FedEx 1: Rockwood 0

4Runner · June 2015

Lit said:

My issue was how stlcharcoal made it seem like I was the only one he had ever heard of getting a bad bag even though posts just like this happen all the time. I have stated in multiple threads it was most likely the shipping that caused it but it really pissed me off his posts lately. If you order Rockwood from firecraft you have a decent chance of getting the exact same crap the OP got here but he made it sound like it has never happened. This right here is redemption though I wasn't just complaining I had this same crap happen and then the supplier isn't sympathetic at all instead he writes me off and pretty much says why are you still bitching about that. That right there is great customer service.

You just seem overly sour.

theyolksonyou · June 2015

Good god y'all. You're gonna burn that **** and it's gonna be tiny ash pieces! Jesus, you like it enough to pay a dollar a pound or you don't. Your cooking on a thousand dollar grill for Christs sake!

4Runner · June 2015

It's a religion @theyolksonyou .....you haven't figured that out yet?

RRP · June 2015

Jonathan, I just sent you a post on your company site.

SkinnyV · June 2015

Pissing match over lump.... Haha Guys get it shipped at our own risk. Mine came to Seattle just fine. If yours does not, pass and don't order again. Keep it local.

Roadpuke0 · June 2015

DoubleEgger said:

I agree with Ron. Why would Firecraft put 80lbs in one box and 20 in the other? You're gonna piss off a lot of delivery drivers with 80lbs in a bulky cardboard box. You ever try to carry 4 bags of charcoal at once? Also, surely Firecraft could bag/box the other items to protect them. That's just laziness on Firecraft's part.

I agree but you know there will be cost associated with it. I can only imagine the up roar that will start once they start charging shipping if people want better packaging which increase shipping wieght and cost. I have never heard such whining over a 20 dollar bag of charcoal. Some times you win some times it's a push. You buy a dozen eggs that you looked at and bring them home to find a cracked one what do you do? Throw it away. Do you take it back to the store? Not! Do you buy eggs again? Yes! Rockwood is a great product and should not even be associated with conversation about quality control once it's out of there hands. Ok done venting. Just getting pissy as of late with the bashing on multiple fronts. Back to my drink! Bash me if you wish.

XC242 · June 2015

I love Rockwood!!!

ads75 · June 2015

Usually when I order from Firecraft, one box has 40lbs of lump, and the other 60lbs.

Lit · June 2015

stlcharcoal said:

Lit said:

Oh no your order was perfect I was the chosen one that got the only bad bag ever stlcharcoal said so.

Lit said:

My issue was how stlcharcoal made it seem like I was the only one he had ever heard of getting a bad bag even though posts just like this happen all the time. I have stated in multiple threads it was most likely the shipping that caused it but it really pissed me off his posts lately. If you order Rockwood from firecraft you have a decent chance of getting the exact same crap the OP got here but he made it sound like it has never happened. This right here is redemption though I wasn't just complaining I had this same crap happen and then the supplier isn't sympathetic at all instead he writes me off and pretty much says why are you still bitching about that. That right there is great customer service.

