GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH WHEN BUYING FIREWOOD

Each year, the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Division of Weights and Measures gets dozens of complaints from people who feel cheated when buying logs for the fire, says department Director John L. Saunders. The complaints generally come from consumers who have received less wood than they've paid for.

"People typically don't bother to stack or measure the wood upon delivery to ensure a cord is a cord," says Saunders. "In some cases, the slight is an honest mistake, but in others it's the work of a dishonest vendor."

When stacked, wood pieces should be side by side and tightly together, Saunders says. A cord of wood should measure four feet high, four feet wide and eight feet long. Or, a cord can measure two feet wide, four feet high and 16 feet in length. As long as the dimensions of the stacked wood equal 128 cubic feet, Saunders says, you have a cord of firewood.

But many people come up short after the wood is stacked and paid for, and the deliverer is gone. To make sure you get what you pay for when buying wood, follow these tips from the Missouri Department of Agriculture:

-- When placing your order, ask how the seller measures the wood and make sure those standards are precise and accurate.

-- Don't assume that such terms as truckload, face cord, rack or pile guarantee the amount of firewood is a cord.

-- Don't pay for the wood unless you or the seller have stacked and measured it.

-- Ask family, friends or neighbors to recommend sellers with whom they've had positive business exchanges.

-- Get a receipt with the seller's name, address and telephone number, and the price, amount and kind of wood bought. Write down the license number of the delivery vehicle.

-- Take a picture to the stack if you think there is less than a cord.

-- If you believe you have a problem, contact the seller before you burn any wood.

-- If the problem cannot be resolved, contact the Division of Weights and Measures at (314) 751-5639. The division can take steps to ensure the seller honestly represents the amount of wood being sold or can order sales to stop.