in desperate need of help

[ericwyatt]

I own a wood fired pizza place in tuscaloosa, al. We opened april 2002. I'm successful, but not wealthy. I have to save money wherever possible.
I bought 2 ovens from an italian gentleman in texas. He sold them to me in kit form and I assembled them. Theyve served their purpose well over the years, but ive recently had to dismantle one completely because the vault stones were 'walking' apart. However, when I removed the vaultstones, I discovered that none of the floor tiles were bonded with the concrete pedestal. I'm needing desperately to reassemble, but I dont know a few things and I now cant get ANY real help out of the italian fellow in texas. He insists on my flying him to alabama so he can personally inspect it before he'll give me any more advice. (He did advise me to dismantle them in the first place). This isn't an option: I can't afford it.
Anyway, I just have some questiond about surface prep and bonding materials.. can anyone here help?

[thickstrings]

Re: in desperate need of help

I am sure you can get help here...perhaps a few pictures? Not quite sure of them items you are describing....Vault stones? Some times the ovens are built without any bonding on the floor to compensate for expansion..

[Tscarborough]

Re: in desperate need of help

The floor tiles are not normally bonded to the insulation under them. The floor is insulated, right? The vault stones, which I assume means the brick or sections of the ovens should not be moving in any event. Post some pictures, please.

[mrchipster]

Re: in desperate need of help

You have two post going on the same topic which one would you like people to follow?

[ericwyatt]

Re: in desperate need of help

Oh.. im sorry. Im new to this and only using my phone. Thanks so much for replying. Im gonna get some pics up asap.

[Laurentius]

Re: in desperate need of help

Hi EW,

Make a compromise, send him bus fare!

[Wiley]

Re: in desperate need of help

His being of no further assistance without his on site inspection sure sounds fishy. Next he will be asking for per diem and present you with a consulting bill at the finish of his inspection. What with modern technology and ease of sending photos or even video he is IMHO way out of line refusing further help dealing with problems with a product he's selling.

With the exception of cob or similar construction these WFOs are designed to give generations of use with fairly minimal upkeep. That the WFO he is selling has serious issues is of concern and you would not be out of line in writing a review of the ovens stating they are fine but of limited life expectancy due to.... and that upon having issues with the WFO the seller (stating his name) was of limited help and that he refused further assistance without the on site evaluation including airfare at your expense. Send him a copy of the review before posting and he will most likely change his tune and be of more assistance. Be polite in the review and make no claims or statements you cannot support. Inform him you will be opening a case with the BBB.

Bad customer service is as bad as a bad product. In this case there seems to be a bit of both. Open a case with your Better Business Bureau, since this involves interstate commerce I expect they will be interested in hearing your story. Online reviews and sites like Yelp and Angie's List is making it easier for customer problems to be resolved in a timely manner.

Beyond that I think the ideas/suggestions of posting photos here will most likely result in a suitable fix to your WFO problems.

Hope this helps,
Wiley

[Laurentius]

Re: in desperate need of help

Hi EW,

Before you do anything, try to post photos of your ovens and problem areas.