Absolutely shocking service
Sadly, the service we have received from Portadown Fireplaces has been absolutely disgraceful from start to finish.
We went to the showroom to look at fires and after looking at the options we picked a Gazco gas stove and paid the deposit. At that point we had an installation date booked in and I asked what preparatory work would need done for the installation or if the fitters would do any work necessary. The sales agent said he would have the fitters come out to look at the situation beforehand so they could see what might need done (how the gas would be supplied, what sockets would need moved due to the heat, etc.). I never received any contact from the fitters so I got back in touch with Portadown Fireplaces to say this really needed looked at as I had a feeling the stove fitters would come out on the installation date, take one look and say they could not install as walls would need chased etc. This went on for some time, with Portadown Fireplaces contacting the fitters, giving me their number, etc. but they never replied or got in contact. As a result, as someone with no background in gas or stoves, I had to take my best guess at what might need done in advance of the installation and do it. This involved quite a lot of destruction (removing a fireplace and flueless gas fire from a different location and chasing the walls for electricity and gas). I contacted Portadown Fireplaces one last time before doing this and advising them that it was a lot of destruction with no guarantee - they never replied. If someone with no DIY knowledge were in this situation they would be completely stuck and it should not be up to the customer to sort this.
On the installation date that they had booked in it turned out that the gas fitter was going on holiday that same day and couldn't come, although Portadown Fireplaces did not communicate anything to do with this and it was the stove fitter who informed me. Thankfully the stove fitter said my prep work chasing the walls was fine and could be used as the installation method, which was a relief. There was an incident during installation as the fitter cored through a power cable, which he sent an electrician to rectify a week later, although the wiring breaches the regulations (1. The cable has had to be chased round the flue at right angles outside the safe zone, which I’ve had to accept to avoid wrecking upstairs and the cost that this would involve; 2) the two cables on the ring were replaced with one new cable, leaving me with a spur off a spur on the ring; 3) the connection was made in a wago and plastered over - not in a junction box and not a maintenance free connection. If the plaster burns out the connection in the future, it will have to be dug out).
The stove and flue were installed, awaiting gas fitting and the solution to the power cables issue. As any reasonable customer would, I emailed to Portadown Fireplaces to explain what had happened in my house during installation and, predictably, they ignored me and did not respond. I would have expected an immediate call recognising what had happened and assuring it would be sorted but I received nothing. That evening, I decided to send images of the damage and the next morning I received a response from Portadown Fireplaces washing their hands of the situation. They said their fitters are self-employed and are not employees of Portadown Fireplaces so I should contact the fitter and not Portadown Fireplaces regarding this - as if it is unreasonable for a customer who has bought a stove from Portadown Fireplaces, had the installation booked by Portadown Fireplaces with Portadown Fireplaces' fitters (which was not presented as an option upon purchase) to inform the company they have purchased from that such a serious incident has happened.
To clarify, as Portadown Fireplaces appears to believe my complaint is about the installation incident, it is not. The fitter has agreed to deduct one of the electricians’ fees from his bill. My main concern as a customer is how Portadown Fireplaces have dealt with me before and after the incident - and their service has been awful. As far as I’m concerned, as soon as they had my money they wanted nothing to do with me. They told me not to contact them regarding the issue but are now more than happy to talk because I’ve left them a bad review. Despite the comment below, they did not contact me but had the fitter (whom they categorically stated is separate from them and not part of their company) contact me.
I would not recommend Portadown Fireplaces to anyone and when I buy a stove for my kitchen I will be going elsewhere - this has nothing to do with the competence or pleasantness of the fitters (who were perfectly pleasant) and everything to do with the customer service (or lack thereof) provided by Portadown Fireplaces.
July 22, 2022
Unprompted review