# New Pellet Co in Fitchburg, MA $225/ton for one day



## mrbean1025

I don't know much about the pellets but on June 13th from 1 to 5 pm the following company will be having an open house and selling pellets for $225/ton during the event.  They are hardwood pellets.

Creative Biomass Inc
22 Kimball Place
Fitchburg, MA
978.665.1900
creativebiomass.com

I will post any new info that I can find.


----------



## Stentor

I'm glad you posted. Pellets from Fitchburg would probably show up in southern New Hampshire and in here northeast Mass.  If you go, maybe you could say what you think of the place, where their wood comes from, what they say their regular prices will be - - that kind of information. Too bad it'll be in June so you can't try a few of their bags.


----------



## mnkywrnch

PDK9 where did you find that info I wrote a post on that plant a few months ago and havent heard anything else from them,225 a ton is a good price around these parts too bad I already have my 5 ton for next year,maybe I will grab a couple more that should get into the pellet pig club ;-)


----------



## ducker

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> PDK9 where did you find that info I wrote a post on that plant a few months ago and havent heard anything else from them,225 a ton is a good price around these parts too bad I already have my 5 ton for next year,maybe I will grab a couple more that should get into the pellet pig club ;-)



Yea, I'm interested in this too.. I'm real close by to this location, and I'll most likely to make it to the event just to see the plant.  But I am interested in the pellets too, as at 225 is quite a desirable price.  (but it will be an unknown pellet from a new plant)


----------



## mrbean1025

Both of the owners live in the town that I work in.  I received the info. directly from them.  I will try to get a few bags to burn before the event and post results.  If nothing else, they will have a train that the kids can drive in the yard during the event  I believe their website has current contact info.  Their names are Shawn and Kevin.


----------



## ducker

Looks like they have updated their website.
http://creativebiomass.com/



> Order premium hardwood pellets for only  $225/ton!
> June 13th only. No limit!  Delivery available




so the question is do I get my 4 tons from here? or split it or what...  hmmmmm


----------



## mnkywrnch

ducker said:
			
		

> Looks like they have updated their website.
> http://creativebiomass.com/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Order premium hardwood pellets for only  $225/ton!
> June 13th only. No limit!  Delivery available
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> so the question is do I get my 4 tons from here? or split it or what...  hmmmmm
Click to expand...

I already have my pellets for next year but a friend of mine in gardner needs 2.5 more tons for him self so I figured I buy the other half of the third ton,just to give them a try. I work in fitchburg and drive by the plant every day ,they just received a huge shipment of pallets,must be getting ready to package the pellets.


----------



## ducker

well I bounced them a note to see what the delivery charge would be to the next town over.  I guess depending on what they say, I maybe or may not get some or all of them from there...

Otherwise I'll just get some NEWP and maybe a few bags from that new local mill to test out.


----------



## mascoma

Few questions...
Are they just taking orders on 13th or can you / must you pick up pellets that day?  
Anyone know if there is sales tax on pellets in MA?

Kinda weird they are pushing price to open and on the website with no explaination of who they are, what their pellet is, Etc.

Good price though.


----------



## ducker

I figured they are taking orders on that day for pick up or delivery at a later date.  Although it's just speculation.

You know, what I might do is go to check it out, and perhaps they will have some pellets there, and I can look at a bag to see how they look.


----------



## iceman

they are a new comapny i remembering reading about it somewhere  (maybe here) i believe they bought that plant that was used for something else but did have a rail line that went into it...
they were able to save a lotta of the stuff from the old plant and converted it into a pellet place


----------



## lecomte38

It was an old feed grain plant.  same basic principal.  compress the product into pellets.


----------



## mccabedoug

mascoma said:
			
		

> Few questions...
> Are they just taking orders on 13th or can you / must you pick up pellets that day?
> Anyone know if there is sales tax on pellets in MA?
> 
> Kinda weird they are pushing price to open and on the website with no explaination of who they are, what their pellet is, Etc.
> 
> Good price though.



No tax on pellets in MA.


----------



## kt1i

I just sent an e-mail for more details. I used to live in Fitchburg and this is the old United Cooperative Farmers feed plant. They have rail service at the plant. I can't believe that they are up and running so fast. The price is really good but guess that I would be a little wary of buying a whole ton from a start up operation. I will probably take a ride down to the event in any case.


----------



## Jabberwocky

Darn ! Just got off my lazy duff and bought on Friday   NEWP for $275  3 tons ... cheap delivery.

Oh well, I'm next door so this looks good for the future.


----------



## rowerwet

now if someone would build a pellet plant near my house.


----------



## Jack Morrissey

Has anyone tried these yet?????????????????????????


----------



## mnkywrnch

jack56 said:
			
		

> Has anyone tried these yet?????????????????????????


I dont think there selling until this saturday 6/13.


----------



## Gweeper64

mccabedoug said:
			
		

> No tax on pellets in MA.



Not yet anyway....


----------



## LewLasher

I don't suppose they'd be selling pellets by the bag.


----------



## eddyburns

I spoke with them today.  No pellets to buy yet so no way to burn a bag.  Nor sure if I want to buy 4-5 tons with no test bag.  $140 for delivery of up to 10 tons (I live 20 miles away).  

Eddy


----------



## ducker

maybe I should have called. I bounced them an email a week or so ago, and never heard back.


----------



## iceman

eddyburns said:
			
		

> I spoke with them today.  No pellets to buy yet so no way to burn a bag.  Nor sure if I want to buy 4-5 tons with no test bag.  $140 for delivery of up to 10 tons (I live 20 miles away).
> 
> Eddy



140 for delivery????   
that makes it 300 a ton!


----------



## ducker

something like high delivery charges will make it a lot easier for me to not try their pellets... we'll see what I find out when I stop by there on Saturday.


----------



## mnkywrnch

ducker said:
			
		

> something like high delivery charges will make it a lot easier for me to not try their pellets... we'll see what I find out when I stop by there on Saturday.


I couldnt agree more $140 delivery charge for a unknown product is crazy,not bad if you get 10 ton,but if you only need a couple thats horrible!


----------



## buckscrape

Just got a quick e-mail off to Shawn, and answered in minutes, he states "The delivery price varies from town to town.  The delivery rate is for the truck and not by the ton.  We can get up to 10 tons on a delivery truck."

My delivery is $54. and the quality of the pellets are as follows: "The specs are 8400 BTU/ pound, less than 1% ash, density of 40lb/cubic foot."


----------



## eddyburns

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> something like high delivery charges will make it a lot easier for me to not try their pellets... we'll see what I find out when I stop by there on Saturday.
> 
> 
> 
> I couldnt agree more $140 delivery charge for a unknown product is crazy,not bad if you get 10 ton,but if you only need a couple thats horrible!
Click to expand...


No complaint abuot the delivery since the price was $225/ton.  The corrected delivery distance is 31 miles.  You are correct that it would not be worthwhile to deliver 1-2 tons.  I was considering a 5 ton purchase, but am not comfortable getting this quantity without trying a bag or two.  

Eddy


----------



## mnkywrnch

eddyburns said:
			
		

> mnkywrnch said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> something like high delivery charges will make it a lot easier for me to not try their pellets... we'll see what I find out when I stop by there on Saturday.
> 
> 
> 
> I couldnt agree more $140 delivery charge for a unknown product is crazy,not bad if you get 10 ton,but if you only need a couple thats horrible!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> No complaint abuot the delivery since the price was $225/ton.  The corrected delivery distance is 31 miles.  You are correct that it would not be worthwhile to deliver 1-2 tons.  I was considering a 5 ton purchase, but am not comfortable getting this quantity without trying a bag or two.
> 
> Eddy
Click to expand...

I thought the $140 was a flat rate up to 10 ton HarryG was quoted $54 for up to 10 ton and thats not bad.Im not comfortable buying without trying either.


----------



## mainemac

Nice story on  New England Cable Network

Good news is 30 new jobs and local supply for Pellet Heads in Mass!
Long line of people preordering 

Hope the pellets are high quality!



http://www.necn.com/Boston/Business/2009/06/13/Fitchburg-startup-providing/1244931367.html

Tom


----------



## ducker

Well I pre-ordered... here's hoping that I get quality pellets before I want to burn them


----------



## kt1i

I'm glad to see that there are some new jobs in fitchburg, they really need it. I got the impression that they weren't anywhere near producing pellets. I asked if I could buy a few trial bags when they had them and was told that they would not be selling by the bag. I'll look elsewhere this year and if they make a go of it, and I hope that they do, I will consider them next year.


----------



## btj1031

kt1i said:
			
		

> I'm glad to see that there are some new jobs in fitchburg, they really need it.



Amen to that.  Times were tough in Fitchburg before times were tough elsewhere.


----------



## mnkywrnch

ducker said:
			
		

> Well I pre-ordered... here's hoping that I get quality pellets before I want to burn them


Ducker how many ton did you preorder? I endend up ordering one ton that Ill pick up myself. I must say the girl taking the orders inside was a little rude.They had three buckets of pellets setup 2 were cat little and the third was pellets,I grabbed a handful and they smelled real good ,heres hoping thats there end product.


----------



## ducker

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well I pre-ordered... here's hoping that I get quality pellets before I want to burn them
> 
> 
> 
> Ducker how many ton did you preorder? I endend up ordering one ton that Ill pick up myself. I must say the girl taking the orders inside was a little rude.They had three buckets of pellets setup 2 were cat little and the third was pellets,I grabbed a handful and they smelled real good ,heres hoping thats there end product.
Click to expand...


which girl?  the one with the crazy low cut front?  or the other one?  I'm guessing the other one.

I thought the pellets looked on the small side, but I don't have too many to compare them too... the ones that I received last year were of less then stellar quality (lots of fines, quite often many were over 1" in length)

I didn't want to go in different directions and pay multiple shipping costs.  So I went with 4 tons.  (got 3 last year, and felt as if I was running my stove on lower then where I would of liked to of had it set to on quite a few cold days)


----------



## mrbean1025

I know Shawn personally and would not feel comfortable giving an eval on the pellets.  I will contact Shawn and see if I can get a few bags for someone else to burn and eval.  I live in Mason, NH.  I don't think that it would be fair to let another dealer do this so someone reply and I will see what I can get.


----------



## sparkydog00

J-Man said:
			
		

> kt1i said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm glad to see that there are some new jobs in fitchburg, they really need it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Amen to that.  Times were tough in Fitchburg before times were tough elsewhere.
Click to expand...


Times were tough in Fitchburg...before time!


----------



## ducker

BTU said:
			
		

> How much are their pellets today, since the $225 was just a one day price?



their website hasn't changed... I suppose someone could give them a call to inquire.


----------



## buckscrape

They are holding the price of $225 til Friday the 26th, just got off of the phone to question this, stated waiting line on Saturday of 2 hours or so! But again stated holding the price til Friday!


----------



## sparkydog00

I don't want to burst anyones bubble...but think i would buy a few bags of the finished product before going out on a limb and purchase tons...
I was burned by Maine Woods last year...NEVER AGAIN!
Don't buy till you know what you are going to get...


----------



## mnkywrnch

SparkyDog said:
			
		

> I don't want to burst anyones bubble...but think i would buy a few bags of the finished product before going out on a limb and purchase tons...
> I was burned by Maine Woods last year...NEVER AGAIN!
> Don't buy till you know what you are going to get...


I only bought 1 ton,as I agree with what your saying,but at 225 a ton Im willing to take that risk,if it doesnt work out the 4.50 a bag is still cheaper than feline pine,so I guess there will be no need to buy cat litter for a while.


----------



## Gweeper64

SparkyDog said:
			
		

> I don't want to burst anyones bubble...but think i would buy a few bags of the finished product before going out on a limb and purchase tons...
> I was burned by Maine Woods last year...NEVER AGAIN!
> Don't buy till you know what you are going to get...



I was really tempted by this deal but decided not to as it is just a bit unproven and didn't want to risk it. I was going to go there to the new factory on the 19th but didn't end up having time to check it out that day. But, as luck would have it, my neighbor behind me decided to order I think 3 tons from them. So, I'll see if I can trade a few bags with them next season and try them out.


----------



## orangecrushcj7

they are now at $249/ton.  Still a good deal, even if it is unproven.  I pre-ordered a trial ton back on the 13th after waiting in line for a bazillion hours. Wondering if anyone has heard when we can take delivery?


----------



## ducker

I wasn't going to call and ask until Aug 1 at the earliest.


----------



## harleysporty1200

i was told they started calling people this week for deliveries


----------



## ducker

harleysporty1200 said:
			
		

> i was told they started calling people this week for deliveries



nothing yet here... going to call tomorrow most likely.


----------



## kt1i

I just bought a ton at $249.00, still a very good price around here. Quoted pick up mid September. I wonder if anyone has actually burned any of these yet?


----------



## ducker

called today spoke with Brenda.

They stated they are running about 2 weeks late then the approx delivery quoted back when I purchased them during the event in June.

Calls to go out last week of August, for delivery beginning Sept.  People closer to the factory to receive delivery sooner it sounded like.

See stressed that I don't hear from them by Sept, to call.

As long as lines of communication are open, I'm comfortable with this so far.  I just wanted to fire up a bag and check it out


----------



## orangecrushcj7

ducker said:
			
		

> called today spoke with Brenda.
> 
> They stated they are running about 2 weeks late then the approx delivery quoted back when I purchased them during the event in June.
> 
> Calls to go out last week of August, for delivery beginning Sept.  People closer to the factory to receive delivery sooner it sounded like.
> 
> See stressed that I don't hear from them by Sept, to call.
> 
> As long as lines of communication are open, I'm comfortable with this so far.  I just wanted to fire up a bag and check it out



I called yesterday and was told the same thing, around the end of August/beginning of Sept.


----------



## sparkydog00

I would never buy a ton of pellets without burning at least 5 bags of the stuff. Got burned with Maine Woods last year...NEVER AGAIN!
Hope this place makes a decent pellets....but gotta be some kind of trusting individual to plunk down money on an untested product!


----------



## Lousyweather

SparkyDog said:
			
		

> I would never buy a ton of pellets without burning at least 5 bags of the stuff. Got burned with Maine Woods last year...NEVER AGAIN!
> Hope this place makes a decent pellets....but gotta be some kind of trusting individual to plunk down money on an untested product!



sage advice


----------



## Gweeper64

SparkyDog said:
			
		

> I would never buy a ton of pellets without burning at least 5 bags of the stuff. Got burned with Maine Woods last year...NEVER AGAIN!
> Hope this place makes a decent pellets....but gotta be some kind of trusting individual to plunk down money on an untested product!



That is why I didn't go for it either, especially since they are a new plant. Luckily, my neighbors did so I'll see if they want to trade 5 or 6 bags so I can try them.


----------



## Wet1

ducker said:
			
		

> called today spoke with Brenda.
> 
> They stated they are running about 2 weeks late then the approx delivery quoted back when I purchased them during the event in June.
> 
> Calls to go out last week of August, for delivery beginning Sept.  People closer to the factory to receive delivery sooner it sounded like.
> 
> See stressed that I don't hear from them by Sept, to call.
> 
> As long as lines of communication are open, I'm comfortable with this so far.  I just wanted to fire up a bag and check it out


This sounds a lot like what I heard from a little company called NEP LLC... I hope it works out better for you guys than it did for most of the folks that dealt with NEP.


----------



## Lousyweather

NEP, LLC, notwithstanding, I cant stress enough to try them first, before you commit to a major quantity...they might be great, they might not...I sure dont know.....


----------



## ducker

Wet1 said:
			
		

> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> called today spoke with Brenda.
> 
> They stated they are running about 2 weeks late then the approx delivery quoted back when I purchased them during the event in June.
> 
> Calls to go out last week of August, for delivery beginning Sept.  People closer to the factory to receive delivery sooner it sounded like.
> 
> See stressed that I don't hear from them by Sept, to call.
> 
> As long as lines of communication are open, I'm comfortable with this so far.  I just wanted to fire up a bag and check it out
> 
> 
> 
> This sounds a lot like what I heard from a little company called NEP LLC... I hope it works out better for you guys than it did for most of the folks that dealt with NEP.
Click to expand...


True enough...  if they were a mere 15min drive from my house - I doubt I would have pulled the trigger.


----------



## mnkywrnch

Drove past the plant this morning on my way to work and there yard is starting to fill up with pallets of pellets, they should be calling people by now.


----------



## ducker

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> Drove past the plant this morning on my way to work and there yard is starting to fill up with pallets of pellets, they should be calling people by now.


Very nice to hear.

thanks for the update!


----------



## harleysporty1200

called today she said that the first delivery went out today. they will be calling people everyday for the next few weeks.


----------



## slheinlein

I ordered some of these through my local hardware and they called last Friday and said their order had come in.  I wasn't able to pick them up yet but it appears they are making progress.


----------



## ducker

Called today.  Bad news.
Their bagging machine broke and they are behind schedule.

They are looking to start shipments again in about 2 weeks or so out from now.  And anticipating having deliveries going by October.  I spoke with the Accountant (??) who's in once a week.  He seemed rather open in discussing the situation, and brought up the possibility that if I did need them really badly, they can look in to shipping out 1 ton ASAP, and the remainder of the order later as soon as it became available.
(with gas prices where they are, I'm ok though..)

In terms of what HAS gone out; as I know from other posters that they have been producing/bagging product.  They have shipped out some to wholesalers, as well as some of the earliest pre-orders based on the Invoice number.

I stressed to him the fact that I am understanding but it puts my confidence in a new company like this in question as far as supporting them through future business.  How I would really love to see a new local company like this succeed, but with all these setbacks I'm beginning to have my doubts about going with them with my future pellet needs.  And If I'm calling you and voicing my concerns, I'm sure there are quite a few other people out there who feel similarly but aren't taking the time to contact you all; but will find pellets elsewhere next year.

I'll be contacting them again after the 23rd of Sept to see how things are progressing.


----------



## mnkywrnch

I to called yesterday and the story I was given was they were waiting on a screen for the screening machine because the pellets were coming out to dirty for them,I agree with ducker my faith in them producing is in question for future purchases.


----------



## ducker

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> I to called yesterday and the story I was given was they were waiting on a screen for the screening machine because the pellets were coming out to dirty for them,I agree with ducker my faith in them producing is in question for future purchases.



ok, what the hell, two different stories regarding the status of the pellets?   ugh..  I do remember him (the guy I spoke with) talking a bit about the pellets were not of the quality they want to distribute; perhaps he was referencing the failing screen.


----------



## harleysporty1200

I also called today, got the screen story from them. Was told to expect delivery in about two weeks. ill give till oct 1st , then i will start getting pisssssst.


----------



## mnkywrnch

Im right there with you harley it took me 4 times calling just to talk with someone I didnt buy my whole season supply there but do know people that have hopefully they come through or there will be alot pisst of people .


