Pellets Direct Llc

I have purchased pellets from this company for the last 3 years and I am used to having to be patient for delivery (no problem). However, this year I am especially frustrated and will no longer be doing business with them going forward. Why? I ordered over $ 1,000 of product through their website in early Oct-​2015. I received the automated email acknowledging my order which indicates that it will take a week before delivery is scheduled, with expectation that delivery will be in ~2 ~3 weeks (which is also what their recorded message says when you call). I did not try to reach them to ask about a delivery date until ~2 weeks had gone by because, as mentioned, I know from experience that patience is required.
However, it has now been nearly a month and there has been no response to three (3) phone calls and messages I’ve left for them. I simply requested status of my order without concern or demands about delivery date. How can any customer be expected to not hear back for so long after multiple attempts to get status of an order (while watching my current stash of pellets dwindling as colder weather arrives)?
I’m done with these guys, as they have shown absolutely no regard for their (repeat) customers.
Update: once this business learned that I had placed a negative review I finally received a call back (Kevin). He informed me that he was canceling my order by quoting my review above, saying he was «honoring my request to no longer do business with them.» He told me that putting a bad review online was a «slimy thing to do.» It is amazing how out-​of-​touch a business can be. If you don’t like negative reviews, how about not ignoring customer inquiries for over a month?!? I would much rather be updating this review by saying the owner saw the complaint and responded to my requests for order status, but instead I’m writing to say that this business has added insult to injury. Kevin; thanks to social media you don’t get to bully your customers in this day and age. People share their experiences and pellets are a commodity…

Ordered 3 tons of barefoot pellets online on September 6, 2015. Received automated confirmation within day or two saying I would be contacted in a few days concerning delivery. After 3 or 4 weeks of no contact I sent an email asking about the order, still no reply. A week later I phoned and received no response. Finally approaching mid October, I canceled the order. A confirmation regarding the cancellation was emailed to me with no apology. Beware when dealing with this company.

Bought two tons of Envi-​Block fire wood from Pellets Direct in the fall. They delivered quickly and when promised. The Envi-​Blocks are working excellent in our woodstove, no bother with splitting and stacking wood. The only downside is they tend to run out of stock when it gets cold and their website gets a little cryptic with their offerings. Not a big deal though, just call and they’ll straighten you out.

Last year I ordered 4 tons of Barefoot pellets from this company and they delivered them exactly where I wanted them! Kevin did an outstanding job. They have a piggyback fork lift which is the key. They are able to maneuver each ton through the grass, they can lift them up off the ground and place them where you want them with ease. This is also very important if you place an order in the winter when there is some snow or ice on the ground. I don’t understand why some other companies don’t have the necessary equipment? It helps to get your order in early, like late summer so they can plan their deliveries. They take about 2 – 3 weeks to deliver, sometimes even longer so you have to plan ahead. I’ve been a happy customer for 5 years.
I have to say I was disappointing this February when I tried to order another ton of pellets. I went back and fourth with them trying to figure out when they were getting more pellets in stock. it was on a first come first served basis and they were limiting their customers to 10 bags at a time and pick up only. It was very inconvenient and stressful to pick them up myself so I found another pellet dealer. In their defense it was an «unusually cold winter» with the polar vortex so I understand the supply shortage was not there fault.
I’ve been using my Harmon XXV pellet stove as my primary heating source for about 5 years now. I think it makes the most sense to purchase an okay pellet say 1 – 2 tons for the fall and into the early winter and then burn a really high quality pellet for the coldest winter months. Go back to the okay pellet in March.

A couple comments. During a huge pellet shortage due to a very harsh winter, dont be surprised if pellet inventory is hard to come by or literally disappears as soon as it arrives. Golden rule that a lot of people fail to follow, treat others how you want to be treated. Customers may think they are always right, but if you (the customer) are an asshole, dont expect great service.
That being said, my husband and I have both picked up pellets from and had pellets delivered from this business over the past year. We have never had an issue. They have always been curteous, polite, prompt, and flexible. Most recently, we ordered 3 tons of pellets from them and asked to change our delivery date. They did so without an issue or comment. And the pellets arrived on the day they were promised. Greatly appreciate having a great pellet place so close to home.

