Many citizens are currently buying wood-burning stoves because they don’t want anything to do with Putin’s energy gamble. But now firewood is scarce. And the first scammers are ripping off consumers. What wood buyers should do.
The Ukraine war, concerns about the energy supply and the rapid rise in the price of gas and heating oil have made many citizens very insecure. The result: wood-burning stoves are in demand. And with it firewood. And scammers are already romping around on the market, as the “Handelsblatt” reports.
After that, timber dealers warn of more and more fake shops that want to rip off consumers. The report cites the Schiltach Brennholz online shop (now offline) as an example. The operator demanded payment in advance. After consumers paid, they waited for their wood, but it never arrived.
You have to know that paying in advance is very safe, especially for retailers – because they don’t risk any payment defaults. Customers pay for ordered goods in advance, only then does the retailer ship the goods. Fraudulent shops collect the money and then do not ship any goods.
Experts advise: Anyone who has ordered from such a fake shop and has already paid should call their bank immediately and cancel the payment! However, it may already be too late for that.
In order not to fall into the trap in the first place, consumers should know the tricks of fake shop operators. The scammers usually use a certain scheme: they copy the web shops of established dealers and lure customers with unbeatably cheap offers. They ask for payment in advance.
In their scams, the crooks benefit from the increasing demand for wood-burning stoves and firewood. The orders are so numerous that some timber dealers are completely sold out. Consumers should always be suspicious when they are lured with bargain prices. According to the advice of the Federal Association of Firewood Trade and Firewood Production e.V. (BuVBB), consumers should only order from reputable dealers. The association maintains a list of its audited member companies online. All dealers listed there guarantee correct processing.
Consumers can usually find serious and cheap offers at the local forestry offices. Another cheap source can be local timber merchants. The advantage: Consumers can drive past and get an idea of the retailer.
Consumers are currently getting the cheapest offers from forestry offices at around 45 euros per cubic metre. Hardware stores currently often charge a multiple of this price – up to 180 euros can be found.
Another tip: At wood collection points on the edge of forest paths, those who collect them themselves can pick up round wood specially marked by the forestry office. This is inexpensive and also particularly sustainable due to the short transport routes.
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The BuVBB association reassures all consumers who fear extremely high firewood prices. “We have had stable firewood prices for many years,” explains Klaus Egly, the 1st chairman of the BuVBB. “Although there will be moderate price adjustments here and there, there will not be such astronomical price jumps as we know them from oil or natural gas.”
However, this only applies to customers who actually receive the goods they have ordered – and only pay afterwards.
