Is Vermont Castings abandoning their customers? No warranties on units in the field?

[webbie]

Well, this may be a first. We have some fairly reliable information that Vermont Castings has plans NOT to honor their warranties on existing stoves. For those who have not kept up, the company went bankrupt recently (also went south 3 years ago), and was bought by an investment group. Insiders and dealers have reported that the scuttlebutt is that they are not going to take care of warranties on stoves from the past.....

So, let's hear from the "new" VC as to what the policy is. I know a few folks tied to the new company monitor the board, and they should be eager to give their customers and dealers the honest scoop.....

As long time forum members know, I have always advised caution for customers considering the purchase of a stove from a company having severe financial troubles....and, it appears, rightly so.

BUT, this is a first in the industry...a long time company actually creating a policy to leave tens of thousands of customers out to dry.

If this is so, it is my suggestion that prospective Vermont Castings purchasers shop elsewhere. While I might entertain that suggestion anyways (until the new company establishes itself and it's policy), this is a bit stronger of a warning..again, if true.

Hopefully we will see a more sensible policy once we get something official. In the meantime, LOTS of questions remain....for instance, who is standing behind stoves which are in the pipeline now? How about purchases made last month?

 

[stanleyjohn]

Good for You WebMaster for comeing out with such a strong statement.This view the new owners have is real bad public relations and is bound to hurt them where it counts!in their pockets.I hope they will wake up and smell the coffee before its too late.

 

[humpin iron]

I'm telling you, I have inside info and it's all true................................................................................buyer beware

 

[theheatelement]

I doubt they will do that.. Monessen Hearth bought them and they have already begun leaning the company of excess costs, but it wouldn't be a tactful way to go about it being that they are a manufacture of fireplaces... Now I could see if it was strictly an investment group with no ties to the industry.

 

[Stevebass4]

why would the new owners cover the warranty?? as we know it VC went bankrupt and at that time any warranty you may have had went null and void.. plain and simple


why would this be any different if any other manufacture claimed bankruptcy

 

[stoveguy13]

i have heard the same thing the warranties are no good

 

[webbie]

why would the new owners cover the warranty??

why would this be any different if any other manufacture claimed bankruptcy

VC has gone "south" (been in trouble and sold) many a time and always honored their warranty.... Obviously, it is optional to do so, but the basic idea is this - since warranties account for only a very small percentage of sales (guess 1-2% or so), the GOODWILL gained by honoring them far exceeds the economic loss. How much would have to be spent in new advertising and marketing in order to convince a whole new generation of customers that their purchase is a good one?

It is their choice, for certain, but it is also the choice of the existing (100's of thousands) of VC customers to tell their friends to shop elsewhere.

 

[jeff6443]

Had Mine insatlled in June . I would like to think they would cover me . If not I can be a little on the a**hole side when it comes to my money.My dealer said we have been selling them for about 25 years and will keep on selling them . If I have a problem call and we will take care of it you bought the stove from us . Sounds good but I in sales . What types of problems do these things have. Havent heard any ,. 8-/

 

[johnnywarm]

. What types of problems do these things have. Havent heard any ,. 8-/

I was wondering this too :blank:

 

[burntime]

Let the games begin. What type of problems???? Probably nothing but there can be warped pieces, bad seams, warped tubes, cracked glass, and what about the stuff that just wears out in 20 years? Will they still make those parts? The real issue is with the people that were promised parts that were defective and they were never delivered. Hopefully no one on this forum is in that boat.

 

[webbie]

Had Mine insatlled in June . I would like to think they would cover me . If not I can be a little on the a**hole side when it comes to my money.My dealer said we have been selling them for about 25 years and will keep on selling them . If I have a problem call and we will take care of it you bought the stove from us . Sounds good but I in sales . What types of problems do these things have. Havent heard any ,. 8-/

Our shop has sold VC since 1985, and they have always had the most need for warranty of any of the brands we carried. They have a lot of parts and some of the models have been "over engineered" as opposed to designed for simplicity.