----------



## kt1i

Been reading the messages with some concern.  8-/  I ordered a ton to try them out. Actually because of scheduling, I can't pick them up before October anyway. Has anyone actually received any and tried them yet? Guess if it all goes to crap, I'll buy a ton of NEWP and be out $249 (wonder if they will gove refunds)


----------



## ducker

wife got a call from them today.  they will be delivering 2 out of my 4 tons today.  I doubt I'll have time to give them a try tonight, but perhaps tomorrow night I will.
At the very least I will open up a bag and give a look see.

I was expecting 1 ton early, and the remaining 3 tons in about a month.  Getting half my order at this time works for me.  I'm rather close to the plant, and they know my wife is pregnant (as she was the one calling them during the day) and due in a couple of weeks, and they didn't want to do the delivery of pellets when we had our hands full with a different sort of delivery 

Will keep you posted.


----------



## orangecrushcj7

ducker - please post some pics of the pellets too


----------



## ducker

Orange Crush CJ-7 said:
			
		

> ducker - please post some pics of the pellets too



That I should be able to do tonight.

(I need to clean out my hopper... 2 year old son, put some dirt in there, and I left a few pellets in there.  Need to vacuum it all out - otherwise I'd fine the time to fire them up tonight)


----------



## kt1i

Stopped by the pellet plant today as I was in Fitchburg. Seems to be no problem picking up my ton a week from Sat. Looked at the skids in the yard, they seemed well wrapped. Looking forward to Ducker's burning experience.


----------



## ducker

2 ton sitting in my drive way awaiting some attention from me to put away.

One bag was nicked - they replaced it with another bag.

I'm looking forward to checking them out.

Keep in mind, last year I was burning InstaHeat pellets and I felt as if their BTU output was less then stellar, and they had tons of fines in the bags.


----------



## ducker

Ok. here we go...

They smelt nice and fresh - lovely smell.  I emptied 1 bag in to the hopper to check out fines.  I had less then 1/2 a cup of fines in 1 bag; which I was very happy to see.  I picked a bag that had a rip in it (which they did replace) so it may have see a few more fines in there then I would have in other bags in the ton.  Also, I am rather close to the plant, so I'd imagine they didn't have much for travel time.

I did get a chance to fire them up. I don't have a ton of different pellet experience, just about 4 different brands, and by far, this was the nicest burning pellet I've had.  It caught with my torch faster then my InstaHeat pellets last year, and they felt as if they were burning noticeably hotter to me.  Now, the house was 74 when I was testing them, and perhaps that has something to do with it, I'm not sure.  But the flame itself looked stronger and hotter. 

Most pellets are nice size, a few longer ones here and there - and a couple that looked like they were scorched a little bit going through the die (had black on them)


----------



## Stentor

Does the back of the bag have more info?  Front says "low ash" but I couldn't see if the package says what percentage of ash.


----------



## mnkywrnch

Ducker those sure look nice, cant wait to get mine to test.Happy burning.


----------



## ducker

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> Ducker those sure look nice, cant wait to get mine to test.Happy burning.



Yes, they do - I should take a pic of them next to last years InstaHeat ones, and see how they compare.  I was just really surprised at the nice smell of them.

I may also take a picture with an item of a known size in the frame as well, otherwise it's really hard to tell the size of the pellets.


----------



## mnkywrnch

Just bumping this back to the top anyone else get there pellets Im still waiting for the one ton I orderd.


----------



## kt1i

I called them today as I had a truck for tomorrow. They need more notice, said call Wed. for next week. Guess it's next week. Has any one burned any yet?


----------



## ducker

kt1i said:
			
		

> I called them today as I had a truck for tomorrow. They need more notice, said call Wed. for next week. Guess it's next week. Has any one burned any yet?



yes - read a few posts above.
I'm interested in hearing other people's opinions as well though.


----------



## thewoodlands

BTU said:
			
		

> Stentor said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Does the back of the bag have more info?  Front says "low ash" but I couldn't see if the package says what percentage of ash.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nobody would ever print an actual number on their bag....but they should be able to provide it from a 3rd party who did their testing...that is very common
Click to expand...



Dry Creek and Energex use to last year, I'm not sure if they do in 2009 but I'll find out.

Zap


----------



## thewoodlands

PDK9 said:
			
		

> I don't know much about the pellets but on June 13th from 1 to 5 pm the following company will be having an open house and selling pellets for $225/ton during the event.  They are hardwood pellets.
> 
> Creative Biomass Inc
> 22 Kimball Place
> Fitchburg, MA
> 978.665.1900
> creativebiomass.com
> 
> I will post any new info that I can find.



We have a new pellet plant here in Massena New York.

http://www.curranpellets.com/products.html

Zap


----------



## wil lanfear

zapny said:
			
		

> BTU said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Stentor said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Does the back of the bag have more info?  Front says "low ash" but I couldn't see if the package says what percentage of ash.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nobody would ever print an actual number on their bag....but they should be able to provide it from a 3rd party who did their testing...that is very common
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Dry Creek and Energex use to last year, I'm not sure if they do in 2009 but I'll find out.
> 
> Zap
Click to expand...

The PA Pellets I purchased last year and the Pot-O-Gold pellets I purchased this year, manufactured by Fiber By-Products Corp. have this info on the bags.


----------



## harleysporty1200

called two weeks ago they said the soonest they could deliver was this friday oct 9th. hopefully i have pellets to stack this weekend


----------



## kt1i

Oh well, just cancelled my order with them. Was supposed to pick up my one ton tomorrow. Now, they say two weeks. Going down to get refund on credit card and looking elsewhere. Will not go back next year.


----------



## ducker

Have you told them you were canceling when you were on the phone?
What did they say the delay was?


----------



## harleysporty1200

they had to rechedule my delivery for last week too. she said on the phone i would have them this week sometime, she didnt sound to convincing. if i dont have them by friday i will be canceling also. so far im not impressed!


----------



## Gweeper64

Bump. Updates? I don't think my neighbors have had their order delivered yet (not that I've noticed anyway).


----------



## harleysporty1200

was told by the end of the week, still no pellets


----------



## ducker

harleysporty1200 said:
			
		

> was told by the end of the week, still no pellets



hm... I would have called a 4pm on Friday asking what was up/ when to schedule the delivery, and why the delay.


----------



## harleysporty1200

trust me I have been calling everyday, I get a different excuse every time


----------



## ducker

really curious as to what kinda stuff they have been saying.  As I still have 2 tons to get from them.


----------



## mnkywrnch

Well wife called Friday girl she talks to is now giving you a # were 61 and a friend who was in line with us and bought there pellets brfore us are #72 how they got that is beyond me our friends should be #60.IMO there losing peoples trust fast..........


----------



## harleysporty1200

Im #62 in there number list, when i was first given the number she said they were on #45 & i should have my tons the following week, i call back the following week & now they were on #20 WTF i guess i missed that day in math class!


----------



## ducker

I remember someone telling me that they were going to be going off invoice numbers.  And those that had an earlier number will be getting serviced first.

I know I ordered mine during their open house.  sounds like mnkywrnch also ordered them that day as well.


----------



## mnkywrnch

Thats correct Ducker I also orderd at the open house,my invoice # 228.I think the numbers were getting now are just to try and shut us up,with the feeling were getting something.I already have 5 tons stored away so Im not hurting,but I do feel bad for the people who put all there eggs in one basket so to speak.
                                                                               Todd


----------



## harleysporty1200

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> I think the numbers were getting now are just to try and shut us up,with the feeling were getting something.


 i was also at the open house back in june i spent three hours there eating hot dogs & hamburgers & waiting in line to order pellets that were promised to me by the end of july begining of august the latest! not that i needed them that early, but they sounded pretty confident in there statements.


----------



## Lousyweather

amazing......why dont some of you folks just break down and get it from a local dealer who has it on the ground? Oh, yea, sorry, wanna save a few bucks....lets see.....Allegany Pellets, New England Wood Pellet.......some folks never learn.....


----------



## mnkywrnch

Lousyweather said:
			
		

> amazing......why dont some of you folks just break down and get it from a local dealer who has it on the ground? Oh, yea, sorry, wanna save a few bucks....lets see.....Allegany Pellets, New England Wood Pellet.......some folks never learn.....


If you look at my signature I already have 5 ton,just bought 1ton to try.


----------



## ducker

Lousyweather said:
			
		

> amazing......why dont some of you folks just break down and get it from a local dealer who has it on the ground? Oh, yea, sorry, wanna save a few bucks....lets see.....Allegany Pellets, New England Wood Pellet.......some folks never learn.....



or some folks just would like to support a local business and hope they can pull through with it.
I could of paid slightly more and received the pellets from a local distributor, but I would prefer to support a Mfg plant that is local more then a distributor who is local.

If it seems like this will be an on going issue next season, I do not expect to give Creative Biomass my business next season.

I'm already borderline as it is; but I'm lucky I already received 1/2 my order.


----------



## mnkywrnch

ducker said:
			
		

> Lousyweather said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> amazing......why dont some of you folks just break down and get it from a local dealer who has it on the ground? Oh, yea, sorry, wanna save a few bucks....lets see.....Allegany Pellets, New England Wood Pellet.......some folks never learn.....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> or some folks just would like to support a local business and hope they can pull through with it.
> I could of paid slightly more and received the pellets from a local distributor, but I would prefer to support a Mfg plant that is local more then a distributor who is local.
> 
> If it seems like this will be an on going issue next season, I do not expect to give Creative Biomass my business next season.
> 
> I'm already borderline as it is; but I'm lucky I already received 1/2 my order.
Click to expand...

Ducker how are they burning for you ?A friends father inlaw is already burning his and says there some of the best hes ever burnt and hes been burning along time.


----------



## ducker

I'm liking them so far.  They feel to be burning faster then the kinda crappy ones I had last year.

what kind of temp output should I be seeing typically directly at the air vents?


----------



## mnkywrnch

On mty stove I've seen temps close to 300* on high I would say anything over 250* would be good.


----------



## ducker

at what kinda setting.  I didn't check at full or nearly full capacity, but rather a low setting.


----------



## mnkywrnch

On low probably atleast 150*


----------



## orangecrushcj7

I haven't called them since August, but I keep reading about them on this post to see what the latest on the situation is. I also ordered a ton to try so I could help support a local business, plus the price was right too.  I have 2 tons of Barefoot on hand right now, so I don't need my Creative Biomass pellets for now. I really don't have anywhere to store them at the moment either. So I am happy to have them "store" them for the time being.  Should I not be able to get my ton come January or Feb when I need them, that will be another story. Keep up the posts on the latest news from them.


----------



## ducker

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> On low probably atleast 150*



just need a good way to measure the heat.  the probe that I used the other day was not mine.  And I want to measure the heat from this pellet and the pellets I had last year (still have 2 bags left)

the quick reading I took was around 135f - but that was on a low setting 

I have a harman p38 - settings of 1 (standby) to 5, and then turbo.  I had mine set to 2 at the time of the reading.

I'd rather turn it up to like a 4 which is where I would run it in the dead of winter.


----------



## mnkywrnch

135* for low sounds about right if you cranked it up I would bet you would see 250* plus.


----------



## westcafe

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> 135* for low sounds about right if you cranked it up I would bet you would see 250* plus.


where do you take your temp. readings?


----------



## ducker

I took mine with a digital thermometer putting the probe directly in front of the air vents.


----------



## mnkywrnch

Thats where I would check it.


----------



## harleysporty1200

keeping my fingers crossed supposed to get 6 of our 9 tons deliverd tomorrow


----------



## rcarr10525

I was one of the people who stood in line back in June to get my heat for the winter. I was looking forward to trying their pellets and excited for the the Northern MA/Southern NH area having a local manufacturer to supply us with pellets at a lower cost & hopefully to help bring the prices down at other pellet dealers because of a little competition. I Patiently waited till Sept for my delivery. That is when I started to get concerned as to when I would see my pellets. That is where the many different excuses from them started. They have told me 7 different times that at least one of my tons was on schedule to be delivered, then to be told that they overbooked deliveries more than once. After using that excuse about 3 times they finally admitted that they were having problems with making them and that they would be starting a numbering system. After reading the posts here at least I feel better about knowing I am not the only one they used that lie on. After being told today that my delivery is on some truck somewhere and I should have gotten it yesterday but maybe he did not get a chance to deliver it yet because he had many stops to make so maybe I will see it today (well its 6:30pm now so I guess not) so maybe tomorrow, or maybe next spring once the heating season is over. Hey I should get my money together to buy that bridge they are going to sell me next. They have not been telling the truth it is just one excuse after another. They have never called to explain the situation I have had to chase them down. I know many people who have already canceled, (I'm next) cause there is no shortage of pellets out there to be dealing with this crap. Good luck to you people who are still waiting for your delivery.

FYI 
They opened a store in Mason NH State Line Stove Shop on Sept. 26th, they had food, music, and door prizes, they gave away 9 tons of pellets that day, plus took more pellet orders from people coming in knowing that they have yet to fill the orders they took and had already been paid for back in June. They knew they could not take care of the customers from June and then added more to the problem. And what about those 9 tons they gave away.


----------



## mnkywrnch

I think I will be cancelling my order I'm tired of the bull s!@#.


----------



## rcarr10525

Have access to a truck have offered more than once to just pick up the order myself but they never have any at the factory.  The tons that some people have posted as to seeing in the Fitchburg yard back in Sept might have been for the tons they gave away at their grand opening party for their new store in Mason NH.  They should have just delivered those tons to the customers who already paid instead of giving them away to bring the people in to just be able to sell more pellets that they did not have or might not have.


----------



## harleysporty1200

once again they cancled my delivery today, they said they didnt have enough for a full load on the truck & the truck wont leave without a full load of 10 tons. maybe tomorrow if they can produce enough. i agree they shouldnt be giving tons away if they cant fill the orders allredy taken!


----------



## ducker

so has anyone confronted them on all of this?  I'm tempted to call and tell them I'm having serious cold feet on my second half of my orders, and based on that stories that I have been reading and hearing online there have been all sorts of lies circulating out of the contact point in the office.


----------



## rcarr10525

I have been advised by many people to accept the fact that they are just lying about all of this and just telling me what I want to hear to keep me from canceling my order.  Yes eventually they will get me my pellets but when, in January, when there is a foot of snow on the ground. They don't care how this is putting their customers out.  With the Mayor being at the grand opening in June and newspapers and the big deal made about them it had a lot of people believing that they would come thru with the orders.  I wonder what the newpaper would think of all of this.


----------



## mnkywrnch

It's nice to know that when they can't seem to fill there orders they are still excepting new orders http://creativebiomass.com/CB/index.html or just go to the state line stove shop and buy your pellets there, and I bet if I took a drive up there they would have pellets ready to go total b.s


----------



## rcarr10525

I drive by Stateline Stove Shop everyday they do not have any tons in the yard.  They did when they had the grand opening in Sept.  That is what they gave away for door prizes. 9 Tons.


----------



## mnkywrnch

So they basically gave away Harley's order.


----------



## rcarr10525

They gave away my 3 tons and anybody else still waiting for their paid for orders.


----------



## mnkywrnch

What I meant was that was his full order, I still have a ton waiting to be picked up, they could of at the least gave 1 ton to 9 different families.


----------



## kt1i

I wonder if anyone at Creative Bio. is reading this forum.


----------



## rcarr10525

There is a lot of people who cancelled.  But I am sure there is still a lot of people who are still hopeful they will see their order.  We put a lot of faith and trust in a company just starting out.  We all wanted this to go well.  I still do.  I don't want to see a new business like that fail.  When I started calling in Sept they asked if 1 Ton would be ok at first just to hold me over and that way everybody else could get part of their orders also.  I accepted that.  Now over a month later I am  still seeing nothing.  I am reduced to begging them to let me pick up one ton myself.  But they say they don't have any.  This is not acceptable.  We would have never put up with this from somebody like Aubouchons.


----------



## kt1i

I felt the same way, I wanted to give a local business some help. Fitchburg needs jobs and the old U Coop. feed mill was a good possibility. I know that all the orders gave them the start up capital that they needed but any start up like that is going to have problems. Unfortunately, they do not now have the pellets and Winter is almost here. 
I chose to cancel, got my money back and bought a ton of NEWP from a local dealer. I hope that they will resolve their problems and survive, but that may not happen.


----------



## rcarr10525

How can they expect repeat customers when they treated them like this.  My biggest problem is that they are not being honest with me.  I know they are lying when they tell me to expect my delivery and then repeatedly don't show up.


----------



## lkrochette1013

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> It's nice to know that when they can't seem to fill there orders they are still excepting new orders http://creativebiomass.com/CB/index.html or just go to the state line stove shop and buy your pellets there, and I bet if I took a drive up there they would have pellets ready to go total b.s




I purchased my pellets during the open house on September 26, in Mason NH. I was told I could pick them up that following Monday. Went back to pick them up and was told they were waiting for a delivery that it was suppose to come in that day. Have been told the same story everytime I have gone back to pick them up.  I went to the the Fitchburg Mill and was told I could pick them up on November 2nd, because they were so far behind in filling there orders.  I made a phone call today and was told they would have to change that date and it would be another 4-5 weeks or longer, and was given the # 302!  I went to the State Line Store to get my money back and was told I would have my pellets by Wednesday or I would get my money back. Yet they are still taking orders for more pellets which they can not fill!  My neighbor won one of the 9 ton the day of the open house, he still has not received them and is getting the same run-a-round that I am!


----------



## harleysporty1200

i finally recieved 6 of my 9 tons today, they still owe me 3 tons & say i should have them in about 3 weeks! we will see. i spoke with the delivery driver about whats been said & whats going on. this driver is an independant contractor for them he does not work directly for them. he said the equipment they are using is breaking down constantly they produce for an hour or two the machine breaks & there down for 3-4 hours fixing it. this equipment is old & was origionaly used for making animal feed. when i was speaking with the lady in the office earlier she said that they were shutting down the mill on friday to install a new faster pellet milling machine. i asked the driver about this & he said that was true & this should fix there problem. i think if they where honest from the begining with there customers people would be more happy, instead of getting 4 -5 different excuses.


----------



## lkrochette1013

harleysporty1200 said:
			
		

> i finally recieved 6 of my 9 tons today, they still owe me 3 tons & say i should have them in about 3 weeks! we will see. i spoke with the delivery driver about whats been said & whats going on. this driver is an independant contractor for them he does not work directly for them. he said the equipment they are using is breaking down constantly they produce for an hour or two the machine breaks & there down for 3-4 hours fixing it. this equipment is old & was origionaly used for making animal feed. when i was speaking with the lady in the office earlier she said that they were shutting down the mill on friday to install a new faster pellet milling machine. i asked the driver about this & he said that was true & this should fix there problem. i think if they where honest from the begining with there customers people would be more happy, instead of getting 4 -5 different excuses.



