My BioBrick source reneged - am now out of wood

[FiremanBob]

Local lumber yard had put me on their list for a pallet of BioBricks to be delivered this past week. Spoke with them yesterday - they got their delivery but are selling only by the package at $7.50 for a 38-lb pack of 20. This translates to $375 per 1900 lb. pallet vs. the $280 they quoted me just a week before. I said "No, thanks." He said the packs are flying off the shelf at that price, so that's life.

Guess I'll be calling around the tree services and landscapers tomorrow to scrounge a cord if a seasoned one can still be found.

 

[sedanman]

That sucks but.......................................you may not be able to get any firewood and you CAN get bricks for an extra $95.00. Is that still a savings over other options including freezing?

 

[wahoowad]

Quite the jackass running your lumber yard. Like previous psoter said, still might be worth getting them anyway. Have him stack and load up your original order and ask him to look you in the eye as he rings it up.

You could always change your mind after he loads up your vehicle too.

 

[babalu87]

Tell the prick at the lumber yard that when you are looking for materials for your two car garage it wont be at his yard. Many times thats enough to get them to make good on their original quote.

 

[swestall]

Hearthwise Premium Pellet Logs are a densified wood log with no wax. They are located in Leominster, Mass. Not sure where you are in CT but my sister in W. Simsbury gets them delivered from the company. http://www.hearthwise.com to find out if they are delivering near you.

One of our friends, logman, sent me this because I was interested in the logs, still am. If they deliver from Leominster to CT they most likely will come down to you. Hope this helps you!
SW

 

[Shane]

Wow what a jerk. Hopefully he does this to enough people and your community remembers he did it and forgets to shop at his store anymore. I know it never happens that way but, if it did, it would stop alot of people from pulling crap like that.

 

[FiremanBob]

Thanks for the replies. Oil is cheaper than the hearthwise logs or biobricks at those prices. I burn not to save the planet but to save $$, so if it isn't cost effective I'll just run the boiler. At $280 for the pallet it was a marginal decision. A tree company quoted me $235/cord for some wood two weeks, ago, I'll try him again. I'll see my neighor, a landscaper from whom I bought the cord, at tomorrow's fire company meeting; maybe he'll have something.

If anyone knows a reliable source of honestly seasoned, ready-to-burn wood in 16" lengths in the Rhode Island, SE Mass area, I'm a buyer.

 

[Shipper50]

It looks like the business man of old is gone. I remember when a mans word meant something, but it seems not in todays world. I dont blame you one bit for not buying for the extra money, its like when gas gets to $4 a gallon and everyone says.

What you going to do? I say pull over and park em and then it will change.

Sorry for the rant :zip:

Shipper

 

[SlyFerret]

Who knows what happened on his end. I spent enough time running a neighborhood hardware store to know that things aren't always as cut and dry as the customer wants to think they are.

It's possible that his source couldn't supply enough product to fill his whole order, which may have drastically increased the average freight cost per unit.

It could have even been to the point where if he honored his quote to you (and maybe a few other people in the community), he would have ended up taking a loss, even if he sold the remaining product at the higher individual rate.

Customer service is important, but if something happened to affect his cost, he may not be able to afford to take a loss on the sale (or sales). It's a really difficult call to make, and I always hated making it. Keep a customer happy and take a loss now in the interest of future sales, or do what's best in the short term to pay the bills. January, February, and the beginning of March are months in the hardware/building supply industry where the little guys just hope to break even. Sales are painfully slow at times.

-SF

 

[BioPellet]

Who knows what happened on his end. I spent enough time running a neighborhood hardware store to know that things aren't always as cut and dry as the customer wants to think they are.

It's possible that his source couldn't supply enough product to fill his whole order, which may have drastically increased the average freight cost per unit.

It could have even been to the point where if he honored his quote to you (and maybe a few other people in the community), he would have ended up taking a loss, even if he sold the remaining product at the higher individual rate.

Customer service is important, but if something happened to affect his cost, he may not be able to afford to take a loss on the sale (or sales). It's a really difficult call to make, and I always hated making it. Keep a customer happy and take a loss now in the interest of future sales, or do what's best in the short term to pay the bills. January, February, and the beginning of March are months in the hardware/building supply industry where the little guys just hope to break even. Sales are painfully slow at times.

-SF

I am producing as much as possible (christmas and new years and housing turntown are cutting deeply into my sawdust supply) and I have not raised my price in proportion to this dealer - I am commited to getting you guys the fuel at a price below fuel oil. Please make a strong effort to buy in the spring and summer - you get the best price and availablity is plentiful. I am working to expand my production 24/7....

