demand a full refund including shipping cost to return item if required if they notify the seller within 30 days of receipt. The Solar Centre are fully aware of this law as this is stated on their website under their returns information, however their actions do not reflect their documented policy and their actual practices are unlawful. After eight days I received a response from the support team who asked me to run a series of check on the lights, look for damage on the cabling, disconnect the panel and charge via solar independently and finally charge via USB, I provided photographic evidence of the location of the solar panel in my south facing garden not being obstructed by trees or buildings and of the solar panel at night in darkness to demonstrate there is no nearby street lighting affecting the panel. None of the suggested fixes resolved the issue so I confirmed I would return the item and stated once again that I would like a full refund. I received a response from support@ within 13 minutes telling me that despite asking for a refund that a replacement was being shipped and that I had to keep hold of the broken lights for the remainder of the warrantee in case there were further issues. I responded immediately advising the law regarding the 30 day fault notification, that I did not want a replacement, I wanted to return the faulty lights for a refund and the expectation to store a box of broken lights for another 11 months was ridiculous, I have not received a response to this email, that was yesterday afternoon and this morning I received an email notifying me that a replacement set, which I do not want has now been shipped. This practice is not only bad for reputation but unlawful. I have since emailed support@ info@ and returns@ asking to be contacted to rectify this totally unnecessary situation created entirely by the company themselves through sheer incompetence and can only assume The Solar Centre is struggling to keep up with the number of faulty items being returned as being asked to store a faulty product rather than return it just wreaks of a company trying to save costs of paying for return items and the support response times are just too long. I made the mistake of assuming if I paid a premium price I would get a premium product and premium service, don’t make the same mistake I did, go elsewhere as this company is going downhill fast.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Terrible after sales service! I have purchases 5 shape lights and 2 are not working. I’ve sent emails, filled out the web forms, tried on the phone but it just rings out (50 mins I waited the other day and no one picked up), tweeted, sent messages on Facebook and nothing!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Lovely lights packed up after 6 months use. No reply to e-mail and no answer when I tried to call. On hold for 40mins....Avoid at all costs.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“They overcharge unless you qwery the price. No one answers the phone. Enquires about returning faulty goods are ignored . bought some Elan Lights didnt work after two weeks . Poorly made in China . Keep clear.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Solar Centre - Mini London Solar Post Lights (Set Of 4) £34.94 Beware This product is completely unreliable. Do not be fooled by the positive reviews. I bought 4 pillar lights originally. 3 replacements were later sent. That's 7 lights in total. Only 2 actually still work. For now. I had placed the lights in the best possible position alongside of my driveway, while switched off (to charge them up) for 3-4 days, as advised. On the 4th night they were switched on. 2 had stopped working that same night. Emails went back and forth. I wanted a refund but was only offered replacement tops. They claimed I had not placed them in a good position, when in fact they were placed in a very good position that had full unobstructed daylight all day long. That's at least 7 hours a day during winter. I have other solar lights that find this more than sufficient. Also, in this surprisingly mild weather, a good part of each day has had sunshine (even though I have been assured that sunshine is not required). Solar Centre claim the lights will work 4-6 hours per night when charged. This would be acceptable - sadly, it never happens. I am now left with 4 garden ornaments that look good in daylight - utterly useless at night. Only 2 now light up for approx 2 hours per night. What a waste of money that I can't get refunded. Once they stop working altogether, they'll be placed in the trash. I will put this down to a bad experience. The Solar Centre lights seem to be overrated and overpriced. I would not recommend your product to anyone.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Bitterly disappointed with the product and the customer service. For what is advertised as a wall light, the laughable amount of "light" emitted is more of a glow and can hardly light up a front door that is right next to it. The lumen rating is "conveniently" omitted from the product description and the listing on the website. The product video is shot inside, in a studio, in controlled darkness, completely misrepresenting what the product is capable (or not) of. Have been trying to resolve with customer service, but replies have been short, dismissive and borderline rude - if they even bother to reply. The misrepresentation of the product remains completely ignored and un-acknowledged. Would rather spend my time and money elsewhere, and would encourage others to do so also.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Solar Centre is rated 4.3 based on 207 reviews