   I agree they need to be honest and up front about the problems they are having. It's not the way to start a business! They are only hurting themselves because they won't be trusted in the future. You don't build a customer base by lying to them. If I had known they didn't have the pellets I would have gone elsewhere. My husband and I are on disability and on a very limited budget, we were told the price was going up on Monday, so we needed to purchase them that day to get that price.(the price is still $249. today) I told them I never pay for pellets and not get them at the time of purchased. I was told there would be no problem I could get them that following Monday. So it's getting colder and we still have no pellets. They are aware that we can't go and purchase pellets else where and why, but it doesn't seem to matter to them. They should have sent out a notice to everyone that have been waiting, telling them why they are having so many problems. I wouldn't have been happy about it, but I wouldn't be wondering if I have been ripped off!  So I will wait and see if I get them on Wednesday.


----------



## rcarr10525

Received 1 of my 3 tons last night.  Spoke to driver and was told the same thing about the pellet machine.  Said that Creative Bio is trying to make wood pellets with a machine that used to make grain & corn pellets over 50 years ago.  Its just not going to work.  He confirmed to me that Creative Bio just received a new pellet machine Wed. Night.  Someone told me last night that when they drove by the plant Thurs. afternoon that there was a Ryder truck and some heavy machinery in the parking lot.  This is encouraging.  But I just wish they would have kept me up to date on this with more communication. I don't need minute to minute updates but I would have been a little more patient with them had I know the truth.  I just kept getting from them that they are on the way, to just be cancelled over and over again.   I am willing to wait for the rest of my order. I will only start to worry once I start to run out of my ton because this is all I have right now.  I have had the opportunity to try their pellets I bought 5 bags in Sept at the Stove Shop store.  They seem decent.  No problems with the ton I received last night the bags are all there.  Guess we will see what will happen in the future.  I hope they get the rest of the orders out to the customers who have yet to see theirs.  Especially the customers who have no pellets in their yard.  Good luck everybody.


----------



## mnkywrnch

I just cancelled my order with them .I'm going to the stove shop where I bought my stove a get my final ton there and the pellets are instock.


----------



## mnkywrnch

kt1i said:
			
		

> I wonder if anyone at Creative Bio. is reading this forum.


My wife just went there to get are refund,and she mentioned to the girl in the office about the thread going on here , she wanted to know the site to get on and explain the problems there having so she gave it to her we will see.


----------



## lkrochette1013

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> kt1i said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I wonder if anyone at Creative Bio. is reading this forum.
> 
> 
> 
> My wife just went there to get are refund,and she mentioned to the girl in the office about the thread going on here , she wanted to know the site to get on and explain the problems there having so she gave it to her we will see.
Click to expand...


  I also told them at the State Line Shop about this site, and gave them the web site info yesterday.


----------



## Tarbot

Found this video for Creative Biomass online...  I hope they can get there act together and start delivering on promises...


----------



## lecomte38

Wow - hand bagging, hand stacking a pallet, 
They have a long way to go before they can get into REAL production.


----------



## Delta-T

lecomte38 said:
			
		

> Wow - hand bagging, hand stacking a pallet,
> They have a long way to go before they can get into REAL production.



I was gonna say the same thing. At that rate the poor guy stacking will be on disability in about 6 hours, maybe thats why production has slowed/stopped.


----------



## lecomte38

I hate to bring this to the top again but   - update -   My inside source tells me that they seized the "new" reconditioned pellet machine due to improper lubrication.  Also their supply of old pallets to grind up for pellets is out so they are buying wet chips and have no way to dry them.  Wet wood chips don't make good pellets.  I hope they get things straightened out but they are trying to make wood pellets in an old corn/feed grain plant with the original machines that were worn out when it closed 25 years ago. It might be time to cancel your orders.


----------



## Lousyweather

well, pellets are still pretty plentiful in most areas, maybe its not to late to call a local guy and order those pellets now.......or, heck, maybe they will get it fixed, and you'll have those pellets you ordered 4 months ago any day now, right? Maybe Santa will deliver them, driving a sleigh pulled my Sasquatch, Elvis, Jim Morrison, Obama, Kennedy, Devil Patrick, the easter Bunny, and a couple of elves too?


----------



## ducker

wow.. that's just lousy.  I'm calling tomorrow to see what the hell is going on.


----------



## krooser

lecomte38 said:
			
		

> Wow - hand bagging, hand stacking a pallet,
> They have a long way to go before they can get into REAL production.



That's pretty normal. I see it every week at food processing plants, animal feed plants, fertilizer manufacturers, potato shippers etc.
Big manufacturers having automated machines but I'd say 75% of every bag of pellets is hand filled and stacked.

My dealer has a bagging operation and that's done manually, too.


----------



## lkrochette1013

lecomte38 said:
			
		

> I hate to bring this to the top again but   - update -   My inside source tells me that they seized the "new" reconditioned pellet machine due to improper lubrication.  Also their supply of old pallets to grind up for pellets is out so they are buying wet chips and have no way to dry them.  Wet wood chips don't make good pellets.  I hope they get things straightened out but they are trying to make wood pellets in an old corn/feed grain plant with the original machines that were worn out when it closed 25 years ago. It might be time to cancel your orders.



   I am going to see if they will tell me the truth about whats going on. I was told I would have my pellets today or get my money back tomorrow. I don't want wet pellets


----------



## rcarr10525

One worry I have is that they don't go bankrupt before we can all cancel and get our money back.


----------



## rcarr10525

Seems to me they have not been delivering to many orders due to problems with making the pellets.  So how could they have already run out of the materials used to make the pellets?


----------



## mnkywrnch

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> Seems to me they have not been delivering to many orders due to problems with making the pellets.  So how could they have already run out of the materials used to make the pellets?


I drive by there everyday on my way to work.and if what was said is true that there using pallets then thers no shortage  thers plenty outside.I got my refund and am glad I did, ended up getting a ton from my dealer spruce pointes 255 ton.


----------



## lkrochette1013

Just got back from getting my refund. I first went to the Mason Shop and asked about the equipment being down again, and was told they were still having equipment problems. They also said I could have a reund. I had to go to Fitchburg to pick up the check. I did get my money back but I have to wait now for the check to clear the bank. I asked if I could buy a bag of pellets to hold me over until the check clears the bank, they had NO BAGS of pellets, I then went back to the Mason Shop and they have none there either.  There were others waiting in Fitchburg for refunds, and I was also concerned if they run out of money, and can't fill the orders they have now, there will be a lot of people left with nothing!


----------



## lkrochette1013

Went to Fitchburg and if they are making the pellets with pallets, there were some in the yard, not what I would think would make a large amount of pellets but they were there.


----------



## Gweeper64

Just curious.. what ever happened with these guys? Did everyone back out and get a refund? Or did they start delivering eventually? Or, have they gone belly up?


----------



## mnkywrnch

Gweeper64 said:
			
		

> Just curious.. what ever happened with these guys? Did everyone back out and get a refund? Or did they start delivering eventually? Or, have they gone belly up?


My friend ended up getting his ton, these pellets are by far the worst I've seen the bags were full of fines.He gave me two bags to try I used my vacuum sifter to clean them and found 2 rocks,2 pieces of plastic (must be there bonding agent..lol) and a 8 inch rubber coated wire tie.One of the rocks I found in my burn pot and I know it came from those pellets as my hopper was clean of any other pellet.So my friend and I went down to return what was left showed the fines I sifted and the other foreign material, which then Shawn one of the owners said oh well sometimes our screener gets clogged and leaves some stuff behind.He got his refund and that's the last time I do business with them.


----------



## rcarr10525

I got one ton from them.  Was going to wait for the other two tons ordered then once I saw the quality of the ton I got I cancelled and got my money back.  I know someone else who got a ton from them and the pellets are bad.  They leave solid clumps in the burn pot that is hard to break up and cloggs up the air flow.  We have found pieces of melted metal mixed in with the clumps.  They look like they might have been nails.  They must be grinding up the pallets with the nails still in them.   I went down to Home Depot and bought the rest of my pellets.  So much happier with them.  I will try to burn the Creative Biomass pellets when it is really cold out and I have to crank the stove up, seems to burn a little better than at a lower setting but they are still bad pellets.  I have heard that now anybody trying to cancel and get their money back are told that they either take the pellets or no refund.


----------



## ducker

I'm STILL waiting for 2 tons.

I haven't seen any metal or rocks in any of the bags, and I'm about 40 bags burned.

If I don't receive delivery today I will get the refund, contact the Better Business Bureau and then purchase the other 2 tons I need from somewhere else.
I'm considering filing a small claims case against them for the difference between the price of their pellets and what pellets will cost me today, in addition to having to pay another delivery fee on top of what I paid them.  I'm pretty frickin' annoyed at how they have treated me and the constant lies.

How annoying is it to get the refund from them?  Are they always there at the shop?  I've been there before as that's where I purchased them.

ps.  Does Home Depot deliver?


----------



## mnkywrnch

ducker said:
			
		

> I'm STILL waiting for 2 tons.
> 
> I haven't seen any metal or rocks in any of the bags, and I'm about 40 bags burned.
> 
> If I don't receive delivery today I will get the refund, contact the Better Business Bureau and then purchase the other 2 tons I need from somewhere else.
> I'm considering filing a small claims case against them for the difference between the price of their pellets and what pellets will cost me today, in addition to having to pay another delivery fee on top of what I paid them. I'm pretty frickin' annoyed at how they have treated me and the constant lies.
> 
> How annoying is it to get the refund from them? Are they always there at the shop? I've been there before as that's where I purchased them.
> 
> ps. Does Home Depot deliver?


I believe the batch you got wasn't as poor of quality as they are now.Home depot doesn't deliver but you could rent one of there trucks and use that.They are getting real tuff about giving refunds, they told my friend they would not give him a refund,he said then I will be heading over to the court house to file a claim,that worked he got his money back.FWIW there also adding corn to there pellets which to me isn't a big deal to me as my venting is multifuel,but I'm just wondering what that could do to regular pellet vent.Get your money back now before they decide to give you 2 tons of crap, if they say they won't threaten to file a claim.


----------



## newf lover

From the sounds of it, you might be better off if they couldn't deliver your pellets; they sound like they're awful. Probably using any old raw material to make their pellets and the quality is suffering. I know people had good intentions about supporting local business, but as was pointed out in the beginning of this thread, it's a big risk ordering multiple tons of a new product. Heck, sometimes it's risky ordering multiple tons of a pellet that was good last year, but this year not so much...Hope it works out for everyone. I predict they will go belly up. Can't treat people like that, and produce a pellet that seems to have problems and be around for long.


----------



## ducker

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm STILL waiting for 2 tons.
> 
> I haven't seen any metal or rocks in any of the bags, and I'm about 40 bags burned.
> 
> If I don't receive delivery today I will get the refund, contact the Better Business Bureau and then purchase the other 2 tons I need from somewhere else.
> I'm considering filing a small claims case against them for the difference between the price of their pellets and what pellets will cost me today, in addition to having to pay another delivery fee on top of what I paid them. I'm pretty frickin' annoyed at how they have treated me and the constant lies.
> 
> How annoying is it to get the refund from them? Are they always there at the shop? I've been there before as that's where I purchased them.
> 
> ps. Does Home Depot deliver?
> 
> 
> 
> I believe the batch you got wasn't as poor of quality as they are now.Home depot doesn't deliver but you could rent one of there trucks and use that.They are getting real tuff about giving refunds, they told my friend they would not give him a refund,he said then I will be heading over to the court house to file a claim,that worked he got his money back.FWIW there also adding corn to there pellets which to me isn't a big deal to me as my venting is multifuel,but I'm just wondering what that could do to regular pellet vent.Get your money back now before they decide to give you 2 tons of crap, if they say they won't threaten to file a claim.
Click to expand...


Ha... I've already told them that I'm ready to do that last week.     I did notice a single corn kernal in one bad last weekend.  I too have a multi fuel stove so I'm not concerned.

Well crap, now I'm hoping I don't receive my shipment... and now I need to find out a way to get a refund.

I thought someone said Home Depot's pellets were of poor quality; and how much can you fit in/on 1 truck?


----------



## mnkywrnch

ducker said:
			
		

> mnkywrnch said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm STILL waiting for 2 tons.
> 
> I haven't seen any metal or rocks in any of the bags, and I'm about 40 bags burned.
> 
> If I don't receive delivery today I will get the refund, contact the Better Business Bureau and then purchase the other 2 tons I need from somewhere else.
> I'm considering filing a small claims case against them for the difference between the price of their pellets and what pellets will cost me today, in addition to having to pay another delivery fee on top of what I paid them. I'm pretty frickin' annoyed at how they have treated me and the constant lies.
> 
> How annoying is it to get the refund from them? Are they always there at the shop? I've been there before as that's where I purchased them.
> 
> ps. Does Home Depot deliver?
> 
> 
> 
> I believe the batch you got wasn't as poor of quality as they are now.Home depot doesn't deliver but you could rent one of there trucks and use that.They are getting real tuff about giving refunds, they told my friend they would not give him a refund,he said then I will be heading over to the court house to file a claim,that worked he got his money back.FWIW there also adding corn to there pellets which to me isn't a big deal to me as my venting is multifuel,but I'm just wondering what that could do to regular pellet vent.Get your money back now before they decide to give you 2 tons of crap, if they say they won't threaten to file a claim.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Ha... I've already told them that I'm ready to do that last week.     I did notice a single corn kernal in one bad last weekend.  I too have a multi fuel stove so I'm not concerned.
> 
> Well crap, now I'm hoping I don't receive my shipment... and now I need to find out a way to get a refund.
> 
> I thought someone said Home Depot's pellets were of poor quality; and how much can you fit in/on 1 truck?[/quote
> Deoends on which brands they have it's really hit or miss,also depends on the size of the truck I would think they could haul atleast one ton.You could have a multifuel stove without the multifel venting,corn is very corrosive and will eat regular pellet vent pretty quickly.You could also check quality masonary in leominster I believe they have spruce pointe which are a good pellet they deliver.
Click to expand...


----------



## mrbean1025

As far as the reason for the refund you may be able to argue that you purchased "premium wood pellets" as advertised and not pellets with corn.


----------



## mnkywrnch

PDK9 said:
			
		

> As far as the reason for the refund you may be able to argue that you purchased "premium wood pellets" as advertised and not pellets with corn.


Good point PDK9,but I would add to that nails,plastic,rocks,dirt or whatever else they could find to throw in.


----------



## ducker

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> You could also check quality masonary in leominster I believe they have spruce pointe which are a good pellet they deliver.



That was on my list of places to call.. I'll most likely go with Pro-Tech Energy in Acton - and get some New England Wood Pellets at $239.
They want $279 per ton for the Spruce Point, and $50 delivery for 1-3 tons. (in town)
as well as Inferno for $239 per ton which they said were not as good, and for pickup only.


----------



## rcarr10525

I got 5 bags of their pellets at the grand opening sale in Mason NH. in Sept.  I thought the pellets were really good quality.  The ton I got in Oct were not the same pellet.  There is no way they could have been.  Maybe they bought someone elses pellets and bagged them in their own bags for the Sept Grand Opening or  maybe that is what I received on my ton in Oct.  Maybe they bought some cheap pellets from who knows where to just be able to bag them and deliver them till they worked out their pellet machine problems.  Oct is when all of the problems started and they started blowing people off and lying to them.  I don't know if Home Depot delivers we picked them up ourselves.  I had the convience of having a truck to do it myself.  If the pellets from Home Depot are hit or miss for Quality then I must have gotton a good batch.  No problems with damaged or wet pellets.  Paid $247. ton best price at the time.  I googled Creative Biomass last week and noticed that someone had tried to contact Sentinal & Enterprise to see if they should look into the company, check to see if they are filing bankruptcy ect.  I don't get that newspaper so I don't know if a article has been done on them.


----------



## mnkywrnch

ducker said:
			
		

> mnkywrnch said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You could also check quality masonary in leominster I believe they have spruce pointe which are a good pellet they deliver.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That was on my list of places to call.. I'll most likely go with Pro-Tech Energy in Acton - and get some New England Wood Pellets at $239.
> They want $279 per ton for the Spruce Point, and $50 delivery for 1-3 tons. (in town)
> as well as Inferno for $239 per ton which they said were not as good, and for pickup only.
Click to expand...

$239 for newp is a very good price,I just got a ton of spruce pointe from spuria's for $255 which I thought was good and from what I hear  stay away from the inferno pellets.Hope everything works out for everyone still waiting on the garbage they call "premium pellets".I find it strange they call there pellets the perfect pellet the only thing there good for is cat litter.


----------



## mnkywrnch

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> I got 5 bags of their pellets at the grand opening sale in Mason NH. in Sept.  I thought the pellets were really good quality.  The ton I got in Oct were not the same pellet.  There is no way they could have been.  Maybe they bought someone elses pellets and bagged them in their own bags for the Sept Grand Opening or  maybe that is what I received on my ton in Oct.  Maybe they bought some cheap pellets from who knows where to just be able to bag them and deliver them till they worked out their pellet machine problems.  Oct is when all of the problems started and they started blowing people off and lying to them.  I don't know if Home Depot delivers we picked them up ourselves.  I had the convience of having a truck to do it myself.  If the pellets from Home Depot are hit or miss for Quality then I must have gotton a good batch.  No problems with damaged or wet pellets.  Paid $247. ton best price at the time.  I googled Creative Biomass last week and noticed that someone had tried to contact Sentinal & Enterprise to see if they should look into the company, check to see if they are filing bankruptcy ect.  I don't get that newspaper so I don't know if a article has been done on them.


IMO the big box stores are always hit or miss with quality,you really need to see what your getting or you might end up with some real crap.I've got good and bad from both lowes and home depot.


----------



## rleshane

After months of delays trying to get my order filled, I finally canceled my order a couple months ago. 

A couple weeks ago my sister tried to cancel her order after similar delays and they refused! She promptly disputed the charge with her credit card company, so at least she has them to protect her.  I see on their website that they were kind enough to raise the price from $249 to $269 per ton.  Apparently robbing $249 per ton just wasn't enough?  Would love for the Sentinel to investigate and print a story. They have certainly lost future business from my sister and I, but I would be shocked if they are even in business by spring.  It's too bad, I was really excited about them coming to town.

If you haven't canceled your order yet, I highly recommend going through the formality of requesting a refund and if/when they refuse, dispute it with your credit card company (if hopefully you paid by cc) to get a prompt credit on your card.

I ordered 4 tons of http://www.woodpellets.com/productdetail.aspx?zip=01420&brand=GRL5 for about the same price and have been very happy with them.