I wish no stars was an option… The web site said pellets available from 10 – 12 today. I showed up at 9. There were over 50 cars waiting– some people whom drove as far as ct. Not only did they NOT have any pellets but no one even came out to say they didn’t have any! We waited till the police arrived and told people to leave there would be no pellets today. I drove over an hour and waited an hour and a half and you didn’t even have the decency to tell me you didn’t have the product. I will never do business with this company and I would not recommend it to anyone. Horrible customer service and web site is not accurate.

Called Pellets Direct to see if they have any pellets as most places in the area are out at the moment. When I finally got someone on the phone, he assured me they had plenty. I told him I’d be coming from an hour away, and he said it won’t be a problem. I get there in the middle of the day and the gates are closed and the lights are out. There is a sign that says «no pellets» Tried calling on the phone multiple times and no answer. What a complete piece of garbage this place is. STAY AWAY. Plenty of great places to order pellets from that actually care about their customers.

Walked in to buy pellets and the first thing they ask is if I have bought there before and before i could say yes because I have the dirt ball guy that was there said no. Now immediately i knew he was lying because I saw a bunch of open pallets on the way in. I have no clue why they choose to conduct business like this but I would never go there or recommend them ever again! Ive heard A LOT! bad about them before but until now i’ve never experienced it. And quite honestly I find there prices are outrageously high because the web site says one thing and when you call there always out of stock on there specials but always seem to have the more expensive ones in stock. Go to lowes or royal fire side you will get better quality and price. Without the attitude!!!

I have never written reviews on Unilocal before, but for Pellets Direct I needed to. As everyone is aware, there is a backorder of pellets in the Northeast. I went to Pellets Direct last week, and was able to get 8 bags. I got two different kinds to try out, and I informed them that I would order a ton this week. I went back today to get a few bags, and order a ton. There were quite a few pallets of pellets in the yard. I could see them all… Well, they informed me that since I haven’t been a customer for over a year, they wouldn’t sell me any pellets… Not a single bag. I had told them that I would take whatever they had. I wasn’t picky, I just want a warm house, but no, they wouldn’t budge… To me this is disappointing. They just lost someone who could have been a loyal customer.

We purchased 2 tons of pellets from this company. At the time of our order, they were advised we wanted low ash pellets in order to meet the specifications of our new Harmon stove. They delivered these pellets and placed them in our garage. There are Premium Softwood pellets from North Country in Alberta Canada. Each of the 1 tons pallets appeared to be well wrapped but had noticeable snow accumulation on top when they were left in our garage.
We began using this fuel and immediately noticed each bag was wet on the exterior & most of the pellets were busted up with excessive fines and sawdust. Over the course of a few weeks we began to experience problems with the new stove such as failure to ignite. We also went from cleaning the stove once a week to every other day. These low ash pellets produce a whole lot of waste!
My wife reached out to Kevin at Pellets Direct who requested an email with photos. This was provided to him. Numerous subsequent messages were left. No call back. When my wife finally got him on the phone he indicated that he needed to print out the photos but would call back within the hour. He never did.
Two days later we called back and got Kevin again. We explained that the product was inferior and damp. He stated that he couldn’t see this in the photos. He went on to explain that dampness is natural because of the change in temperature. Each bag is clearly labeled «Store in a dry place». We advised him that we wanted the product to be removed and our money refunded. He told us that we could bring it back and get a refund. I am not exactly sure how I would get a ton of pallets back to him using my SUV. He refused to come pick them up without charging us $ 59. He indicated that he would waive the cost if we weren’t a new customer but since this was our first order with them it was not going to happen.
Obviously it is unacceptable to ask a customer to pay for your costs to retrieve an inferior product. We are now stuck with 1.5 tons of garbage taking up space in our garage. We were not very happy with this company, their product or their business practices.