Chiminey Cricket Chimney Sweeps

An employee of Chiminey Cricket & Ashes Away did a chimney check and clean for me in November 2015. For the cleaning, the guy did a decent and tidy job. The issue involves the improper replacement of the damper after being removed to allow for inspection and cleaning of the interior. I noted the damper had been left open and the first 2 fires of the season were successful. I subsequently tried to close the damper but the handle would not budge - it was stuck. I thought it hadn't moved and was still open so I had another fire and the the house filled up with smoke - it must have shifted and partially closed. I did some googling on chimneys and dampers to get a better understanding how things worked and checked it out myself with my flashlight - imagine my surprise to discover that the damper had not been reconnected rather, it had been left sitting loosely in the chimney. Of note, I have had my house for 5 years and never had a problem with the damper. See photo - clearly the damper has not been properly reconnected. At the top right of the photo you can see the hinged side which is on the opposite side of the slat/opening showing at the bottom right of the photo. I presume either the technician forgot to replace it or couldn't be bothered replacing it. Nonetheless, very shoddy work making my fireplace unsafe. I recently called the company back and the man who answered the phone couldn't recall the service visit but insisted that they did not touch the damper. Quite frankly, it would be impossible for the technician to properly inspect and clean the chimney without removing the damper. He also said that it would be 85.00 for a service call to check this out. What absolutely poor customer service - refusing to acknowledge the error and not offering to fix a problem they created. My advice - use a more reputable company if you want the job done right.
Donna. Mary Street N., Oshawa, Ontario.