Just met with Distributor rep!

[jqgs214]

He just left my house with a dealer. I am getting the PE Pacific insert and am to pay the price difference. Works for me! On a side note my dealer said that CFM told the distributor after seeing the photos of the stove that it was NOT! a warranty issue. I just can believe that!! CFM/VC needs to realize that there is a potential hazard with these stoves. I for one will never purchase a product they produce again.

Let the bashing begin!

Edit: old stove is coming out next week, I will upgrade my hearth, then install new stove when it arrives, 3-4 weeks?

 

[Shane]

Wxman, I just read your posts about your Dutchwest. You got a raw deal and I don't blame you for not going with a VC again after being treated like that. Hope you enjoy your new insert I'm sure it'll perform well for you. It's really weird the varying levals of customer support accross the VC dealer/distributor network. My distributor is always on top of things and I've never had any problems like many described here this burn season. A good example of this is my distributor rep personally called all the dealers who had purchased a Sequoia affected by the recall to make sure they were aware of it and had the field repair kit ordered. Then he waited two weeks and called back to make sure I installed it.

 

[Corie]

If its not a warantee issue than WHAT THE HECK WOULD THEY CALL IT?

 

[Tendencies]

Not a warranty issue...... Jeez..... I hope you called that guy from the Consumer Safety Office....... Glad your getting an upgrade anyways, I'm stuck with a new/older unit for now unless the Fed's get involved......

T

 

[Highbeam]

If not a warranty issue it must be a "cosmetic" flaw. Sheesh. One more nail in their coffin.

 

[webbie]

Well, you could have shoved some bricks under the unit to hold it up!

What a silly comment. We all really need to know why a failed weld which makes a stove drop down is NOT a warranty issue.

 

[jpl1nh]

Maybe they don't guarantee if underfiring is involved (in the welds)

 

[stoveguy2esw]

he said WHAT!!??????? :0 a cold lapped load bearing weld pops and it isnt a warranty issue? well , jeez whiz, what do you reckon they suppose a warranty issue is?

 

[titan]

Well, if a failed structural weld isn't a warranty issue....then burning the arse end out of yer stove isn't overfiring either!-At least not in "V.C. land".The bashing line starts behind me. :roll:

 

[Mike Wilson]

Once again, CFM never ceases to amaze... yep, good old C.F.M. ... Complete Failure Machine... Customer's Frigging Mad... Corporation Failing Massively... and my favorite... Canadian Forged Misery. :coolcheese:

Oh wait, this could be a whole other thread... someone find Elk and put him in the closet for a moment... his head might explode.

-- Mike

 

[restorer]

Well, I think you should write it all up including the names dates and places of the conversations, interviews site visits and all. Hang on to the stove (may be tough) and start sending copies. That's to each and everyone you think might be interested from Board members on down in the corporation, the technical staff the design staff the manufacturing staff, and make sure they all see who's getting it and when. Oh. BTW, send everything to all government safety agencies and oversite agencies. And you might throw in the comsumer protection agencies. I suppose a duped CD would handle most things except the cover letter. It's Jack The Giant Killer time.

 

[Corie]

I'm still having a hard time swallowing any of them saying that's not a warantee issue.


REALLY makes me wonder about CFM these days. Its a shame, it really is. Vermont Castings started as something so unique and good intentioned. Its not even a shell of its former self.

 

[Bob512]

How about, the broken weld is [A Built in Characteristic] I love when they tell you that one! %-P Quick

 

[wg_bent]

o.k. if not a warranty issue... what was it?

 

[begreen]

At this point, given the exposure on the forum, a PR recovery effort.

I'm suspecting they are still smarting from the Sequoia recall which was about weld problems too.

 

[elkimmeg]

What can be said a broken weld is a warranty isue Firebox colapsing down is a warranty issue. I can't believe someone is stupid enough to say it is not a warranty issue.

I'm not in the closet and can not believe a manufacturer is this stupid or the dealer making the claim that it was his oppinion that CFM did not view that stove a warranty issue.

Who in CFM told him this. The reason I ask, is this guy should be looking for another Job. Other post the Field Supervisor was identified as the spoksman.

I wondering if the pictures were even submitted to them or was it just convient to claim they were. and move on to another brand

I believe you should keep the pictures and send them along to the consumer protection agencies, so that others do not find themselves in the same position as you were

 

[jqgs214]

I contacted consumer safety once, no reply. Sorry but I'm not going to pursue this any further. Tendencies also felt that CFM never even saw his pictures. Everything was handled at the distributor level if I remember correctly. I just hope that I have no problems with my PE and if I do that they are remedied to a more satisfactory level that this issue. I tip my hat to BAC Sales, although the response was not timely, the owner has personally apologized for that. Had he been made aware of the situation earlier it would have not taken so long. I also thank this website, were it not for here then I would not have found the cracked weld as soon and not have been able to make such easy contact with another member here (Jack Cohen owner of BAC Sales) My guess is his warranty dept. was battling with CFM but they also had computer issue at BAC and lost some correspondance (it happens). They also could have told me that they would replace with same stove or another VC brand but they didnt. So after some undue frustration, a little persistence paid off in the end. No thanks goes to the manufactuer though. There is no defending there handling of the situation. CFM customers BUYER BEWARE. and Shane I believe that telling people about a recall is not great customer service. I work in the marine industry and when an engine has a recall the manufacturer sends a letter to every owner of an affected engine giving them complete instructions as to how to get it repaired, much like the auto industry. Telling the dealers has little effect on the end consumer (what if the dealer doesnt extend the recall to the customers, he loses money on warranty remember.) Not saying all dealers do that but I can imagine some would. Well thats my story, thanks to all that helped, listened and tried their best.

