New England Pellet L.L.C. - Part VI

[iceman]

To the best of my knowledge, NEP LLC is only supplied pellets by NEWP, I have not heard of anyone else supplying NEP LLC during 2008. NEP LLC is also (currently) an authorized dealer for NEWP.
.

Once again, I think you are muddying the waters - whatever relationship the vendor has with others is something we cannot gleam. We don't know if he gave bad checks to his suppliers nor whether he has multiple suppliers, etc.

Sorry, I fail to see how I have muddied the waters. What I stated is very accurate. Throughout 2008, NEWP has been the sole pellet supplier to NEP LLC. Up to this point, they have not been getting pellets from anyone else. Also, as confirmed by NEWP, NEP LLC is an authorized dealer for them. That's all I stated and I don't think you can argue any of this is untrue. I also fail to see anything "muddy" about this, it's actually very clear and true.

We don't know what his contracts are, etc.- nor should we. Nor do we need to.

Well we know NEP has a contract with NEWP and we also know NEP has already received all the "Warm Front" brand pellets they were allocated to distribute within CT & MA. This has also been publicly stated by NEWP.

We only know one thing...and that is NEP has been misleading their customers and not calling them back - and not responding quickly to demands for refunds.

You certainly don't have to tell me anything about this. I've easily placed 100-200 calls to NEP from May to Nov. trying to get in touch with them. I think they called me back twice, and one of those two times was to take my order (they were VERY responsive about taking my money!)

Although you may not be trying to muddy the facts, making assumptions that it is his vendors fault is over the top. For some reason, this seems to be one of the few outlets having as big of a problem...yet the manufacturer supplies thousands of outlets.

Where in this thread did I make ANY assumptions???? Where did you get that out of "To the best of my knowledge, NEP LLC is only supplied pellets by NEWP, I have not heard of anyone else supplying NEP LLC during 2008. NEP LLC is also (currently) an authorized dealer for NEWP."??? There are no assumptions there. I think you are reading into something that certainly isn't there. Your earlier post said "It (NEP LLC) is an outfit which sells and delivers pellets that they buy from various makers", I was just clarifying the actual situation. NEWP is their only current supplier and they are an authorized dealer for them. Simple as that. If you want to call that "over the top" so be it.

To be fair, I have in the past speculated that part of NEP's problem with failing to deliver pellets might have been because NEWP was not supplying them pellets fast enough. I don't know what the actually status was or is on that, but NEWP has stated more recently that NEP has now already received all of their CT & MA Warm Front brand allocations... Anything they receive from this point on should be labeled with their NEWP brand label and NEP LLC is only authorized to sell these pellets in NY and NJ. Despite this, the 5 tons of pellets I recently received (in CT) from NEP LLC, were NEWP's Green Supreme brand label...

Either way, you're right, we don't hear about other NEWP dealers having so many problems... It's quite clear NEP LLC is managed very, very, poorly. In fact, I think these clowns have taken poor customer service to a new low level.

Let's keep the speculation out of it because it does not have any bearing on the issue.

No speculation here, although if you want to read into my words, I guess you could make a case that I did hint or speculate that NEWP might drop NEP LLC as one of their authorized dealers after this year...

The problem and lesson as I see it - never have anyone charge your credit card for goods they cannot immediately deliver......that is, unless you 100% trust them (maybe a stove shop which has been there 20 years, etc.).

So true.

Also, if you do, note that some cards and paypal, etc. only allow you to dispute for a fixed amount of time (30 days), although they often have appeal processes that can kick in after that.

Good point, although it should be noted Paypal's dispute process is almost useless and it very heavily favors the seller.

Most importantly, get a supplier who is reasonable and has a spotless reputation.

Good suggestion.

i still believe that part of it a big part was due to not getting pellets from newp they are the ;argest here in new england and make prolly 10 different names of pellets
before there was a site that had where every pllet was made and you would be surprised how many names came from the same plant...
the one guy in this area that always had pellets (because he sold to customers only Stove cust)
ran out of newp early in july and got some brand rr in from kentucky.

 

[Concerned0331]

I am posting this to the response to all of the posts I have read regarding New England Pellet LLC. I'd like to say that I am aware of the owner and I know for a fact that over this past summer he has had a brand new inground pool put in and then I saw a brand new Porche parked in the front yard, and his front porch and yard was all redone.
Please be vigilant and get your money back if you can.

 

[Wet1]

I am posting this to the response to all of the posts I have read regarding New England Pellet LLC. I'd like to say that I am aware of the owner and I know for a fact that over this past summer he has had a brand new inground pool put in and then I saw a brand new Porche parked in the front yard, and his front porch and yard was all redone.
Please be vigilant and get your money back if you can.

Very sound advice. I'd also suggest that anyone waiting for a refund/pellets should send a letter to the AG ASAP if you have not already done so... dont wait folks

 

[newf lover]

Another article in the Hartford Courant this morning. Doesn't look like the story will just fade away.

(broken link removed to http://www.courant.com/news/local/columnists/hc-watchdog1126.artnov26,0,4789043.column)

 

[Wet1]

I'm glad to see the AG is digging his heals in and read to stick it to them. I'd love to know how many people have been shafted by NEP, obviously we are only a fraction.

 

[ct wood man]

Hello guys...Unfortunately I wasnt one of the people that got scammed by Steve...He is in a lot more trouble than just the Pellet Business,,,He is also a State of Connecticut employee that was delivering the pellets while he was collecting workers compensation,,So anyone that had him deliver pellets, should come forward and address this issue...It was a real dirt bag move on his part, and he knew all about the shortage while he was taking orders...

