I found the hearth.com website last week and received sound advice and opinions to my questions. I had done tons of research on stoves and came full circle back to the Jotul. I shopped at Superior Hearth and Spas in Avon, CT. I never felt 100% about the store and although the sales people were nice, I felt they lacked a bit of knowledge. I could answer things about the specs better than they could, except for one guy...and, of course, as it works out, he's an installer as well as a salesperson. Someone that gets his hands dirty...my kind of salesperson.
After 'talking' with a few of you and having a lightbulb moment, I made a phone call to Preston Trading Post in Preston, CT. At about the same time that I was on the phone, someone on the forum was suggesting I call them. On a different forum type site, I had remembered that someone wrote in about how happy they were with the service there.
I called them wondering what their price of the f 400 was and found it was $265 less than in Avon. PTP is only about a half hour further from me in the opposite direction of Avon...well worth the savings I would incur. I called them, again, yesterday, and got the same person on the phone. It just so happened to have been Gabe, the owner, and he remembered my call from a couple days before. He happily answered more questions for me. I called 3 more times for various reasons and was always greeted with kindness.
So, yesterday, I went to the store, truck and man in tow, and bought the f 400 Castine. Upon walking into the shop we were greeted, I asked for Gabe and he was there within a minute. PTP is the type of place you can walk into and feel right at home. There's nothing fancy and overdone with the place. They had one each of the stoves they sell. I had gone to another shop that sold a Hearthstone I was interested in and they didn't have it on the floor. How could I buy a stove without seeing it and playing with it? (there's more to say, but I'll keep this about PTP.) Gabe answered all our questions, took us into the back 'employees only' storeroom to show us the pipe and how it was to be installed. There was not an ounce of discontent that we would install it ourselves and he gave us as much information as we asked for to have a proper install -- and he educated us on why he sells the pipe he does.
I'm a very thorough researcher (some call it neurotic) and can be a doubting Thomas...Gabe believes in his products, knows his products and doesn't try to pressure you into purchasing his product.
Everyone that worked in the store were kind and easy going. I cannot say enough. I will recommend this shop to anyone I hear that is looking into buying a stove. It is worth any travel time. Even if you go just to look and you end up getting one, they will deliver it if you want to install it yourself, or they will do the installation.
I very much appreciate the ease of the transaction. I went in knowing what I wanted, received information, got loaded up and off we went.
I have to add -- after taking the box off the stove in the house, the stove looks even prettier than when in the store. I am a very very happy customer. Once this baby gets fired up, I'm sure I will be very pleased with the choice of the Jotul.
Thanks again to everyone that helped me out with this decision.
After 'talking' with a few of you and having a lightbulb moment, I made a phone call to Preston Trading Post in Preston, CT. At about the same time that I was on the phone, someone on the forum was suggesting I call them. On a different forum type site, I had remembered that someone wrote in about how happy they were with the service there.
I called them wondering what their price of the f 400 was and found it was $265 less than in Avon. PTP is only about a half hour further from me in the opposite direction of Avon...well worth the savings I would incur. I called them, again, yesterday, and got the same person on the phone. It just so happened to have been Gabe, the owner, and he remembered my call from a couple days before. He happily answered more questions for me. I called 3 more times for various reasons and was always greeted with kindness.
So, yesterday, I went to the store, truck and man in tow, and bought the f 400 Castine. Upon walking into the shop we were greeted, I asked for Gabe and he was there within a minute. PTP is the type of place you can walk into and feel right at home. There's nothing fancy and overdone with the place. They had one each of the stoves they sell. I had gone to another shop that sold a Hearthstone I was interested in and they didn't have it on the floor. How could I buy a stove without seeing it and playing with it? (there's more to say, but I'll keep this about PTP.) Gabe answered all our questions, took us into the back 'employees only' storeroom to show us the pipe and how it was to be installed. There was not an ounce of discontent that we would install it ourselves and he gave us as much information as we asked for to have a proper install -- and he educated us on why he sells the pipe he does.
I'm a very thorough researcher (some call it neurotic) and can be a doubting Thomas...Gabe believes in his products, knows his products and doesn't try to pressure you into purchasing his product.
Everyone that worked in the store were kind and easy going. I cannot say enough. I will recommend this shop to anyone I hear that is looking into buying a stove. It is worth any travel time. Even if you go just to look and you end up getting one, they will deliver it if you want to install it yourself, or they will do the installation.
I very much appreciate the ease of the transaction. I went in knowing what I wanted, received information, got loaded up and off we went.
I have to add -- after taking the box off the stove in the house, the stove looks even prettier than when in the store. I am a very very happy customer. Once this baby gets fired up, I'm sure I will be very pleased with the choice of the Jotul.
Thanks again to everyone that helped me out with this decision.
