Chico's Fireplace and Woodstove

Review: We ordered a stove & liner for another stove on a Friday (a stove they had in showroom), due to permit issues, we cancelled the stove on the following Monday.

We however kept the plans to install the liner for another stove as scheduled.

It took 2 weeks longer for the liner to arrive & book the install as stated,

my husband tried to call & connect with them on multiple occasions, (we had made a partial payment). Finally resorting to physically walking through their doors to schedule the work.

They came and installed the stove.

My husband inquired about having a metal cap made for the chimney—

I reminded him that we have a friend who is a metal fabricator, and clearly stated that we did NOT need the cap. Their men asked if I was sure & I said, “Yes”.

I was handed a bill for $1,142.00, showing a restocking fee of $282.80 (a stove that sits on their showroom floor & was on order for less than a business day).

We paid it in full.

After their men left we noticed the stove was not properly aligned; you could see gaps between the cover plate and brick. My husband called & asked for their men to come realign the stove.

When they arrived, they began to climb on the roof— to make the chimney cap??? A job we stated we DID NOT WANT last time. They were oblivious to why they were even here.

My husband showed them the gaps & asked them to realign the stove.

They did with rather archaic strategies involving a screwdriver & hammer; left without saying a word.

The nights grew chilly. Our stove was fully loaded & I realized that the blower was no longer kicking on. Upon inspection of the cord (thinking maybe it was just unplugged); that when their men pulled out the stove & slid it over on to the hearth side, to avoid lifting it out and back in properly— They clearly did not take the time to move the cord out of the path, kinking it & smashing the inner electrical wires. This blower worker prior to their visit

I contacted them via email, with my disappointment. No resolution has occurred.Desired Settlement: I originally was met with kind regrets by their secretary via email.

I hoped to work with them to resolve the issues. I stated I was a social media manager & would prefer to review them caring about their quality of work & customers vs. what has been my experience this far.

I have given them ample amounts of time to reply with the holidays.

I would like my restocking fee refunded of $282.80

I would like them to pay for the electrician, I need to hire, to fix their neglectful actions.

Business

Response:

RESPONDING TO COMPLAINT ID # [redacted] FILED ON 1/27/2016 BY [redacted] Our staff encountered this customer on a Tuesday 9/15/15. The customer applied for & accepted a [redacted] Wood Burning Device Change-Out Program Voucher in the amount of $1000.00 to replace their primary heat source . Upon applying for these vouchers it is fully explained ahead of time that a photo must be submitted of the old stove to be replaced, then upon acceptance old stove is changed out in the very room the old stove stood, in this case a photo of their house was submitted. In accepting this voucher from the [redacted] they agree to follow the guidelines that are again explained in print when they receive their voucher. The customer was approved for a voucher in the amount of $1000.00 for installation in their home to use as credit toward a new stove to replace their existing stove which is a [redacted] wood insert. They chose a freestanding [redacted] 1250 new stove of $1952.00+tax $146.40+labor $400.00 for a total of $2498.40. Their voucher was signed over and entered into our system as a credit for payment of the NEW [redacted] stove. (She keeps mentioning a floor model was purchased. This is incorrect, floor models are NOT FOR SALE.) On this date an $800.00 cash deposit was made for a credit balance total of $1800.00. Their new [redacted] stove was ordered with [redacted] on Friday 9/18/15. The order was received in full on Friday 9/25/15. Apparently, the customer went to get a building permit for a stove in a shop/ garage (not following the guidelines agreed to change-out existing stove in home). The permit was declined as the heat source is not in their residence. Monday 9/28/15 the customer then cancelled the order that had already been received by us due to permit issues they created by trying to deceive the [redacted] Program agreement. We too are held to a restocking and freight fee no matter what the circumstances are. Clearly posted in our showroom is a sign that reads: ALL RETURNS ARE SUBJECT TO A 15% RESTOCKING FEE. There was a restocking fee charged to the customer in the amount $282.00, the $1000.00 voucher was voided by the [redacted] and was not used as the guidelines were not met by the customer. On October 13, 2015 a foul/threatening email was received from [redacted] upset. This letter starts how disappointed she is then quickly tells us “she has a big mouth, she is a media/marketing manager; meaning it is not inconvenient for her to write her synopsis of her experience with our company and paste it on the social marketing walls that she visits and updates every day. (All her words not ours) She then continues she’s unhappy a liner she ordered took so long and continues on and on. This situation has never been reported to us or we would have gladly came out to repair it if that was the case. Clearly, she was not happy about the restocking fee and unless she was refunded she was going to slander Chico Fireplace wherever and to whoever she could get the word to. She may consider this a warning of cease and desist demand. The restocking fee stands at $282.00. Had her first letter threatening our reputation been different, this all could have gone differently. Please find attached all documentation, feel free to contact me if you have any questions. J[redacted] Chico Fireplace [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

Dear [redacted], I apologize; I assumed you did not understand that “word of mouth” is your largest form of marketing & advertising, and our family/friends/association do own many rental properties with in the area. I was trying to help you. As far my so called “threatening” email, I clearly stated I WOULD PREFER TO WORK WITH YOU; “…I like to be a fair reviewer. I feel it is terrible to bash a business with bad reviews; say you’ll never come back— Never give them a chance to make things right. Sometimes there is a disconnect between protocol and situation, and management is not even aware of the circumstance. This is the reason for this letter… I feel this is a reasonable request, especially for a job your company preformed with abundant glitches in the quality of customer service, that you should strive to provide. I do believe you stand to lose more than $282.00 from future sales, if this is not remedied. Errors are made, wrongs can be righted—I would rather write reviews that state you were an honorable company, that cared for our customers and are worthy of future patronage.” My husbands intentions were something similar to your claims. Your invoicing lacks sufficient information for me to say who-did-what-when. I understand you believe this is about the restocking fee—which by the way I contacted [redacted], who said “Once the unit ships from our facility it is the dealers product. Orders can be cancelled prior to shipping… it can only ship the same day or most likely the next day if a RUSH service is requested… We do not takes stoves back at the factory, it is up to the dealer to sell the product once ordered and shipped…” Friday to Monday should have been sufficient time to cancel the stove. Basically you made $282 since you still have a product to sell— you should stand behind your customer service, installation/delivery promises, responsibility for installation negligence, respect for lost wages due to scheduling installation errors and your general quality of work. You have in fact lost more than $282.00 on our rental stove and liner updates. Your company did not do a quality liner installation on a stove that is a year old, and caused electrical damage to it. I DID contact you about the alignment problem; your men were climbing on the roof when the problem was inside. They seemed agitated to move the heavy stove again; left without saying a word— and it was still not corrected. I DID contact you about the electrical issue, and you never responded. I do feel that you are liable for the electrical damage caused by your men.Here is the bill from the electrician who confirmed that the kink in the cord was the pressure point where the stove was pulled on itself, resulting in the wires being ripped out. It has been repaired