Poway Firewood

Owner looks like he’s been stoned for 30 years. he charges a 10% tax rate. My guess is that he has no idea how to do the math any other way. His cash register is his front pocket and don’t even think about asking for a receipt. Two stars b/​c the quality of the wood is good, however it’s a little pricey in my opinion. Don’t think I’ll go back.

I asked specifically for oak, and was told I’d have to pay more for it, which I agreed to. When I got home, I discovered that he had given me eucalyptus and who knows what else, with only one thin oak piece in each bundle. The guy is a ripoff.

Crook? Yes I would agree with that assessment.
This business appears to be violating numerous laws: B&P section 17 500 et seq, the Federal Lanham Act section 43 and potentially others.
The sign on the front says «Bundl’s 5 for $ 30»
I drove in and an older gentleman about 60 years old with long hair dyed black asked me how much I wanted stating the 5 bundles for $ 30 was the better deal. I agreed and he pointed me to a preloaded wheelbarrow. I loaded and returned to pay. He then stated he wanted $ 35, $ 38 with tax. I thought to myself «what is going on?» I did not have enough cash so I went to the ATM. Because I was sure the sign said $ 30 upon my return I verified and photographed the sign said $ 30. I calculated the actual sales tax at $ 2.33 and gave him $ 33. He wanted $ 5 more and I told him his sign said $ 30. It was an old sign he said and it would be too difficult to remove. I told him I would help him do in right then. He refused my offer.
I went to the sign verifying it could easily be fixed. He drove down to where the sign was and I again told him it was illegal to advertise that way. I again offered to take it down that instant but he refused.
I told him it was cardboard and could be removed in minutes or it could be easily covered but he would have none of it.
He confirmed that he had maintained this false advertising for over 2 years.
I did not discuss his attempt to collect an illegal rate of sales tax.
Look at the photo above! Since that photo was taken, the false advertising that is falling down HAS BEEN STRAIGTENED OUT!

I’ve always had great experiences @ Poway Firewood. It’s not a shopping mall type of experience, Mr. Darr harvests, cuts and splits the wood himself or with a couple of helpers. It’s a small, local business, not a concierge experience. I’ve been buying wood there for over 15 years and have never had a negative experience. After reading a negative review on Google (?) I was curious if I was missing something — then it came time to fill the firewood racks and I called up and everything went smoothly and as usual I have a HUGE amount of firewood, perfectly seasoned, dry firewood, for the price of half a cord. Always a great value IMHO. Mr. Darr is always pleasant to chat with. I do not comprehend the negative reviews — what more could you want? Excellent wood, good value, they DELIVER… I have always been 100% satisfied with Poway Firewood.

This guy is a common crook. A previous review mentioned he is cash only, which was fine… expect the guy doesn’t pay his taxes.
I wanted to buy two bundles of oak, at $ 10 each. I was told the total was $ 22 with tax. I asked the woman what tax rate she was charging and she said she didn’t know, but she was told by the owner it was $ 1 per bundle. When I questioned her further and sked if she would provide a receipt, she directed me to the owner who was on his cell phone. I waited for him to finsh his call and our converstaion went like this:
Me: How much is the tax on a $ 10 bundle of wood?
Him: $ 1
Me: What rate are you charging?
Him: Whatever it is.
Me: No, you’re charging 10%, the sales tax is 8.75%
Him: OK, so what do you want?
Me: To pay the proper sales tax on my purchase.
Him: OK, so pay me 6.5% or whatever you siad it was.
Me: It’s 8.75%, and how can you run a business and not know the sales tax rate? Are you even paying your own taxes?
Him: (irrate at this point) Yes I’m paying my taxes, so give me the 22 bucks for the two bundles of wood in your truck.
Me: Keep the wood, I don’t deal with crooks.
I then walked to my truck, tossed the two bundles of wood I had previously loaded onto the ground and started to leave. He then yelled at me to put the wood back in the pile, I told him to call the authorities if it was that big of a deal, and then left. Will never go there again, and if I knew where to report his illegal dealings I would certainly do so.

Poor customer service. The owner didn’t answer questions that I had about firewood. I wanted to know about the different kinds of firewood, which wood had a good glow, which wood had a good smell, which good was good for heating, etc. There wasn’t another person in the store and the owner didn’t want to give me the time of day. Plus he is a cash only business, which is not very covenant when purchasing $ 300+ for wood.