That's not what I said......I said that only a few have ever complained TO THE EXTENT that you have. And no one has ever called it anything like "garbage charcoal, with crappy pieces." Anyone with remotely that much of a problem has contacted us directly, rather than take the passive aggressive route and post hate in every thread that mentions Rockwood.
I would have gladly taken care of the problem if you would have contacted us a year ago.  Last week I even made and offer in a previous thread to still try to resolve the issue--no contact from you. Doesn't sound like you want us to fix the problem, or you want to be a customer. And that's your purgative--but don't expect me to stand here and let you continue to attack our company and product when you never asked for a resolution.
The reason everyone is dogging you about this is because you have used ONE BAG. You claim to have had two, but said you gave the other away. Everything else is second or third hand you are posting.
The OP's bags did not leave our place beat to hell like that. And if they were damaged in transit to FireCraft or there was concealed breakage amongst the bags on the pallet, they would have been set aside and sent back to us once they accumulated 30 ripped/torn bags. Firecraft did not ship them looking like that. If there was internal damage from a shipper setting something weighing a ton on top, how are we going to know?  Everything that went into that bag at the plant was over the certain screen size.  It's not like we're dumping fines and dust in the bags--those have just as much value as the lump does (in a very different markets.)
FireCraft is one of our largest customers, selling hundreds of pallets a year--if this problem with FedEx was prolific, you would see a lot more complaints here, and FireCraft's and our mailbag would be full. Yet, they continue to sell TONS of it to return customers. These folks obviously did not and do not have the same experience you did.
So what do you want me to do? You have solved your side problem by not buying the product. Do you want me to shut the company down or stop selling to FireCraft so no one else has the isolated misfortune that you did? We have thousands of satisfied customers and have been #1 on TNW for over two years. Your experience with our product was rare and unfortunate, yet you refused to contact the people would have made you whole (FedEx, FireCraft, and us.)   I can't control how FedEx handles nor what your local dealer charges--if you don't like either, you can exercise your right not to purchase it.

What the OP got here is what happened to me. Is what he got acceptable? When I originally posted my issue your response was the dust and small pieces burn fine why do you want big chunks. If you would have said anything productive like maybe checking with fire rafts packaging people or anythimg besides telling me the dust and small pieces that are clogging my egg burn fine I would have stopped caring then. It was $5 worth of lump I threw away not a big deal. just a heads up though when people get a **** delivery from firecraft like this it looks just as bad on Rockwood as it does on fire craft to anyone that knows. I have had probably a ton of lump shipped to my house through the mail and never have I seen anything like what I got or the OP got.

Lit · June 2015

stlcharcoal said:

Lit said:

Oh no your order was perfect I was the chosen one that got the only bad bag ever stlcharcoal said so.

Lit said:

My issue was how stlcharcoal made it seem like I was the only one he had ever heard of getting a bad bag even though posts just like this happen all the time. I have stated in multiple threads it was most likely the shipping that caused it but it really pissed me off his posts lately. If you order Rockwood from firecraft you have a decent chance of getting the exact same crap the OP got here but he made it sound like it has never happened. This right here is redemption though I wasn't just complaining I had this same crap happen and then the supplier isn't sympathetic at all instead he writes me off and pretty much says why are you still bitching about that. That right there is great customer service.

That's not what I said......I said that only a few have ever complained TO THE EXTENT that you have. And no one has ever called it anything like "garbage charcoal, with crappy pieces." Anyone with remotely that much of a problem has contacted us directly, rather than take the passive aggressive route and post hate in every thread that mentions Rockwood.
I would have gladly taken care of the problem if you would have contacted us a year ago.  Last week I even made and offer in a previous thread to still try to resolve the issue--no contact from you. Doesn't sound like you want us to fix the problem, or you want to be a customer. And that's your purgative--but don't expect me to stand here and let you continue to attack our company and product when you never asked for a resolution.
The reason everyone is dogging you about this is because you have used ONE BAG. You claim to have had two, but said you gave the other away. Everything else is second or third hand you are posting.
The OP's bags did not leave our place beat to hell like that. And if they were damaged in transit to FireCraft or there was concealed breakage amongst the bags on the pallet, they would have been set aside and sent back to us once they accumulated 30 ripped/torn bags. Firecraft did not ship them looking like that. If there was internal damage from a shipper setting something weighing a ton on top, how are we going to know?  Everything that went into that bag at the plant was over the certain screen size.  It's not like we're dumping fines and dust in the bags--those have just as much value as the lump does (in a very different markets.)
FireCraft is one of our largest customers, selling hundreds of pallets a year--if this problem with FedEx was prolific, you would see a lot more complaints here, and FireCraft's and our mailbag would be full. Yet, they continue to sell TONS of it to return customers. These folks obviously did not and do not have the same experience you did.
So what do you want me to do? You have solved your side problem by not buying the product. Do you want me to shut the company down or stop selling to FireCraft so no one else has the isolated misfortune that you did? We have thousands of satisfied customers and have been #1 on TNW for over two years. Your experience with our product was rare and unfortunate, yet you refused to contact the people would have made you whole (FedEx, FireCraft, and us.)   I can't control how FedEx handles nor what your local dealer charges--if you don't like either, you can exercise your right not to purchase it.