----------



## ducker

RonL said:
			
		

> After months of delays trying to get my order filled, I finally canceled my order a couple months ago.
> 
> A couple weeks ago my sister tried to cancel her order after similar delays and they refused! She promptly disputed the charge with her credit card company, so at least she has them to protect her.  I see on their website that they were kind enough to raise the price from $249 to $269 per ton.  Apparently robbing $249 per ton just wasn't enough?  Would love for the Sentinel to investigate and print a story. They have certainly lost future business from my sister and I, but I would be shocked if they are even in business by spring.  It's too bad, I was really excited about them coming to town.
> 
> If you haven't canceled your order yet, I highly recommend going through the formality of requesting a refund and if/when they refuse, dispute it with your credit card company (if hopefully you paid by cc) to get a prompt credit on your card.
> 
> I ordered 4 tons of http://www.woodpellets.com/productdetail.aspx?zip=01420&brand=GRL5 for about the same price and have been very happy with them.



My delivery scheduled for today has not happened.  I contacted them and they just refused to refund me... told me I would get them by the end of the week.. I laughed at them.  They don't care if I file a small claims case, or contact the better business bureau.  They said I would get my pellets by the end of the week unless they receive notification of canceling of the order, but they will not be issuing any refunds at all; but rather people will receive their product.

Again, I'm on the phone with my credit card company.  I hope they are able to protect me and take the money out of their account, as they do not deserve any money.


----------



## lkrochette1013

I feel bad for the people that are still dealing with them. I did get my money refunded, but I do feel I should have also recieved the interest for the time they had my money. I did purchase NEWP at $260. a ton which I could have gotten cheaper if I would had purchased them when I purchased these. My neighbor won a ton at the grand opening ing September in Mason, He still has not received them and has been told he will not get them until everyone who paid for them, have there orders filled first.  I do beleive it is illegal to offer a prize and not give it at the time the winner is announced.  My neighbor doesn't believe he will ever see that ton of pellets.  He might be happier when I tell him they are junk!


----------



## ducker

BTU said:
			
		

> I hate reading stuff like this. It's not good for the industry, it's certainly not good for the company and this just isn't how a company should be running their business. With all that went wrong last year with a certain company taking money and then not delivering, ALL pellet companies should be aware that the public has a right to be on guard. If a company told me that I could cancel, but couldn't get a refund, I would make such a stink about that, they would hope they never hear my name again. I would go to the newspaper, TV station and tell anybody who cared to listen to me what they did.
> 
> I don't know these people and have no idea if they have a good product or not. I do know they give the industry a bad rap when they pull crap like this. It's one thing to put out a bad product, but it something else to jerk somebody around with their money or time.. A bad product can sometimes be fixed, but time is gone and you just don't screw with people's money.
> 
> Hopefully they will get their act together soon, or this is a surefire way to help your company go out of business quick.



I was going to send them a letter... and then hesitated...


I may still reach out to different media outlets with this information, I do not know.

The disputed charge has been done with the credit card company.  So that's done... I told the credit card company I want to dispute 50% of the total price as I received only half of my order.  I also told them I do not want the product at all, as I do not believe they are sincere or honorable, and will simply lie more.


----------



## mnkywrnch

Good for you ducker I really hope it works out for you.Unless I'm mistaken it's against the law to refuse a refund on undeliverd product.


----------



## Gweeper64

Wow.... just wow.... I'm almost sorry I asked. I feel for all you folks who got stuck. To me, it sounds like these people are not only inexperienced with making pellets, but probably with running a business in general.
Hey Ducker, if you go through with that letter, sending a Cc to the Worcester County DA's office might be in order. I agree with BTU that this really does not help the industry. It is the last thing that reputable mills, distributors and dealers need.


----------



## ducker

I'm on the fence with the letter.. I don't want to have to bother actually mailing a hard copy of the letter to the DA's office, seems like such a pain... but at the same time I wouldn't mind informing them that this is going on in their jurisdiction.


----------



## ducker

BTU said:
			
		

> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm on the fence with the letter.. I don't want to have to bother actually mailing a hard copy of the letter to the DA's office, seems like such a pain... but at the same time I wouldn't mind informing them that this is going on in their jurisdiction.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then grow some stones and mail the letter. You are getting screwed, but then want to wimp out cause it might make you feel uncomfortable. Either do something positive to stop this garbage or let them (meaning the next time) walk all over you...Sorry to be so blunt,  but I just hate it, when someone bitches about something, but then won't step up to stop it...
Click to expand...


Na I hear you.  Uncomfortable?  Please, I was totally bullshit when I talked with them on the phone today.  As far as I know at this time they know of this forum and this threads existence, and still they don't care...

There does appear to be an email address for someone who is a spoke person for the DA's office which I can send the note to.  I'm going to go that route.  I've already sent in some information to: http://necir-bu.org/wp/  which is affiliated with NECN - the company who did the first story back in June of this year about how great this company is for Fitchburg, MA.

<insert long pause while I pulled together the email, and who I wanted to send it to>

So, I have decided not to contact their business, because honestly, I don't really care about them one bit (as they didn't show me an ounce of respect)  So I have retooled the letter and sent it to the DA office, and a couple of publications in the area.  I urge people who have had issues with them in the past or still on going to please do the same.

--- See below:


> Subject: Creative Biomass of Fitchburg MA, regarding practices taking advantage of comsumers
> Good day,
> I am taking this time to inform you that this business has been taking advantage of consumers who have been purchasing their product since June of this year.
> 
> I have given their business the benefit of the doubt time and time again.  I was offered on many occasions the choice to have a refund of my order (in full or partial), but I refused.   Today was the last straw; and now when I requested a refund for a product I purchased 6 months ago, I was told that they are not allowing them anymore.
> 
> I am the proud father of a family of 4, I have an infant, toddler, and wife at home who rely on the heat from our pellet stove.  I do not have the luxury to come by to accept "free pellets" as I was informed by the Office Manager Melissa today that I could do.  Based on where I work this is not possible.  Nor do I have the luxury to wait to see if and when I will be receiving my pellets from your company.
> 
> I have been told an assortment of different situations/stories from their employees - Brenda (Office assistant?) , Melissa (Office Manager), and Richard (Accountant?).  Virtually anything to keep me from wanting a refund back in the Fall, so that I would just agree to yet another date in the future for my delivery.   When I purchased these pellets back in June I was told End of July/August would be the time frame in which I would receive my pellets, this was not the case.  After my wife spoke with the Office assistant and informed her that we are expecting a baby in October and we need these pellets we finally received half of our order at the end of September.  At this time we were told we would get the second half of the order in the middle of October.  That never happened, nor did the other 10 or so times in which I my delivery was rescheduled.
> 
> The constant lies and deception for which this company has been practicing for the past 5 months, has left me no other option then to contact my credit card company to dispute the charge on my credit card.  I know I am not alone in this situation, as a great many other consumers showed up on a Saturday back in June to show your company support and an interest free loan via a purchase of product that has still not been delivered.  Many of them have bailed out of their purchase back in August and September; and received refunds.  Some have taken other steps either through the BBB and/or their Credit card company.
> 
> They have also since opened a brick and mortar store - State Line Stove Shop, in Mason, NH - for which they had an open house on Sept. 26th. Again, taking additional orders for pellets, after there were still people who ordered months prior, who still have not received product.
> 
> 
> A very interesting story can be reviewed by following the discussions and experiences by many different people in this discussion here:
> https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/38296/
> 
> I do not know what type of forces you were up against in starting this business and I truly hoped it would be successful,  but I am at the point where my kindness has come to and end, and I feel I should share my situation with others so that no one else is fooled by the notion that they will receive product in a timely manner; as I know you are still accepting sales, when you're still unable to deliver product for orders placed 6 months ago.
> 
> 
> Sincerely,
> *****
> Purchase date 6/13/09
> 
> 
> cc: Worcester County District Attorney's Office, Community News@ Sentinel and Enterprise, Telegram and Gazette


----------



## lkrochette1013

Good for you ducker!!  I had tried to get Help Me Hank from channel 7, to do something back in September, but never heard from them. Creative Biomass just isn't getting the fact that they have lied to all their future customers and no one is going to trust them in the future, NO CUSTOMERS, NO BUSINESS!  They not even trying to make it right with any of the customers they have just left hanging.


----------



## moe green

I pick up 1/2 ton yesterday,they are burning good so far.I will burn about 7 bags before cleaning stove.They said I can have ton but I only took 1/2 . ton, I will pick the rest couple of weeks I hope this helps.


----------



## rleshane

Well, at least the BBB has given them a fair grade.  "F"

http://www.bbb.org/central-western-...-biomass-in-fitchburg-ma-255264#ratingdetails

Stick a fork in 'em boys, they're dun.  If you live near the airport, keep an eye out for Shawn and Kevin.  I expect they will be boarding a one way flight to Aruba any minute...

Oh, and mnkywrnch's avitar pic is right, if you paid by cc, don't panic.  Just dispute the charge with your cc company.  If you paid by cash or check....  well....  now is the perfect time to panic.


----------



## ducker

bundles said:
			
		

> I pick up 1/2 ton yesterday,they are burning good so far.I will burn about 7 bags before cleaning stove.They said I can have ton but I only took 1/2 . ton, I will pick the rest couple of weeks I hope this helps.



I've burned about 40 bags thus far.

Just yesterday I decided to get a 5gal bucket to at least visually inspect my pellets before tossing them in to my stove.  As I was pouring them in to the bucket I noticed a large dark chunk about the size of a quarter flow out of the bag.

I picked it out.  I have no idea what it is... it looks kinda like bark, but it's harder then bark; it is a bit brittle, it appears that it may be metal, although I'm not 100% sure.  Needless to say I placed it aside for now.  I have no idea what would have happened if this went in to my stove.

I've been burning ONLY their pellets, and I was pouring these in to a separate bucket, so I know for a fact it came out of this bag... but geesh... this goes right along with the notion of mixed junk coming out of the bags.



			
				RonL said:
			
		

> Well, at least the BBB has given them a fair grade.  "F"



so true... I was going to post something there as well, but I don't really want the BBB to assist me resolving this anymore.  As I went the credit card company to deal with their lies; and as I think I can't put in a complaint if it has already been "delt with" I didn't move forward with the BBB.


----------



## rcarr10525

bundles said:
			
		

> I pick up 1/2 ton yesterday,they are burning good so far.I will burn about 7 bags before cleaning stove.They said I can have ton but I only took 1/2 . ton, I will pick the rest couple of weeks I hope this helps.



You picked up the 1/2 ton yesterday.  How could you have possibly burned enough since yesterday to judge the quality.  I burn at least 4 bags before I decide what the quality is.  You are lucky to have gotton 1/2 from them.  I had asked many times to pick some up and they did not have any.  Should that 1/2 ton gone to ducker who got cancelled yesterday.


----------



## ducker

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> bundles said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I pick up 1/2 ton yesterday,they are burning good so far.I will burn about 7 bags before cleaning stove.They said I can have ton but I only took 1/2 . ton, I will pick the rest couple of weeks I hope this helps.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You picked up the 1/2 ton yesterday.  How could you have possibly burned enough since yesterday to judge the quality.  I burn at least 4 bags before I decide what the quality is.  You are lucky to have gotton 1/2 from them.  I had asked many times to pick some up and they did not have any.  Should that 1/2 ton gone to ducker who got cancelled yesterday.
Click to expand...


lol... they said there were a bunch of people before me who were slated to receive pellets prior to even me getting them, and that they were in the process of calling/contacting those people that there will be a delay (lol...  they told me that each time I called them, I never once ever received a call from them the day or, or the day prior to delivery informing me of any delay/rescheduled time)

So they will gladly sell a 1/2 ton of pellets to someone that will pick it up, and continue to string along their other customers.  It pretty much says they are out of capital, and they will take any additional capital they can get now (ie. an instant sale) while stringing along those people who have given them an interest free loan, as those people are the suckers now :/


----------



## rleshane

I've go it!  I had thought this company was doomed, but I just thought of a way they may be able to survive.  They should change their name from Creative Biomass to Creative Accounting.  It's a nice honest name, and no one can argue it describes them well!  If that doesn't work, they could consider hiring some new talent from AIG management.


----------



## rcarr10525

ducker said:
			
		

> rcarr10525 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> bundles said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I pick up 1/2 ton yesterday,they are burning good so far.I will burn about 7 bags before cleaning stove.They said I can have ton but I only took 1/2 . ton, I will pick the rest couple of weeks I hope this helps.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You picked up the 1/2 ton yesterday.  How could you have possibly burned enough since yesterday to judge the quality.  I burn at least 4 bags before I decide what the quality is.  You are lucky to have gotton 1/2 from them.  I had asked many times to pick some up and they did not have any.  Should that 1/2 ton gone to ducker who got cancelled yesterday.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> lol... they said there were a bunch of people before me who were slated to receive pellets prior to even me getting them, and that they were in the process of calling/contacting those people that there will be a delay (lol...  they told me that each time I called them, I never once ever received a call from them the day or, or the day prior to delivery informing me of any delay/rescheduled time)
> 
> So they will gladly sell a 1/2 ton of pellets to someone that will pick it up, and continue to string along their other customers.  It pretty much says they are out of capital, and they will take any additional capital they can get now (ie. an instant sale) while stringing along those people who have given them an interest free loan, as those people are the suckers now :/
Click to expand...


Seems to me that bundle is the only one to have a positive comment in all of this.  All of us struggled to get our pellets from them these last few months and this person just picks up 1/2 ton no problem (could have taken a full ton).  I wonder if this person is from Creative Biomass trying to change the attitude in this forum.


----------



## orangecrushcj7

My wife called Creative Biomass back in November to schedule a pick of the ton of pellets that we ordered. She asked for Saturday the 21st but was told that was already booked with pickups and that the 28th was available. So she scheduled the pick up for Saturday the 28th and was told come anytime after 10am. I showed up at 10:30 and the place was a ghost town. NO ONE was there!! I made a special trip out there for nothing. We both called that day and left not so happy messages on the voicemail. We did not receive a call back, however the following Tuesday my wife called and spoke to someone. The woman apologized and said "With the holiday, things were kind of screwy" and then asked my wife when she wanted to schedule the pick up. My wife said "No, no, you will deliver our pellets free of charge." The woman agreed but said that they wouldn't get to us until the 16th of Decemeber. The 16th of December is today and there are still no pellets in my driveway. With the reviews of how the pellets have been burning and the complete lack of customer service, I think we will be calling our credit card company for a refund, I just wish we could get the interest back that we've been paying on that balance too.


----------



## Jan99

Orange Crush CJ-7 said:
			
		

> My wife called Creative Biomass back in November to schedule a pick of the ton of pellets that we ordered. She asked for Saturday the 21st but was told that was already booked with pickups and that the 28th was available. So she scheduled the pick up for Saturday the 28th and was told come anytime after 10am. I showed up at 10:30 and the place was a ghost town. NO ONE was there!! I made a special trip out there for nothing. We both called that day and left not so happy messages on the voicemail. We did not receive a call back, however the following Tuesday my wife called and spoke to someone. The woman apologized and said "With the holiday, things were kind of screwy" and then asked my wife when she wanted to schedule the pick up. My wife said "No, no, you will deliver our pellets free of charge." The woman agreed but said that they wouldn't get to us until the 16th of Decemeber. The 16th of December is today and there are still no pellets in my driveway. With the reviews of how the pellets have been burning and the complete lack of customer service, I think we will be calling our credit card company for a refund, I just wish we could get the interest back that we've been paying on that balance too.




Not to hijack or anything but I just checked out my oil guys' pellets in Barre.  They have O'Malleys at $274/ton delivered. (They also have Inferno's I think).  It's WR Bentley Oil.

Also, Hardwick Farmer's Coop has Barefoots at $289/ton, not including delivery, but they're having special rate this month on deliveries. Just FYI...I've begun the pellet search


----------



## orangecrushcj7

Here is an update. My wife just called and said we were supposed to receive delievery today and we didn't. The woman told her she "left a message" saying that they couldn't do deliveries today and that it needed to be rescheduled. (there is NO message from her on our voicemail, so I don't know who she called). My wife said no thanks, we just want a refund. The woman then told her "Unfortunately we aren't giving refunds". What!?!?! Who runs a business like that?? So, needless to say we now have to contact our credit card company to dispute the charge. I think these people wrote the book on "How NOT to Run a Successful Business". 

The woman also said that she is happy to have people pick up, it is the deliveries that are backed up. We have tried TWICE to pick up our pellets to no avail.


----------



## jtakeman

Orange Crush CJ-7 said:
			
		

> "How NOT to Run a Successful Business".



Does not sound like they will be around too long. No way to run the show. Bad enough there product has issue's. Nothing worse than crappy sales deptment.

Will they be here next year? I highly doubt it very much.

Sorry you ALL had to go through all this crap.

Take care and stay warm
jay


----------



## pstove

Guys...  

Just found this thread after I started researching Creative Biomass...  Wish I looked this up earlier.
I ordered 2-tons in early Oct from the State Line Stove Shop.
Pellets were supposed to be at the store for pick-up in Nov.
I canceled my order in Dec because they could not produce the product and I need the pellets, there are too many other sources, I was trying to support a local business.
The Stove Shop stated that they were not authorized to credit back my credit card and I would be issued a check from Creative Biomass.
I was okay with that, but I asked for a phone call back with a status on the refund (didn't get it)
I called the store back after a week, and was given the phone number and a name of Melissa to talk with.
I called and talked with Brenda Teissa (sp?), she stated that Melissa couldn't talk with me, and that my pellets would be ready in a week.
I thought to myself, I haven't even explained why I was calling...  weird...
Next I explained that I canceled the order two weeks ago and wanted to know the status of my refund.
I was told that they were not issuing refunds, and that the lady in the State Line Stove Shop should have told me that no refunds would be given...  I pressed them more and they explained that the Lady at State Line didn't want to tell me that they couldn't refund my order because she was "shy" about it.  
I let them know that I cancelled because they could not deliver and I had to buy pellets elsewhere.

They were rude, no business savvy at all.... really irritated me.  

I called the CC company and filed a complaint and challenged the charge.  They are investigating it.

I called the Stove Store back because the factory really bashed the sales lady, saying that she was supposed to tell me "no refunds" and that she wasn't telling people this.  Like that is my problem....   I wanted her to know in case she was oblivious to what was going on.

I know a lot of people in Mason, I am going to ask some questions about this operation...  

I hope a lot of people are not going to get financially hurt over this....  Money is tight, the cold weather is here...  

I cannot believe that a company would compromise the trust of customers...


----------



## ducker

I too hope people aren't going to get financially hurt over it as well, but anyone who paid cash, will most likely.  And on that first day way back in June, the line for credit card purchases was quite long, and cash, could just go up to the front...   I just hope if someone paid cash, they only bought 1 ton.  Please feel free to share this thread with anyone you speak to in Mason, or if anyone needs additional references of experiences I would be happy to talk to anyone.

