Just Cancelled my order for a Outdoor Wood Furnace

just_sawing · #1 10/02/14, 12:52 PM

I am not going to use the name of the company but I ordered a stove 4 or 5 weeks ago with delivery mid Oct. Called and was told that the maker that built the stove of them quit but they were bringing on a better unit if I would be patient. I was but heard nothing and now can't get a call back from the owner. I will give them a little time but I am putting this down on the forum to warn people. Check the company out and don't do business if their is flags. I did not check them until after I heard nothing and now I am wondering if I am out 3800.00 I put down as a down payment.

Harry Chickpea · #2 10/02/14, 12:58 PM

If you haven't had the courtesy of a call-back, release the hounds NOW while there is still something to recover. If you are dealing with a reseller and not a fabricator the likely reason for a "quit" is non-payment for units that have been built.

MELOC · #3 10/02/14, 01:00 PM

I hope it is not central boiler. I have been in contact with a dealer and I have not purchased yet. I really need this unit.

TnAndy · #4 10/02/14, 01:54 PM

Seems a lot of businesses don't give a flip about business, or customer service.

I've been trying to buy a solar hot water system from Duda Energy (http://www.dudadiesel.com/solar.php) in Alabama for a couple weeks now.

Finally got them to sent me a quote. Had a question on one particular piece in the system....emailed it last week, called on Tuesday, and was assured someone would call back....they didn't.

Was going to send the money and have it shipped, but I'm feeling hinky enough about them that I will drive down there and pick it up....IF....they have it all in stock. So I called again today, was PROMISED they would check stock, and call back in an hour. That was 3 hours ago.

What does one have to do to actually get them to sell you something ??

Ozarks Tom · #5 10/02/14, 02:38 PM

I've noticed in several cases the company owner/founder will be a talented welder or fabricator, but possess no business sense at all.

I had a friend in Dallas who was a great wood floor mechanic, who'd been working out of his garage for 10 years. I'd started a wood floor company about 4 years prior to us having lunch, when he asked how in 4 years I'd grown to a 12,000 sf facility, with about 24 employees. I told him it's easy "show up when you said you would, do what you said you would, charge what you said you would, and leave the place cleaner than you found it". He's still working out of his garage.

just_sawing · #6 10/02/14, 06:04 PM

It's not looking good. I have called both the personnel cell and the 800 number and can get no one to answer. I will give them till tomorrow and start doing what I can.
I don't like to raise issues and want this to resolve but it does not look good.

po boy · #7 10/02/14, 07:12 PM

Was the downpayment made with a credit card?

unregistered353870 · #8 10/02/14, 07:33 PM

Absolutely do what you can to get your down payment back. If you manage to get in contact tell him you will be perfectly happy to be patient as long as your money is in your pocket.

bergere · #9 10/03/14, 04:13 AM

Contact the Better Business Bureau.
For most companies, all it takes to get your money, is letting the BBB go after them.

IF they get stubborn with the BBB,contact your State Attorney Generals office, they will deal with them and you will get your money back.

Had to use them both with a issue with a Brand new frig I bought a couple of years ago.

Rustaholic · #10 10/03/14, 03:17 PM

I use my debit cards and my Credit Union will really go after any bad company.
As soon as I make the report they put the money back in my account.
Then they go after them to get their money back.

just_sawing · #11 10/04/14, 05:37 AM

After some major effort I was finally able to contact the company. By next mid week all is to be settled. There are some technical issues but I feel that the company will make it right. If not here is what I have found.
1 The bank will file Fraud charges.
2 I will contact the BBB
3 I will also contact the attorney Generals office.
4 I will go public on the web to alert all.
I did not name the company because I feel that they have a good idea and I want them to succeed. Everybody gets tired by the world and what you do when the chips are down really show the cut of your cloth. I wish the best for this company.

Harry Chickpea · #12 10/04/14, 12:33 PM

You did well by getting aggressive. (Squeaky Wheel and all that) I hope that it gets resolved without resorting to plan B, but wouldn't count my chickens or BTUs just yet.

MichaelZ · #13 10/04/14, 12:43 PM

Let them know what will happen if this is not settled. Sounds like you have. When faced with a lot of recourse, companies tend to make it right.

MoTightwad · #14 10/04/14, 06:34 PM

We purchased a Hardy wood furnace several years ago. They are very expensive now but at the time they were in competition with several other furnace companies. They are still in business and ours is still working and we love it. It heats the water for house use also. We have found them very dependable any time we need any parts for ours.

FarmChix · #15 10/05/14, 09:08 PM

They are being outlawed here in Ohio. I forget when the cutoff month is, but after that time, they can no longer be sold here. Maybe that is part of the issue--they are cutting back on production because some states are making them unobtainable???

just_sawing · #16 10/06/14, 07:08 AM

There is a new generation of stoves that are Gasification. I have heated with OWFs for 9 years and understand the problem first hand. My stove looks like it is polluting horrible at times but what people see is actually mostly steam.
I heat with the slabs that come off of my sawmill and many times are green. I have a choice burn the slabs in a pile legally to get rid of them. I burn them and heat my house.
The newer stoves use what is called Gasification and you have to let your wood moisture content go down but when you burn them they have a second chamber that reburns the gases with almost no smoke (Yes on start up there is smoke ans it gets hot)
A gasification system can run cleaner than a car and we will see many new innovations coming.

TnAndy · #17 10/06/14, 07:21 AM

The new generation of in-house wood stoves uses the same gassification technology, and works the same......much cleaner, more complete burn of the wood and gas/waste products given off from burning. You get more heat from less wood, and a bonus is creosote production is almost nothing.

We're going into our 5th season with a Regency brand stove and love it. Burn 3-4 cords of wood/year and at spring clean out, there won't be 1/2 a #10 can of creosote come out of the flue pipe.....compared to the old Fisher stove that would produce a 5 gallon bucket !

just_sawing · #18 10/06/14, 09:00 AM

It is amazing where we are in technology Our stoves soon will be doing more than just heating our house by adapting the gasification tech. There will be generation and other uses.

just_sawing · #19 10/15/14, 07:11 AM

I have worked with the owner and even helped in his design of the gasifier unit he is promoting but all the promises have come and gone.
Since I paid for the down payment by Debit Card the bank will file Fraud charges. I will immediately file with the better business Bureau and go public everywhere I can. I don't want to do this but I am not going to throw $3900.00 down payment away.

Harry Chickpea · #20 10/15/14, 10:27 AM

Time to name the business.