By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent
 
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — Consumers should be careful when purchasing firewood for this winter, warns the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Recent complaints filed with the department’s Weights and Measures division involved door-to-door firewood salesmen who illegally sold fractions of a cord to unknowing customers. After paying for a cord of wood, consumers realized the product they received was not the adequate amount.

When purchasing firewood from salesmen, including door-to-door, Ohioans should take specific precautions to avoid being “burned.” First, they should be sure to measure the firewood before making payment. According to Ohio law, all non-packaged firewood must be sold by the cord or by fractions of a cord.

One cord, when properly stacked, should be 8 feet long by 4 feet high and 4 feet wide (128 cubic feet). If sold in bulk, firewood must be purchased by the weight in ton measurements. This must be weighed on a certified scale.

Consumers should be wary of terms such as face cord, rack, rick, tier, pile or truckload, as these terms are not standardized in the sale of firewood and in Ohio, are illegal. Some firewood dealers also try to sell firewood by the truckload. A pickup cannot hold a cord of firewood.

When purchasing firewood at brand retailers, there are established labeling protocols for firewood.

Secondly, buyers should obtain a receipt before parting ways with the seller. Ohio law requires the seller to present the consumer with a delivery ticket or sales invoice that includes the contact information and the terms and conditions of the sale for all non-packaged firewood sales. That receipt should include the seller’s name, address, phone number, amount of wood purchased and type of wood purchased.

Most importantly, if consumers are suspicious of the seller, they should decline the transaction. If a consumer believes that a seller did not comply with these rules and regulations, they should immediately contact the seller. If a problem occurs with a firewood sale, and the seller will not correct the problem, consumers should contact their local weights and measures inspector, located in their county auditor’s office.

For more information regarding firewood purchases, visit www.agri.ohio.gov

December 31, 2008