--edit

and I found 2 other local papers that I believe would love to hear about this story and sent my letter to them as well.  They also published an article back in June of this year on how wonderful this company will be for the town/community providing jobs and all!! 
http://www.leominsterchamp.com/news/2009-06-19/Business/New_location_new_opportunities.html
and
http://www.fitchburgpride.com/news/2009-06-12/Business/New_location_new_opportunities.html


----------



## pstove

ducker said:
			
		

> I too hope people aren't going to get financially hurt over it as well, but anyone who paid cash, will most likely.  And on that first day way back in June, the line for credit card purchases was quite long, and cash, could just go up to the front...   I just hope if someone paid cash, they only bought 1 ton.  Please feel free to share this thread with anyone you speak to in Mason, or if anyone needs additional references of experiences I would be happy to talk to anyone.
> 
> --edit
> 
> and I found 2 other local papers that I believe would love to hear about this story and sent my letter to them as well.  They also published an article back in June of this year on how wonderful this company will be for the town/community providing jobs and all!!
> http://www.leominsterchamp.com/news/2009-06-19/Business/New_location_new_opportunities.html
> and
> http://www.fitchburgpride.com/news/2009-06-12/Business/New_location_new_opportunities.html



Thanks for the links; I wrote an email to both of these publications about my experience.

These are tough economic times; the last thing the public needs is getting hassled about refunds on a product that can't be delivered as promised.  What makes this more important is the fact that we are talking about health and welfare, home heating fuel is a necessity in New England, it appears that a lot of people put down money up front with their order and now when the pellet heating fuel is needed, the company can't produce the product or offer a refund.  If they oversold their production capability knowing that the customers would not receive the product when cold weather arrived, or if they had unforeseen mechanical breakdowns, they should be calling and offering refunds so that the customers can secure pellets elsewhere.  Offering refunds is the responsible reaction for a business that cannot produce as promised when they accepted the customer’s money.  After all, this is not a luxury item like a television or mp3 player, we are talking about heat.


----------



## lkrochette1013

The Sales women at the Mason Store is very much aware of what is going on in Fitchburg. They had me going back and forth for over a month, with both of them saying that the other shouldn't be telling customers things that weren't facts.  I did pay with cash and I was one of the lucky ones who did get a refund, but I do beleive it was because both myself and my husband are disabled and told them we didn't have the money to go purchase pellets else where until they could get their act together.  Even if they could fix all their problems, no one would trust them again after the way they have treated their customers. I told them then they needed to be up front with everyone about the problems they were having.  But they still are selling more pellets to people that do not know about the issues, and are going to be  waiting a long time, and most likely the company is going to go under and they will end up with nothing.  There are a lot of people in the Mason, Greenville, and New Ipswich area that are in the same boat and are not getting teir pellets either.


----------



## mrbean1025

There may be a possible resolution to actions that took place in the Mason, NH store.  The Mason, NH police dept has been contacted regarding this issue and is researching the following: 

638:6 Deceptive Business Practices. – 
    I. A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if, in the course of business, he: 
       (a) Uses or possesses for use, a false weight or measure, or any other device for falsely determining or recording any quality or quantity; or 
       (b) Sells, offers or exposes for sale, or delivers less than the represented quantity of any commodity or service;

Section (b) would be the area of concern as people are stating that payment was made, delivery was promised and that delivery did not occur (delivers less than the represented quantity of any commodity).

The owner's of the store will be contacted and asked to resolve this matter prior to any formal investigation being opened.  There is a chance that this issue could be viewed as "civil" meaning that the police cannot become involved.  If the matter is determined by the prosecutor's office to be criminal, it will then be up to the prosecutor to determine if charges will be filed and then a judge to determine if the alleged crime did occur.  The Mason, NH Police Dept phone # is 603.878.1111.  Allegations must be written, sworn to and have to have occurred in the town of Mason, NH.


----------



## rcarr10525

PDK9 said:
			
		

> There may be a possible resolution to actions that took place in the Mason, NH store.  The Mason, NH police dept has been contacted regarding this issue and is researching the following:
> 
> 638:6 Deceptive Business Practices. –
> I. A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if, in the course of business, he:
> (a) Uses or possesses for use, a false weight or measure, or any other device for falsely determining or recording any quality or quantity; or
> (b) Sells, offers or exposes for sale, or delivers less than the represented quantity of any commodity or service;
> 
> Section (b) would be the area of concern as people are stating that payment was made, delivery was promised and that delivery did not occur (delivers less than the represented quantity of any commodity).
> 
> The owner's of the store will be contacted and asked to resolve this matter prior to any formal investigation being opened.  There is a chance that this issue could be viewed as "civil" meaning that the police cannot become involved.  If the matter is determined by the prosecutor's office to be criminal, it will then be up to the prosecutor to determine if charges will be filed and then a judge to determine if the alleged crime did occur.  The Mason, NH Police Dept phone # is 603.878.1111.  Allegations must be written, sworn to and have to have occurred in the town of Mason, NH.



From what I remember the Chief of Police for Mason was at the Grand Opening for the Mason store back in Sept.  They had a demonstration with the police dog.  It looked like the Chief and the owner of Creative Biomass Shawn were buddy buddy.  And that they were old friends.  Good Luck with this.


----------



## ducker

Filed a formal complaint with the Attorney General’s office for them to look in to.
Have been contacted by 2 papers thus far.


----------



## mrbean1025

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> PDK9 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There may be a possible resolution to actions that took place in the Mason, NH store.  The Mason, NH police dept has been contacted regarding this issue and is researching the following:
> 
> 638:6 Deceptive Business Practices. –
> I. A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if, in the course of business, he:
> (a) Uses or possesses for use, a false weight or measure, or any other device for falsely determining or recording any quality or quantity; or
> (b) Sells, offers or exposes for sale, or delivers less than the represented quantity of any commodity or service;
> 
> Section (b) would be the area of concern as people are stating that payment was made, delivery was promised and that delivery did not occur (delivers less than the represented quantity of any commodity).
> 
> The owner's of the store will be contacted and asked to resolve this matter prior to any formal investigation being opened.  There is a chance that this issue could be viewed as "civil" meaning that the police cannot become involved.  If the matter is determined by the prosecutor's office to be criminal, it will then be up to the prosecutor to determine if charges will be filed and then a judge to determine if the alleged crime did occur.  The Mason, NH Police Dept phone # is 603.878.1111.  Allegations must be written, sworn to and have to have occurred in the town of Mason, NH.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From what I remember the Chief of Police for Mason was at the Grand Opening for the Mason store back in Sept.  They had a demonstration with the police dog.  It looked like the Chief and the owner of Creative Biomass Shawn were buddy buddy.  And that they were old friends.  Good Luck with this.
Click to expand...


I am the Chief of Police for the Town of Mason, NH so when I say that the dept will research a matter then that is what will happen.  As far as being buddy buddy, I clearly stated in my first post for this that Shawn and I were friends.  Having said this, I have absolutely no hesitation in prosecuting ANYONE that has violated the law.  When you actually take the time to review what I have posted regarding this matter you should clearly see that I am not attempting to protect anyone here other that the consumer.  In the future, review a post completely before you insult someone in the first 3 of your post while hiding behind a user name.

To all others, the Mason Police Dept will investigate this upon receipt of the requested information.


----------



## ducker

PDK9 said:
			
		

> I am the Chief of Police for the Town of Mason, NH so when I say that the dept will research a matter then that is what will happen.  As far as being buddy buddy, I clearly stated in my first post for this that Shawn and I were friends.  Having said this, I have absolutely no hesitation in prosecuting ANYONE that has violated the law.  When you actually take the time to review what I have posted regarding this matter you should clearly see that I am not attempting to protect anyone here other that the consumer.  In the future, review a post completely before you insult someone in the first 3 of your post while hiding behind a user name.
> 
> To all others, the Mason Police Dept will investigate this upon receipt of the requested information.



The other night I was going through this whole thread and I remember reading your earlier post PDK9.  I was going to ask if you have any recent communications with him over the past couple of months.  I'm guessing not, if it's looking like you will have to do some digging into this.  Have you been reading this thread over the past couple of months or just recently?

Just over all just sad and disappointing.


----------



## rcarr10525

PDK9 said:
			
		

> rcarr10525 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> PDK9 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There may be a possible resolution to actions that took place in the Mason, NH store.  The Mason, NH police dept has been contacted regarding this issue and is researching the following:
> 
> 638:6 Deceptive Business Practices. –
> I. A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if, in the course of business, he:
> (a) Uses or possesses for use, a false weight or measure, or any other device for falsely determining or recording any quality or quantity; or
> (b) Sells, offers or exposes for sale, or delivers less than the represented quantity of any commodity or service;
> 
> Section (b) would be the area of concern as people are stating that payment was made, delivery was promised and that delivery did not occur (delivers less than the represented quantity of any commodity).
> 
> The owner's of the store will be contacted and asked to resolve this matter prior to any formal investigation being opened.  There is a chance that this issue could be viewed as "civil" meaning that the police cannot become involved.  If the matter is determined by the prosecutor's office to be criminal, it will then be up to the prosecutor to determine if charges will be filed and then a judge to determine if the alleged crime did occur.  The Mason, NH Police Dept phone # is 603.878.1111.  Allegations must be written, sworn to and have to have occurred in the town of Mason, NH.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From what I remember the Chief of Police for Mason was at the Grand Opening for the Mason store back in Sept.  They had a demonstration with the police dog.  It looked like the Chief and the owner of Creative Biomass Shawn were buddy buddy.  And that they were old friends.  Good Luck with this.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I am the Chief of Police for the Town of Mason, NH so when I say that the dept will research a matter then that is what will happen.  As far as being buddy buddy, I clearly stated in my first post for this that Shawn and I were friends.  Having said this, I have absolutely no hesitation in prosecuting ANYONE that has violated the law.  When you actually take the time to review what I have posted regarding this matter you should clearly see that I am not attempting to protect anyone here other that the consumer.  In the future, review a post completely before you insult someone in the first 3 of your post while hiding behind a user name.
> 
> To all others, the Mason Police Dept will investigate this upon receipt of the requested information.
Click to expand...


I am glad to hear that you are the Chief of Police for the Town of Mason.  And seeing that you and Shawn are friends I am sure that it is not going to be easy to investigate this.  When this company started out we were all excited for them, and the MA/NH area and also when the NH store opened in Sept.  We all put our trust & hard earned money into this company.  And now months later we have all been let down.  Some people have been able to walk away from this as a lesson learned.  Some have not, and it looks like they might have a battle on their hands.  I was able to  cancel before they started to refuse refunds.  But I did get stuck with one ton of junk pellets.  And I am not exaggerating when I call the pellets junk.  I had to scramble to find pellets last minute.  I hope you can understand the frustration this has all caused for me and a lot of other people.  So I am not trying to be insulting to anybody I just state things like I see it.  I am not trying to hide behind a user name.  I am in here sharing my experience with others cause I don't want to see anybody get screwed with all of this.  This forum helped for me to see what has been going on with Creative Biomass. Because I would not have known and might still be waiting for my pellets and still listening to their lies.


----------



## lkrochette1013

THE LAW

The New Hampshire Prizes and Gifts Act (RSA 358-O), the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the federal Fair Credit Billing Act, and other laws all protect consumers from unscrupulous prize promotion schemes.

The Prizes and Gifts Act requires that any business that implies that you have won anything of value, or have won a contest, must: 

Give you the prize without obligating you to purchase anything 
Deliver the prize, at no expense to you except for reasonable shipping and handling costs that have been clearly disclosed, within ten days of announcing your winning 

This is the law in NH so Creative Biomass has broken the law as to the 10 ton they gave away in Mason in September.  I hope this helps the 10 people that have won the pellets


----------



## Gweeper64

ducker said:
			
		

> Filed a formal complaint with the Attorney General’s office for them to look in to.



Good luck with that one. I think Martha is a little busy trying to be Teddy Kennedy's successor at the moment. ;-)
Seriously though, I hope either the AG's office or Worcester DA's office investigates.


----------



## ducker

I know everyone loves this thread.  Anyone have any updates?

  Seems like I wasn't the only one that reached out to the local paper, and that's excellent.  I do hope some type of action is taken on this company - if it's minimally forcing them to stop selling product they can't deliver.


----------



## rleshane

ducker said:
			
		

> I know everyone loves this thread.  Anyone have any updates?
> 
> Seems like I wasn't the only one that reached out to the local paper, and that's excellent.  I do hope some type of action is taken on this company - if it's minimally forcing them to stop selling product they can't deliver.



Hi Ducker,  

My sister and I (both upset creative biomass customers) reached out to the local paper and they are coming to my house tonight to take a photo of us in front of my stove.  Looks promising for a followup article!  Like most, I just want the truth to be known and for this company to stop taking orders they can't fill.


----------



## ducker

RonL said:
			
		

> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I know everyone loves this thread.  Anyone have any updates?
> 
> Seems like I wasn't the only one that reached out to the local paper, and that's excellent.  I do hope some type of action is taken on this company - if it's minimally forcing them to stop selling product they can't deliver.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Ducker,
> 
> My sister and I (both upset creative biomass customers) reached out to the local paper and they are coming to my house tonight to take a photo of us in front of my stove.  Looks promising for a followup article!  Like most, I just want the truth to be known and for this company to stop taking orders they can't fill.
Click to expand...


want a pellet bag to display too?  lol


----------



## rleshane

ducker said:
			
		

> RonL said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I know everyone loves this thread.  Anyone have any updates?
> 
> Seems like I wasn't the only one that reached out to the local paper, and that's excellent.  I do hope some type of action is taken on this company - if it's minimally forcing them to stop selling product they can't deliver.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Ducker,
> 
> My sister and I (both upset creative biomass customers) reached out to the local paper and they are coming to my house tonight to take a photo of us in front of my stove.  Looks promising for a followup article!  Like most, I just want the truth to be known and for this company to stop taking orders they can't fill.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> want a pellet bag to display too?  lol
Click to expand...


Hehe.  Well, with the gist of the article being they don't deliver, I would hate to display their product.


----------



## orangecrushcj7

make sure your stove is shut down in the background and you are huddled around a candle for warmth.... wearing scarves and a jacket for added effect.  pull your pockets inside out too. lol


----------



## rcarr10525

Orange Crush CJ-7 said:
			
		

> make sure your stove is shut down in the background and you are huddled around a candle for warmth.... wearing scarves and a jacket for added effect.  pull your pockets inside out too. lol




LMAO


----------



## Burning Good

I too have experienced delays and no-show deliveries but did receive 2 out of 5 tons the first week of December. The pellets I have are clean and burn nice (Half a Ton so far). Creative Biomass made a huge blunder by not having a website to check on the status of deliveries and by boldly stating a delivery date when they knew it was wishful thinking. I had burned over a ton of Penningtons from Wal-mart before I received my Perfect pellets and find the Perfect ones burn a lot hotter and cleaner. I cleaned my stove the other week and with burning only Perfect pellets there is very lttle ash. I gave a bag to a friend who bought a ton with me in June but canceled his order and he said they were the best he has burned in the year and a half with his stove incert. He loves the little or no ash because his ash pan is small. I am still hopeful about my other three pallets but did pay with CC for protection. I looked into Shawn's other business and it was successful. A lot of bad luck in an enterprise that demands product quality and timely delivery for the obvious reason of WARMTH.


----------



## ducker

Burning Good said:
			
		

> I too have experienced delays and no-show deliveries but did receive 2 out of 5 tons the first week of December. The pellets I have are clean and burn nice (Half a Ton so far). Creative Biomass made a huge blunder by not having a website to check on the status of deliveries and by boldly stating a delivery date when they knew it was wishful thinking. I had burned over a ton of Penningtons from Wal-mart before I received my Perfect pellets and find the Perfect ones burn a lot hotter and cleaner. I cleaned my stove the other week and with burning only Perfect pellets there is very lttle ash. I gave a bag to a friend who bought a ton with me in June but canceled his order and he said they were the best he has burned in the year and a half with his stove incert. He loves the little or no ash because his ash pan is small. I am still hopeful about my other three pallets but did pay with CC for protection. I looked into Shawn's other business and it was successful. A lot of bad luck in an enterprise that demands product quality and timely delivery for the obvious reason of WARMTH.



When/where did you purchase your pellets?
Honestly a website to check your deliveries would have been nice, but wow, that is like pie in the sky.. just a truthful delivery date, and honesty with customers would have gone a lot longer in my book.

I'm getting towards the end of my first ton of pellets I've burnt, and they are showing a lot of dust, and quite a few long pellets of around 1.5" - 2" long.

In addition many of the pellets have black markings on them, as if they some how scorched themselves when they were going through the milling process of being created.

I've also found some hard piece of, I don't know what, in the bags - almost like clinkers... I know I didn't put that in the bag.


----------



## mnkywrnch

Burning Good said:
			
		

> I too have experienced delays and no-show deliveries but did receive 2 out of 5 tons the first week of December. The pellets I have are clean and burn nice (Half a Ton so far). Creative Biomass made a huge blunder by not having a website to check on the status of deliveries and by boldly stating a delivery date when they knew it was wishful thinking. I had burned over a ton of Penningtons from Wal-mart before I received my Perfect pellets and find the Perfect ones burn a lot hotter and cleaner. I cleaned my stove the other week and with burning only Perfect pellets there is very lttle ash. I gave a bag to a friend who bought a ton with me in June but canceled his order and he said they were the best he has burned in the year and a half with his stove incert. He loves the little or no ash because his ash pan is small. I am still hopeful about my other three pallets but did pay with CC for protection. I looked into Shawn's other business and it was successful. A lot of bad luck in an enterprise that demands product quality and timely delivery for the obvious reason of WARMTH.


Do you work for creative biomass?If not your perception of a good pellet is way way off, if your stove likes metal,rocks,plastic then yeah there great.The perfect pellet is the worst pellet I've tried to date by far!!


----------



## rcarr10525

mnkywrnch said:
			
		

> Burning Good said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I too have experienced delays and no-show deliveries but did receive 2 out of 5 tons the first week of December. The pellets I have are clean and burn nice (Half a Ton so far). Creative Biomass made a huge blunder by not having a website to check on the status of deliveries and by boldly stating a delivery date when they knew it was wishful thinking. I had burned over a ton of Penningtons from Wal-mart before I received my Perfect pellets and find the Perfect ones burn a lot hotter and cleaner. I cleaned my stove the other week and with burning only Perfect pellets there is very lttle ash. I gave a bag to a friend who bought a ton with me in June but canceled his order and he said they were the best he has burned in the year and a half with his stove incert. He loves the little or no ash because his ash pan is small. I am still hopeful about my other three pallets but did pay with CC for protection. I looked into Shawn's other business and it was successful. A lot of bad luck in an enterprise that demands product quality and timely delivery for the obvious reason of WARMTH.
> 
> 
> 
> Do you work for creative biomass?If not your perception of a good pellet is way way off, if your stove likes metal,rocks,plastic then yeah there great.The perfect pellet is the worst pellet I've tried to date by far!!
Click to expand...


