Atlantis Energy Systems Inc 7 Months and Still No Product, Refuse to Return Deposits, Sell Uncertified Electrical Products, False Advertising, Incompetance and Theft Sacramento, California

Atlantis Energy are solar equipment manufacturers, the international exports of Atlantis Energy Systems are managed by a company called World Technology Corporation.

I manage a solar installations company in the UK and placed two orders on behalf of a client with World Technology Corporation for 700 Atlantis Sunslates, a Sunslate is a solar PV module mounted onto a roofing slate. I asked Peter Tierney (Managing Director of World Technology Corporation) to confirm a delivery schedule before agreeing to place the first order, I was told a lead-time of 8 weeks and I believe that this date came from Atlantis Energy Systems, on this basis we placed the first order on 18th March 2010 accompanied with a 60% deposit of GBP 18,997.47 ($29,542.68).

The second order was placed on the 4th May 2010, accompanied with a payment of GBP 17,862.43 ($27,777.68), a second payment of 18,945.47 ($29,461.58) was paid on the 11th May 2010. We were not made aware of any problems with this product or deliver times before placing either order. In total we paid 55,805.37 ($86,781.94) to World Technology Corporation, the bulk of which I believe was paid by World Technology to Atlantis Energy.

Both orders were placed with the following conditions of sale:

1) That the delivery time including shipping would be within 8 weeks.

2) That the Sunslates would be shipped with MCS certification, this is a UK certification that as well as confirming that a product can be used in the UK is also required for solar equipment to be eligable for government sponsered incentives.

These conditions were made very clear from the outset both verbally and in writing before ordering and before paying the deposits. Peter Tierney confirmed that both of these conditions were acceptable verbally and in writing. Peter also confirmed that Atlantis Energy Systems and the Atlantis Sunslate product had held the MCS certification in the past and that it would be a simple procedure to renew, he confirmed that he had informed Atlantis Energy Systems of the conditions of sale and that everyone was confident that the certifications would be in place for the Sunslates before the equipment shipped in 8 weeks time.

The first time I realised that there would be a serious problem with the deliveries was on 14th May 2010, 7 weeks after placing the first order, a few days after paying the second set of deposits. Peter Tierney informed me that there was a delay with Atlantis Energy's slate supplier and that Atlantis Energy Systems were about to place an order for my client's slates onto which the solar modules for our orders were to be mounted.

We found this surprising as they had previously confirmed a leadtime of 8 weeks (our client is building a house, we made sure to double check when the roof would arrive). We now realise that the original leadtimes which we had been promised would have been impossible to achieve. At best there was a misunderstanding between World Technology Corporation and Atlantis Energy Systems before we placed the first order, or maybe Peter misled to get the deal, maybe Atlantis Energy misled Peter, we don't know at the moment. What we do know and have no doubt about is that we were deliberatley misled by either World Technology, Atlantis Energy or both companies into paying deposits for the second order before being told about the delay.

The slates for our orders we were now told were to be purchased in Switzerland and that the shipping time across the Atlantic from Switzerland would be 4 weeks, 2 weeks for the product to be manufactured in the US and another 4 weeks for the completed product to go back across the Atlantic to the UK. This was on top of the 7 weeks we had already waited. We were provided with excuses about supplier problems, faulty deliveries etc etc, in short we had been deliberatly misled about the availability of this product until after Atlantis Energy Systems had received my client's money.

In early June I was casually informed by Peter Tierney whilst checking on the status of the orders and the MCS certification that the Sunslate product actually had no IEC certification, this is the international safety certification that is required for nearly all electrical products. I found this incredible, taken from the Atlantis Energy website (www.atlantisenergy.com) and also available at World Technology's website (www.sunslates.net) only today (20th September 2010) "Atlantis Energy Offers The Best Roof Warranty in The Solar Industry!", exactly how is this possible when the Sunslate is not even certified as safe? We were absolutely not made aware of this when the orders were placed.

It was at this time that we were also informed that the roof slates that the Sunslates were to be made from had still not been purchased from the supplier in Switzerland. This meant a delay of at least another 10 weeks, on top of the 10 weeks we had already waited so far (ETA 20 weeks in total) from the time of the first order.

After checking with the client, it was decided that as the specifications, planning permission and tradesman had already been arranged we agreed to wait again, this was based on a new delivery schedule and a personal assurance from Frank Pao (Atlantis Energy's CEO and Owner) promising that the Sunslates would be delivered to the UK at the end of August.