Still, MOST of them are likely to need nothing.

However, think about it - if there were no problems, then why wouldn't the new company just adopt a policy to cover them?

 

[gyrfalcon]

Had Mine insatlled in June . I would like to think they would cover me . If not I can be a little on the a**hole side when it comes to my money.My dealer said we have been selling them for about 25 years and will keep on selling them . If I have a problem call and we will take care of it you bought the stove from us . Sounds good but I in sales . What types of problems do these things have. Havent heard any ,. 8-/

Our shop has sold VC since 1985, and they have always had the most need for warranty of any of the brands we carried. They have a lot of parts and some of the models have been "over engineered" as opposed to designed for simplicity.

Still, MOST of them are likely to need nothing.

However, think about it - if there were no problems, then why wouldn't the new company just adopt a policy to cover them?

Indeed. Unles the new owners are just profoundly stupid, which also tells you to stay the heck away from them.

Do we know this is true for absolute sure and certain, or are we talking about rumors?

 

[begreen]

. What types of problems do these things have. Havent heard any ,. 8-/

I was wondering this too :blank:

The big and expensive issue appears to be disintegrated refractory assemblies in the downdraft stoves and warped bypass dampers. I'm not sure how common this is. There may be a certain amount of damage being done by sweeps unknowing banging into this assembly with their brushes so it's hard to tell if this is a defect, but it does appear to be quite fragile.

 

[webbie]

Do we know this is true for absolute sure and certain, or are we talking about rumors?

At least two reports from dealers and one from an employee with connections.......

sure, these are not official, but such talk usually has some basis in fact. I suppose we will learn more as time progresses.

 

[gibson]

Good for You WebMaster for comeing out with such a strong statement.This view the new owners have is real bad pubic relations and is bound to hurt them where it counts!in their pockets.I hope they will wake up and smell the coffee before its too late.

I don't know about anyone else, but I am very interested in learning more about this Pubic relations policy...Sounds interesting. If your into that sort of thing

 

[CTBurner]

I bought a vc encore from a Ct gold dealer 1 month ago, I have not taken delivery yet but have paid in full, I will call them and inquire as to warranty ect.

 

[webbie]

I bought a vc encore from a Ct gold dealer 1 month ago, I have not taken delivery yet but have paid in full, I will call them and inquire as to warranty ect.

Suggestion: Get it in writing! Hopefully something from the new company that owns VC.

Dealers often are not fully in the loop.

 

[johnnywarm]

I bought a vc encore from a Ct gold dealer 1 month ago, I have not taken delivery yet but have paid in full, I will call them and inquire as to warranty ect.

After all the empty promises about delivery's of stoves,do you think they will be honest about this stuff :lol:

 

[elmoleaf]

Until the new owners state their policy, this is all just second-hand rumor ten times removed.
If you already own a VC stove, it's too late to do anything anyway. If considering a purchase, I'd avoid VC until an official statement from the new owners about product support.

 

[stovehugger]

Off the subject but I was told that they will only be producing black stoves in the future. No more colors

 

[webbie]

Off the subject but I was told that they will only be producing black stoves in the future. No more colors

Very hard to imagine because that is their Ace in the Hole - but who knows? This may be a repositioning as lower end product (not low-end, just lower than before)

 

[BrotherBart]

If anyone spots a Dutchwest non-cat at Rite-Aid let us know. :lol:

 

[stovehugger]

I guess they are discontinuing majestic brand fireplaces as well

 

[fossil]

...I don't know about anyone else, but I am very interested in learning more about this Pubic relations policy...Sounds interesting. If your into that sort of thing

Whooosh! (I might be interested in hearing about that too, actually). Rick

 

[BrotherBart]

...I don't know about anyone else, but I am very interested in learning more about this Pubic relations policy...Sounds interesting. If your into that sort of thing

Whooosh! (I might be interested in hearing about that too, actually). Rick

Wondered how long it would take. The first official sighting of the Whoosh Bird on hearth.com