AI appear to lack either ethics or morality; souls sold to advertisers and informing whom on what except what to buy in effect? Thus, helping to make money as long as they get their share more like it.
Hi David and Brian
The original posting is still there, but it is marked Topic Closed, so no one can add to it. They did this yesterday morning, along with deleting many of the posts. At one stage it ran for 7 pages.
We have been flooded out with PM's, it's amazing how many people this company have messed up.
Several of the emails we received told us that the company were not insured, which is pretty scary. I actually wrote a fairly stiff email to AI outlining all this, but guess what - no reply, and the company are still advertising on AI.
The other trick AI pull if you continually put up comments they dont like, is to suddenly close your account and freeze you out. The poster who questioned why it was OK to name and shame big companies but not advertisers had this done to him, and my wife was frozen out last night after adding content to the topic on Siret Numbers, which surprise surprise, now shows as Topic Closed, even though it was only there for a few hours.
What's the point of a discussion forum if your posts are continually deleted?
The moral - stick to SFN
One of the people who posted a response originally tells me that the 20 responses up now are all new and that person (also an SFN member) has followed the thread both here and on AI, including having one on round one that is now gone on the latter.
They appear to have got cold feet on this one. Will they drop the advertiser though?
The story was still posted on AI when I looked five minutes ago. Judging by the number of new postings appearing even the numpties are getting fed up with the site.
Trouble with calling that lot 'Thought police' is that they don't think. Advertisers are god and even if they have mastered the art of ripping the punters off, AI are still on their side.
Not only sanity Ian, but the word 'sanitary' belongs in there somewhere - with SFN you don't get your hands dirty! ;-)
The AI Thought Police strike again!!
My wife put this story on AI Dordogne, and within a day, we had 7 pages of replies and many PMs, all of which had similar issues with the same company.
This morning, AI deleted many of the posts and closed the topic. Nothing to do with the fact the the company concerned advertises on the site!!
Their loyalty is definitely not to their readers.
One very scary PM we got this morning, just before they shut the topic down, told us that he had had major issues with the same company, had got an Advocat involved, and the company responded, in writing, saying that making a claim was a waste of time as he wasn't insured and if they did pursue it he would just make himself bankrupt.
Good to see AI is protecting companies like this!!
I have written to everyone who responded to us telling them what happened, and suggesting that they join Survive France, where at least your sanity is protected!
Ian
did not mean for it to sound harsh, but you should never trust no one and do your own research, it is easy now a days with google and the internet.
having been in the building trade for years I never trust a builder nor do i go off reputations.
all it takes is for one bad apple to spoil the bunch.
Simon
A little harsh I think, Simon
We did do research, talked to a number of companies, and chose this one on recommendation.
As we have never had a woodburner before, we thought it right to trust someone whom we believed to be a 'professional'.
Alas we were mistaken.
We have now had remedial work carried out, and the fire and flue is now safe.
Ian
what do you expect if you never did any research and trusted so called professionals.
Have you learnt your lesson.
any one can do an installation but getting it right is what counts.
Basic research either in the UK or france would have informed you that the stove gets very hot and requires to be surrounded by an air gap and then a Fire proof element, ie bricks. the flue gets hotter than the fire as heat rises so should be in a fire proof chimney or double insulated and there has to be no combustible material ie wood within 300mm of the outer edge of the flue.
Bet your insurance will not cover the damage.
Sorry to here about your predicament, every one on this site should learn from your mistakes, do research, trust no one and all ways check for rules and regulations.
You only have to look on sites like this to have an idea of how a 'Pukka' installation should be carried out
http://www.poujoulat.fr/contenu/28/23/2/les-fiches-pratiques/je-m-i....
So your British installer, who gained his accreditation at the P & O business school, is illiterate as well.
I have an imported Rayburn. My OH and I checked all regulations myself as well as the people who installed it four years ago. The flue connection is double-walled and insulated, purchased in that form and then it goes through fire-proofed materials only. The flue is then inside fire brick chimney blocks with the appropriate mortar.
As David says, the people at St Capraise de Lalinde, Technic CheminƩes, (I am the other side of Lalinde from them myself) would do you a good job although obviously cost a bit more than the people you used. Both the people who installed and did building work in our case have extensive experience of such work and asked us if the other had done or had agreed to do their bit by the book. Four years and I have caused chimney blazes a couple of times with no damage.
I should have said that if this company is unaware that there is extensive regulation then they are fools. If they are aware and choose to ignore the regulations then they are criminal fools.
Bit like asking a Frenchman to make Yorkshire puddings! There seems so many English who come here and then "re-invent" themselves.
There are very extensive regulations relating to the installation of stoves, flues , chimneys etc. Your English "installer" is spouting rubbish. Had you gone to a French installer at Ste Capraise de Lalinde as we did you would have got a decent job. I hope your insurance company sues them to recover the loss on your property.
Sorry to hear about the ordeal you had to deal with and thanks for sharing the story!
Hi, I am new to the forum and about to fit a wood burner, Iāve brought the fire and s/s flue down with me due to the high price asked for locally and been told I canāt use the flue because it has 25mm insulation between the skins not 30mm as required by French regs even though it has a whole load of EN numbers with it.
Because Iām a newbie I canāt PM so would you PM me to let me know the company you used, and what they did/used to cause such problems.
Thanks
Hi Lyn
French Regulations ā¦ some things can change nearly every year ā¦ in an effort to keep all as safe as possible.
Hopefully you will find a local French company who can fit a fully-compliant flue ā¦ (surely not very expensive)ā¦
and possibly/presumably you can sell the flue you have brought with youā¦back in the UK ???
Best of luck
Hi, and thanks for the reply but I kid you not, I bought the wood burner and flue for half the price of just the flue and ā¬750.00 for fitting. The flue is to british standard and we would not be at risk if I fitted it back in the uk. Iām just looking for who not to use when fitting if that makes sense.
Lyn
Hi Lyn
Mmmā¦ In France, you should use a Professional/Specialist and should certainly NOT use anyone who would fit a flue which does NOT meet French Standards.
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It is not true that you āwould not be at risk if you fitted it back in the UKā
You would be at the exact same risk (assuming that the environment into which the burner was fitted was the same" , or the flue would perform just the same.
But the French have decided that what satisfies UK standards does not satisfy them.
If you do get it fitted on the black by a non approved supplier/fitter and you do run into problems such as it causing a fire your insurance company will probably not cover the damage.