Bowlander

Like what exactly? Did i haggle on the price? No Did I accept the load? Yes Did I shop around and look for a better supplier like any sensible buyer would? Yes Did I ask questions on a forum to gain a better understanding of the trade? Yes

Nope, not Laneshaw bridge.

Since my original thread “why oh why...” has been closed and I cannot reply to someone who was particularly abusive I thought i’d have my final say here: I have found an excellent local supplier who delivered 4 builders bags of well seasoned oak and ash pure hardwood for £35 a bag. The logs were cut to less than 10 inches. They are an excellent local company who I’ll be buying from again in the future. My original post from "why oh why thread" was: "After agonising about buying wood instead of those compressed briquettes I looked round for a local firewood supplier. He said £50 for a dumpy bag of hardwood which he estimated to be 0.7 cubic metres. I've stacked his delivery in the woodshed. A few bits of Scots pine and the dreaded poplar in there. Stacked it loose and measured..... It's only 0.45 cubic metres worth. Disappointing." A few points: 1. This was the first time I’ve bought firewood in bulk. I bought by the builders bag which is how firewood appears to be sold. There is no uniformity or consistency in this, which makes comparison between different suppliers difficult. I did not buy by the cubic metre measure, stacked or loose. I merely asked for an approximate volume from the supplier. 2. Firewood suppliers will have a very good idea of how much is in a bag because they are in the trade and deal with such things on a daily basis. I appreciate that they might get very frustrated and about my lack of knowledge in this area. It is probably very easy to get wound up by questions from people like me who know nothing about the trade, even questions that seem “obvious” or ridiculous. But when people have been in the trade a long time i think that they don’t appreciate how much knowledge they have compared to a customer with little experience of it. I expect that good suppliers will explain such things very well to their customers who ask these sorts of questions. It is excellent customer service and ensures that they will have a lot repeat custom. 3. There is no such thing, in my view, as “the going rate” for firewood. It’s a market place and the customer can always shop around for better deals. Finally, I could respond with some direct feedback to those who have been abusive. But life’s too short and they’re really not worth it. Good luck and a long life to you all. B.

Just read the your signature message. I agree. You are talking bollocks...

So which part of any of my posts have referred to log suppliers on here directly? You just seem to misunderstood and have taken it personally?

How does making a point about selling by the cubic metre make me either?

Oh, so you disagree with another Professional on here at post #118 about the size of the bag in the picture? The ebay description is: "Extra large dumpy bag of seasoned hardwood logs. Bags are stored in large greenhouses so well seasoned. These bags are much larger than a standard builders dumpy bag. Free collection or delivery within 10 miles for 1 bag or 20 miles for 2 bags." Yes, i'd take a chance and buy a bag from this guy.

Very many thanks to all who have posted helpful, constructive and civil replies. All really useful thanks. Zero thanks to those who have posted sarcastic and marginally insulting replies. There really is no need for that IMO.

No i wouldnt be disapointed because its obvious from the picture that its a cubic metre bag, unless that guy is a dwarf, which i doubt. So i'd have an idea about how much firewood i'd be getting before i bought it. There was similar ad on ebay where the seller had a photo of cubic metre bag next to a bulk bag to show the difference in size. It has since vanished. Not sure if it was the same guy but there was a thread a while ago about an ebay seller being threatened by other sellers for showing such a photo! http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/firewood-forum/54691-being-threatened.html

I feel you're missing my point. That being that selling by the BAG is a vague measure and i didnt know what VOLUME i was going to get. Whereas the guy in the ebay ad is more clear about how much wood he's selling. I didn't buy a 0.7 cu metre bag. I bought a random bag that the seller said "contains approx 0.7 cubic metres. My point is that the majority of traders dont use a standard unit of measurement when selling firewood. This doesnt help the customer to compare the prices of different traders nor visualise the amount of wood they'll recieve.

Nah, he didn't tell me how big the bag was he just said it would hold 0.7 cubic metres. I wish i'd measured the bag! And yes im aware that this is 0.7 cubic metres loose, not stacked. By the way, i searched on ebay... 18 ads are selling firewood by the cubic metre 42 ads are selling firewood by the vague "bulk bag" method. Just saying...

You sell by the cubic metre and that's fab. Very clear. What im trying to explain is that a lot of folk sell by the bag and they dont say how big that bag is or how much wood is likely to be in it. For example, there's a chap on ebay who sells wood in bags and says that they're much bigger than builders bags. If he was nearer then i'd buy from him. Extra Large Bag Of Seasoned Hardwood Logs, Firewood | eBay

I beg to differ but no it isnt in my experience. It was advertised by the bag and he only came up with a volume when i asked. The majority of ads i see are advertised by the bag. Confusing.

If log suppliers all charged & delivered in a common unit i.e. cubic metres then there'd be a lot less confusion about "bags" and "loads" I think that's a big assumption to make about customers.

This chap is talking a lot of sense

Its not fixable as he's away. And its an anonymous "go" as i've not said where im from or who he is or where he's from!

I cannot contact the supplier as he's on holiday for a month. I was disappointed with what i received because there'd already been a discussion by email between myself and the seller about what i'd get. I dont think there's much point contacting him when he gets back as he's unlikely to bring more logs without charging more is he? I still think it was worth me posting on here as giving my point of view as a customer is useful to suppliers. One chap has said that he'll change the way he advertises his logs as a result. I have also seen the different views of suppliers which has been interesting and useful.

If you were nearer, i'd say ASAP!

To be honest, i've learned that i would prefer to work for payment in wood, rather than buying logs!

No of course not, but my reply here was about stacking them in the shed, not in a bag.

Well i admit that if you deal with dumpy bags on a daily basis then yes you could. But i dont, so i dont!

If i'd seen Doobin's post then i would have considered buying wood briquettes instead because they are a uniform product, arrive with a very low moisture content and I'd know what i was getting. I was expecting the 0.7 cu metre bag of logs to contain more than 0.45 cu metre of wood. Note that this is a stacked loose measurement that im referring to, im aware that the solid wood quantity will be less. I expected more than what i recieved which demonstrates that perhaps I wasnt aware of the volume i'd recieve within a 0.7 cu metre bag. I didnt recieve what I'd expected, had i spent a £100 i'd be twice as disappointed as i am now. Yes i agree that i have a chainsaw and axes and I DO understand about the amount of effort involved in cutting and chopping firewood. However I did not have an idea of the actual quantity of wood i'd get in a bag, not until today anyway.

Well the simple answer is no. Cos I processed wood into stacks on the farm. I've not filled dumpy bags with logs myself. Not ever. I took the wood home in polyprop sacks. I don't know how many polyprop sacks in a dumpy bag either. So I couldn't visualise how much wood I'd get before I bought it.

Yes, is my first time buying. I've previously helped other foresters out with felling and got paid in wood. I wish I'd seen Doobin's post before I bought. Ho hum, you live n learn.

Stacked. Always stacked. I'd post a pic but it's dark.