Has anyone bought from National Coal?

A._Badger

I've just received the 'summer prices' leaflet from the large company that has helped put all our independent local coal merchants out of business over the years and, once again, it's prices are bad. In fact a local filling station is actually cheaper for pre-packed fuel than the coal merchant is for the same product in open 50kg sacks!

I'm looking to order a metric tonne or so at the best price possible and have been thinking about an online supplier called National Coal. Has any reader tried them? Or can anyone recommend an alternative please?

greyteam1959

I did look at using them but then came across a supply of 'free' wood.
I would have bought from them.
British coal by the look of it not, that Columbian or Polish cr*p.
I would rather have an odd bag of the product first to try before committing myself to 1 tonne.

A._Badger

mervyn11 wrote: »

I did look at using them but then came across a supply of 'free' wood.
I would have bought from them.
British coal by the look of it not, that Columbian or Polish cr*p.
I would rather have an odd bag of the product first to try before committing myself to 1 tonne.

Thanks, but I'd be buying smokeless fuel anyway.

greyteam1959

Its a bit strange that there are no comments or reviews about National Coal....surely somebody must have used them !!

alleycat`

took me a while to dig it up but "shazzafly" uses national coal (or has done in the past).

Was mentioned on a thread in January this year. If they are online it might be worth giving them a PM?

blackford88

As far as I'm led to believe, the fuel is delivered on a pallett to the front of your property via a third party delivery firm depending on your location.

There are other Approved Coal Merchants that can also deliver fuel on a pallet nationally.

It's worth having a look round google and see what comes up.

Any other Solid Fuel/Coal/Smokeless Fuel questions let me know, I'll be glad to help.

A._Badger

blackford88 wrote: »

As far as I'm led to believe, the fuel is delivered on a pallett to the front of your property via a third party delivery firm depending on your location.

There are other Approved Coal Merchants that can also deliver fuel on a pallet nationally.

It's worth having a look round google and see what comes up.

Any other Solid Fuel/Coal/Smokeless Fuel questions let me know, I'll be glad to help.

OK. I suppose as I started the topic, I might be allowed to drift it sideways a bit and take you up on that?

In the past on this forum the suggestion has been made that Newflame is 'high in sulphur' and has been implicated in premature failure of stainless steel liners.

I put this question directly to the Solid Fuel Association a couple of years ago and was told it 'conformed to the relevant standards' or suchlike.

That doesn't actually answer the question, of course, and it has to be said that Newflame does give off a particularly sulphury smell.

As I am about to buy a metric tonne of the stuff and don't want to replace an expensive liner prematurely, can you throw any light on this, please?

mpkernow

I have an outstanding order with National Coal. I ordered on the 30 April,heard nothing about delivery (quoted 3 -5 days) so called their number. The guy on the phone said that he had tried to call me ( no missed calls showing on either my house or mobile phones ) to say that he had sold the last of the coal I was after and it would be a week before I would get it because of Bank holiday. So, I called today over a week later and was now told me that because his concrete had not dried I wouldn't be getting my coal this week either, maybe next week!!??. When asked what concrete had to do with my order of coal he said that he had new concrete standings put in and lorries couldn't drive on them because of the weather the concrete hadn't set - bla bla bla.... so delivery in another week, maybe.

Anyway, do you think now is the time to cancel? or wait and see. Luckily I paid the extra charge and paid by credit card as I had no experience of this company.

Not a great introduction to National Coal is it?

mpkernow

So, another week goes by. The pallet of coal has now got lost it seems, 2 phone calls with promises to call me back by the end of the day with news have passed with no news.

Slightly more concerning is that the phone had previously always been answered, until late last week and this week, where all calls automatically goes to answer machine with promises of returning your call within the hour. These have, as you can probably guess do not get returned.

Is this just me?, or are there others waiting for their coal which never appears?

Terrible, awful service from National Coal.

A._Badger

Sorry to hear about your problems, mpkernow but thanks for the warning!

mpkernow

A phone call from a pallet company this morning to arrange delivery of my coal! Finally National coal have pulled it together.

Fingers crossed its all as it should be.