Too Good of a Deal... UGH

[bryankloos]

Hey Guys,

I've been talking with a guy on CL about his wood. He tells me he's moving 300 cord this year. Tells me the wood was cut and split in November. Tells me 3 cords costs $450 which is cheap around here. He tells me he supplies a garden center in the area and I have it checked out and it specs out at the garden center. I give him the go ahead to dump the 3 cord, as I need wood for this year (plenty of oak on hand but not ready until 2015/16).

The guy shows up today with a tow trailer dump. It is clearly short of 3 cord as most 2 cord sumps I get come in a large dump truck. None of the wood is grey. Most looks relatively fresh split. He dumps the load, at which point I ask him for the second time, "you sure thats a full 3 there?" He assures me it is and tells me to stack it up and call him with any issues. He seems nice enough and gives me his business card (tree guy) and says he's not looking to make any enemies.

I hand over his check, thinking I can stop payment if necessary, and he is on his way.

2 hours later I've stacked the dump out at 1.33 cords. Its not dry, measuring mid 20s on the surface and inside fresh splits. The wood is very clean, mixed stock of oak maple and hickory. All is all it was nice stuff, just under half of what I've paid for and not as dry as I expected.

I text the guy stating the situation and suggest I cut him a new check adjusted for the actual amount of wood delivered and we go on our separate ways after he tears up the first check.

He calls me and nicely apologizes and says this has never happened before and that his guys must have loaded the trailer poorly. He says he wants to bring another load to make me whole.

I ask him if the wood was split in November, and he says is all a mix, depending on where they guys pull from the pile. I mention the moisture readings and he says he will pick weathered stuff on the outside of the pile.

So, reluctantly I agree to meet him Monday morning when he delivers what will probably be the second pile of short wet, but clean wood.

What do you guys think? Should I just refuse the second delivery and request the difference in funds be paid to me? Let him make the second delivery in hopes that the wood is a little drier and the remainder of the 3 cords paid for, or something else?

I'm not out to screw anyone over, but at the same time I don't like to get screwed myself...

Thoughts?

Bryan

 

[Kenster]

He sounds like a stand up guy who wants to do right by you. Mid 20s on your MM with fresh splits is not so bad for wood that has only been split for nine months. Price is nice for good quality wood. Make sure you get your money's worth. I bet he will hand pick some good dry wood for you as a way of making it up to you for the first drop. Separate out the driest wood for this winter. You've still got a little more seasoning time, too.
And if he makes good on everything (and my money says he will) don't trash him for coming up short on the first go. Give a businessman credit for how he treats you when things go awry, not just when things are good. That's the true test of customer service.
If you are happy with the second load, I would definitely consider buying another load to sock away for NEXT year.

 

[mwatt65]

I got beat on my first delivery, was supposed to be three cords turned out to be 1.5 cords! the guy laugh and sneered at me afterwards! I reported him to weights & measures but got no response from them.
Stop the payment on the check, If he returns with the rest,tell him you'll give him cash.

 

[Kenster]

If he's a scammer, the check was cashed immediately and it would be too late to stop payment. I still say give him a chance. You'll know by tomorrow.

 

[bryankloos]

I think he will show, and hopefully with a bigger dump as he couldn't fit half of the 3 cord in the first trailer. If the next batch is decent I'm cool. He did call me back and promise to make thing right. I'll know more soon.

 

[Kenster]

Please let us know how things turn out.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

If he gets you 3 cords for $450, even green, it's not bad for the future, IMO.

 

[Sconnie Burner]

I would say if he does you right you are good. Was the wood a little wet? Yes. But if he brings you a good load of dry wood tell him you would like to get another load like that and negotiate the price a little for the first load being wet, if you have enough money in your budget of course. Then you have what you need for this year and a good jump for next! Or say you were a little disappointed in the first load and see if he will exchange it out for the dry stuff. If he is looking for a new potential customes he will take care of you!