Also you have 5 people in this one thread that have had bad experiences. Is that not enough? As many people said bad things as people that said good things.

jtcBoynton · June 2015

EggHead_Bubba said:

Thanks for posting this... my fear exactly right here. I'm thinking it may be worth the extra $4 per bag to order from my local Ace Hardware and let them handle the shipping. My first few bags have come from them and they were in great shape.

However, there is no guarantee that they will all show up like that. I have had one bag from Ace that didn't fare too well in shipping to my local store. Lump is brittle and any transport chain can have its problems. One advantage to Ace is you can inspect the bag before accepting it. If it is too beat up, you could refuse to take it.

mtbguy · June 2015

I got a box with 4 bags in it this week Box was roughed up and retaped by fed ex. Didn't open any off the bags yet. But I'm sure that it will still be better than a lot other lumpI have gotten from other places. Fed ex is to blame. My last shipment was perfect. Plus I have MM and now some of the pieces will fit in it without having to break them myself. I will still order from them again. They should wrap each bag with shrink wrap then put in box. This will help with the dust. I will tell firecraft this when I do the survey. Plus life is to good to worry about small stuff.

Lit · June 2015

mtbguy said:

Plus life is to good to worry about small stuff.

I agree with this. I am as over talking about this as others are hearing about it.

theyolksonyou · June 2015

Lit said:

mtbguy said:

Plus life is to good to worry about small stuff.

I agree with this. I am as over talking about this as others are hearing about it.

Then stop. Geesh.

Terrebandit · June 2015

Should have picked up some Royal Oak locally instead!

GATABITES · June 2015

Lol, "As the lump crumbles"

day time soaps

Nanook · June 2015

Lit said:

mtbguy said:

Plus life is to good to worry about small stuff.

I agree with this. I am as over talking about this as others are hearing about it.

Yay!!

stlcharcoal · June 2015

Lit said:

What the OP got here is what happened to me. Is what he got acceptable? When I originally posted my issue your response was the dust and small pieces burn fine why do you want big chunks. If you would have said anything productive like maybe checking with fire rafts packaging people or anythimg besides telling me the dust and small pieces that are clogging my egg burn fine I would have stopped caring then. It was $5 worth of lump I threw away not a big deal. just a heads up though when people get a **** delivery from firecraft like this it looks just as bad on Rockwood as it does on fire craft to anyone that knows. I have had probably a ton of lump shipped to my house through the mail and never have I seen anything like what I got or the OP got.

OP said the bags were dusty, said he dumped into a bin. He hasn't stated what the inside looks like. Again, what am I supposed to do about this? Not saying I won't do anything, I just don't know how to give FedEx trouble when I'm not the shipper or recipient. Just like you, the OP has yet to ask for any resolution. You don't have a dog in the fight, if you contact FedEx and complain on his behalf, it's not going to go anywhere either.

I remember the thread you referenced and that's not what I said. You said you threw the remainder of the bag in the garbage which prompted me to ask why when it has the same amount of BTU's in it. I always tell people to dump those fines off to the side or put them down in the ash pan. They'll burn--maybe not the same flexibility as the larger chunks, but why waste it when you can still get the same amount of heat out of it. Or put them in your garden, compost pile, wood stove, burn pit, etc. I said [hypothetically] I didn't expect you to be happy if you were sold a bag of fines marketed as lump--but even if there were a few pounds that developed in our bag after it left the plant, you could still salvage the BTUs.

You say $5 is no big deal, but it sure doesn't seem like it now.

stlcharcoal · June 2015

Lit said:

That right there is great customer service.

Yet you have never contacted customer service. You just repeatedly post/bash under cloak of anonymity on a public forum.

