FireSide Hearth and Home — Local services in Utica

If you're in the market for what is an expensive upgrade I would make note that while it is a nice insert and the install by the third party was done well, the insert may allow for significant draft into your house and you may be given no idea prior to purchasing that will be the case and no help when you ask for how to address it 2 1/2 weeks after install. To spend the money to do this and get poor customer service once they receive their final payment is disappointing.

I noticed a considerable draft coming from the bottom of the insert where there is a gap between the insert and the original firebox. I called and spoke to my original salesperson (Utica store) who sold it to me and asked how to address the draft that exists now. His response was the inserts are only 80% efficient and there will be a draft (please note this was not mentioned at any time during the store visit). My only option would be to leave the pilot always lit (which was never mentioned during the store visit), which is not a cost-effective solution. I understand there will be some draft but when it’s a noticeable issue and a customer has a questions about it instead of repeatedly telling me it's only 80% efficient and the draft can’t be eliminated maybe explain in a more professional and non-condescending tone that while it's not possible to fully eliminate the draft there are options available out there that can be used to cover the gaps (which I learned from Google after hanging up the phone) if the customer choses to take that route, instead of repeatedly just saying it’s only 80% efficient and you’ll never be able to eliminate the draft. The phone conversation also brought me back to the conversation I had with the salesperson prior to giving the go ahead on the final invoice after the installer came out to measure. The installer recommended a custom surround for the gap that would be present at the bottom. I asked him what that would cost & he said my salesperson would let me know after he discussed his recommendations with him. But when my salesperson called me to go over the findings and to approve the final invoice, he never mentioned a custom surround for the bottom or that there would be a gap, so I told him what the installer said he recommended & my sales person said he knew nothing about that and no changes needed to be made.

I wasn't asking or expecting Utica Fireside to do anything more than guide me on how to address the issue since they sold me the insert and I’m pretty sure I'm not the only person who has had this concern so you would think they would have a more customer friendly approach instead of being defensive over a question that was asked which in turn ended up putting me off and also on the defensive and regretting for a moment not going with just fireplace doors that I initially went into the store for.

Ultimately the insert is nice, heats the room well when it’s on and has some nice features but I would be prepared for poor customer service from the company once the sale is complete, or maybe it’s only the salesperson I dealt with, that I can’t be sure of. I can only imagine what will happen if an issue arises with the insert and service needs to be performed how I will be treated at that time if asking a question results in ending the phone call being frustrated, defensive, mildly insulted and feeling the need to write a less than stellar review of their store, which is not something I...

So my wife and I wanted to get some info about installing a gas fireplace in our condo. We showed up at the Utica location at 3:55pm and saw the closed sign on the door and the door was locked, although the sign said they were open til 4pm. I peered in to see three guys standing near the back of the store with no attempt to greet me. I mean, I get it...and I'm not trying to be one of "those" people, but I just had a couple of quick questions and then I would have made plans to return another time. So as I was pulling out of the parking lot, kind of disappointed, I decided to give the store a call. A fella answered and I asked if I could speak to a Mgr...he said "what do you want?" I asked am I speaking to the person in charge? He said yes, how can I help you? I asked him why they had closed early and did someone have a birthday party to get to? He said they were open and taking care of customers if I would like to return!?! I told him I was just there and the closed sign was in the window and the door was locked, so you were clearly NOT open. He said they were slammed today and asked if I wanted to return or what? At this point, his snarky attitude was starting to annoy me as well as just bold-face lying to me about being open. I told him absolutely not, especially with an attitude like his. He then went on to tell me about how his store had done $2.5 million in sales last year and how they've been slammed all day. After being lied to about being "open" instead of just telling me they were tired and wanted to go home, I told him I would never do business with his store and be sure to let all my friends & family know what kind of business they're running over there no matter what their sales were... All I really wanted was a couple of questions answered or at the very least, an apology for my inconvenience, now that he realized he probably should have just come to the door in the first place. Not a fan of being talked down to or listening to how tough his day was after being lied to and then capping off the conversation, which was heading nowhere by hanging up on me. What he showed me in less than 15 minutes from the moment of consideration to ending any possible business relationship completely was that this group of hack salesmen were unprofessional, unpolished, unfriendly, and arrogant, and that I was probably going to be overcharged for their services in the long run. Glad I found this out sooner than later! He ought to realize bad news travels a hell of a lot quicker than good. If you want to contribute to this team beating last year's sales record of $2.5 million, please, be my guest! As for me, I will leave this post and take my business elsewhere!! Good luck however you...

Over the past two years, we have bought two natural fireplace inserts from this company. Initially, we were happy with them until they started to break and fall apart.

After the first season, the top flame dampening boards broke on both inserts. We were very surprised to find out we were on our own for those repairs to the tune of hundreds of dollars. Plus, the guy who fixed it told us it's a known problem that the installation people should have known about that causes it. We ended up paying out of pocket for it. Additionally, the rails inside the one unit fall apart constantly, which takes the unit out of service every time because it has to cool down before you can repair it. The other one constantly has the baffle on the top dampeners fall off completely. Luckily, it's an easy repair, but it's constant, and the piece is always red hot when it falls out and ends up on the floor.

The latest big issue is that the fan already went out on the newest machine. Apparently, the bearings are cooked, plus it rattles the insert so loudly that you can't hear anything else in the room if you were to use it. So needless to say, we barely get any heat out of the insert, which is supposed to heat the whole house. Boy, is that a lie. These things barely put out heat when they are functioning.

What makes the whole matter worse is the complete uselessness to remedy any of these issues. We literally have been requesting service since the fall for this issue. First, we had to call for several weeks to even get a response from their service, and then when they did, it took forever for them to even come. Then, of course, they had to order the part that took weeks. Then they finally got the part, and we are still waiting. The repair man never answers his phone or returns calls. The company assured us that it would be fixed on several occasions but yet still, nothing.

We are so beyond frustrated with this company that we are about to file a small claims lawsuit to make them take these back and refund our money.... just done. We are literally giving them one last opportunity to make this right.......