Discount Fireplaces Brighouse and Limestone Fireplace Emporium (same owner)

knowledgeseeker08

Hi to all money saving experts!

This is a warning post about a fireplace we've recently bought from Discount Fireplaces of Brighouse. I feel it is important to inform other members of the community about the experiences consumers have with a business. After all knowledge is power and we live in a world where there is more choice for the consumer than ever before.

Please do not choose to spend your money here. You may regret it as I did.

Whilst compiling this review I wanted to attempt to remain as factual as possible to ensure people are properly informed about how you might be treated if you choose to spend your money here.

I will be honest and stick to the facts which have formed this review (although at the time this was hard to do!)

What happened on the day we were due to have the fireplace fitted:

• On the day of fitting the delivered product was of poor quality – there were deep scratches in the limestone surround and hearth, areas of the stone which had been filled with a filling product that was of a different colour to the natural stone. This led to the overall look of the product being poor.

• Upon closer inspection of the product it transpired that the incorrect fireplace had been manufactured and delivered by the business– staff admitted this was not checked before leaving their shop.

• This came too late as by the time the incorrect fireplace was dropped off major works had already been carried out to our property by fitting staff - a hole had been taken out of the external brickwork.

• The senior fitter had organised for a woman to arrive at our home whilst on our job to discuss his personal financial arrangements. We were uncomfortable about having this happen and proceeded to query this with a member of staff in the shop. I was assured this would not happen on the day and informed by one of the business’ sales staff that the fitter should not have asked to do this whilst at a job - it was inappropriate. On the day of fitting the woman still arrived at our home.

• This resulted in an apprentice being left alone in my home for 1 hour with no guidance or work to carry out.

• As the wrong fireplace had been provided the fireplace could not be fitted on the day. We were left with a hole in the wall and no supporting structure left to support the internal brickwork that had been cut away by the fitter. (We were later informed by the Director that the fitter should not have left the wall in that state.)


And the chaos that ensued afterwards:

• As a result of not being able to have the fire place fitted on the arranged day damage to the surrounding wall occurred, plaster work began to fall away from the wall and large cracks appeared in the wall where the plaster board was no longer supported. In addition to this part of a breeze block dangerously fell away from under the wall cracking the already laid hearth below it.

• The lounge in our home was untenable for a month due to the temperature and drafts. Towels had to be stuffed into holes in the walls and towels hung over the large hole in the wall in an attempt to retain some heat in the room.

• We were treated very differently once the problems occurred after the sale in comparison to the behaviour of the attentive suited well-mannered shop staff before any money had exchanged hands.

• Upon contacting members of the business regarding the issues above I was spoken over, belittled, shouted at and when I invited a member of their team to visit to allow them to view the problems caused by their mistakes unfortunately I was refused.

• The service from this business does not appear to have changed since the reviews on moneysavingexpert in 2010 when the business was 'Direct Fireplaces' of Brighouse.

• As the fitting staff are subcontracted out, the business absolve themselves of any wrong doing and attempt to blame fitting staff. However, had the business checked their product before any brick work had been cut out of our wall the resulting issues above are unlikely to have occurred. In addition to this however, the fitter should have ensured the works carried out to the wall were suitably safe to be left - this was not done.

• The ‘Director’ has dissolved/liquidated 3 business’ in 4 years. I discovered this performing some ‘easy to do’ internet research. This caused a great deal of worry in this process. I have since learnt that another shop has opened around the corner – again under a different name.

• A number of calls during this process were ignored by the business. We left messages asking them to return our calls time and again, this often did not happen.

• It took 3 weeks for the business to admit they were at fault and should not have left the works they carried out as they did as a result of not being able to fit the product on the day.

• The fitter then returned to fit the fireplace after all the work to patch up the wall and hold up the block and plaster board in the wall had been completed. The fireplace and fire were fitted.

• Then it transpired that the fire didn’t actually work and part of the limestone fire place still didn’t fit – it required taking back to the shop to be altered.

• The fitter proceeded to request payment for the fitting. My partner made it quite clear that until the fire had been on and observed and we had received a certification to state that it was gas safe registered no money was changing hands. The fitter proceeded to swear at my partner.

• Over Christmas we had no functional fire and it wasn’t ideal for us to be able to entertain due to this. It didn’t ruin Christmas but it came close.

• An engineer visited to have a look at the fire. It transpired that the fitter had trapped some wires in the fitting process in the central unit despite 'being an expert' at these types of installations (as we were informed by the Director). It was another two week wait over the Christmas period to get this looked at.

• It has taken 2 months for the fireplace to be fully fitted and functional. I would not use them again or recommend them and if I had known previously how the business operates, I would have purchased products and services elsewhere. I feel I must point out that in hindsight we would have paid more for a fireplace to not encounter the experience we have had and the disruption to our lives that we have experienced. I look at the fireplace now and it reminds me of our appalling experience and no doubt it will be a talking point in the future.


I am happy to supply pictures and information to concerned individuals considering using this company you may wish to look elsewhere for peace of mind, a more professional service and ease of installation.

Please also be aware of all the 'positive' customer testimonials in plastic pocketed albums they encourage you to peruse when visiting the shop. Impressive at the time but we took these and other factors on face value and did not observe and take note of all the other warning signs and gut feelings we had so as to avoid this business.

FR_262

That's a terrible experience and I can sympathise with you having just been ripped off by builders (Phoenix upvc).

I'll think long and hard before using a Ltd company again.

I'm glad to hear you got your work done in the end.

knowledgeseeker08

Thanks FR_262. It was a truly horrible experience that will leave a bad taste in ones mouth for the rest of ones life! I have no idea how these companies get away with such appalling behaviour. As consumers we must continue to speak out and inform others. Knowledge is power. I hope you also got your issue resolved. All the best.

hollydays

Don't know anything about them but there's another thread about them all made up of very new posters they also posted their post twice on the same boards.
Another poster , a female, responds to the news that the company has gone into liquidation by... Buying a fireplace from them ... Hmm ..

knowledgeseeker08

Hello hollydays I was not sure where to post this as a previous review from 2010 appears on the 'shop but don't drop' thread but I felt it was more of a warning post. Please let me know if there is best practice to follow in terms of wether this should be on the warning boards or shop but don't drop boards. I felt it was important to post following the same experience as an individual from the 2010 thread which has now closed.

hollydays

Why did you buy after reading Adrianr s thread!!
He said it was in liquidation...