For your own safety, and that of your loved ones, do NOT do business with Fireplace Outlet.
We made the mistake of purchasing a gas insert from this business, which they installed on April 17th of this year. During the installation, they left a natural gas leak in our basement. Their negligence put the lives of my pregnant wife and I, as well as neighbors and guests to our home, at serious risk.
Fortunately for us, my wife smelled gas in the basement on May 2nd, and was able to call National Fuel to our home to correct the extreme safety hazard left by this business before the unthinkable happened. The worker from National Fuel discovered that Fireplace Outlet's crew (headed by Daniel Friedman, the husband of owner Becky Friedman) had failed to install a proper rubber gasket at a joint in the gas line. Worse still, the installers broke a gasket, and left the broken gasket nearby without replacing it. A photo of the gasket can be found with this review.
The owners have also claimed that they were told by National Fuel that the gas leak was found outside of our home, in an attempt to deflect any responsibility for the unsafe condition our home was left in. The signed letter from National Fuel attached to this review contradicts that statement, clearly indicating that they found a gas leak INSIDE the premises, not outside.
It goes without saying that creating a gas leak during installation is wildly unprofessional and unacceptable under any circumstances. But it's especially egregious given the fact that as the crew was packing up, I asked Daniel, out of an abundance of caution, to double check all of the connections in the basement for any potential gas leak. Clearly, my caution was well-founded. Daniel claimed to have double checked the connections before leaving, but it is apparent now that either he lied to me or that the crew carelessly performed their work without any consideration for my family's safety. Either way, that Daniel and his crew would come into our home and leave it in such an unsafe condition shows a truly shocking lack of concern for their customers' well-being.
One would think, given these circumstances, that Fireplace Outlet would be eager to make things right by us, but when they were made aware of the issue and we asked for a refund, they assumed a defensive posture. We enlisted the services of a family attorney, due to the serious nature of this issue - they referred our attorney to their insurance carrier. The carrier proposed issuing a refund for half of the total cost, which while still short of what we felt we deserved, would have been sufficient for us to end this ordeal at that juncture.
Instead, Becky and Daniel have refused to agree to any refund, claiming to be "offended" by our claim and our account of this incident. They claim to be "fastidious" and that they don't have any obligations here because "they were not allowed an opportunity to inspect at the time of the alleged incident." It is important to note here that my wife discovered the gas leak on a Sunday (May 2nd) - and Fireplace Outlet is closed on Sundays. Apparently, Becky and Daniel feel that we should have waited a day, with a gas leak present in our home, and called them FIRST, rather than call National Fuel immediately in order to ensure our own safety.
The owners have also claimed that proof of their liability has not been provided, despite confirmation from National Fuel that they visited our home and fixed a gas leak on May 2nd, along with a picture of the broken gasket. It would appear they don't hold themselves responsible for their own negligence unless and until their customers' houses actually explode as a result of a gas leak.
Do not do business with Fireplace Outlet. Find another company, even if that means paying more for the product and/or services. It may only be my opinion, but based on my experience with them, it is not worth the risk to your life and property. read more