Smoke and Mirrors

My husband and I just purchased a wood-burning fireplace insert. Like everybody else we are fretting over astronomical oil and gas prices, and we’re looking for proactive ways to avoid being exploited by petro-chemical titans. We shopped for the insert this summer, and although it costs a pretty penny, we decided it would pay for itself over the course of a few winters.

When the salesman came to measure our hearth, he said, “You better snap this up fast, it’s my last one.” I didn’t appreciate the used-car-salesman shtick but we agreed to move swiftly. They subsequently came back to measure for $150, and then, a required chimney cleaning for $225. Cha ching!

A week before our appointment, we called to go over the details of the job. “There’s a mistake on the quote,” we said. “The cost for the chimney liner should be sales tax-exempt because it is a capital improvement.” No, Ms. Traster,” said the chipper salesman. “We’ve always charged tax on that. That’s the way we’ve done it forever.”

Maybe so but it’s wrong. New York State Taxing Authority (publication 862) says the “addition or compete replacement of flue or liner (metal or foam) is a capital improvement. We faxed the proof. The salesman didn’t like hearing this, and he said he’d get back to us.

Two days before our scheduled installation, we called again because we never got a return call. Begrudgingly he admitted that we were right. “You’ve caused us extra work,” he told us. “And all you’re saving is $47.” Hmm $47. That’s a tank of gas. I’ll take it, thanks!

Two sad things emerge from this experience. Being treated like a pesky kindergarten student is never a good way to deal with a customer. We were simply asserting our rights to be free from an inappropriate tax – rights many consumers do not know they have. Frankly, they should have shown a little gratitude.

The bigger issue is that New York legislators should take a second look at the tax code. The chimney liner is tax exempt but the Norwegian fuel-efficient insert is not. Fire inserts should be tax-exempt in order to encourage people to wean themselves off of fuel. The state’s rationale is that home-owners can take their fire-inserts when they move, but after watching the two guys install my fire insert for four hours I know that is totally ludicrous. Not only would that insert be nearly impossible to remove – part of the job involved cutting the damper door, which rendered the fireplace useless.

A little bit of logic and honesty – and a new look at the legislation -- might be another good green solution. Anyone listening?