 

[byQ]

Roughly 33% the amount of the wood you ordered and paid for was delivered. And you are getting recent-cut wood when you were told it was cut last year. I can see if 2.5 out of 3 cords were delivered but only 1.33 out of 3 cords. That would be enough for me. What he did was pretty dishonest. He should rename his business - I'm Only Honest When People Call Me Out.

 

[wahoowad]

He is not a stand up guy. If he's in the business and moving anywhere near 300 cord a year then he clearly knows the ins and outs. His business model is to deliver wood to the uneducated, then act innocent and bring you more of his unseasoned wood. Maybe 5% of people know what a true cord or dry wood really means and he knows that well.

Cancel the first check, write him a prorated check for the 1.3 cord you received. He can come pick up the check or you will mail it to him. Then ask around for a recommendation for a decent firewood guy. And you inspect and accept/reject wood when it is delivered. Never just let them dump it.

 

[Nick Mystic]

I can follow the logic of both sides being presented in this post. Personally, I don't like having people deal with me like you were treated with the first load, which was clearly way short of what was contracted for. It would be hard for me to trust someone who tried to cheat me like that. However, the die has pretty much been cast now, so you'll know more when the second load arrives. Hopefully, it will at least fulfill your original contract. If the wood was supposedly cut and split last November I would expect moisture readings to be around what you report. Most oak isn't going to be down below 20% moisture for at least a couple of years if it's just been sitting out in the elements. Good luck.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

It's always a learning experience. I guess the lesson here is to free up as much time as possible to scrounge. However, I can't always get 4 cords a year on the scrounge. Luckily, I have a couple of reliable sources that give me a good deal of quality wood at a fair price. It's always nice to get some extra wood to get ahead.

 

[bryankloos]

The more I think about things, the more I feel this guy is a crook. While I will give him the benefit of the doubt, it was CLEAR that he had nowhere near 3 cord of wood in his trailer. I should have refused the delivery and sent him on his way. Agreed, if the guy moves 300 (or is that really 100) cord of wood a year, he knows what he is doing. He told me he has 100K worth of firewood equipment, so clearly he is invested in the business. That said, its become clear to me that his MO is to short people hoping that they don't know what a cord is, and offer extra wood to the people who do.

I'll report back tomorrow once he brings the second load, but as I said it needs to be in a different trailer as the one he used clearly only holds 1.3 cord.

I just cant believe he honestly thought he was bringing me 3 cord...

Oh well, lesson learned.

 

[KenLockett]

I had a similar situation last year. Guy ended up bringing me three of the single loads that supposedly was 2 cord. He ultimately made good on the quantity and it was seasoned. But....a good amount was punky as well which I didn't know until I finished stacking all of it AND he would have shorted me if I had not know better. He tried to make the excuse that the guys had used a different loader this time. Learned my lesson. Next time I buy firewood it will only be in log length and I will estimate volume based upon log lengths and diameter.

 

[ironspider]

Let's see what he does it the second load. But now what?stack in front of him? I say request he stack as a coutesy to make up for the first load

 

[Applesister]

My sister had a dealer guy bring back a second load and he was pissed cause he got called on the practice. He told her on the phone after he made right on his "shortage" whatever volumn of wood was in his dump trailer...regardless of the actual amount , in the future, he would not make any more second deliveries. And his price was a fixed amount of 190.00 per cord. SO you pay 190.00 per cord for some "mystery volumn" of wood.

 

[velvetfoot]

It's tough to get a good wood guy. I've been much happier processing my own log lengths. You have to assume, at a minimum, that the wood is not seasoned.

 

[Roundgunner]

$450 for 3 is very cheap in CT. Good dry around here is $200 each delivered. Red flags start waving at the price alone.

 

[Beer Belly]

Mid 20% on the outside would concern me, mid 20% on a fresh split, no so much, maybe what he sells to the garden center came from a different area of his wood pile. If he sells 300 cord a year, what he delivered you may be nearing the end of his supply. I'll be watching this, I may buy a cord if he makes good.

