Odd experience

[Ricks]

I have been buying my wood pellets from the same stove and pellet dealer for the last 4 years. In total I have purchased about 9 tons from them. Just this year I have purchased almost 2 tons; it has been a cold winter. I tried to place an order for a 3rd ton and was told since I was not a regular customer I could only purchase 10 bags at a time.

I asked what it meant to be a regular customer since purchasing 9 tones over 4 years clearly did not.

In the end the store did agree to sell me a ton, but I am left with a very sour taste in my mouth. I am really seriously thinking of taking my business to another dealer next winter. The owner did apologize, but did not offer anything off the pellets (I didn't ask). The owner did state the selling pellets for them was not the profit center of the business.

I didn't go into it, but if you treat a regular customer like that it is very likely the regular customer will go somewhere else for pellets and service.

Rick.......

 

[Shannon Hackenberg]

Wow that defiantly makes you think Rick,I understand how you feel.I kind of went through same thing I could not find a ton of pellets to save my life ever place i went would only allow 10 bags at a time.These were even places I bought many of tons from between me and my father.They all say the same thing about the pellet shortage.Also we all know they make more money selling by the bag cause buying by ton is cheaper.Thing is even if you take your business else where they probably will not miss it cause someone else we just take your place.

 

[alternativeheat]

I have been buying my wood pellets from the same stove and pellet dealer for the last 4 years. In total I have purchased about 9 tons from them. Just this year I have purchased almost 2 tons; it has been a cold winter. I tried to place an order for a 3rd ton and was told since I was not a regular customer I could only purchase 10 bags at a time.

I asked what it meant to be a regular customer since purchasing 9 tones over 4 years clearly did not.

In the end the store did agree to sell me a ton, but I am left with a very sour taste in my mouth. I am really seriously thinking of taking my business to another dealer next winter. The owner did apologize, but did not offer anything off the pellets (I didn't ask). The owner did state the selling pellets for them was not the profit center of the business.

I didn't go into it, but if you treat a regular customer like that it is very likely the regular customer will go somewhere else for pellets and service.

Rick.......

With pellets being in short supply he may be a bit cranky right now, I wouldn't read too much into it. Especially so where the owner apologized. And it depends on who you spoke with, it could be a person who actually didn't know who they were speaking with. If you want to move on, so be it, it's not worth getting cranked up over though, IMO.

 

[GENECOP]

I have know experience with pellets since we burn wood, but I will tell you from the outside the things I have been reading about getting pellets this winter is a real turn off. LP and oil companies pull this kind of chit , control the pricing, work together, hold the customer over a barrel. A big part of alternative fuel use is freedom.....the pellet thing does not fit the bill, at least not this winter....

 

[rona]

I have know experience with pellets since we burn wood, but I will tell you from the outside the things I have been reading about getting pellets this winter is a real turn off. LP and oil companies pull this kind of chit , control the pricing, work together, hold the customer over a barrel. A big part of alternative fuel use is freedom.....the pellet thing does not fit the bill, at least not this winter....

With gas shortages pellet shortage and price gouging along with electrical cost going up Geo Thermo looks to be a common sense choice.

 

[DneprDave]

What pellet shortage? They are easy to get here!

Dave

 

[The Grintch]

Buy what you need in July... That way you have what you need!

It's like buying a t- shirt in December, there's plenty and their on sale.

 

[Bioburner]

Elevator is full of corn here. About 150/ton. Blending is working great in the Harman and the Bixby eats it straight. Hestia just flip the switch to what fuel. The cost of a dual fuel stove is paying off.

 

[BrotherBart]

I have know experience with pellets since we burn wood, but I will tell you from the outside the things I have been reading about getting pellets this winter is a real turn off. LP and oil companies pull this kind of chit , control the pricing, work together, hold the customer over a barrel. A big part of alternative fuel use is freedom.....the pellet thing does not fit the bill, at least not this winter....

Run out and pick up a cord of dry firewood right now.

 

[Bioburner]

Run out and pick up a cord of dry firewood right now.

Are you implying that if pellet stove owners stockpiled ahead like woodstove owners there may not be so much crying in the beer

 

[BrotherBart]

I just loved his implication that wood burners are any better off this year that oil, propane, ng or pellet burners. Cord wood burners are running out of wood too. And if they could, which ain't gonna happen, find dry wood they would have to give their first born for it right now. At least pellet burners can buy in July and know it is gonna burn fine in October. Or have hopes that a load is coming in a few days. Try that with cord wood.

