Yes, Harman Is Giving Me the Shaft.

 
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orvis
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Post by orvis » Thu. Oct. 09, 2008 3:13 pm

Well the dealers are getting squeezed from both ends, and it is an ugly situation all around. A dealer I talked to casually said that they are supposed to be getting 40 coal stoves a month. The actual delivery they get is 10 stoves a month.
If a coal stove/boiler maker has the floor space, machinery, and trained workforce to make X units a month, it is very, very hard for them to increase that number.

Imagine that you had a small business baking pies. You make them in you home oven and you can make 24 pies a day. That is how you are set up. That is the trained employees you have (one- you!) and the equipment you have (a normal kitchen oven in you kitchen) Now you get an order for 240 pies a day. It ain't gonna happen. And your pie making operation is the easiest of any manufacturing operation to control.. you own the plant, the equipment, no union rules, no problems getting supplies, or gas/electricity for your oven..


 
ssupercoolss
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Post by ssupercoolss » Thu. Oct. 09, 2008 4:00 pm

i understand whats happening on the dealers end, really I do. but they need to stop giving out unrealistic delivery dates. my problem with this whole thing is, I placed my order in june. I should not be hearing "i placed my order in july, and just got my stove, I feel your pain" feel this>>>>>. lets face it, Harman probably has the biggest profit margins on stoves, they can probably make 2-3 stoves vs. my 1 boiler. hmmmm, get out 3 pieces, or 1, which will make me look like I am shipping more units and keeping up with demand? duhhhhhh....i may talk slow but that doesnt mean I am stupid. as my dealer said to me, "i got some stoves coming in, but no boilers yet".

this is just like when I got my second mortgage 3 yrs ago - the mortgage guy said, "i can approve you for a loan twice that amount". me- "i cant afford a mortgage twice that amount". him - "i know, but I can approve you for it". I wouldnt sleep well if I was giving out dates I knew werent gonna come true, or giving out money thats gonna bankrupt people. - o wait, I guess both of those actually happened.

 
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coalkirk
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Post by coalkirk » Thu. Oct. 09, 2008 4:18 pm

I don't think Harman has ever posted on this site. We have a member, Steve who is a Harman dealer and he posts regularly.
You are probably thinking of him. Harman Inc. can't even answer and email, much less post on the internet.

 
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CoalHeat
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Post by CoalHeat » Thu. Oct. 09, 2008 10:00 pm

It's their lack of communication that will be their undoing.

 
jstanek
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Post by jstanek » Fri. Oct. 10, 2008 9:28 am

paridgerunner wrote:I ordered a Harman DVC-500 in June. The stove is sitting in the shop, I have actually seen it, so I know that it's there. I'm still waiting on a 45 degree piece of pipe for my corner install, that's all that's holding me up, I was told august, then september, and now the middle of october. Umm...it's onlly a 45 degree piece, you'd think they'ed have a few lying around. Getting pretty tired of waiting. :mad:
Interesting, I bought a Harman DVC-500 in June also. I dealed on display model. Dealer realized he couldn't get another one so agreed to let him "display" my stove until a September install . I have my stove sitting in the corner of my house with everything but the 45 degree. It's going on 3 weeks the dealer said Harman is sending the 45 shortly. Let me know your progress.

 
paridgerunner
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Post by paridgerunner » Fri. Oct. 10, 2008 11:29 am

jstanek. I bought my stove in June, the dealer had 2 coming in that they had ordered in March. One was sold, so I jumped on it knowing that if I waited and had to order one it might be next year that I got it. I ordered the pipe with the stove, everyting but the 45 degree, at the beginning of August I realized I would need the 45, so I stop by the stove shop to order it. The dealer showed me my stove and pipe, it was already there. I ordered the 45 and they said it would be 2-3 weeks till they got it and then they would install the stove. I called the beginning of september and they said it's not it, things are slow, probably the middle of september, then I called 1st of october, still not in, should be here, we'll get the stove in middle of october, still haven't heard anything. If I had no this I would have built my hearth differently and just put it in straight on without the 45, let me know if you get yours and I'll keep you updated on if I ever get mine.