 

[ct wood man]

As for the earlier post about all the items that Steve has purchased with your money...Alll of that is correct, and he will brag about it when he talks about it....He is currently out on workers comp. due to some false injury..I am sure the Attorney General would love to hear about that...

 

[Lorilooo]

FYI...Stopped over to NEP LLC today and (surprise!) not a pellet to be found, office is dark and empty. Looks like they could possibly be done. I'm guessing the state may have stepped in? Stayed tuned as this is far from over! 8-/

 

[FredJ]

office is dark and empty. Looks like they could possibly be done.

Umm.. Dark and empty as in just no one there, or Dark and Empty as in Moved out furniture and all .....

 

[Lorilooo]

No computers, printers or phones. Just stacks of orders on desk.

 

[suzannegale]

Yeah, they're done. If that's the office they were operating their business out of, they're done. I hope everyone is able to recoup the money they spent pre-ordering. In NH, we had a local oil comapny go out of business. Lots of people who pre-paid lost a couple of thousand dollars because the company was not solvent enough to recompsense those expenses and bankruptcy proceedings did not protect the consumer. The local oil company simply didn't have the money - can't squeeze blood out of a stone. The big oil companies have a ton of money, but the local companies live by the whim of the market. They weren't trying to screw people, unlike this pellet company.

 

[LT_Rooster]

Is that the Enfield office that was closed? I will stop over there tomorrow. I was assured by NEWP (in Jaffrey N.H.) that they would make it right. Will follow up with them next week.

 

[Pellet-King]

Big article in yesterdays JI, Blumenthol is involved and by monday he's persuing legal action.

I almost bought from them past june, $205 a ton sounded good.

I buy for the past 10 yrs at Walmart or Home depot.

 

[FredJ]

Big article in yesterdays JI, Blumenthol is involved and by monday he's persuing legal action.

What is "JI" and is it available online?

 

[foldsct]

JI is the Journal Inquirer, and yes it is available online......


http://www.journalinquirer.com/

 

[richg]

So far, two out of three online pellet pellet dealers I've come across have proven to be thieves-Dogwood Energy and New England Pellet. Pelletsales is on the up and up, but they are pricey. At this point, I am so leery of online ordering that it just won't happen. If a retailer has pellets in stock, I have money in stock. No pellets, no money. Deal?

 

[Wet1]

FYI...Stopped over to NEP LLC today and (surprise!) not a pellet to be found, office is dark and empty. Looks like they could possibly be done.

Sadly, this comes as no surprise. Although, I'm surprised it took this long.

 

[Panhandler]

So far, two out of three online pellet pellet dealers I've come across have proven to be thieves-Dogwood Energy and New England Pellet. Pelletsales is on the up and up, but they are pricey. At this point, I am so leery of online ordering that it just won't happen. If a retailer has pellets in stock, I have money in stock. No pellets, no money. Deal?

The Dogwood crew were really crooked. I ordered in April and didn't get money back til October, about 2 weeks before they filed bankruptcy. It was a real frustrating flashback hearing about this NE mess this year. Especially when people kept believing they would come thru, wanted to scream at them.

 

[Obie25]

So has anyone received refunds or pellets or anything from them in the past couple weeks?

 

[TheDarkSide]

(broken link removed to http://blogs.courant.com/georgeombossy/2008/12/new-england-pellet-sued-for-mi.html)

 

[johnnywarm]

http://blogs.courant.com/georgeombossy/2008/12/new-england-pellet-sued-for-mi.html

I guarantee the state gets money and the customers will get nothing.Maybe you should call the prison and ask for your money

 

[DiggerJim]

http://blogs.courant.com/georgeombossy/2008/12/new-england-pellet-sued-for-mi.html

Unfortunately a relatively meaningless solution. NEP merely has to declare bankruptcy and walk away; whatever assets are left are distributed to the creditors and I would think the individual customers are probably pretty far down the list of creditors (his landlord, vehicle lien holders, etc. are likely to have supremacy).

The AG doesn't have to "fight for" a court order against them - it's a pretty easy standard to meet; he's just got to file the paperwork. What he should be doing is pursuing criminal charges for fraud & theft that would survive the business' bankruptcy proceedings. As it stands, Steve either walks away and starts a new company or sticks it out & refunds the money but fights the imposition of additional penalties and plea bargains that away in return for paying the money back - the state would likely accept that in order to have a "win" for the consumers (they get their money back). In the long run in either case, the folks who bought from them are stuck paying far larger $ for their pellets or waiting until next year to fire up those stoves.

If the AG went the criminal route rather than the civil one he's pursuing, at least Steve would likely end up with a roommate named Bubba. His partner Jason would no doubt rat him out in a minute to avoid prison time - corrections folks make really big targets when they hit the other side of the cage.

(BTW, was it "Jason" who posted in an earlier thread that he had enough money to buy all the pellet plants in New England?)

 

[webbie]

Small business is just like large business- they can walk away from their debts. Try collecting a pension from Enron.

The sad fact is....that folks should not have given this company so much leeway. It's a hard lesson to learn for those of us with some level of trust, but the fact is that after the check clears you are pretty much sunk.

The good news is this - those who paid with credit card and paypal might actually be able to get their money back. You might have to be the squeaky wheel, but some of these credit card companies have automatic guarantees, etc.

Try it - and don't give up easily.

And, in the future, don't give money to people you cannot 100% trust.

 

[smilejamaica]

well... who do you trust 100 % . put it on a credit card next time .make sure before you buy it. it will be coverd if they dont produce the product.

 

[Obie25]

Paypal can't do anything. We tried that route. ALso have heard that if too much time has gone by the credit card companies can't help you either.