 

[KD0AXS]

It's not hard to find out how much the guy's trailer holds, just measure it. A cord is 128 cubic feet. Length x width x height of his trailer will give you how many cubic feet it holds. Divide that by 128 to get the number of cords it will hold. That number of cords is if the wood is neatly stacked in the trailer. If it's just piled in, it will be less.

 

[gzecc]

Hey Guys,

I've been talking with a guy on CL about his wood. He tells me he's moving 300 cord this year. Tells me the wood was cut and split in November. Tells me 3 cords costs $450 which is cheap around here. He tells me he supplies a garden center in the area and I have it checked out and it specs out at the garden center. I give him the go ahead to dump the 3 cord, as I need wood for this year (plenty of oak on hand but not ready until 2015/16).

The guy shows up today with a tow trailer dump. It is clearly short of 3 cord as most 2 cord sumps I get come in a large dump truck. None of the wood is grey. Most looks relatively fresh split. He dumps the load, at which point I ask him for the second time, "you sure thats a full 3 there?" He assures me it is and tells me to stack it up and call him with any issues. He seems nice enough and gives me his business card (tree guy) and says he's not looking to make any enemies.

I hand over his check, thinking I can stop payment if necessary, and he is on his way.

2 hours later I've stacked the dump out at 1.33 cords. Its not dry, measuring mid 20s on the surface and inside fresh splits. The wood is very clean, mixed stock of oak maple and hickory. All is all it was nice stuff, just under half of what I've paid for and not as dry as I expected.

I text the guy stating the situation and suggest I cut him a new check adjusted for the actual amount of wood delivered and we go on our separate ways after he tears up the first check.

He calls me and nicely apologizes and says this has never happened before and that his guys must have loaded the trailer poorly. He says he wants to bring another load to make me whole.

I ask him if the wood was split in November, and he says is all a mix, depending on where they guys pull from the pile. I mention the moisture readings and he says he will pick weathered stuff on the outside of the pile.

So, reluctantly I agree to meet him Monday morning when he delivers what will probably be the second pile of short wet, but clean wood.

What do you guys think? Should I just refuse the second delivery and request the difference in funds be paid to me? Let him make the second delivery in hopes that the wood is a little drier and the remainder of the 3 cords paid for, or something else?

I'm not out to screw anyone over, but at the same time I don't like to get screwed myself...

Thoughts?

Bryan

Either the guy is incompetent (strange how he made a mistake in his favor), he is a crook, or you and him didn't communicate. I think he's a crook.

 

[bryankloos]

Well, no wood and no call today. I called the bank to stop payment on the check. If its not cleared by tomorrow at 8am I was successful at the stop payment. If it goes through, I was too late. The bank doesn't know if we caught it in time.

So, if the stop payment works, he will surely be pissed as I have 1.3 cords of his wood on my property. If the check clears I will be pissed and need to chase him down.

I'll know by tomorrow with the bank and if the check was successfully stopped I will contact him to state that I will be mailing out a new check for $200 to cover the wood he delivered and not to make any more deliveries this way.

I'll report back in e morning.

 

[Beer Belly]

Bryan, I will be looking for your update......I will be having a talk to the garden center should this turn out unfavorable, to alert them to their suppliers reputation with the general public, and that being his supplier cannot be trusted, how can we trust that his wood supply is any better......not everybody has a MM in their pocket.

 

[bigbarf48]

I think what you did is the best course of action, hopefully you caught it in time.

Its total BS that he "accidentally" shorted you. Someone who moves that volume of firewood knows what a cord looks like

 

[bryankloos]

The check did not clear, the payment was stopped.

Out of curiosity it would be interesting to see how long it takes to hear from this guy, ie does he contact me today with plans to deliver wood or only once he realizes he isn't getting paid and wants his money??? Maybe I will never hear from him???

The best option is probably to send him an email and tell him a lesser check is in the mail. I don't need to make any enemies and the last thing my wife needs is a confrontational guy showing up unannounced demanding money when it's just her and the kids at the house.