wood burning stove

hethmar

We have had similar stories CR. Classic one though, chap ordered a huge american beastie of a stove for his second home on the coast here. OH given key, stove turns up a day late, whole day wasted, but it turned up, OH spends another day trying to find fittings for it as they didnt arrive. Has to get two other blokes to help him move it as it was huge and heavy - delivery guys wont help - "elf and safety". Does all the prep work, hearth etc. Gets the beast in and alight, chap walks in .............its not the one he ordered. Everyone well peed off about it. Took him another 3 months to get it sorted. Meanwhile, we have done the job and yet no payment forthcoming until we did it all again.

You can see why we arent keen on online purchases!

stoveman

I dont understand why some of these companies do take so long to sort out problems.

The way I look at it is if there is something missing from the stove we cant help that it does happen however its within my interests to get it sorted, keep the customer happy and then move on to the next order.

We keep such large stocks that if the manufacturer is struggleing to get a part out we will take the parts from a new boxed stove to get things moving and replace them when they come in from the manufactuer.

I would hate to work somewhere where every other call was someone complaining that they still hadnt had a problem solved. I takes up your day when you could be helping other customers. My way of working is it get it sorted asap and have a happy customer and then you can forget about it and move on.

I can see how it can mess up installs if thes tove doesnt turn up as promised. We never promise anything unless we are 100% sure we can deliver the promise. there is no point in promising the earth and not delivering althiugh I am sure it happens out there in order to get a sale in, but it doesnt interest us as a company.

w50nky

It is very true about some online dealers promising the earth just to get your business. You have to do your homework and ask the right questions. Not all traders are out to get you though. Many I contacted were honest and open regarding availability and delivery.

I gave my local shop a wide berth as he did not know the answers to many of my questions regarding stove installation. He did not know what a notice plate was for one thing. I asked if his shop stove (which was working at the time) was connected to a liner. He said yes. So asked him where he had fitted his notice plate. He knew nothing about this legal requirement.

stoveman

w50nky wrote: »

It is very true about some online dealers promising the earth just to get your business. You have to do your homework and ask the right questions. Not all traders are out to get you though. Many I contacted were honest and open regarding availability and delivery.

I gave my local shop a wide berth as he did not know the answers to many of my questions regarding stove installation. He did not know what a notice plate was for one thing. I asked if his shop stove (which was working at the time) was connected to a liner. He said yes. So asked him where he had fitted his notice plate. He knew nothing about this legal requirement.

Your right a little homework should be done and is easy enough nowadays with the power of the internet.

I speak to customers who are a little weary about buying online etc but Im happy to give them my full name and the number to the manufacturer so they can effectivly check us out. A few have gone away and done so and we have been confirmed as an authorised dealer and that they do know of me etc.

With so many review sites etc nowadays its easy enought o find out who is working giving your cash and who is not

davelewis

We've had a log burner since last year from e-bay. We bought bags of logs from petrol stations but found this to be very expensive. We now go beach combing and collect free wood, dry it out, cut it up and enjoy the free heat!!

w50nky

stoveman wrote: »

Your right a little homework should be done and is easy enough nowadays with the power of the internet.

I speak to customers who are a little weary about buying online etc but Im happy to give them my full name and the number to the manufacturer so they can effectivly check us out. A few have gone away and done so and we have been confirmed as an authorised dealer and that they do know of me etc.

With so many review sites etc nowadays its easy enought o find out who is working giving your cash and who is not

Exactly what I did.

I wanted a Clearview pioneer stove. I looked on the clearview website to find authorised dealers and the rang around to find the best deal/availability etc.

w50nky

davelewis wrote: »

We've had a log burner since last year from e-bay. We bought bags of logs from petrol stations but found this to be very expensive. We now go beach combing and collect free wood, dry it out, cut it up and enjoy the free heat!!

I have often looked at the timber washed up on the shore but I am sure that it has been posted on this forum somewhere that it can be damaging to your stove installation to burn timber that has been exposed to seawater. So I have avoided it to date.

welda

I saved nealy two hunner quid by purchasing from a well known on-line stove/parts shop.

I was given a delivery date that was fine with me, maybe two week later email to say stove would be delivered later than orignal given date and, if this was not suitable, they would refund money.

A week later I called for a heads up, I explained to the lady how the polar bears were picketing outside my door, ice bergs floating up river in front of house ect because it was so cold!!

Anyway, I must have made a change from her usual customer calls, made her day she said laughing :rotfl:

Stove arrived approx 2 weeks later than original date, which did not concern me, as I was installing myself.

All in all it was a pleasent transaction, company kept me well informed, even to the tune of offering a refund because delivery date change.

I would have no hesitation using on-line company in the future.

:beer:

suki1964

I think as with everything its up to the consumer to do their homework and to buy wherever they feel they are getting the service for the price they are happy with


As with all treders, be it online or traditional shop - you get good and bad and I hope that people are not being put off at looking to buy online.

I guess here in the North of Ireland we get used to buying online or through catalogues for near enough everything as outlets here are rarely large enough to carry stock. Even Next, mothercare etc are so small we have catalogue counters. So its either do homework and shop sight unseen - or do without. When we bought our stove and didnt have an inkling when we first started, it was take what the "big" supplier/installer said as gospel and buy what they supplied and go with their fitters or learn for ourselves.

hethmar

stoveman wrote: »

I dont understand why some of these companies do take so long to sort out problems.

The way I look at it is if there is something missing from the stove we cant help that it does happen however its within my interests to get it sorted, keep the customer happy and then move on to the next order.

Well exactly, stoveman. We work on the same principle, the customers are happy when we leave and we dont have to make a return visit (unless they want another stove in another room .

Yet all round we see cowboy installers who just dont reply when customers ring them to complain and they then get us to re do the job at their own expense. It doesnt make sense to us. We always say go back to the installer and get them to put it right free but most times the customers say they have had no response or just further problems and dont want to bother any more. Incredible.