I agree the ton I received the pellets are no good.  I found blue plastic fused in with one long pellet the other day. Lots of fines and lots of long pellets.  Leaves sticky film on glass.  I have twenty bags left to burn can't wait till I am thru them so I can start to use my good pellets from Home Depot.  I had been alternating thru both last couple of weeks big difference.  Just trying to get thru the CBM Perfect Pellets so I can be done with them and look at this as a lessoned learned to not buy from them again, ever.


----------



## rcarr10525

I wonder if Creative Biomass bought pellets from someone else and started to put them into their own bags since they were having a hard time making their own.  Maybe that is the pellets some got that say they are the best pellets they have ever used.


----------



## mnkywrnch

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> I wonder if Creative Biomass bought pellets from someone else and started to put them into their own bags since they were having a hard time making their own.  Maybe that is the pellets some got that say they are the best pellets they have ever used.


I would agree


----------



## ducker

I'm seeing that blue "crap" in a number of my pellets as well :/ I had no idea what it might have been.


----------



## harleysporty1200

so far the only odd thing i have found in my bags is a few corn kernels. wonder if they are mixing corn in to get higher btu's. other than that these pellets SUCK.


----------



## Burning Good

I bought my pellets in June on the Grand Opening of CB and I am just saying what I have experienced. The pellets have had no foriegn substances and are burning good. No I don't work for Creative Biomass and I have been on the phone and leaving harsh messages just to get the 2 tons I have. I have been reading all the posts which have led me to watch what I dump into the hopper very carefully, I even have screened some bags and loaded by scoop to check them thoroughly. But the fact is they are fine So Far! Maybe I have received a good batch or haven't hit any bad bags yet, I don't know. But If I find any thing I will definitely post it.


----------



## ducker

Burning Good said:
			
		

> I bought my pellets in June on the Grand Opening of CB and I am just saying what I have experienced. The pellets have had no foriegn substances and are burning good. No I don't work for Creative Biomass and I have been on the phone and leaving harsh messages just to get the 2 tons I have. I have been reading all the posts which have led me to watch what I dump into the hopper very carefully, I even have screened some bags and loaded by scoop to check them thoroughly. But the fact is they are fine So Far! Maybe I have received a good batch or haven't hit any bad bags yet, I don't know. But If I find any thing I will definitely post it.



This is exactly what I thought with the first half of the first ton (out of 2) that I received... once I got about 30 bags in to it the fines / dust started increasing quite a bit, and noticed more discolored pellets, as well as misc stuff in the bags.

As well as some serious length issues.


----------



## lkrochette1013

I just pick up a ton of NEWP at Heartline in Jaffrey for $250.  Not a bad price for this time of year.


----------



## rcarr10525

LKR in NH said:
			
		

> I just pick up a ton of NEWP at Heartline in Jaffrey for $250.  Not a bad price for this time of year.



They have come down in price, they were $267. last month.


----------



## lkrochette1013

There are a lot more pellets available this year and a lot more places selling them, so it's all the better for us! I like the NEWP they burn hot and very lttle ash in my stove. If they drop the price I won't complain, I could have been sitting here in the cold waiting for the CBM Prefect Pellets


----------



## kt1i

Gee, am I glad that I got out of the CB mess early while they were still refunding. I remember touring the plant on the open house day and thinking "They are no where near making pellets" I wonder whose pellets they were displaying at the open house.
Lesson learned...be very careful paying upfront for something not yet produced.


----------



## daveswoodhauler

Not a pellet burner, but I saw this forum as I live in the area....might be worth posting a few comments to get the problem bumped to the top of the forum.
I think we will be seeing a news article soon.

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/fitchburg-ma/T3C2JN5ALVA78PCFL


----------



## kt1i

I have seen this link before but never can access the article.


----------



## daveswoodhauler

kt1i said:
			
		

> I have seen this link before but never can access the article.



I don't believe that there was an article...just a person who started a topic on the thread.


----------



## mnkywrnch

It's to bad I was looking forward to having a local mill, but you can't treat your costumers like sh!@ and still be in business.


----------



## rcarr10525

FYI - Just talked to a lady at Pro Tech Energy in Acton 866-299-6441.  One day only sale Sat Dec 26th. $199.00 / ton. Two ton limit per household. New England Hardwood Pellet or New England Premium Pellets not sure of the name of them.


----------



## lkrochette1013

kt1i said:
			
		

> I have seen this link before but never can access the article.



There is a article, it will take you first to another page click on Fitchburg Pride, then look down for the "Creative Biomass going out of business?". the article came out today from what it looks like.


----------



## lkrochette1013

Wishing Everyone a warm and Happy Holidays, and a New Year of Peace and Joy!


----------



## lkrochette1013

Here is the link to the article.  
http://www.fitchburgpride.com 
This is just a local paper, needs to reach more people. But it was a good article.


----------



## ducker

LKR in NH said:
			
		

> Here is the link to the article.
> http://www.fitchburgpride.com
> This is just a local paper, needs to reach more people. But it was a good article.



Merry Christmas all

It is a start... hopefully something will come of it.


----------



## Jabberwocky

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> FYI - Just talked to a lady at Pro Tech Energy in Acton 866-299-6441.  One day only sale Sat Dec 26th. $199.00 / ton. Two ton limit per household. New England Hardwood Pellet or New England Premium Pellets not sure of the name of them.



This is who I called and got 3 tons delivered in the summer.  I'm still burning through the last of my Kentucky Komforts from last year!


----------



## orangecrushcj7

Just had the charges reversed with my credit card company for the ton I ordered in June.  I hated to do it, I really wanted to see a local start-up business succeed.  Unfortunately with the way they are headed, they won't be around for too much longer.


----------



## daveswoodhauler

Just another link to an article....

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_14072961


----------



## keep-in warm

Sad stories for sure....

It's too bad Creative Biomass couldn't have been more forthcoming on production issues with equipment.  I'd like to see them straighten out and get productive, but the smoke and mirrors they have been dishing out to customers have only hurt future business.

It all comes back to startup capital.  Who knows what was available from investors and private sources before the company began relying on customer pre-paid orders to pay the salaries of employees.

At face value, based on this thread, Creative Biomass appeared to heavily rely on prepayments to fund their startup capital needs.  Something that can easily kill a business before it has a chance to get out of the gate.


----------



## SXIPro

When I was at Pro-Tech this morning for their $199 per ton NEWP Sale, at least half the people there were from the Lunenburg/Leominster area that got screwed by Biomass. Pro-Tech should send Biomass a thank you card for all the new customers they just got handed to them.


----------



## lkrochette1013

If CB would have been up front about the problems in the begining, and letting customers know what the facts were, the customers would have had a choice on what they wanted to do.  I don't know if the are being honest in this article or if it is more of the same, we have been hearing for months now.  If they are having all these issues they should have let those of us who had already purchased them now what the problems were that they were having, it would have been better than all the lies.  I hope they get their act together and get the company off the ground but they have hurt them selves by the way they have been dealing with thier customber base!  I really not think I will purchase from them again after the way they have none business with me.  They would have to do something pretty big to make me even think about buying from them again.


----------



## ducker

I could care less what CB does now.  In my opinion it was built up on lies and false pretenses.  That Sentinel and Enterprise was a lot kinder to CB then the Fitchburg article; most likely because they actually got to talk to Shawn.   But it still sounds like a pile of BS... They since September they have been waiting for one piece of equipment or another, and now they are looking to replace something in December to aid in production, when it has been quite obvious that they needed this back in the Summer.  All the while just stringing us along.

I know I was hesitant in having to pay cash/check to Pro-Tech in Acton, MA today; but the difference in this particular situation was that they have been around a little while, actually have inventory in stock, limited the number of people they provided the deal with, and finally actually wrote the date of scheduled delivery.

There's nothing CB could do to ever get my business, including offering an even better price next year.  Forget it.  In addition I will tell anyone to stay clear of their product from distributors too, as I've found all sorts of crap in their bags :/  (burned through about 55 bags so far)


----------



## cchilly

Sorry to hear you folks can not get a refund.  Glad I jumped ship back in November.  They were actually happy that I canceled my order and gave me a full refund.  My father in-law waited it out for another 2 weeks after me since he was supposedly next on the list.  Well after 2 weeks of promises of delivery he got a refund on his 4 ton order.  My guess is that they are out of money to give refunds.  

Good luck to them, but this is no way to run a business.  I know I will not buy from them again, even if the pellets are right there for me to pick up when I order them.  


Chris


----------



## ducker

man I really hate these "perfect" pellets.  Add a small chunk of rubber to the list junk showing up in their bags.  It freaks me out, that I'm going to miss something and it's going to screw up my stove.


----------



## lkrochette1013

I was just talking to a friend who got 1 ton of Perfect Pellets, and has gone through the whole ton taking out all the crap. He has burned only the "Perfect Pellets" so far this year , he has a bunch of what looks like pieces of blue trap, corn, metal, and pieces of other garbage. He is taking it down to CB tomorrow and showing them and demanding they refund his money and take back the pellets. These are not what they say the quality of the pellets are. The blue plastic was melting on his auger and making a mess causing it to bind up, he had to take his stove apart to clean it out. He said it was like cement. If they do not refund it his is going to take it to the state.


----------



## mnkywrnch

The rubber and plastic really got me nervous when I was burning them,how the he!! do they let that slip by.I had to sift every bag just to make sure I wasn't putting crap in my stove,a rock did slip by and went through my auger didn't cause any damage though if it had I would have been one pissed off pellet burner.make sure if your burning this crap to monitor what goes in the stove carefully.


----------



## orangecrushcj7

I emailed Susan Wornick from WCVB Channel 5's "Buyer Beware"  She got back to us and stated: 
"Thanks for the e-mail. Yours is not the first complaint we have received about this company and we are preparing to do a story. Will you do an interview with us?"
I don't particularly want to do a TV interview, but is there anybody on this thread that would like to?  I can forward her your contact info.


----------



## ducker

So... in looking at the Better Business Bureau online for another company I figured I'd check out our buddies at CB...   either they are are attempting some damage control by "updating their records"  and as a result their poor grade is not available.

http://www.bbb.org/central-western-...-biomass-in-fitchburg-ma-255264#ratingdetails


----------



## Delta-T

i would think you'd need to be a BUSINESS to get a report from the BBB. From what I read here it doesn't sound like CB is very business-like, hence the lack of report.


----------



## rcarr10525

Not sure if any of you have seen the forum that came from the result of the Sentinal artical.  Here is the link.

www.topix.net/forum/source/sentinel-and-enterprise/T1GP66UD4J1DO25HO


----------



## ducker

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> Not sure if any of you have seen the forum that came from the result of the Sentinal artical.  Here is the link.
> 
> www.topix.net/forum/source/sentinel-and-enterprise/T1GP66UD4J1DO25HO




love it I don't know how I missed this back on 12/26 when I read the article.


----------



## pstove

PDK9 said:
			
		

> I am the Chief of Police for the Town of Mason, NH so when I say that the dept will research a matter then that is what will happen.  As far as being buddy buddy, I clearly stated in my first post for this that Shawn and I were friends.  Having said this, I have absolutely no hesitation in prosecuting ANYONE that has violated the law.  When you actually take the time to review what I have posted regarding this matter you should clearly see that I am not attempting to protect anyone here other that the consumer.  In the future, review a post completely before you insult someone in the first 3 of your post while hiding behind a user name.
> 
> To all others, the Mason Police Dept will investigate this upon receipt of the requested information.




PDK9...

Did you receive the "requested information"?  Are you guys making any progress?

I am concerned about those who have budgeted money for home heating fuel, spent their money at CB and are now "out in the cold"

How much investigation/paperwork is required before you can stop this company from taking money for promised pellet-fuel at their store and factory?

It appears from recent articles in the Fitchburg Pride and the Sentinel(links in previous posts) that this is bigger than just a couple of customers who didn't receive the home heating fuel they paid for.


----------



## mrbean1025

There have been NO complaints received by the Mason Police Dept as of this time relative to this issue.  No person has provided the requested information.


----------



## pstove

PDK9 said:
			
		

> There have been NO complaints received by the Mason Police Dept as of this time relative to this issue.  No person has provided the requested information.



My bad...   I thought you were investigating and waiting for information you requested from CB...  (I misunderstood your post)

I was fortunate to have my money refunded by VISA.  I filed a complaint with the BBB and contacted the media.

If I had purchased this with cash and lost my money I most definitely would have filed a complaint with your department and at my PD (New Ipswich).

I would hope that anyone who asked for a refund and didn't get it would file a complaint...


Thanks for all the work you and your brethren do...  Not everybody puts their life on the line everyday to "protect and serve".  In my opinion you guys are way under paid


----------



## mrbean1025

Thank you for the support.  I have also spoken with the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office to get advise on this issue.  The NH AG's office is not sure if the matter is criminal yet but does believe that it is a matter that the consumer division could investigate.  I am not a consumer of this business so I did not file a complaint with this division.  I know a number of people have filed complaints with the Mass AG's office but remember that you are dealing with two jurisdictions since there are two locations in seperate states.  

Also, Martha Coakley does not represent the way that laws are enforced in New Hampshire.  I am sympathetic to those that have lost money in this matter and will investigate any complaint filed in the proper format.  Good luck to everyone and maybe the new year can bring a close to this matter.


----------



## ducker

ducker said:
			
		

> So... in looking at the Better Business Bureau online for another company I figured I'd check out our buddies at CB...   either they are are attempting some damage control by "updating their records"  and as a result their poor grade is not available.
> 
> http://www.bbb.org/central-western-...-biomass-in-fitchburg-ma-255264#ratingdetails



well it's been updated:


> INTERIM REPORT:
> 
> This company has a serious pattern of complaint, and as of January 6th, a high volume of 20 serious pending complaints. 44 complaints have been filed with the BBB regarding Creative Biomass, including the 20 complaints that are still pending. Specifically, complaints allege consumers pre-ordered wood burning pellets; however, the company failed to deliver the pellets as promised. Many of the complaints are from consumers who have been promised delivery dates that have not been met while other complaints allege poor product quality.
> 
> BBB sent certified correspondence on January 4th to the management of Creative Biomass requesting their immediate attention in resolving the outstanding complaints by January 15, 2010.
> 
> BBB WILL UPDATE THIS ASPECT OF THE REPORT ONCE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.



No shock to us all.


----------



## ducker

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> FYI - Just talked to a lady at Pro Tech Energy in Acton 866-299-6441.  One day only sale Sat Dec 26th. $199.00 / ton. Two ton limit per household. New England Hardwood Pellet or New England Premium Pellets not sure of the name of them.




I went down with a few others that commented in this thread before... and - shocker - they scheduled a day to deliver, wrote it on the invoice and showed up and delivered the pellets the morning of the day they scheduled!!

My wife was totally thrown off, as I told her they would be dropping off 2 tons today, and she figured it would be at the end of the day.. Nope, in the AM.  So as of right now Pro-Tech is hitting it out of the park vs. CB trying to get on base by getting hit by a pitch (in the head)

Hopefully the quality of NEWP pellets are of a quality that makes me please.  although coming from CB junk in a bag, the bar hasn't been set very high.


----------



## lkrochette1013

PDK9 said:
			
		

> There have been NO complaints received by the Mason Police Dept as of this time relative to this issue.  No person has provided the requested information.



I am sorry to hear no one has come forward so far, but there are a lot of people that do not know about this thread. And just don't know what else to do when they are getting no where with CB. My neighbor won a ton at their open house in September, I gave him a print out of what the law is in NH for winning a prize. It states it must be delivered within 10 days, he took it down to the Mason Shop and to Fitchburg, and was told he doesn't get the pellets until they fill all the orders from people that paid for them first. I do feel for those that have paid for them, my neighbor is disabled and on a limited budget and was counting on them for heating this winter, but CB is breaking the law and they know it  (now). My neighbor doesn't feel he can do anything about it because he didn't pay for them, is this something the Mason PD can do anything about?  Thanks


----------



## mrbean1025

I must admit ignorance to some of the many laws in New Hampshire but that is why we have an attorney for our prosecuting.  You may tell your neighbor that if he can call the Mason PD at 603.878.1111 we will assist him with filing the complaint properly if he is disabled.  The complaint will be forwarded to the prosecutors office for further action.


----------



## flybmw02

Hi,well I have burned 3 tons out of the 8 tons I have purchased they make fair heat but the stuff I have found in them. One bolt 1/4x1" that pass though the augers luckly no damage. I have found corn, plastic,sticks,cigaretts butts, ear plugs,three other pieces of metal and what looks like large wood like snotts. CB said they would replace them but they are now all in my basement and takeing them out is days of work and they said they could only do two tons at a time. it's a lot of work on my end and I can't take the time off of work to deal with it so I just being carful and I think I'll just burn them up. 
John


----------



## rcarr10525

flybmw02 said:
			
		

> Hi,well I have burned 3 tons out of the 8 tons I have purchased they make fair heat but the stuff I have found in them. One bolt 1/4x1" that pass though the augers luckly no damage. I have found corn, plastic,sticks,cigaretts butts, ear plugs,three other pieces of metal and what looks like large wood like snotts. CB said they would replace them but they are now all in my basement and takeing them out is days of work and they said they could only do two tons at a time. it's a lot of work on my end and I can't take the time off of work to deal with it so I just being carful and I think I'll just burn them up.
> John



Cigarette Butts, Ear Plugs, that is unbelievable,  I just burned thru the last of my ton this weekend and cleaned out my pellet stove.  I had to.  The ashes were hard clumps like rocks.  The ash bin must have weighed 25 pounds.  I am now burning my Home Depot pellets what a difference. I am so glad to be rid of my ton. Oh and I had only burned about 25 bags when I had to empty the ash bin.  My neighbor has close to a ton still from them and dreads when she will have to start burning them.


----------



## kt1i

It looks as if those who actually did get the CB pellets won't be buying more. That is, if they are still in business.


----------



## ducker

Add a nice large wood chip. to my list of items found.  It was about 2.5" x .5 inches.  and thick enough that I couldn't easily snap it in half.  Nice one!!

So I'm totally thrilled with my NEWP I got on Friday from Pro-Tech in Acton.  The pellets from NEWP have less dust, are more uniform in size, less ash, and produce more heat.  Oh and the best part, is, I'm not finding random junk in the pellet bags.  I am quite disappointed to have to switch back to Creative Biomass pellets  last night, to finish burning through the last of my 2nd ton, but I want to get all of that out of my house so I no longer have to see the Logo on the bags in my basement.


----------



## daveswoodhauler

From todays Sentinel and Enterprise:

Creative BioMass gets failing grade from BBB
By Jack Minch, jminch@sentinelandenterprise.com
Posted: 01/13/2010 07:02:48 AM EST

FITCHBURG -- The Better Business Bureau of Central Massachusetts has issued a failing grade for Creative BioMass Inc. of Fitchburg, which opened in the former United Cooperative Farmers Mill on Kimball Place last year, according to bureau officials. 

