Hot-Fires.co.uk - non-delivery of FREE 'extras'

Cheddar_2

I purchased a wood-burning stove from hot-fires.co.uk. After over a month of waiting (and emails and phone calls to and from the manager), the stove eventually arrived, but without the free extras I was promised when I made the order (stove pipe, bag of logs, gloves, 1 extra year warranty).

I can't get any joy from contacting the company at all. Their phone is constantly engaged and nobody is replying to my emails :mad:

What are my rights with regards to these free items? After all, my decision to buy from this web retailer was largely swayed by their excellent free 'extras' :cool:

jdturk

it sounds like the free extra's were part of the contract and thus they have not fulfilled their side of the contract.

I would send them a letter of intention (ie threatening taking them to a small claims court) unless the freebies or suitable alternatives (suitable to you not them) are supplied withing a reasonable amount of time (I would say 14 days)

I'm sure someone on here could provide you with a suitable template

Cheddar_2

Thanks for your reply - great help

I will endeavour to ring them one last time tomorrow, and failing that, may pursue the path you advised. The thing is, the items are worth around £50 - £80 or so. I am unsure what the small claims court fee actually is, but it's just the principle - they've not provided what was promised when I placed my order.

If anyone could help with a template, I'd really appreciate it.

Cheddar_2

Quick update...

Finally managed to get through on the phone. I was told that the logs are delayed due to some delay on the continent, and they're '5 weeks behind'. When I asked about the flue pipe and gloves, I was assured that they will be sent straight away and I will receive them in a few days.

Hmmmm.... we'll see... :cool:

jdturk

there is a problem with shipping as the costs have gone through the roof so that excuse is valid. However did you get the name of the person that you spoke to...I find it always best to stick with one person as it tends to get the job done quicker

Cheddar_2

jdturk wrote: »

there is a problem with shipping as the costs have gone through the roof so that excuse is valid. However did you get the name of the person that you spoke to...I find it always best to stick with one person as it tends to get the job done quicker

Yes, Andy's the guy - he's the Manager as far as I can make out...

maxwellanderson

You're not alone with your problems with Hot-Fires. We ordered a Hunter 5 in October and asked for confirmation that ti would be delivered within their stated time scales. a few days later we were told it would not be as they had none in stock and several months' waiting list - which begs the question why they aloowed me to order it? ANyway, I requested that they advise of alternatives. When they failed to do so, I rang again and identified 5 possible alternatives, of which only one was "in stock", albeit over £150 more expensive. Same offer as referred to int he thread. We agreed delivery day and I booked the workmen in. The stove arrived a day late, but no free wood (we have the pipe and register plate - you can have these from us if it gets your installations underway as our workmen said they were inferior and wouldn't use them!) Anyway, no sign of the logs. I chased a month later. Late/mid December, they try to deliver the original stove (the Hunter 5) - unfortunately I wasn't it and my wife refused delivery. Still no logs. have since rang and emailed three times. Still no joy. The bag of logs pictured with the offer was - by their website - about £160 of logs. If you still get no joy, is there any way we could do a class action through the small claims court - by the sound of things we're not alone?!

piratescode

I've also had problems following my order with Hot Fires co uk. Seven weeks after my order I still have no Stove, yet Hot Fires took my money hours after I made the order (£500). I have had numerous emails and telephone conversations and have decided enough is enough. Once you've been told it's arrived with them and is out for delivery with the courier, you expect that to happen. You don't ecpect to have to call back to ask what's going on, only to be told that the Stove hasn't arrived from the manufacturer. Water tight lies.... I think not. I have requested a full refund and will now go shopping again and hopefully receive a stove within 7-10 days as promised. I won't be using Hot Fires co uk and would advise anybody thinking of doing so to be aware of the troubles others have experienced. If you are not in a hurry for your fire/stove then you'll be fine, although yuo may be one of the unlucky ones who receive something other than your order! I can't post a link as I'm a newbie but check out The Review Centre site or just google 'hot fire reviews'. You'll see 30 more unsatisfied customers.

The_Pedant

If you still get no joy, is there any way we could do a class action through the small claims court - by the sound of things we're not alone?!

How deep are your pockets & is it really worth the smallish values for the 'free' items?
As a first step I'd look into the usual enforcement actions available. For starters, hands up who's notified the local trading standards office where the company operates? If you entered into a contract for supply of goods, then those goods are part of a package which they are then contractually bound to deliver upon. Has anyone asked for a discount equivalent to the cost of the free items etc? If there's still no joy, has anyone considered small claims?

maxwellanderson

I know what you're saying, Pedant, but my suggestion was small claims - albeit on a class basis. I have no idea if this can be done, by the way. In terms of pockets... not nearly deep enough;-)

Trevor_Matthews

Hi

Oh dear why didn't I check these idiots out before now.
Here is what has happened to us.......

We wanted to buy a Morso 1430 so I checked the web. Hot-Fires had the best price and best free goodies.
I rang them to place the order on 26th Jan 2011 and was about to give them my wifes debit card details when alarm bells went off.
Never ignore your first instinct!!!!

I told them I would ring back with a credit card number which I did and what a smart move that turned out to be.
We were told the fire would arrive to us in 2 weeks.
After two weeks I rang again and that is where the fun and games started.

I was given a definite delivery date which they missed and then another and was told the carrier would phone first, the delivery would be this Tuesday just gone and the carrier may deliver on the Sat, Mon or Tues. I waited in all three days and heard nothing.

I rang them Tuesday late in the afternoon and asked what this weeks excuse was, no excuse was given but I was told the fire would be delivered Friday this week. I let it go at that thinking of my blood pressure.
This morning I decided I wasn't happy about any of this and suspected we may have been errr "stitched up" so I decided to call Morso in the UK.

The lady I spoke to was more than aware of who Hot-Fires are and of many issues with them. Frankly she seemed pretty fed up with them and the way they are dealing with customers. The lady at Morso rang Hot-Fires on my behalf to sort the problem out and called me back shortly after.
She told me that Morso received an order in my name just a day ago, so Hot-Fires have clearly lied at every stage during the past month.
She told me that the fire would be delivered to us next Monday yet Hot-Fires have already told us Friday........

I thanked her and said I would be in touch if the fire did not arrive next Monday.
5 minutes later Hot-Fires rang telling me the fire would be here Friday.........
For pities sake :-)

So we will see, I do understand why their phone is so busy. I doubt it is as their web-sites says "our order lines are always busy" Perhaps it was a typo and should say "Complaints line"

I hadn't considered that the free goods would be missing.
If they are I will be refusing the goods and contacting the credit card company and anyone else I think would be interested.

Would I use this company again????
Absolutely not, I have better things to spend my time on than calls to Hot-Fires

regards
Trevor