Reviews

1/10

I originally bought 2 fireplaces back in the summer of 2014. One was a wood burning and the other one was gas operated. I spent close to ten thousand dollars, this included both fireplaces and install. When I ordered them he asked me how tall my chimney is. I did not know the exact measurements and I told Jason (I believe he is the sales manager) this but I thought it was approximately 25 feet. I asked him how much space does the chimney need in order to fit the pipe properly. He informed me 14 inches. Couple months later I had to make couple calls for them to come out and install the gas fireplace so I could finish off my roof. They came out and spend couple days installing it. Few more weeks later Phil a (sub-contractor they use) came out to install the wood burning fireplace. He told me that he needs 15 inches of clearance and the amount of pipe he brought wasn't enough and he will have to return once we enlarge the chimney run and he gets more pipe. I paid my contractor to enlarge the opening how Phil wanted and he returned few days later to install the pipe up to the roof line. He measured the chimney cap and informed me that he will return in couple weeks to install it. About Two days later I was contacted by Jason that I owe them $1500 dollars for the extra pipe, and this was because they had to use elbows and the roof is 32 feet instead of 25. I explained to him that he did not have to put the elbows in if he told me originally to leave 15 inches instead of 14 and if I knew it was going to be this expensive sooner like when any of his employees came and assessed the situation I would of ran the chimney differently. His compromise was pay or we stop work. After much discussion and talking to Steve (the owner of the company) we decided that I would pay $1000 which I did with the promise of them installing the final piece and the cap in the next few days. I informed Steve that the roof is 12/12 pitch and has a large overhang which will make it difficult to install without a lift. But he assured me that it will be done in a week. After a long ordeal, about 2 months later, and Steve having to rent a zoom-boom from the the person installing the siding to place the chimney cap on it was installed. Early December I contacted the company to have a "start up" done (they come in and set the fireplace up and make sure everything is operating correctly), I started to contact Steve directly because nobody else would return my calls. Once I set up the initial appointment they gave me a time of 9am. About 10am I contacted Steve letting him know nobody arrived and he told me they will be there shortly. I told him that I would like to be there so they can show me how everything works and to make sure they call me prior to arrival. I left the house to go to work and when I returned the gas fireplace was all setup but the pilot light was not on. I could not get a hold of Steve but I did get a hold of Jody at the office and he informed me that they never lit it because there was no power and no gas to the fireplace. I told him this was false and rescheduled the appointment. They were suppose to arrive on January 2 and after waiting the whole day I contacted Jody again (could not get a hold of Steve) and had to reschedule again. Jody wasn't sure where the "guys" were and was apologetic. Next appointment was January 9th, at this point the wood burning fireplace was burning fine but the natural gas wasn't lighting. I waited patiently for the next appointment. They did arrive and fired up the fireplace but when I asked a question about a electrical issues I was informed that "we don't deal with electrical stuff you have to talk to an electrician..."

Approximate cost of services:
$9,500.00
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Company Response

Cyril I am Sorry your experience was a unpleasant one with Alberta Wholesale Fireplaces. Sometimes jobs do not always go as planned and I do apologize for the mis-communication that was directed your way in regards to your wood fireplace install. We as a company do appreciate your concerns and have discussed them as a team and will make sure this does not happen to any future customers. The time frames we give our customers sometimes are just estimates because we must complete our jobs when on site and sometimes an issue can arise which can be unforeseen. In response to the extra cost for chimney components when a client comes into the showroom and is asked the amount of chimney required and its exceeded it is general practice to consult with the client and come to an agreement on extra charges. When a new construction job is done electrical is completed by the electrician and not the fireplace contractor. If this message was portrayed in a negative manner I would appreciate your feedback. Alberta Wholesale Fireplaces would like to say once again we tried our best to complete the job in a timely manner making all things right with the highest quality of workmanship.

Thanks for your time and comments.

Jodi Snow
Sales Manager