Better Business Bureau Chief Executive Officer Nancy Cahalen said Creative BioMass' failing grade is based on the evaluation of about a dozen criteria. Many of the criteria revolve around customers not getting the wood pellets they ordered. 

"Delivery issues were a big trend here," she said. "That's what most of them were, that people ordered and didn't receive them according to the schedule in their contract." 

The company has resolved 28 of the 44 complaints filed with the bureau, though not all of them were resolved in satisfactory fashion for consumers, Cahalen said. 

A spokesperson for state Attorney General Martha Coakley's office said BioMass is on its watch list. 

"We are aware of that company and are continuing to monitor complaints against them," said Coakley's spokesman, Amy Bretton, who declined to confirm or deny whether there is an ongoing investigation. "We encourage consumers to call the consumer hotline at 617-727-8400 where our staff may be able to assist consumers in mediating complaints." 

Company President Shawn Pieterse did not return phone calls Tuesday. 

Several customers told the Sentinel & Enterprise Tuesday they paid for tons of wood pellets last spring with 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advertisement

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
promises of delivery in late August or early September, but have not received their full orders. 
Keith Bettencourt, of Ashby, said he got one ton of wood pellets in December after repeated complaints, but is still owed two tons. 

"I guess the thing that drives me, I was dumb enough to give someone a check," Bettencourt said. "So what happens to me, I guess I get hung out to dry." 

The company is refusing to refund the balance of his $789 payment, Bettencourt said. 

Martin "Marty" Aristegui, of Fitchburg, has a similar complaint. 

He ordered three tons during the company's open house last spring and was also told he would get his pellets in August or September 

"Nothing happened, and we were waiting and waiting," said Aristegui, the city's former community liaison. 

His 93-year-old mother-in-law lives with him and the house must stay warm to keep her comfortable, Aristegui said. 

Creative BioMass sent him one ton of pellets in November, Aristegui said. 

"They said they don't have enough," to fill the whole order, Aristegui said. 

Then the pellets were poor quality, he said. 

He has kept one pellet he estimates is about 4 inches by 3 inches, instead of the usual size. 

The pellets fell apart in the stove and gummed up the auger mechanism, he said. 

Aristegui paid $245 a ton and finally asked for a refund last week, but was denied. 

"They break the contract with us," he said.. "They were supposed to deliver to us in the end of August or September, and it was in November, they only gave us one ton," he said. 

Meanwhile, he paid for more pellets from another company at a higher price because the heating season is in full bloom, Aristegui said. 

"We are going to lose a lot of money ... ," he said. 

Mayor Lisa A. Wong said the company has stopped returning her office's telephone calls.


----------



## ducker

link to the article:
http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_14178976


----------



## ruby1

How much bullsh*t can this company put out in aday!


----------



## daveswoodhauler

Another Article on Creative Biomass:

http://www.topix.com/forum/source/sentinel-and-enterprise/TF9GR499H6I3TMTIA


----------



## ducker

ok... so where is this article now?  Does the Sentinel frequently pull articles?

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_14072961

people's comments are there, but the article is not.


----------



## ducker

oh... and I hate this company.. so much it isn't funny.. each article I read like this just makes my blood boil!! and anger just rolls up from my feet to my head.


----------



## rcarr10525

Another article in the paper today.  I think it would be interesting to go to the meeting Thursday night thats if they let people in.  I am not sure if the public can attend these meetings.
http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_14221142?source=rss_viewed


----------



## rcarr10525

Check this article out.  Very interesting.
http://www.wbjournal.com/news45465.html


----------



## ducker

It looks like the meeting on Thursday night is their public city council meeting, as such, it should be open to the public.
http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us/meetingsched.html
7:30pm.
It looks like they may video tape some meetings as well.  (work has streaming media blocked so I can't see if any past City Council meetings are posted)


----------



## kt1i

It sure is amazing what can be done with a bit of spin. In reading the article in WBJ I see the same thing being presented to us on TV recently. Not only did they fail to deliver but there are a lot of people reporting their product is crap.
If they had been more forthcoming in dealing with customers and refrained from shipping contaminated product they might be better off. Unfortunately, they thought that it was going to be a lot easier than it turned out to be.


----------



## rcarr10525

Pieterse said the trouble started even before he and Bell bought the plant, during the December 2008 ice storm. The plant, which the entrepreneurs had previously toured and liked the looks of, went without power for more than a week, and the outage left the sprinkler system running for days. The outcome, he said, was not just that they ended up buying a flooded building complete with bloated rat corpses, but also that some of the equipment they planned to use was damaged before they even touched it. 

Later, practically constant rain for a long stretch of the summer prevented the local utility from installing a power upgrade for the company. And that, in turn, meant a piece of equipment that handled the first step in the production process didn’t get started up for an extra month and a half. 

“Until we were able to grind stuff we had no idea what expect from everything else,” Pieterse said. “We weren’t able to tell what kind of issues we were going to run into.” 

There are so many things he says in this article that makes me mad all over again.  First he blames the ice storm, then all the rain we got in June.  Ok so there were a lot of things against them.  But they should have never taken all those orders or peoples money back in June when they were not even sure if the equiptment could even run.  Then in Sept when they knew they were having problems still, and they took more orders at the Mason grand opening.  And don't tell me that if someone walked in their office today who has no clue of the problems or is willing to take a chance with them that CB would not hesitate to take their money for an order that they are still not sure yet if they can fill it.  We have been listening to the same excuse (since Oct.) about some new piece of equiptment they are suppose to be getting that will solve all their problems and everything will be perfect including their pellets that are far from perfect.


----------



## Lousyweather

I guess the lesson learned here might be "buy from a reputable mill/dealer".......and you dont get to be reputable by hanging a shingle out on the sidewall.....this is a lesson rears its ugly head EVERY year.....and a lesson that ends up being relearned by many EVERY year


----------



## ruby1

The question to them,how can they make things right.With the lies,and the creative jack n the biomass.


----------



## lkrochette1013

More lies from CB, it's the same thing they were telling us back in October. Then it was they had gotten a new machine that was going to fix all thier problems and we would have our pellets in a week, but then someone burn up the machine because they didn't know what they were doing.  And the arrogant attitude that they don't need those customers that are complaining, not a way to mend fences!  If it was only a few unhappy customers then it shouldn't be a problem to refund the money to them, if they can't run the plant without the cash it sure sounds like a lot of unhappy people to me.  It's not likely that they will win back those customers, even more so now that they says they don't care!  Shawn lied to me at the Open House in Mason told me they would have pellets available all the time, and according to this article he knew he couldn't produce them and he sold them anyway, isn't that against the law??????  Because of thier attitude to me the customer, CB has lost me as a customer I will never purchase from them again!


----------



## rcarr10525

I was talking to someone this morning who had seen the articles in the newspaper these last few weeks. He told me a couple of weeks ago when driving by CB he noticed dumpsters full of a lot of christmas trees.  Are they using christmas trees now to make pellets?  That blows my mind if that is what they are doing.  You can't make pellets from christmas trees.  I thought maybe they let their employees just dump the trees there to be able to get rid of them with the next garbage pick up but he said they was way to many trees for that to be the case.


----------



## krooser

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> I was talking to someone this morning who had seen the articles in the newspaper these last few weeks. He told me a couple of weeks ago when driving by CB he noticed dumpsters full of a lot of christmas trees.  Are they using christmas trees now to make pellets?  That blows my mind if that is what they are doing.  You can't make pellets from christmas trees.  I thought maybe they let their employees just dump the trees there to be able to get rid of them with the next garbage pick up but he said they was way to many trees for that to be the case.



Spruce is used for pellet manufacturing... the Uncle Jed's I use are a pine/spruce mix. If the trees are delimbed and debarked what you have left is wood... the raw materials for pellets.


----------



## shleru

Has anyone taken them to court yet? I have a pending court date and hope to walk away with my money back. From what i've read I don't want their promises or pellets.


----------



## ruby1

I hope you will post ,the  out come of your court date!


----------



## rcarr10525

BTU said:
			
		

> krooser said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> rcarr10525 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I was talking to someone this morning who had seen the articles in the newspaper these last few weeks. He told me a couple of weeks ago when driving by CB he noticed dumpsters full of a lot of christmas trees.  Are they using christmas trees now to make pellets?  That blows my mind if that is what they are doing.  You can't make pellets from christmas trees.  I thought maybe they let their employees just dump the trees there to be able to get rid of them with the next garbage pick up but he said they was way to many trees for that to be the case.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Spruce is used for pellet manufacturing... the Uncle Jed's I use are a pine/spruce mix. If the trees are delimbed and debarked what you have left is wood... the raw materials for pellets.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> To make GOOD pellets, you need to remove the bark and dry the fiber. If you are going to use used Xmas trees, trying to remove the bark would be like trying to eat those miniature corn on cob you get in a jar...what you would have left over, would be enough to only make a couple of toothpicks....but if you used the whole tree, limbs and all, it would give you more volume but a lousy product..IMHO
Click to expand...


With the track record of this company I would not be surprised if they are just throwing the whole tree in the grinders.


----------



## ducker

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> With the track record of this company I would not be surprised if they are just throwing the whole tree in the grinders.




And most likely lots of pretty color pellets instead of the occasional blue streak through one you'll get all sorts of colors from stuff in the trees that people don't see.


----------



## rcarr10525

ducker said:
			
		

> rcarr10525 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> With the track record of this company I would not be surprised if they are just throwing the whole tree in the grinders.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And most likely lots of pretty color pellets instead of the occasional blue streak through one you'll get all sorts of colors from stuff in the trees that people don't see.
Click to expand...


Maybe you will find tinsel and xmas decorations in their bags of pellets for xmas next year.


----------



## shleru

I will let all know the outcome If u want to come and show some support you can meet me & them @ the courthouse in Leominster January 26, 2010 @ 8:30 a.m. 25 School Street Leominster.
It's getting a lil chilly here at my house had to buy a ton of pellets and they are almost gone. Creative Biomass didn't care.


----------



## rcarr10525

shleru said:
			
		

> I will let all know the outcome If u want to come and show some support you can meet me & them @ the courthouse in Leominster January 26, 2010 @ 8:30 a.m. 25 School Street Leominster.
> It's getting a lil chilly here at my house had to buy a ton of pellets and they are almost gone. Creative Biomass didn't care.



If I did not have to work I would be there.


----------



## ruby1

Those pellets did have smell to them like  Xmas trees. Alot of clinkers to.As to the court date I can't make it .


----------



## rcarr10525

Shawn Pieterse has spoken!! Check out his letter to the editor.
http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/letters/ci_14237315


----------



## kt1i

And one of our former presidential candidates didn't father a love child. Shawn can say anything and some are sure to believe him. He should consider a run for political office, he sure can spin.
I feel sorry for those that didn't get their money back and had to make another purchase elsewhere.


----------



## ducker

so the result from last nights City council can be seen here:
http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_14245780


> Another controversial petition, meant to rescind the tax increment finance, or TIF, granted to Creative Biomass, was discussed Thursday, before it was sent to the Council-as-a-Whole Committee for further consideration.
> 
> Councilors-at-large Conry, Tran, and Marcus DiNatale, and Ward Councilors Kevin Starr and Solomito, submitted the petition last week, in response to the company's failure to fully deliver wood pellets for homing heating to its customers in recent months.
> 
> "I have had numerous complaints regarding their customer service, and I think we need to have the Creative Biomass owner attend the Council-as-a-Whole meeting, so we can get the facts from him," Conry said.
> 
> The petition to the rescind the TIF, and the petition to draft a resolution against Planned Parenthood, were troublesome for Ward 6 Councilor Jody Joseph.
> 
> "The way the petitions are written is what I have a problem with," Joseph told his fellow city councilors, after referencing the language of the Planned Parenthood petition and the TIF petition.
> 
> Joseph said Creative Biomass has had production difficulties and the city should ask the owners if there is any way it can help, rather than rescind their TIF.
> 
> "Do we want to be that city that doesn't let them do business?" Joseph said.


----------



## Gweeper64

In his letter, Shawn wrote:
"and for the past three months ...  CBI has been manufacturing high-quality wood pellets"

THREE MONTHS. So he just admitted that he was taking orders for MONTHS before they had even started production but initial customers were told they would get product in August. If his customer base is so loyal, he shouldn't have a problem giving refunds to that obviously insignificant percentage of his customers that request them (sarcasm).

I am so glad I ended up not being able to make it to their open house that day in June.


----------



## shleru

Well needless to say Shawn or anyone from CBI showed for court today. More wasted money on my end. I guess another court date is to be set; and another waste of my time and money. Thanks for showing up Shawn!


----------



## ducker

shleru said:
			
		

> Well needless to say Shawn or anyone from CBI showed for court today. More wasted money on my end. I guess another court date is to be set; and another waste of my time and money. Thanks for showing up Shawn!



So what was the point of the court date?  How much money are you out now?  Why would you set up another date?  I doubt they would show up for a different date either   it just shows how much they don't care.


----------



## kt1i

ducker said:
			
		

> shleru said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well needless to say Shawn or anyone from CBI showed for court today. More wasted money on my end. I guess another court date is to be set; and another waste of my time and money. Thanks for showing up Shawn!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So what was the point of the court date?  How much money are you out now?  Why would you set up another date?  I doubt they would show up for a different date either   it just shows how much they don't care.
Click to expand...


Somehow, in my thinking, when you are subpoenaed to court, you have to appear or there will be penalties.


----------



## ducker

nicely written reply to Pieterse's ridiculous open letter to the paper.
http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_14277155


----------



## kt1i

Gee, after reading the results of the city council meeting, I'm glad that I left Fitchburg. These city councilors have their heads in the sand or somewhere else.


----------



## shleru

kt1i said:
			
		

> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shleru said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well needless to say Shawn or anyone from CBI showed for court today. More wasted money on my end. I guess another court date is to be set; and another waste of my time and money. Thanks for showing up Shawn!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So what was the point of the court date?  How much money are you out now?  Why would you set up another date?  I doubt they would show up for a different date either   it just shows how much they don't care.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Somehow, in my thinking, when you are subpoenaed to court, you have to appear or there will be penalties.
Click to expand...


The reason for the 2nd court date is; that is how our judicial system works "The Bad Guy" gets a 2nd chance to come and plead their case.  I am out 6 tons of pellets 2hours of work and $40 in court cost. Oh an not to mention the ton of pellets I had to buy andthe ton I have to buy this wkd. Yes it has been a cold winter and especially when I have to worry about how many bags do I have left.
What really burns me is Sept. 26th when I stopped by their place to ck on status of pellets I ordered an additional 2 ton for only $10 more than Grand Opening price! No one said anything about production, bagging, delivery, or machinery problems.
I hope that I do have my day in court to tell my story.


----------



## ruby1

I pick up a ton yesterday,the last of my order thank God.What a relief .I hope the rest of the people who place orders get there pellets.I pick up a 1/2ton a few weeks ago ,they burned ok some wood chips in the bag. The first 1/2 ton alot  of clinkers. They grinding wood pallets for raw materials.They are installing a new grinder,I hope people will start to receive there orders.They have alot damage to repair for the future.I dont see how they are going to make it.


----------



## lkrochette1013

shleru said:
			
		

> kt1i said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shleru said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well needless to say Shawn or anyone from CBI showed for court today. More wasted money on my end. I guess another court date is to be set; and another waste of my time and money. Thanks for showing up Shawn!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So what was the point of the court date?  How much money are you out now?  Why would you set up another date?  I doubt they would show up for a different date either   it just shows how much they don't care.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Somehow, in my thinking, when you are subpoenaed to court, you have to appear or there will be penalties.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> The reason for the 2nd court date is; that is how our judicial system works "The Bad Guy" gets a 2nd chance to come and plead their case.  I am out 6 tons of pellets 2hours of work and $40 in court cost. Oh an not to mention the ton of pellets I had to buy andthe ton I have to buy this wkd. Yes it has been a cold winter and especially when I have to worry about how many bags do I have left.
> What really burns me is Sept. 26th when I stopped by their place to ck on status of pellets I ordered an additional 2 ton for only $10 more than Grand Opening price! No one said anything about production, bagging, delivery, or machinery problems.
> I hope that I do have my day in court to tell my story.
Click to expand...



Sorry to hear about all the hassle your having, it's too bad they didn't just give you the judgement, because CB couldn't bother to show up. They most likely won't show for the second one either. I don't think there is anything anyone can do that is going to make CB accountable, and they are still selling pellets (in NH) to people that don't have a clue has to what's going on.  I think their week is up for their new machine to be up and running, so what's the new story???????????????


----------



## shleru

LKR in NH said:
			
		

> shleru said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kt1i said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> shleru said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well needless to say Shawn or anyone from CBI showed for court today. More wasted money on my end. I guess another court date is to be set; and another waste of my time and money. Thanks for showing up Shawn!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So what was the point of the court date?  How much money are you out now?  Why would you set up another date?  I doubt they would show up for a different date either   it just shows how much they don't care.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Somehow, in my thinking, when you are subpoenaed to court, you have to appear or there will be penalties.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> The reason for the 2nd court date is; that is how our judicial system works "The Bad Guy" gets a 2nd chance to come and plead their case.  I am out 6 tons of pellets 2hours of work and $40 in court cost. Oh an not to mention the ton of pellets I had to buy andthe ton I have to buy this wkd. Yes it has been a cold winter and especially when I have to worry about how many bags do I have left.
> What really burns me is Sept. 26th when I stopped by their place to ck on status of pellets I ordered an additional 2 ton for only $10 more than Grand Opening price! No one said anything about production, bagging, delivery, or machinery problems.
> I hope that I do have my day in court to tell my story.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> The Judge wasn't even in the courtroom. Probably won't even be there the next court date either. I WILL NOT MEDIATE! I WANT MY MONEY BACK! They have not once contacted us about anything. You'd think they would just send me a BANK CHECK FOR 1600.00 AND WALK AWAY FROM ALL THIS. OH BUT THEY CAN'T THEY HAVE TO PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES. I guess i have shares in CREATIVE BIOMASS WOW AREN'T I LUCKY! I'M STILL COLD AND SO ARE MY CHILDREN!
> Sorry to hear about all the hassle your having, it's too bad they didn't just give you the judgement, because CB couldn't bother to show up. They most likely won't show for the second one either. I don't think there is anything anyone can do that is going to make CB accountable, and they are still selling pellets (in NH) to people that don't have a clue has to what's going on.  I think their week is up for their new machine to be up and running, so what's the new story???????????????
Click to expand...


