A connected company entered liquidation earlier this year
Customers of Trident West Industries Ltd and Star Solar Ltd were promised government grant refunds to cover the cost of solar equipment and maintenance
More than £3.1 million was paid into the bank accounts of the two companies between May 2023 and January 2025, but only £7,010 was returned to nine complainants despite total complaints and County Court Judgments of more than £400,000
The common company director claimed he had no control over their bank accounts and could not explain payments totalling over £1 million to various individuals and businesses, while also failing to file accounts and confirmation statements
A solar panel company which targeted pensioners with promises of government refunds has been shut down, six months after its connected company went into liquidation.
Insolvency Service investigations found 80 complaints to Trading Standards and Action Fraud about cold calls and unsolicited house visits by representatives of London-based Trident West Industries Ltd and Star Solar Ltd.
Sales staff targeted individuals who had previously had solar panels installed by unrelated companies, persuading them to purchase solar system parts or maintenance plans with advance payments.
Customers were also often promised refunds from government grants they did not receive.
Trident West Industries Ltd was wound-up at the High Court in London on Tuesday 28 October.
Star Solar Ltd, connected to Trident West Industries Ltd through common director Terry Smith, went into voluntary liquidation in April this year.
Mark George, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:
These companies appeared to deliberately exploit vulnerable consumers through cold calling and doorstep selling, making false promises of government refunds to secure payments for products and services that were often not delivered.
Customers handed over their money believing they would receive solar equipment and maintenance plans and were repeatedly told government grants would refund their payments. The promised goods and services were not provided, and when customers tried to get their money back, the companies simply stopped responding.
This is exactly the sort of predatory behaviour that undermines consumer confidence and will not be tolerated by the Insolvency Service.
Insolvency Service investigations found that more than £3.1 million was paid into the companies' bank accounts between May 2023 and January 2025.
However, just £7,010 was paid to nine complainants, despite the combined value of complaints and County Court Judgments against the companies totalling more than £413,000. The average age of those complainants was 76.
When customers cancelled orders within the legal cooling-off period, refunds were not provided and contact with the companies was lost when they attempted to chase them up.
In one case, a customer paid £3,420 for an inverter that never arrived. When they cancelled the order, they were instead sold a maintenance plan for £1,883 with a promise the remaining balance would be refunded. The refund was never paid.
In another case, a customer cancelled their contract well within the cooling-off period and was assured over the phone that the refund would be processed. Despite multiple follow-up calls over several weeks, the refund never came.
The listed director of both companies told investigators he set up Star Solar Ltd but claimed Trident West Industries Ltd had been set up by a third party he refused to name.
He claimed he was not in control of the companies' bank accounts, had no knowledge of what their assets and liabilities were, and could not explain payments of more than £1 million to various individuals and businesses.
Trident West Industries Ltd failed to file accounts due in April this year and its confirmation statement due the previous August, breaching requirements under the Companies Act 2006.
The company's website displayed access warnings when users attempted to connect, and its listed email address continuously returned delivery failure notifications.
The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator of Trident West Industries Ltd.
All enquiries concerning the affairs of the company should be made to the Official Receiver of the Public Interest Unit: 16th Floor, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London, E20 1HZ.
