Hearthstone company

[Highbeam]

Allright folks, I have found a great deal on a new in the box heritage from a local dealer. The deal is great because it is a dealer liquidation, he's going out of business after several decades. This brings up an issue. I have read on this site about some manufacturers snubbing the heck out of customers and requiring them to work through their orginal dealer even when the dealer is a dog. I will have no dealer, it might as well be a mail order stove.

Will Hearthstone work with me if I try and handle warranty issues directly with them? There aren't many other hearthstone dealers around. The warranty does not appear to specify dealer/customer realations but how are they in the real world when the original dealer is gone?

Was it Harman or quad that has that strange original-dealer-only policy?

Thanks for helping me out here with my questions.

 

[Harley]

I don't think I'd be so concerned about it that I pass up a really good deal. If you have any idea as to how long that particular dealer will be around..... I think what I'd do is get it and set it up and even though it won't be burning season... I'd run it a few times and see if any obvious defects pop up, so this dealer can address them (hopefully).

Next season, worst-case, you find a warranty problem... I would think Hearthstone would have to point you to someone to take the case over.

 

[webbie]

HearthStone has some good people on staff - in tech support, etc.

I would not be too concerned, and if it is a heck of a deal you should go for it.

Many companies including those you mention have dealer-only policies...and for good reason. These larger companies have 100's of thousands of units in the field and usually as few as 5 (or less!) people in tech support. In other words, tech support is usually for the dealer - not for the customer....then it trickles down.

Most of these companies, however, understand that dealers drop lines and go out of biz, etc. and that they have to take care of that stuff.

 

[Shane]

In a situation like that (& especially with a top tier line like Hearthstone) I'm sure there's another dealer waiting to happily take over the line. I've had lots of experience with this and alot of the time these manufacturers will step in and offer to pay labor above and beyond the normal warranty reimbursement rate to the new dealer since he did not sell the stove. In return an intelligent new dealer is more than happy to take care of this customer for the manufacturer and impress his new suppliers with his can do attitude. At least that's how Shane-O's house O' Stoves would operate. Not to mention that a Hearthstone wood stove generally has very minimal warranty issues.

 

[titan]

If you know you are buying a proven stove from a large,reputable manufacturer then you shouldn't really have cause for concern.It's very likely Hearthstone would deal with you via the nearest available dealer
ep. if you did have any warranty issues, otherwise they wouldn't remain in business for long.Bad news always travels far and fast.

 

[DriftWood]

The deal is great because it is a dealer liquidation, he's going out of business after several decades. This brings up an issue. .

Allright whats his location and name? Always looking for a deal!!

 

[Highbeam]

Not until I get mine today! The silly crate is 38" tall and the distance between my truck bed and the botom of the canopy lip is 37" - doh!

 

[tuolumne]

The door handle broke on my Mansfield, and I dealt directly with HQ without any issues. They sent out a new one no charge, no questions asked.

 

[Highbeam]

The deal is great because it is a dealer liquidation, he's going out of business after several decades. This brings up an issue. .

Allright whats his location and name? Always looking for a deal!!

OK, I am the proud owner of a heritage. I picked it up for 1919$ plus bought the OAK and the rear shroud at half price. Matte black cast iron as I didn't want to make a statement. I'm a blue jeans kind of guy.

The shop is Edgewood fireplace shop in Edgewood WA. 20% off of boxed units, 30% off of floor models, and 40% off of burned floor models. They even have blaze kings, boy is that big one big. Pellet, gas, and wood. The owner is retiring after 28 years.

Mine was a boxed model and they sell them for 2399 regularly so their prices are very good even before the sale.

We forked it into my pickup truck and now I am faced with the challenge of getting it out safely. Any ideas? No lifting allowed since the canopy is down close. I will likely slide it out on two 4x4s with the halp of a couple of guys and my tractor. 500 lbs on the pallet.

 

[begreen]

WooHoo! Take lots of pictures. Congratulations!

 

[GVA]

The deal is great because it is a dealer liquidation, he's going out of business after several decades. This brings up an issue. .

Allright whats his location and name? Always looking for a deal!!

OK, I am the proud owner of a heritage. I picked it up for 1919$ plus bought the OAK and the rear shroud at half price. Matte black cast iron as I didn't want to make a statement. I'm a blue jeans kind of guy.

The shop is Edgewood fireplace shop in Edgewood WA. 20% off of boxed units, 30% off of floor models, and 40% off of burned floor models. They even have blaze kings, boy is that big one big. Pellet, gas, and wood. The owner is retiring after 28 years.

Mine was a boxed model and they sell them for 2399 regularly so their prices are very good even before the sale.

We forked it into my pickup truck and now I am faced with the challenge of getting it out safely. Any ideas? No lifting allowed since the canopy is down close. I will likely slide it out on two 4x4s with the halp of a couple of guys and my tractor. 500 lbs on the pallet.

Take the heavy stuff out of the stove, take the door off etc. Turner and Burner stripped his Clydesdale of soapstone and anything that wasn't part of the main body of the stove.... It dropped the weight to under 300 lbs...
Good luck and nice deal

 

[Gooserider]

Sounds like a good deal, and I wouldn't worry to much about warrantee - Aside from Hearthstone being a top tier stove with a good reputation, its a simple fact that wood stoves don't have many problems - they don't have that many moving parts, so aside from occasional (hopefully rare) problems with bad welds or cracks, there isn't much to go wrong with them. It's the pelletheads that get the problems because of all the complex bits inside...

Gooserider