 

[webbie]

Good to hear that the price rise is not coming from the factory - it is a shame how folks try to take advantage of cold weather by upping the price. As Bab says, the guy may make an extra nickel now, but lose it later when his customer desert him for the local Home Depot. After all, why support small business if they screw you??? It works both ways.....

I can honestly say that in my 20+ years of selling, making and importing stoves and accessories, I never once used anything other than "what did I pay for it, and what is a fair markup" to set my prices. Slow and steady wins the race and people have good memories.

Obviously there is little manufacturers like Bio can do except hopefully sell more machines and get the supply up - then the prices are more likely to remain steady.

It does piss me off a bit that some people try to do the ecological thing and others say "pay me more for your trouble".... maybe biomass logs are going to have to go direct to customer (like though brokers) who don't try to milk the customer. Seems like every time Pellets and Biomass makes inroads, the price goes up (economics 101 or Gold Rush mentality).....and in the end, it is not the consumers who pay, but the manufacturers (like Harman!).....when all of a sudden the bottom drops out.

 

[WILDSOURDOUGH]

Local lumber yard had put me on their list for a pallet of BioBricks to be delivered this past week. Spoke with them yesterday - they got their delivery but are selling only by the package at $7.50 for a 38-lb pack of 20. This translates to $375 per 1900 lb. pallet vs. the $280 they quoted me just a week before. I said "No, thanks." He said the packs are flying off the shelf at that price, so that's life.

Guess I'll be calling around the tree services and landscapers tomorrow to scrounge a cord if a seasoned one can still be found.

I have owned a small business also, and know all the troubles and pitfalls of such an endevor but...

A person (or business) is only as good as their word to me. Sounds like they gave no reason to not honor the agreement, other than being able to mark them up and sell them at a higher price. Let's call it as it is... Gougers and Liers !

I am with the other poster, screw me once- and I will no longer do business with you, and I will tell anyone the reason why. I do not have a large 'circle' of accquantances, but the few whom I do know, know what I stand for- honesty and respect, and I believe that these few friends do share the same values...so these slezzy people/busnesses do get known. As we start to enter into a "very slow economy" these people will be the first to feel the economic pain- and I will laugh.

I will only 'rant' for just one more-
I not longer shop at Staples- 'the gimic store'. The 'Straw' was a pen sale last fall- two packs for six bucks. Tried to buy one set in black and one in multi colors... got to the register... "NO- they have to be all the same, ie... two black sets or two multi-colored sets"- Give me a break- they are ALL on sale. Left all the pens, two ink cartrages and some other stuff on the counter. Haven't gone back and guess what- never missed em.

 

[jpl1nh]

I not longer shop at Staples- ‘the gimic store’. The ‘Straw’ was a pen sale last fall- two packs for six bucks. Tried to buy one set in black and one in multi colors… got to the register… “NO- they have to be all the same, ie… two black sets or two multi-colored sets"- Give me a break- they are ALL on sale. Left all the pens, two ink cartrages and some other stuff on the counter. Haven’t gone back and guess what- never missed em

And I thought they said shopping at Staples was "Easy"!

 

[welldriller]

I do not have a large 'circle' of accquantances,

Well I know Unity and it would have to be a very large circle indeed to have any acquaintance's at all.

I agree screw me once your fault ..screw me again my-fault. Wife gets mad at me when we go by a place and I say I won't shop there because I have been ill treated, I can't help that it may of been 40 years ago or last week

 

[cmonSTART]

Well I know Unity and it would have to be a very large circle indeed to have any acquaintance's at all.

HAHA!

 

[WILDSOURDOUGH]

"I do not have a large ‘circle’ of accquantances,

Well I know Unity and it would have to be a very large circle indeed to have any acquaintance’s at all"

HA HA HA- O- that's three of 'my friends ! (Loved it !)- But there is a whole lotta trees.

Yep- you are right- and all the more reason why people and business must 'Live by their word'!
I am not a hardass about it, if something happened and the price to the dealer went up- things do happen, just show me the increase (and why) and make a fair deal. But in this case, they sounded like it was just tough s***, take it or leave it. Well- you might get away with that attitude in a large metro area- but I know for a fact that it don't fly in small towns. You get known very quickly.

And as a side note... the STAPLES in Claremont, NH looks like a ghost town- maybe one or two cars in the parking lot at any given time...me thinks they are going down. And it serves them right ! The customer is not some joker or fool- they are there to conduct a transaction- and I do not want to be asked (read: bagered) if I have a 'rewards card', would mind giving my zip code or e-mail address....gimmics- every time I go to a store to purchase an item ! Enough is Enough ! Give me one package of Black pens and one package of multi-colored pens, at the stated and posted sales price, take my money and wish me a good day- thank you !