Edit: yes Elk it was second hand info that CFM said it was not a warranty issue. But why would the dealer lie?? He is a CFM dealer, bashing them would do him no good. BTW he's not a PE dealer.

 

[elkimmeg]

Its not bashoing but trying to understand to what extent all played a part.I had e-mailed Jack of BAC and posted a copy of the e-mail here.. For some reason he never got that e-mail
Its not like him to ignore the issue It must have been lost in the computer glitch.

there are many chimney sweeps that purchase a stove or two from distributors and become dealers installers. Bac has many arangements with sweeps like this and not just your installer / dealer. To some point they are not really dealers they have no shop no displays and buy a very limited quanity of stoves. I'm not placing a value judgement here, but they have limited influence with any manufacturer no direct contact only threw BAC

How can CFM not call this a warranty issue? My thinking it never made it to CFM and that someone else along the way made that determination. Maybe they did not want to wait for the chain and CFM channels to respond. I doubt CFM ever got your concerns. Do you mind if I take it to them and follow through so that they are aware there exist an issue.

Sometimes seeing for yourself is the only sure way of knowing. I find it too unbleieveable that CFM would call cracked welds a non warranty issue? If they give me the same response I promise to scortch Them here and will never recomend there products again. I will be e-mailing Jack to confirm CFM infact told this to your dealer.

Jack your a member here care to make any comments? Jack is CFM this negilent. in illresponsible? If not then who lie here?

I would bash anyone that lies to their customer out of convience It this turns out to be true then just maybe he also lied about his dilligencce of getting your situation solved.

Your situation took a turn in the right direction right after, Jack a member, here read your post. That was the first time he heard of your situation. You start filling where the ball may have been dropped and who is lying Dont feel bad installers lie all the time to me like putting in a full liners that goes only 5'

I had a mason tell me he used solid blocks required by code, to construct the fire box of the chimney. 5 minutes later with my hammer drill the story change quite a bit. He got to tear it down and use the proper soild masonry

 

[Shane]

"and Shane I believe that telling people about a recall is not great customer service. I work in the marine industry and when an engine has a recall the manufacturer sends a letter to every owner of an affected engine giving them complete instructions as to how to get it repaired, much like the auto industry. Telling the dealers has little effect on the end consumer (what if the dealer doesnt extend the recall to the customers, he loses money on warranty remember.) Not saying all dealers do that but I can imagine some would. Well thats my story, thanks to all that helped, listened and tried their best."

This was on top of the normal recall procedure (letters sent to consumers etc.), so it was indeed good customer service. He went above and beyond what he had to to make damn sure every one of those fireplaces that left his facility was properly fixed. On top of that CFM in this particular instance paid almost 3 times the normal labor rate for this particular repair just to ensure their dealers weren't losing money. I've been in the middle of a couple other recalls and they weren't handled that way.

 

[Gunner]

Once again, CFM never ceases to amaze... yep, good old C.F.M. ... Complete Failure Machine... Customer's Frigging Mad... Corporation Failing Massively... and my favorite... Canadian Forged Misery. :coolcheese:

Oh wait, this could be a whole other thread... someone find Elk and put him in the closet for a moment... his head might explode.

-- Mike

Could Fail Momentarily

Cracked Faulty Mess

 

[webbie]

Perfect Enlightenment

Plenty of Energy

 

[elkimmeg]

Plentifull Excretments

 

[GVA]

perpetual energy

 

[Gunner]

Proper Engineering

 

[Fire Bug]

He just left my house with a dealer. I am getting the PE Pacific insert and am to pay the price difference. Works for me! On a side note my dealer said that CFM told the distributor after seeing the photos of the stove that it was NOT! a warranty issue. I just can believe that!! CFM/VC needs to realize that there is a potential hazard with these stoves. I for one will never purchase a product they produce again.

Let the bashing begin!

Edit: old stove is coming out next week, I will upgrade my hearth, then install new stove when it arrives, 3-4 weeks?

Wxman,
I would defintely pursue this,"None Warranty Issue" further with a complaint filed with the Consumer Product Safety Commission via e-mail.
If you don't, companies like CFM/Vermont Castings,(and many others
out there), will continue you to produce and market inferrior products like your insert and keep telling the consumers with to %&$# off when they have problems with their products.
I would never pay for the difference between your insert and the new insert. Let the dealer or CFM eat it not you.
Just remember, only the squeaky wheel will be greased.
With no consumer input, these companies think they can rip you off big time.

John