A frustrating encounter in the aisles of Home Depot has sparked a wider debate over how far fed-up shoppers should go when they feel cornered by in-store sales pitches.
In a Reddit post, the original poster described being approached by a Sunrun salesperson while shopping in Home Depot's plumbing section. They said the address they gave was real, but the phone number and email were fake, and wrote that "to my surprise someone showed up when I was sleeping."
Here's what to know
According to the post, the shopper realized the canvasser was someone they had encountered at the store before and chose to play along with the pitch instead of just turning it down. The surprise visit to the house appeared to reinforce that decision, and the poster said they plan to keep handing out bogus leads to in-store salespeople.
Commenters were split. One suggested that the easiest response is the best, writing, "'No thank you. Have a good day.' is a lot easier than fake contact information." Another argued that misleading a worker on purpose goes too far, writing, "It's their job, they're figuring their life out and what they want to do. Intentionally misleading them is poor karma."
Some shoppers feel they are being asked for personal information before they fully understand what comes next.
Going solar is still one of the best ways to save money on home energy, but homeowners can avoid high-pressure pitches by using EnergySage to get free solar installation estimates and compare quotes.
More background
Aggressive sales tactics can turn people away from a technology that, when sold transparently, can lower utility bills and reduce pollution. For many households, the problem isn't solar panels themselves—it's feeling pressured in places where they weren't expecting a pitch.
If an address alone is enough to trigger follow-up, shoppers may feel that even a brief exchange can quickly turn into a doorstep interaction.
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What can be done?
For people interested in solar, comparison shopping remains one of the best defenses against a hard sell. EnergySage's free services let homeowners review multiple installer quotes in one place instead of relying on a single pitch.
Tools like EnergySage's solar map can also help shoppers make a calmer, more informed decision. The map shows the average cost of a home solar panel system by state, along with solar panel incentives for each state. Together, those resources can help the average homeowner save up to $10,000 on solar purchases and installation.
Adding battery storage to a solar setup is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save on energy costs, and go off-grid. Pairing batteries with panels can give households more control over how and when they use stored electricity, and homeowners can explore EnergySage for information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates.
Where can I learn more?
This Sunrun run-in taps into a broader frustration shoppers feel when getting hit with confusing or pushy sales tactics when they least expect it. Similar complaints involving Home Depot, Target, and even mislabeled home products show how fast trust can break down when customers feel pressured or misled.
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• At Home Depot, one shopper said a sneaky in-store tactic made a deal feel deceptive.
• Another Home Depot customer said refusal to sell discounted product turned damage into waste.
• At Target, shoppers said a markup-and-discount tactic made advertised savings look bogus.
That helps explain why some shoppers go on guard before a salesperson even gets through the pitch. A bad retail interaction can quickly taint how people feel about a store — or about a product they might have been open to otherwise.
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