Gonna be close for me since I had to use a half cord of this years wood last year because it turned real cold real early last year too. Of course that two tons of pellets are left in the basement from the three ton purchase three years ago...

 

[Bioburner]

We wood cutters have our own fate in our own hands. Not "the supply chain is slow" aka the d*^% chain broke , "plant caught on fire" drying shed blew away or "don't stock pellets when the lawn and patio stock goes on the floor" wife wanted to use the BBQ. Yes I cut some wood too. Three saws, 27 ton splitter, a trailer that can haul 4 cord. Goes to my folks. Told them it was my last year last fall.

 

[GENECOP]

Run out and pick up a cord of dry firewood right now.

WHY?

 

[bondo]

Run out and pick up a cord of dry firewood right now.

I can get pellets without a problem here right now. However firewood is scarce everyone is sold out here.

 

[Bioburner]

WHY?

I myself am to old to run.

 

[JoeS]

I have been buying my wood pellets from the same stove and pellet dealer for the last 4 years. In total I have purchased about 9 tons from them. Just this year I have purchased almost 2 tons; it has been a cold winter. I tried to place an order for a 3rd ton and was told since I was not a regular customer I could only purchase 10 bags at a time.

I asked what it meant to be a regular customer since purchasing 9 tones over 4 years clearly did not.

In the end the store did agree to sell me a ton, but I am left with a very sour taste in my mouth. I am really seriously thinking of taking my business to another dealer next winter. The owner did apologize, but did not offer anything off the pellets (I didn't ask). The owner did state the selling pellets for them was not the profit center of the business.

I didn't go into it, but if you treat a regular customer like that it is very likely the regular customer will go somewhere else for pellets and service.

Rick.......

Not certain what really happened here but it sounds like miscommunication. In the end you were able to get pellets correct? I know that my dealer guarantees that his customers will get pellets during the burning season. He makes certain that this will happen. That being said I would think that your dealer simply made a mistake. If you purchased 9 tons over 4 years I would consider you a regular customer. This makes me recall back in the 70's during the gas shortage. Our local gas station (which was a full service garage) would only sell gas to his regular customers. Smart thing to do! He benefitted from the customer loyalty! It works both ways!

 

[alternativeheat]

What pellet shortage? They are easy to get here!

Dave

I have no problem here either. I can't run to my nearest Tractor Supply at the moment as their delivery hasn't arrived yet but I can go to the one a couple of towns over as they have plenty. HD is out but The Masonry Supply is in, they have plenty of LG and Energex. Ace Hardware has Spruce Pointe. My stove dealer has New England and LaCrete, though a stupid price ( anytime, not just now). Tractor Supply and the masonry place have held their prices just fine, same for Ace Hardware, though it's a little high it's convenient to my house if I'm a few bags short for the weekend or something till i can get to one of the lower priced places.

However, there are areas that are pretty dry of pellets at the moment.

 

[Hoot23]

I can get pellets without a problem here right now. However firewood is scarce everyone is sold out here.

Same here. My brother-in-law is at the end of his 10 cords and is looking for more but no luck. The guy he gets it from is back ordered. There's pellets around. Maybe not the ones you want, but you won't freeze.

 

[rich2500]

My local agway pulled the same stunt on me the last time pellets became hard to get several years ago, I used to buy a ton a year from them which is all I burn a year and at the time they also took care of my propane.thats the last time i have stepped foot in that agway and I replaced my kitchen stove with an electric one and told agway to come get their tank off my property.

 

[alternativeheat]

My local agway pulled the same stunt on me the last time pellets became hard to get several years ago, I used to buy a ton a year from them which is all I burn a year and at the time they also took care of my propane.thats the last time i have stepped foot in that agway and I replaced my kitchen stove with an electric one and told agway to come get their tank off my property.

Well there, that showed them. I wonder if they survived it.

 

[BrotherBart]

Must have been in 2002. I wondered what drove them into bankruptcy that year. Now I know.

 

[rich2500]

yup I taught them and I'm surviving just fine without propane or agway pellets

 

[ironpony]

well if thing s get tough, I will call Somerset, AWF or Easy Heat and get another 22 tons delivered. They all burn the same in the Harman.

 

[rona]

I myself am to old to run.

I used to burn wood and like Bio have saw ,splitter, trailer plus more trees then I'd ever use but body is getting worn out and what used to be fun is just hard work. Burning pellets/corn is a no brainer for me. Just enough work to keep active but can pick the times to buy and store as I choose.

 

[BrotherBart]

have saw ,splitter, trailer plus more trees then I'd ever use but body is getting worn out and what used to be fun is just hard work.

You and me. You and me.