......over the ONE and ONLY bag that you have ever personally used.

hapster · June 2015

I like Rockwood... My shipper is a jackass.... Oops, Firecraft is only ten minutes away, so I guess I better handle my lump better.

DMW · June 2015

hapster said:

I like Rockwood... My shipper is a jackass.... Oops, Firecraft is only ten minutes away, so I guess I better handle my lump better.

We don't want to see your lump again...

KennyLee · June 2015

I love Rockwood and I believe @stlcharcoal is a stand-up guy, supporter of the forum and makes a helluva product. @lit seems immature and to have some axe to grind.

However I will say that this (shipping problems) is why I don't use Rockwood any longer. We used to get local group buys since it's not yet available around our area, but can no longer get them. I've since gone to another brand I can find locally. I'd buy RW all day long if it was available locally.

aukerns08 · June 2015

So to sum up this thread we will either be b!tching about how it arrives to us using Firecraft with free shipping or b!tching about how much Firecraft is charging for shipping to attempt to get it to us in better shape... Given the fact that there's still a high probability that the product will get damaged in shipping by the carrier even if Firecraft changes the packaging which requires them to start passing those costs for shipping on to us I think I'd prefer to roll the dice and keep free shipping. Just sayin.

Is Rockwood perfect, no. No lump brand is or ever will be. Out of the 15 or so bags of Rockwood I've used I've had some fines and dust, I had the same issue with all lump brands I've tried, hell I had those issues with Kingsford briquettes before I got my Egg and started using lump. Big deal, who cares. Out of those same bags, I've had 2 and only 2 pieces of lump arrive that didn't get fully carbonized. Again big deal, I could just throw them in the egg and let them finish out on there own but I just used the 2 pieces in the firepit instead. I've yet to receive a rock, piece of insulation, concrete from the kiln, etc. in any bag, that's better than I can say about RO/BGE, Nature Glo, or WGWW. I've gotten a foreign object in all 3 of those brands. The only reason @stlcharcoal gets flack about his product is that he's active on the forum. At least he gets on here and owns it and has given everyone an option to get a resolution if they so desire. He could just leave and hide like all the other lump brands... Again, just sayin.

hoffmand · June 2015

I'm not upset with anyone, especially not @stlcharcoal. I'm sure he loves charcoal more than any of us.

I'll use all 5 bags and I'm sure they'll be fine. I'll mix in the smaller pieces from the bag that split open and my brisket won't know the difference

ChillyWillis · June 2015

IMHO this all has nothing to do with Rockwood, it's all about the troubles of shipping smaller amounts of 20# bags of charcoal.

I live in New England. Unfortunately up here we aren't high in the priority list as far as distribution goes for a lot of the charcoal Cos that don't produce huge volume (not a criticism i'd probably do the same if I was running a charcoal co, just a fact of living in an area where most folks only cook outdoors for 3-4 months a year). I started with royal oak. It worked just fine and was easy to find at a good price point at the local Wally World. It was a great charcoal to start my egging experience, however I began to get fed up with the rough treatment by wallyworld employees crushing up the lump and heard about a local brand that I wanted to try.

Switched to WGWW and was very happy with the product. Purchased that regularly until the talk around here led me to try RW and OO from firecraft. At a slightly smaller price point than WG and delivery to my front door it was a no brainer.

That at worked for me for about a year. After a while those boxes started showing up pretty beat up. What I'm guessing is the local UPS guy got pissed about lugging #100 of charcoal to my house every 2 months and started kicking it around Ace Ventura style.

These are the risks that you run when you ask someone to bring something fragile to your house for free. In the same way that I don't expect someone at Walmart to handle a bag of RO with care with what they're being paid, I don't expect a ups guy who's bringing 100# boxes to my house every 2 months with no fragile stickers on it to treat it like it's crystal glasswear.

At the end of the day we as consumers have the final say with our $$$. Personally I switched back to the new WGJB for a while, however my next order will be going back to Firecraft and RW because I'd rather support a brand made in the USA from renewable resources that's of the highest quality. I love WGJB but if I can't verify its not farmed in a sustainable manner from the rain forrest in Paraguey then I won't put my $$$ towards their product, even if my shiped charcoal gets kicked around every now and again. That's my choice as the consumer.

