THE FIREPLACE & PATIOPLACE

Called to have a gas fireplace repaired. After a brief description of the problem, told me I would have to buy a new fireplace. WITHOUT EVER SEEING IT!! $5,000 plus labor. Called Firetec and they came out and fixed the problem for less than 10% of what this company wanted from me...and Firetec could not have been more professional and courteous.

It was good, fine, very friendly and didn't try to push you into anything and that was nice.

The salesperson was very helpful and advised us on the size and model appropriate for our fireplace. We took the gas log set home ($350) intending to set it up ourselves. After discovering this was more complicated than we had anticipated, we called back and asked to have an installer come out. For another $150 he connected it to the gas line and set up the logs and arranged all the rocks and vermiculite. It looks fantastic. After he left I noticed a faint gas smell even after turning the fireplace off. I called back and they sent someone out the next day. Sure enough, there was a small leak. He apologized profusely and corrected the problem. He even looked at a vent-less portable fireplace in our basement and cleaned the pilot light for me for free.

Called Fireplace & Patio store for service call & had to wait 3 weeks for them to get here. In the meantime had 2 other furnace people look or listen at our problem. Pilot would lite, Burner would not. Ordered parts that they said I should need. Parts took over a week to get here. By then I already pre paid for our service with fireplace & patio so we figured let them look at it also. Well it wasn't the parts we ordered.Now out $275 found out it was just a clogged line.Well at least we have the other parts if they do go bad. Will use Fireplace &Patio again & hope that it doesn't take another 3 weeks.

Prior to the 12/8 installation day I requested that Mike or John come out again and confirm that they would be able to do the job, get to the top of the chimney, that the insert would fit and that all of this would be done BEFORE the end of the year. John came out, confirmed that everything looked good and that we were on track for 12/8. Alas, 12/8 came around and the installation people show up on time and ready to go. UNFORTUNATELY their ladder was too short. Mind you that I had specifically asked if they would get to the top of the chimney to install the liner. Having already taken one day off of work I am not very happy that in their line of business they don't have the right equipment and that despite my previous inquiries there is a roadblock. This was the first of a few more times to come where I had to call Mike, John and the fireplace in general to find out what was going to happen next. After a day or two Mike finally talked to me and promised me that they would special order a ladder (which he admits they should have had anyway) and promises that the job will be completed today (Friday 1/2) "the first available day in 2009". To make a long story short, I called Mike this morning to find out when the installer would show up after waiting for an hour or so and am told that it was actually moved to Monday. When I explain to Mike that I have taken off another day from work for them, and for the date he had given me, he offers to look into it. Two minutes after that I get a call from their scheduler (Karen?) telling me that I am "now" scheduled for Monday. Needless to say I am pretty ticked off. I call Mike but only get his voicemail. I leave a message asking him to call me back and expressing my frustration. I have still not heard back from him. I have decided to cancel their work altogether. It is in my opinion unacceptable that they keep changing dates and deliverables because they are unprepared or disorganized. I know it may seem overly critical, but when you take into consideration that I have take two days off from work, that these inserts are not cheap, that it has been 2 whole months since I first ordered the insert and that we specifically talked about due dates by which the work would be done by, I think it is reasonable to understand my disappointment. I am sure that their products are great, I am sure that when they actually do work it is ok work, BUT from my personal experience they without a doubt overpromise and under deliver. If you are going to work with them make sure that you get all the dates and action items in writing. My experience with them two months after having first stepped into their store was very frustrating.

Joann, the salesperson, quoted a higher price than I was quoted by Mike, the VP. Mike called and changed the appt. He was a couple hours late. He looked everything over and said there were no problems with installation and took a $1,500 deposit promising to have it install by the first week of January. We were then told the stove had to be ordered and wouldn't be installed until the beginning of Feb. The installers didn't have the right vent. When they showed me a proximity of the vent they were to install they mentioned that is stuck out from the wall 16 inches from the house and would block a stairway outside at about head level. They said this wasn't a good idea and that Joann would get back to us with options. I spoke to her and she was to call the company and get back to us. That never happened and we waited three weeks to get our deposit back. Many phone calls were exchanged and no satisfaction was received. An email to Mike was never returned.