It was made very clear in writing and verbally to both Peter Tierney and to Frank Pao that any further delays beyond this point would not be accepted and that the client would expect his money back immediatley if these deadlines were not achieved. I also re-confirmed with Atlantis Energy Systems and World Technology verbally and in writing the need for the MCS certification, I was very specific about this.

On 27th August we found out that the product still had no recognised safety certifications of any kind which meant an MCS application could not be made, problems with testing and certification labs run by TUV were cited as the reason. We couldn't even install these products as a standard slate without contravening basic UK building codes (I understand the same would apply in the US) let alone meeting the safety standards required in potentially dangerous electrical equipment.

I made my own enquiries directly with the MCS certification bodies on the 27th August, they confirmed that the minimum time it takes to get a product certified is 90 days. These calls took approximatley 1 hour to make, all of them confirmed that no approach to them had been made by Atlantis Energy Systems. This was proof enough that Atlantis Energy Systems never had any intention to deliver this product as agreed, I find it hard to understand how they can promise a certification of a product in 8 weeks without checking the procedures and paperwork, in reality it takes 3 months, a call way back in March from Atlantis Energy Systems or World Technology could easily have confirmed this before accepting our orders. After speaking with the client we decided to call it a day, cut our losses and requested our money back on the 27th August.

It is now 20th September and my last e-mails and phonecalls to Frank Pao of Atlantis Energy Systems have been ignored. The last contact by phone with World Technology was today when Peter Tierney warned that a bloody battle in court would be just what Frank Pao would want and us persuing this in the courts would be a mistake. It strikes me as incredibly arrogant and deeply wrong if this is truly the case, an already wealthy man, hiding behing lawyers and essentially stealing the savings of a client who only wants to build his house and received what he ordered?

My client is now in a position where his house is now built with no roof and no way of putting it right without his deposits being repayed. We have experienced considerable delays along with the associated costs involved, in spite of this we have asked Atlantis Energy Systems and World Technology for nothing more than the return of what we have paid. My client cannot finish his house using another product as Atlantis Energy Systems have now decided for reasons we cannot understand to keep his money and prevent us from getting the client's projects finished. Peter Tierney and Frank Pao have both already admitted that they are at fault and both agreed to the end of August deadlines, this being the case what's with the talk of bloody battles and more importantly where are the deposits?

The casual way we have been treated, the fact that I believe we have been consistantly lied to and the way in which we have largely been ignored since 27th August suggests that this is not the first time that this has happened or the last. I can also see no reason why that without bringing this to people's attention especially new customers why either World Technology or Atlantis Energy will stop operating in this way.

I am sure that both Atlantis Energy Systems and World Technology Corporation on approach will provide all manner of excuses and reasons why (none of them their fault of course) that they were unable to deliver. It is also difficult to work out between the two companies who is responsible for what. Excuses aside what is certain is:

1) My client's money is with Frank Pao CEO and owner of Atlantis Energy Systems, for reasons known only to him he won't return it. I look forward to a public response Frank. If you really do want a bloody battle instead of doing the decent thing, then I suggest you be a man about it and do it in public.

2) Atlantis Energy Systems and World Technology Corporation should never have accepted the first deposit as they were not and are still not 7 months later in a position to deliver the product as agreed.

2) There can be no way that either Atlantis Energy Systems or World Technology knowing the situation with the first order could not have known that there would be a problem with the second order before accepting the deposits, these orders should never have gone ahead.

3) They are no excuses not to return my client's deposits, it is now over three weeks since this was requested, my communications in early June made it very clear that the end of August was the deadline, it must have been obvious to Atlantis Energy Systems and World Technology even as they were making their rediculous guarantees back in June that this agreement could not be kept.

4) Atlantis Energy Systems sold us a product via World Technology Corporation that had not been certified as electrically safe. I have no way of knowing if World Technology knew this in advance but Atlantis Energy Systems certainly would have done and should have informed Peter Tierney before our deposits were paid and our orders accepted, this is pretty serious and must break all of the rules around false advertising, check out the websites, these guys are pretty slow they are probably still up there.

I have documented and dated every contact we have had with Atlantis Energy Systems and World Technology and can support everything I have stated here with bank statements and e-mails, I have saved full copies of both company websites as of today in case they should change in the near future.

I will openly provide any further detail, clarification or information to anyone that is interested in information either about these companies.

I invite both Peter Tierney and Frank Pao to comment, as it stands you both look like liars and thieves. Though I would advise that you return my client's deposits first if you want to be taken seriously.