Update-Feb. 14
We received a partial refund from Hank Zevallos after weeks of unanswered phone calls, letters, and emails to both him and Bergey Windpower. Our contract, written and verbal, states that all money would be refunded in the event that the permits and energy credits were not secured. Another lie! Hank decided to keep a portion of our money as a "nominal fee" for services he didn't render. It's unfortunate that we have to take him to small claims court to recoup these funds, which will now include our finance charges for the 3 months he had our money and did nothing, plus court fees.
We contacted Mike Bergey from Bergey Windpower and he seemed to feel that a partial refund was sufficient. He was very unconcerned that his dealer had not returned all our money as promised. Obviously his loyalty lies with the dealer and not the customer. This should make you leary of the integrity of their product. Unfortunately not only did he lose our future business, but anyone in our area, especially our immediate neighbors will be notified of their attitude. Mr. Bergey made it sound like the amount still owed us was insignificant and we should be happy we got most of it back. What gives him the right to determine what amount is insignificant to us? If it is so insignificant why not offer to give it back to us himself. We wouldn't have accepted it because he doesn't owe it to us, but he could have offered. He said he was sure there were expenses involved that Hank needed to recoup??? What expenses? He didn't even show us any documentation of what he did. Why, because he didn't do anything. We did everything. We gave him the list of parcels adjoining our property for the permit letter. We took the digital pictures of the site. We gave him the info for the Topo map. We took the GPS reading of the site. He didn't even file the California Energy Commission Tax Credit! He did nothing but hold our money for over 3 months and then refuse to return it, while we paid interest on it through our home equity line of credit. I guess that is a good way to make a living. Take an order for something, do nothing, then when the people get wise, hold some of their money back and call it a "Nominal fee". Plus he got to keep the money in a bank for 3 months and possibly getting interest on it or using it for something else. Why else would the check bounce? And Bergey agrees with this?
It also concerns us that Mr. Bergey held a check from Hank Zevallos when it bounced due to insufficient funds, yet ordered the anchors for the tower and had them shipped to us. He then billed us for the shipping, both ways. Maybe he should take the time to read the contracts that his dealers sign with their customers which state, "Purchase subject to permit and CEC rebate being secured". He obviously jumped the gun and started ordering things without knowledge that the permits and rebate had not been secured... And all this on an insufficient funds check from Hank. How money hungry are these people?
This would be a good investigative report for 20/20.
Alternative Energy Con Game-Watch your money blow away!
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