Quote legal basics — what a quote is, when it binds you
This page explains what a quote from techs.solar is legally, when it becomes binding, and how the validity window works. Read it before your first serious customer conversation. For jurisdiction-specific questions, consult a lawyer — this describes platform behavior, not what a court will decide.
A quote is an offer, not a contract
Section titled “A quote is an offer, not a contract”When you generate a quote in Quote Generator v2 and send it to a customer, you’re making a binding offer — to perform the work at the stated price, terms, and period. Legally in most EU jurisdictions this is an offer: “if you accept this, I will do the job on these terms.”
Nothing is a contract yet — your customer hasn’t agreed, and either side can walk away with no obligation.
When it becomes binding
Section titled “When it becomes binding”A contract forms when your customer accepts the quote — usually by signing it, replying with clear written acceptance, or (in some jurisdictions) by paying a deposit against it. From that moment:
- You are obligated to perform the work at the quoted price, timeline, and scope
- Your customer is obligated to pay under the terms stated
- Changes require both parties to agree in writing (a variation or new quote)
For a quote with no GPO product attached, marking it Accepted in your quotes list is how techs.solar records the moment for internal tracking — it doesn’t itself create the contract. The customer’s actual acceptance (their signature, their email, their deposit) is what counts.
If the quote includes a Group Purchasing Order (GPO) product, marking it Accepted does more than record a moment — it converts your soft reserve into a hard commit on that group order, immediately and permanently. Your reserved slot becomes a committed one, and the hold period clears. This cannot be undone by changing the quote status back. See what-is-a-soft-reserve for what soft reserve vs. hard commit actually means for your obligation.
The validity window
Section titled “The validity window”Every quote has a Valid for field, in days. The default is 30. This is the period during which your offer stands — after it expires, the customer no longer has the right to accept at those prices.
- Inside the window: customer can accept, contract forms
- Outside the window: quote is expired, you can re-issue at current prices or decline
Set it realistically — panel and inverter prices move, and a 90-day validity risks locking you into stale pricing.
If a customer accepts on the last day and you receive it the next day, most jurisdictions still treat it as in time — but don’t rely on that. Treat expiration as final unless your lawyer says otherwise.
VAT — displayed, not adjusted
Section titled “VAT — displayed, not adjusted”The Include VAT toggle and VAT rate % field only control how VAT appears on the quote PDF — techs.solar doesn’t calculate or file VAT for you. The rate you set is what prints. Use your country’s rate if VAT-registered; uncheck the toggle if not. Your tax obligations are yours.
For Greece, the default is 24%. Other EU countries vary.
This is separate from VAT on your own techs.solar subscription — that’s based on your business’s country and isn’t affected by this toggle.
What happens if the customer withdraws before accepting
Section titled “What happens if the customer withdraws before accepting”They can — before acceptance, your offer stands but they owe you nothing. This is normal.
If they’ve already accepted and try to withdraw, that’s governed by consumer-protection law and any withdrawal clauses in the quote body. Common EU baseline: a 14-day right of withdrawal for distance-sold consumer contracts. Consult a lawyer for the exact rule where you operate.
How this differs from a GPO Member Agreement
Section titled “How this differs from a GPO Member Agreement”If your quote uses a GPO product, two legal documents are in play: the customer quote (this page) and the GPO Member Agreement (between you and techs.solar, signed via the GPO portal — Joining a group order via the GPO portal). Your customer never signs it. See Joining a group order via the GPO portal and what-is-gpo for how the two interact.
Where to go from here
Section titled “Where to go from here”- Send-and-track workflow: sending-a-quote-to-customer
- Building the quote: how-to-create-a-quote
- GPO-specific legal path: Joining a group order via the GPO portal
For jurisdiction-specific answers — contract timing, distance-selling rules, VAT for your structure — talk to a lawyer or tax advisor. This page is a starting point, not legal advice.