snow!

[sugarcube5419]

wendy-where are you?  Did you order from them or do you live here?  I guess I haven't heard you speak of the problem?  Greenbush is 5 1/2 hrs away from me.

[wendy177]

I purchased an outdoor wood burner from Central boiler Greenbush MN from a local dealer here in Massachusetts Just five years ago. The total cost was over $12,000.00. My hubby was going out to clean and load the stove this past Saturday only to find water streaming into the main firebox!! The side steel had rotted only after 5 years of owning Central boilers product and (their words) the stove failed! After MUCH research many have had the same problems and more with this product from Central Boiler. We have received many memos from the company like to remove the fire brick from the inside sides of the stove as it was found it was trapping condensation behind the brick and causing the side steel to rot. Which we did when we got the memo from our dealer a year into owning the stove. I have a very good friend who purchased the same stove from the same dealer with the same warranty his stove failed after 3 years same problem water streaming into the wood box. They replaced his stove with a new one at no charge and he paid only for shipping. Mine they say I will need to pay to ship it to them they will repair it at no cost labor & parts and I will need to pay to ship it back. As the warranty applies. I asked them to point out where in the warranty it states that if the stove fails after 3 years you get a new stove at no cost but after 5 years the warranty suddenly applies! How can it be right to treat customers SO SO differently?? My budget for heating has been spent on split seasoned wood, so to pay to ship the burner back and forth ( that will cost me a couple grand) ,say it takes  a month while it is being repaired means NO Christmas and a very cold house for my children!  I think my next step is to contact Hank Phillippi Ryan an investigative reporter for Channel 7 News on WHDH-TV, the NBC-affiliate station for Boston, Massachusetts. I pray this multimillion dollar company does the right thing! If anyone has any advice I would appreciate it!!

[sugarcube5419]

Gads--not MN nice at all--are you dealing with MA or MN?  Or both?  If its MA then I'd contact MN, sometimes dealing with a different person, get more people involved as you can--then the better business bureau?  Certainly if you can prove others were given better treatment--perhaps the person they dealt with as opposed to yours--hopefully not the same person--sometimes store clerks act like they personally own the place, keep complaining --  go over heads of anyone that says no...squeaky wheel gets the grease...

let me know if I can help..get the two stores pitted against each other--just my thoughts.

[frogpatch]

This was our first snow on Sunday. We were drinking sparkling rose, listening to Bare Naked Ladies singing Christmas songs,(no Wullie they are a male group) and decorating the vintage Christmas tree. Yesterdays snow was a soggy mess. Being near the coast will do that. Looks like another one is coming late Saturday for the Northeast. This one is worth keeping an eye on if you are living in the normally colder areas of New York and New England.

[wendy177]

Thank you Sugar I have been in contact with both my dealer in MA & the home office Central boiler in MN and I CAN PROVE others were given better treatment! Central boiler does not make it easy to contact them No email addresses no direct phone extensions of anyone in the company but That won't stop me . The first day this happened on a Saturday I emailed at least 12 people at the home office which is closed on weekends and got a email response back so someone got the message   . Monday I began to call the main line and ask for the service rep. every hour on the hour and of course he was unavailable so I  emailed  the 12 on my list every hour on the hour. My list has now grown so more can now be emailed. Tuesday I finally got a return call, When I was informed of my option from the company.  Our dealer  told my husband they were going to offer us a rebuilt used stove for $2,700 plus $550.00 shipping  REALLY REALLY!! I told  The service rep.  at the main office  to speak to whomever above him he needed to and come back to me with why I am being treated differently. I want the same treatment as the gentleman I know from my area. I did manage to acquire all the three digit direct line extension numbers for owners, Vp, and most other departments in the company so if I do not like their response I will begin to make calls to direct lines & bypass the receptionist. Believe me Sugar I can SQUEAK!! Politely but SQUEAK!!  I will contact  Hank Phillippi Ryan ,  join  "Angie's List" and tell my story, Facebook, twitter, I think I may start a blog for those who have had issues ,  I have been in contact with my State Rep I know him well,  But first I will give them the benefit of doubt and continue to pray they do the right thing!!

[sugarcube5419]

I would be willing to help you in any way possible--if this is their home base more people here than in MA could/would pull strings.  You sound very connected but again, sadly bad publicity sometimes makes companies do the right thing. 

The squeakers do get heard.  Let me know.

[Rauville]

Minus 16F here this morning...not too bad!

Wendy;
After doing a quick check of "outdoor boiler reviews", I can understand why you are frustrated. There are a lot of other users that feel the same as you. Central Boiler is rated near the bottom of manufacturers in regard to owners satisfaction. BBB of Minnesota has had numerous complaints.
All I can say: Keep SQUEAKING!

[sugarcube5419]

perhaps this forum can also be added to their wall of shame, the more people read the less they would purchase from a company with such poor customer service not to mention poor quality merchandise.  Someone may read it from their own company, or maybe.....someone could notify them that they read about their company on the forum and chose not to purchase ....  your thoughts?

[sugarcube5419]

another random thought-since you need heating and have tapped out your emergency funds on this bum equipment perhaps if you contact heating assistance programs-they might have ways to help you--in fuel or in helping you find more people to help, they deal with heating issues every day.

[wendy177]

Thank you great Ideas Sugar!  But  I hate to take assistance away from mostly elderly in my area as I have over 15 cords of split seasoned wood in my back yard! My husband and I  do help with fundraisers and such for our local heating assistance group Hearts for Heat!   Rauville Thank you I feel very alone in this fight right now!  BBB of Massachusetts has had numerous complaints also, They sell all over the united states & Canada! Can you please PM  me any outdoor boiler reviews or sites you tapped into on reporting them this morning. I have also done lots of research but all the info I can get helps.

[greenacres]

I had a friend who had a problem with a product. She made a huge sign an picketed outside of the establishment.  That might get their attention!

[KC]

Wow!  Sounds like most are having rough times with the cold weather and precipitation that it brings!

Wendy, maybe the heating assistance people have some contacts for you and can help you holler!!!  Good point sugarcube5419!

With us being iced in for 5 days I got my family to get lots of things done in the house that they would otherwise put off!    With the 5 - 7" ice on everything outside even walking was a challenge.  Our old dog wouldn't go to the bathroom without finding grass...so we had to take pots of boiled water out and chip away until we could clear a big enough area of grass (took 2 hours!)  LOL

The streets finally melted but our yards are still solid ice.  Having our home on a hill, all the neighbor kids came and asked if they could slide down our yard!  It was great to hear the squeals and laughter all day.  AND the crazy part, after a full day of tons of kids...not a single footprint in the ice or a breakthrough because the ice was so thick.  (Some kids were in High School so they were pretty hefty).  You can see by the pic that they literally zip down our yard and hit the concrete street.  LOL  There are going to be some mighty bruised kids!  

But I got lots of cooking done and photos done for upcoming articles...like this Cajun Roasted Corn, Leek & Potato Chowder!  (My neighbors love being the taste testers!)

[sugarcube5419]

really nice KC, great pics and I must say your food looks delish~!!  Nice to hear kids still go sledding....and more fun to watch

[wendy177]

KC that does look so yummy!!!

[bigwull]

Sorry to hear about your woes...Wendy...as for the squeaking.....I,d be wringing necks by now....and i,m still trying to get my head round the $12,000 bit....and if i read this right...you have a warranty for 5 years....but,....had your boiler went tits up at 3..they would have replaced it,but as yours is older, you have to pay carriage..both ways....sounds to me like they are trying to take the piss.....i,ve got my fingers & tootsies crossed....for a speedy solution...