 
jstanek
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Post by jstanek » Fri. Oct. 10, 2008 11:51 am

jstanek wrote:
paridgerunner wrote:I ordered a Harman DVC-500 in June. The stove is sitting in the shop, I have actually seen it, so I know that it's there. I'm still waiting on a 45 degree piece of pipe for my corner install, that's all that's holding me up, I was told august, then september, and now the middle of october. Umm...it's onlly a 45 degree piece, you'd think they'ed have a few lying around. Getting pretty tired of waiting. :mad:
Interesting, I bought a Harman DVC-500 in June also. I dealed on display model. Dealer realized he couldn't get another one so agreed to let him "display" my stove until a September install . I have my stove sitting in the corner of my house with everything but the 45 degree. It's going on 3 weeks the dealer said Harman is sending the 45 shortly. Let me know your progress.
wanted to please the wife so went with the corner install called dealer just now they said Harman assured a 10/9/08 ship date I asked if they could call and verify they said they would. awaiting further word. Ask the dealer if the 45 is made by duravent (like the rest of the pipes I have) and said why not directly order from duravent. dealer assured me Harman is making the 45 and must come from Harman is this true? can the pellet 45 pipe work? Hate dealing with dealers would like to get my info from the source will keep you informed


 
paridgerunner
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Post by paridgerunner » Fri. Oct. 10, 2008 12:15 pm

I'm not sure about the stove pipe being the same as the pellet stove pipe, my understanding is that this pipe is made specifically for the dvc-500. My wife wanted the corner install also in my basement that i'm finishing, if I hadn't built the wall and put the flooring in already, I would switch it around, but too late now. I think I'll call about mine again also.

 
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orvis
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Post by orvis » Fri. Oct. 10, 2008 2:53 pm

It's their lack of communication that will be their undoing.
Which is a shame. Their documentation shows they have designed the units with some sort of solid modeling program. They seem up to date on the design/technical front, and the design is clever. It would be a pity for a technically good product line to be torpedoed by poor/no public relations.

 
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tsb
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Post by tsb » Fri. Oct. 10, 2008 8:07 pm

I'm in the fabricating business with my two brothers. Two years ago we visited Harman Stove company to see a Trumpf press brake we were thinking of buying. At that time they were balls to the wall and producing 30,000 stoves a year. They had really first rate machinery and a very organized production system. I won't go into what happened between then and now, but they missed the boat on stoves by about 1 year. Financial problems and
reorganization put them behind the eight ball. They were very helpful to us and we got the full factory tour. They could not have been nicer. I did get the feeling that they don't want to deal with the customer one on one. They felt that the dealers were trained to do that. I can't speak for them, but I can only imagine that they are trying to get caught up and build the best stove on the market. Trying to predict the ebb and tide of the energy market and the wants and no wants of consumers would drive me to drink. Give them a break, they'll get their act together.

Note: I don't have or never have had a Harman stove, but we did buy a Trumpf brake.

TSB

 
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heatwithcoal
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Post by heatwithcoal » Fri. Oct. 10, 2008 10:29 pm

I spoke with my coal dealer a few weeks ago and he said he has gotten stoves delivered that he didn't order and the stoves he did order were sent to dealers that the stove company has had a longer relationship with. So I guess it doesn't matter the order in which stoves are ordered but rather past relationships with the manufacturer. Apparently he was flat-out told this by the stove dealer (AK).

Mark

 
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Coal Joe
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Post by Coal Joe » Sat. Oct. 11, 2008 7:47 am

Ordered a DVC 500 in May 08 was told December. After calling the dealer for an update, they told me March 09. Good news is that I have 11.5 tons of rice coal ready for summer.

 
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LsFarm
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Post by LsFarm » Sat. Oct. 11, 2008 10:10 am

Coal Joe, it sounds like it's time to find a used stoker to 'get by with' for the winter, then sell it in the spring when the Harman finally shows up.

Greg L

 
ssupercoolss
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Post by ssupercoolss » Fri. Oct. 17, 2008 7:02 am

i have officially dumped the Harman product, got my deposit back, which they were more than willing to do, its ashame the dealer is taking the brunt of this. I found a nice man in conneticut with a boiler in stock, sitting on his wharehouse floor. its gonna cost me a little more, but at least I know the thing is real. the sucky part is it was made about 20 miles from my house, shipped 228 miles north, and now has to be shipped back south 228 miles. shippings gonna cost me though.

coal joe - my last delivery date was dec 30th, I was way too afraid they would be giving me another date that I really didnt want to hear.

 
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dkononczuk
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Post by dkononczuk » Fri. Oct. 24, 2008 7:43 pm

well well well,
I just got a phone call from my dealer, and my pickup date is November 5th.
I ordered it in May, long time ago.
Hopefully this will happen finally.

Dan K.


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