----------



## shleru

[quote author="ruby1" date="1264715891"]I pick up a ton yesterday,the last of my order thank God.What a relief .I hope the rest of the people who place orders get there pellets.I pick up a 1/2ton a few weeks ago ,they burned ok some wood chips in the bag. The first 1/2 ton alot  of clinkers. They grinding wood pallets for raw materials.They are installing a new grinder,I hope people will start to receive there orders.They have alot damage to repair for the future.I dont see how they are going to make it.[/quote
The sad thing also about this whole ordeal is we were there and they took our order before all the yahoo went on they didn't even think to have receipts ready to write out! We did get one though. We were also invited back for the gig later on in the day. I guess our money paid for that too!
OH SHAWN SHAME ON YOU HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT? I sleep with a slight chill in the room.


----------



## No Way

Fitchburg City Council Meeting to discuss Creative Biomass tax break and if it should be taken back. Shawn is suppose to be there. Open meeting and open mic for complaints. Meeting at Fitchburg city hall Feb 2nd Tuesday night at (7) I think  BE THERE


----------



## lkrochette1013

No Way said:
			
		

> Fitchburg City Council Meeting to discuss Creative Biomass tax break and if it should be taken back. Shawn is suppose to be there. Open meeting and open mic for complaints. Meeting at Fitchburg city hall Feb 2nd Tuesday night at (7) I think  BE THERE



I think I'll be there too!


----------



## ducker

hm do you need to be a Fitchburg resident?  I guess not.


----------



## No Way

Anyone that's been srewed by Shawn is welcome. Actually one of the City councilors got screwed by him


----------



## Lousyweather

No Way said:
			
		

> Anyone that's been srewed by Shawn is welcome. Actually one of the City councilors got screwed by him



Then its an eithical conflict of interest, and the concillor should recuse himself/herself from the discussion and leave the room. As for attending, anyone can attend the meeting, but Im not sure you'd have a voice unless you were a Fitchburg resident.


----------



## ducker

Lousyweather said:
			
		

> No Way said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone that's been srewed by Shawn is welcome. Actually one of the City councilors got screwed by him
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then its an eithical conflict of interest, and the concillor should recuse himself/herself from the discussion and leave the room. As for attending, anyone can attend the meeting, but Im not sure you'd have a voice unless you were a Fitchburg resident.
Click to expand...


That's what I thought, you can go and witness the meeting, as it is an open meeting, but most likely only residents of Fitchburg can speak; as it is their tax dollars subsidizing that "company."

I to agree that he should not have a vote, but the fact that this happened is great, as it brings more light to the effect that the company simply doesn't give a rats ass who it is lieing too, and that they really do have major issues with how they are taking advantage of their customer base.


----------



## SmokeyTheBear

ducker said:
			
		

> Lousyweather said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> No Way said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone that's been srewed by Shawn is welcome. Actually one of the City councilors got screwed by him
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then its an eithical conflict of interest, and the concillor should recuse himself/herself from the discussion and leave the room. As for attending, anyone can attend the meeting, but Im not sure you'd have a voice unless you were a Fitchburg resident.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> That's what I thought, you can go and witness the meeting, as it is an open meeting, but most likely only residents of Fitchburg can speak; as it is their tax dollars subsidizing that "company."
> 
> I to agree that he should not have a vote, but the fact that this happened is great, as it brings more light to the effect that the company simply doesn't give a rats ass who it is lieing too, and that they really do have major issues with how they are taking advantage of their customer base.
Click to expand...


He should recuse himself from voting, however he does have a right to speak as a citizen of Fitchburg.


----------



## No Way

It seems everyone is more concerned about about the counciler than how Shawn has screwed people. I would think the councilors would let anyone speak because the company is a reflection on what people think about Fitchburg. Second the City councilors actually can not recind the tax credit, only the mayor can, so the meeting will be more of a chance vent your anger. Hopefully some people will show up, if not Shawn will have the last laugh.


----------



## No Way

Has anyone considered that using wood pallets for wood pellets is not really a good idea. These pallets are from local factory's. Some might be OK, but others are soak with chemicals. No Thankyou

No additives??? Right


----------



## rcarr10525

The ton of pellets I received back in Oct. might have been made from old pallets.  What ever they used to make them was not good material.  I am still finding remains in my stove from the hard clumping ash the pellets formed once burned.  I have cleaned my stove 2 times from their pellets.  The pellets had a really bad chemical smell to them.


----------



## Lousyweather

SmokeyTheBear said:
			
		

> ducker said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lousyweather said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> No Way said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone that's been srewed by Shawn is welcome. Actually one of the City councilors got screwed by him
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then its an eithical conflict of interest, and the concillor should recuse himself/herself from the discussion and leave the room. As for attending, anyone can attend the meeting, but Im not sure you'd have a voice unless you were a Fitchburg resident.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> That's what I thought, you can go and witness the meeting, as it is an open meeting, but most likely only residents of Fitchburg can speak; as it is their tax dollars subsidizing that "company."
> 
> I to agree that he should not have a vote, but the fact that this happened is great, as it brings more light to the effect that the company simply doesn't give a rats ass who it is lieing too, and that they really do have major issues with how they are taking advantage of their customer base.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> He should recuse himself from voting, however he does have a right to speak as a citizen of Fitchburg.
Click to expand...


I agree fundamentally, but, if you call the state Ethics Board, you will find that a member, after recusing themselves, has to leave and not take part in the discussion, as expressions and comments  of this recused person could sway the other members of the board, especially if the member recusing themselves is a "stong" member....the only way to take part in the discussion would be for the member to resign their post.


----------



## No Way

You guys are unbelievable. The councilor has consulted the City lawyer and will do as he recommends. Sounds like you bloggers have completly lost sight of why they are having this meeting!unbelieveable


----------



## Lousyweather

not at all, but out of fairness, a voting member shouldnt compromise where ethics are concerned, otherwise he/she could open up the town to litigation and/or invlaidate any vote.


----------



## No Way

HE IS NOT GOING to attend!!NOW GET OVER IT!!


----------



## Lousyweather

I would suggest taking a chill pill, my upset friend


----------



## kt1i

It could have been like this:

http://www.vermontwoodpellet.com/


They appear to be doing it right. See other thread.


----------



## Lousyweather

kt1i said:
			
		

> It could have been like this:
> 
> http://www.vermontwoodpellet.com/
> 
> 
> They appear to be doing it right. See other thread.



yes, could have been, but through the convoluted machinations of manufacturing and business, as well as the alleged ethical inadequacies of the company, it isnt. I am glad to see a local player make something work successfully though!


----------



## rcarr10525

So did anybody go to the meeting at City Hall in Fitchburg last night?  I could not go.  Just curious how it went.


----------



## lkrochette1013

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> So did anybody go to the meeting at City Hall in Fitchburg last night?  I could not go.  Just curious how it went.



I wasn't able to go either does anyone know how things went?????


----------



## ducker

In looking at the City council meeting agenda for last night there was nothing on there for Creative BioMass discussion.


----------



## SmokeyTheBear

16-2010             Councillors Dean A. Tran, Thomas J. Conry, Marcus DiNatale, Kevin Starr, and Joseph Solomito to rescind Order 74-09: Resolution: Authorizing the use of tax increment financing for Creative BioMass.

From the agenda


----------



## ducker

SmokeyTheBear said:
			
		

> 16-2010             Councillors Dean A. Tran, Thomas J. Conry, Marcus DiNatale, Kevin Starr, and Joseph Solomito to rescind Order 74-09: Resolution: Authorizing the use of tax increment financing for Creative BioMass.
> 
> From the agenda



Thanks, don't know how I missed that last night..


----------



## ducker

hm I'm not seeing it:
http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us/agenda.pdf
ok.. they have it in multiple places... poor web design!!
http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us/wholecomm.htm


----------



## rcarr10525

ducker said:
			
		

> hm I'm not seeing it:
> http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us/agenda.pdf
> ok.. they have it in multiple places... poor web design!!
> http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us/wholecomm.htm



This is embarrassing but what does that mean?


----------



## SmokeyTheBear

Actually all that means is it was scheduled to be considered other than that nothing. 

You'll have to find out when someone says something about what actually took place.  If they publish the votes taken on their site then eventually it will show up.  I just searched for the agenda when it was mentioned it wasn't there.


----------



## rcarr10525

I was talking to someone who was watching that on tv last night and all they were talking about was that Planned Parenthood thing.  He said he did not see anything about Creative Biomass.


----------



## ducker

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> I was talking to someone who was watching that on tv last night and all they were talking about was that Planned Parenthood thing.  He said he did not see anything about Creative Biomass.



Yep, waiting for a reporter to write something even a brief snippet on the paper's website.
Last time It was tucked in a Planned Parrenthood article.

I don't live in Fitchburg, just over the line, so I was unable to watch it on TV.

They also post the meetings sometimes on a TV archive website.  FATV.org   we could watch for any updates for the 2/2/10 council meeting.


----------



## ducker

here's the verdict:
http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_14331925?IADID


> In other business, the City Council will not rescind the tax increment financing, or TIF, it approved last summer for Creative Biomass, the wood pellet company that has not been able to keep up with customers' orders during its first year of business.
> 
> Members of the Council-as-a-Whole, a subcommittee of the City Council, unanimously voted to withdraw a petition to rescind the TIF Tuesday, after Councilors-at-large Thomas Conry, Marcus DiNatale, and Dean Tran, and Ward Councilors Joseph Solomito and Kevin Starr filed the petition two weeks ago.
> 
> City Solicitor Michael Ciota told city councilors that they do not have the authority to rescind the TIF, which gives the company a break on property taxes based on how much value is added to a building after a company makes improvements, especially since the first report on whether Creative Biomass has fulfilled obligations of the TIF is not due until June.
> 
> Solomito said the experience with Creative Biomass has taught him to be cautious.
> 
> Solomito has received numerous complaints from constituents who did not receive some or all of the pellets they ordered to heat their homes.
> 
> "I know I am going to think long and hard before ever voting in favor of a TIF again," Solomito said.
> 
> Creative Biomass Owner Shawn Pieterse could not be reached for comment Wednesday.


----------



## ducker

Haven't heard or been able to find any new updates.  It look like over the past month additional complains have been filed to the BBB to no surprise.  A shame that no goverment agency has begun steps towards getting this joke of a company to stop selling their junk.

Ha... so they don't answer the phone anymore, it goes to voice mail where they tell you to leave a message and they will follow back up with you within a business day.  I wonder if they actually are.


----------



## daveswoodhauler

Now a fire at the plant....things are not looking good for those who still need to get the pellets:

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_14416321


----------



## rleshane

> Creative Biomass Owner Shawn Pieterse could not be reached for comment Wednesday.



SHOCKING


----------



## ducker

anyone have any new and interesting updates here?

Nothing looks to have changed expect perhaps the price of their pellets.  $269 a ton.

BBB grade is still an F
They have added those youtube videos on their web page... but other then that it still looks to be the same.

No way in hell I would purchase their pellets at $175 a ton.
never mind the price they are asking...


----------



## sparkydog00

ducker said:
			
		

> anyone have any new and interesting updates here?
> 
> Nothing looks to have changed expect perhaps the price of their pellets.  $269 a ton.
> 
> BBB grade is still an F
> They have added those youtube videos on their web page... but other then that it still looks to be the same.
> 
> No way in hell I would purchase their pellets at $175 a ton.
> never mind the price they are asking...



That is what I paid for Okies...
Gonna guess the price is way too high!


----------



## rleshane

ducker said:
			
		

> No way in hell I would purchase their pellets at $175 a ton.
> never mind the price they are asking...



Seriously, after how they treated folks this year, I wouldn't spend the gas money to go pick up pellets from them even if they were free.  Crooks or incompetent, either way my pellet dollars go elsewhere next season.


----------



## ruby1

co -owner fryed at the dust collector, I'll be burning a bag in his memory tonight.


----------



## wellsme

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO138709/


----------



## rcarr10525

They are all done now.


----------



## webbie

I think this guy sent me some nasty emails and PM's when I would not let him promote his product here.......


----------



## Salty

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT there goes another pellet company.


----------



## kt1i

I feel sorry for this fellow's family. Despite OSHA there are a lot of unsafe workplaces, practices out there. Maybe this will shutter the company, maybe not. 
I wonder how their product quality, quantity has been lately and if they ever satisfied their backorders.


----------



## johnnycomelately

All that aside, let's please remember that someone died here. I understand your frustrations, but keep the big picture in your vision as well.


----------



## shleru

johnnycomelately said:
			
		

> All that aside, let's please remember that someone died here. I understand your frustrations, but keep the big picture in your vision as well.


 I guess the guy who died is Kevin Bell, Shawn was probably to cheap to hire an electrician. I hope with all the publicity he gets served his warrant for arrest that I have out him. He never showed to court dates. There is an active  warrant for his arrest and hope they get him!


----------



## lkrochette1013

My sympathy goes out to the family.  If something would have been done sooner this may not of happened. And to answer the question have they filled the back orders?  NO.


----------



## mrbean1025

Kevin Bell had a wife, daughter and son that were all three good people.  As stated by others, it is understandable that people are frustrated but try to remember that these people have lost their husband and father, not a business owner.


----------



## rcarr10525

shleru said:
			
		

> johnnycomelately said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> All that aside, let's please remember that someone died here. I understand your frustrations, but keep the big picture in your vision as well.
> 
> 
> 
> I guess the guy who died is Kevin Bell, Shawn was probably to cheap to hire an electrician. I hope with all the publicity he gets served his warrant for arrest that I have out him. He never showed to court dates. There is an active  warrant for his arrest and hope they get him!
Click to expand...


I know someone who's son had done some electrical work in there in the beginning and CBM was still trying to get him in there for work that still needed to be done but CBM had not been paying him so he refused.


----------



## lkrochette1013

CBM has a history of don't paying thier bills!


----------



## lkrochette1013

CBM has a history of not paying their bills!


----------



## Boom

WOW.

Reading this whole thread tonight delivers a solid wallop.  I have great sympathy for all involved from customers to the families of the owners.

In it's entirety this thread would be a useful textbook for anyone starting a business they are unfamiliar with.  As a businessman I see numerous lessons here as similar stories may have occurred many times in the past. I hope both the fire* and final tragedy prove to be accidents.  Please let us know if any further news develops.

WOW, I count my blessings.
God Bless,
Jay


*news story of the fire was removed from the newspaper link.


----------



## ducker

some reason I didn't get updated with the recent updates to this thread.
http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_14784250?IADID

Is the article I just read.  It is tragic.  But it leads me to believe that Kevin was just trying to do whatever he could to keep the company afloat.  I assume that the industrial units use a rather higher electrical current then in our houses, and why on earth he would be working on a unit fixing/cleaning/etc with out first completely cutting the power is really confusing.


> Bell was apparently rewiring the motor for a dust-collecting unit when he was injured.





> woman sitting at the front desk who declined to identify herself.


I think we all can guess who this is.. we have a 50/50 shot at this one.



It is sad, and it is tragic, and the worst possible outcome for a company which failed in so many ways.. you would think the fires that broke out would have caused the company to be even more careful with their practices going forward (as a kinda warning sign.)

I'm not an electrician but I know not to work with live wires   RIP Kevin.


----------



## Estarrio

Looks like they are ramping up for business again:

http://jobview.monster.com/Wood-Pellet-Manuf-Mgr-Job-Fitchburg-MA-US-87525814.aspx

Wood Pellet Manuf. Mgr.
About the Job
Wood Pellet Manufacturing Plant Manager. Responsible for daily plant operations and maintenance. Minimum 10 years experience in manufacturing management. Hands on, goal oriented person with a willingness to perform work and direct others. Proven track record of performance and hiring/retaining a high quality workforce. Mechanically inclined high energy person who can instill same in others. Mission orientated; Military leadership experience a plus. $50K minimum with full benefit pkg. and quarterly incentive bonuses possible.Send cover letter and Resume w/references to e mail.


----------



## Lousyweather

Estarrio said:
			
		

> Looks like they are ramping up for business again:
> 
> http://jobview.monster.com/Wood-Pellet-Manuf-Mgr-Job-Fitchburg-MA-US-87525814.aspx
> 
> Wood Pellet Manuf. Mgr.
> About the Job
> Wood Pellet Manufacturing Plant Manager. Responsible for daily plant operations and maintenance. Minimum 10 years experience in manufacturing management. Hands on, goal oriented person with a willingness to perform work and direct others. Proven track record of performance and hiring/retaining a high quality workforce. Mechanically inclined high energy person who can instill same in others. Mission orientated; Military leadership experience a plus. $50K minimum with full benefit pkg. and quarterly incentive bonuses possible.Send cover letter and Resume w/references to e mail.



fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me


----------



## rcarr10525

So CBM is selling their pellets at the Stateline Stove Shop location in NH.  They have about 15 tons lined up in the parking lot for $249.00/ton.  I go by there every day and I don't  see much business.  I will not be taking any chances with them again.  I went with someone else this year.  Stove Keepers @ $249.00/ton.


----------



## pelletdude

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> So CBM is selling their pellets at the Stateline Stove Shop location in NH.  They have about 15 tons lined up in the parking lot for $249.00/ton.  I go by there every day and I don't  see much business.  I will not be taking any chances with them again.  I went with someone else this year.  Stove Keepers @ $249.00/ton.



Stove Keepers are very nice people - been selling pellets for a long time.


----------



## ducker

Same here. Not playing any games, and taking risks.  Went with pro-tech in acton for some NEWP at a great price. You guys rock!!


----------



## ducker

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> So CBM is selling their pellets at the Stateline Stove Shop location in NH.  They have about 15 tons lined up in the parking lot for $249.00/ton.  I go by there every day and I don't  see much business.  I will not be taking any chances with them again.  I went with someone else this year.  Stove Keepers @ $249.00/ton.



that must be cash/carry... that is IF those 15 tons are for sale... if not just for show.

The website still lists at $269.


----------



## pelletdude

ducker said:
			
		

> rcarr10525 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So CBM is selling their pellets at the Stateline Stove Shop location in NH.  They have about 15 tons lined up in the parking lot for $249.00/ton.  I go by there every day and I don't  see much business.  I will not be taking any chances with them again.  I went with someone else this year.  Stove Keepers @ $249.00/ton.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> that must be cash/carry... that is IF those 15 tons are for sale... if not just for show.
> 
> The website still lists at $269.
Click to expand...


It says on the state line website that CB owns the shop and the pellets are 249/ton.


----------



## rcarr10525

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_14943810

"It is believed that a nail in the grinder machine set off the spark"

SHOCKER!

I loved finding nails in my pellet stove last winter.


----------



## sparkydog00

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_14943810
> 
> "It is believed that a nail in the grinder machine set off the spark"
> 
> SHOCKER!
> 
> I loved finding nails in my pellet stove last winter.



At least someone is burning these pellets!


----------



## Ladderlieu

rcarr10525 said:
			
		

> http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_14943810
> 
> "It is believed that a nail in the grinder machine set off the spark"
> 
> SHOCKER!
> 
> I loved finding nails in my pellet stove last winter.



Followed by the statement:  "Fire prevention will speak to them again"

And again. And again. And again.


----------



## rcarr10525

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_14966284

Newest article


----------