Buy what lump you like. Use what lump you like. Make jokes about other lumps (from time to time) after all, what's life without a bit of ball busting every now and then, however.... I'm always shocked about how many folks around here argue constantly over lump without ever posting cooks or cooking advice.

If you are only on here to argue that X lump is better than Y lump, or that Z lump is "the worztest of ze wurst" then you should probably reassess why your here in the first place.

msocko3 · June 2015

And here I've been thinking bikers are a bunch of whiny b!tches, damn this takes the cake. I buy Rockwood from Firecraft, I've had perfect shipments and at times one that has had the sh!t kicked out of it. I blame Fedx, not FireCraft or Rockwood, the shipping company is the one to blame. I like the free shipping, I'm willing to take the chance someone might rough up the shipment from time to time.

DoubleEgger · June 2015

hapster said:

I like Rockwood... My shipper is a jackass.... Oops, Firecraft is only ten minutes away, so I guess I better handle my lump better.

There are photos of him handling his lump floating around this forum.

Lit · June 2015

msocko3 said:

And here I've been thinking bikers are a bunch of whiny b!tches, damn this takes the cake. I buy Rockwood from Firecraft, I've had perfect shipments and at times one that has had the sh!t kicked out of it. I blame Fedx, not FireCraft or Rockwood, the shipping company is the one to blame. I like the free shipping, I'm willing to take the chance someone might rough up the shipment from time to time.

You are right a lot of whining bitches. Wa my charcoal was best to hell, wa my egg has a crack and BGE didn't call me back immediately..... See where I am going with this? You are one of the whining bitches.

DieselkW · June 2015

If you don't like buying pre-packaged lump, you can always make your own.
I buy most of my lump via Amazon. $1/lb delivered. Sometimes it's been banged up, sometimes it's in pristine condition, most times it's got some dust in there, some big pieces, some little ones... They all become little ones in the bottom of the egg eventually.

Firecraft does not deliver for free. They pay FedEx out of the profit from your $99 purchase, which I assume is substantial.

Just because they don't charge for shipping is no excuse for poor packaging or poor customer service. Lump can be safely and securely shipped in small orders at a higher "handling" cost. It would cost an extra dollar or two per box to wrap a 20# bag of lump in an air cushion, then place it in a tighter fitting box so it won't have room to move.

If I were running a lump operation, I would very seriously consider a meeting with Firecraft about their shipping methods, and choice of delivery vendors. It might be something as simple as training the shipping department, and finding a box supplier that can suggest the best box for a 20# bag of lump.

stlcharcoal · June 2015

DieselkW said:

Just because they don't charge for shipping is no excuse for poor packaging or poor customer service. Lump can be safely and securely shipped in small orders at a higher "handling" cost. It would cost an extra dollar or two per box to wrap a 20# bag of lump in an air cushion, then place it in a tighter fitting box so it won't have room to move.

If I were running a lump operation, I would very seriously consider a meeting with Firecraft about their shipping methods, and choice of delivery vendors. It might be something as simple as training the shipping department, and finding a box supplier that can suggest the best box for a 20# bag of lump.

It's not really my place to tell a dealer how to conduct their business. But I can make suggestions since I have a very good relationship with them. If I had a stack of emails with names, dates, pictures, etc. it would make it a lot easier. But I don't........I have ONE complaint about shipment from them in my inbox from some time ago. Besides that one email, all I have sporadic and anonymous complaints on a public forum which is impossible to verify or track.

I do not troll the internet looking for complaints, I visit this forum when I'm burning time--so sometimes I see them, some time I don't. FireCraft and FedEx are probably not watching either (BGE doesn't even monitor their own forum for their own product.) If someone has a legitimate concern and they want resolution, they should DIRECTLY contact those who are responsible or able to fix the problem.......not just anonymously complain on a random internet forum on the off-chance someone like me might see it. Ageed?

FedEx 1: Rockwood 0

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