Terrible I wish I could give 0 stars. Do not order. Took me a full year to get my birdhouse, and only after I threatened to take them to court to get my money back. The birdhouse looks like a 7th grade shop class project. PayPal allows you to dispute your payment within 6 months so I suggest if you pay to make sure to start the dispute before then so you can get your money back when you invariably do not get your birdhouse. Do not fall for the "it is almost finished" spiel every time you ask about the one inevitable delays. read more

Terrible and a scam. It has been 10 months and this guy is still giving me the run around. He has been telling me for 6 months that he will ship it out in a week. Total liar and total scam artist. Don't throw your money away. This was for friends' anniversary gift. I am totally embarrassed. read more

I bought a birdhouse over a year ago and never received it. Fred keeps telling me it's coming soon, but nothing. Total scam.

In my own opinion, the owner is of very questionable integrity. People claim they get a decent product from the Birdhouse Barn, yet every ACTUAL product I can confirm they have made looks like absolute garbage. At a price of 300+ dollars, that is just terrible. The owner doesn't reply to email complaints directly, but will bash the customer and lie about the situation on Google reviews. Do not waste your time or money. I am yet another victim of Fred Heartley and Birdhouse Barn. I probably should have read everyone else's reviews and went to the BBB site to review the company. https://www.bbb.org/us/wv/falling-waters/profile/wildlife-shop/the-birdhouse-barn-0241-11106328/complaints#155924327 read more

After much conversation, and seeking outside support, Fred Heartly came through with a birdhouse! It's very cute and my husband is thrilled to have a replica of his childhood home. I am pleased that I was not scammed and that Fred responded. 7 months was a long wait, especially when expecting the product in 8 weeks. read more

I wish I had read the reviews here before placing an order with the Birdhouse Barn. Back in October we placed an order for a Christmas gift for my parents. We were told that was enough time to receive the birdhouse in time for a Christmas gift exchange. Then, in December we were told that it would not be delivered in time for Christmas but would be ready by January. We were disappointed but the owner's advertised work appeared to be worth it and we were promised a 10% discount. Additionally, the owner stated he would ship it directly to my parents as they would no longer be in town to receive the gift. Things continued to decline further as the shipment date continued to push out. It went from Dec to Jan, then Jan to Feb, then Feb to March until it was finally delivered in April. However, the owner sent it to the wrong address. Correspondence was ignored when requesting compensation for the agreed 10% discount and for added shipment costs due to the owner sending the birdhouse to the wrong address. Finally, the product itself was low caliber and did not look anything like the birdhouses advertised. I wish I could upload pictures here as the picture would speak for itself. The best way to describe it, is that it appears to have been constructed by a middle schooler with infrequent parental guidance. It definitely does not have the appearance of a birdhouse that cost $350 and took 5+ months to complete. Response to owners comments: You lack integrity and should take a look at the other comments here to realize maybe the problem isn't everyone else. PayPal ruled in your favor because technically you delivered a birdhouse. However, you failed to live up to your word and provide the promised discount for a 5 month delay in delivery. Additionally, you promised to ship it directly to our intended recipients because you failed to ship it in time for Christmas. These were all promises you made and failed to hold yourself accountable too. Evidently you are not a man of your word and rely on dishonest business practices that utilize other people's work as a source for your website/advertising. You should be ashamed of yourself... read more

I live in Dallas TX and contacted Birdhouse Barn about making a custom birdhouse that would be a replica of a family lake house. I have to say, Fred did a FANTASTIC job. He's not the best communicator, but most artists aren't. He did an amazing job, and it was delivered exactly on time. I will say you need to stay in touch to make sure things are moving along, but I would book him again for a project like this. Fantastic Job!!! Charles Dallas, TX read more

I am yet another victim of Fred Heartley and Birdhouse Barn.I contacted Fred in November asking about a custom birdhouse. I was told that delivery could not be made for Christmas which was totally understandable. I was told delivery would be in February or March. I checked in with Fred in February and was told it was looking great and would be ready in March. In March I was told again that the birdhouse was looking good but it would be ready in April. Now it's May and I have lost my patience. I asked for a refund of my purchase and was told no because he is 3/4 finished. I asked that he send me a picture of the 3/4 finished birdhouse and he can't produce it. That tells me that he hasn't even begun working on my birdhouse. I have contacted my credit card company and I am disputing the charges. I will also be contacting the BBB. PLEASE listen to these warnings. read more

In November I ordered a custom made birdhouse for my daughter for Christmas. It took approximately 5 weeks to receive it. It was very accurate and resembled the picture I sent. The size was very generous and it appears to be well made. She was very pleased with it. There was some mix up in delivery with Fed Ex. When I contacted Fred and made him aware of the issue he immediately took steps to resolve the delivery Issue. read more

UPDATE. I finally received my birdhouse (now late June). It came out pretty nicely, but it took a very long time and was a stressful process. read more

I can not believe that this guy is still in business. At least four years ago my sisters and I ordered a custom birdhouse with simple ( and I stress simple) details. Based on the images on the website and conversations about the numerous photos we sent to "Fred" it seem like a do-able item. He assured my sister it woud be a quality, detailed birdhouse. We ordered it in August as a christmas gift for our mom. We were told 2 months no problem. I don't remember the exact cost but it was over $150. It took 6 months. It was crap. It looked like a cub scout project. My sister filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Fred is a scammer. Whoever is satisfied with what was order is darn lucky - they are few and far between. SAVE YOUR MONEY. Find someplace else. Contact some woodshop kid at a high school or Vo-tech and they will do a better job than this liar. read more

Like others here, I wish I had found the reviews before engaging Fred. I contacted him in October for a Christmas order and ordered by the Christmas deadline. Mid-December came and he gave me excuses for why it would not be ready on time. Given that and the reviews here of how people had fought for 6-12 months and never received their product, I contacted PayPal to dispute the purchase and cancel as "item not received." It was closed in my favor in December and I was refunded. Fred reached out, saying the birdhouse was nearly completed. He said he hated for it to go to waste, so he'd send me pictures when it was complete, I could decide if I still wanted it and if so he'd provide a discount and I could pay after delivery. I said he was welcome to send pictures (taking his word that he was actually almost done- no harm in sending me photos) and we'd go from there. Fast forward to April, I get an email with pictures and an invoice saying I now owe him $665. The photos were very unimpressive and given it's 4 months after the agreed upon delivery date and I had canceled the order via a PayPal dispute that settled in my favor, I was not interested in purchasing. Fred became extremely aggressive and is threatening to sue me for his made-up price of the birdhouse and then some. I'd avoid him and his business at all costs; you'll unfortunately get nothing but headaches. read more

I am writing to say that due to delivery delays I had to cancel my order. Fred, the owner, honored my request and processed my refund

If I could make it 0 stars I would. PLEASE read reviews (from here, Yelp, the Better business bureau, etc) before you order. I very rarely write reviews, but feel like I should share my experience. This was such a difficult transaction that wound up with me asking to cancel the order six separate times (over the course of 23 weeks) and Fred the owner refusing to cancel it, making up lies, and continually promising but not delivering. We paid $460 for a "small" birdhouse that was to be a replica of my childhood home, which my parents largely built themselves. When I placed the order, I expected it to be delivered within 8-weeks, but my "checking in" 12 weeks after the order began a long (long) dispute of promised and missed delivery dates and then refusal to cancel the order. When I was trying to work things out via email with Fred, he started citing "terms and conditions" that had never been discussed or communicated. I repeatedly requested that he send pictures of the wheel he had done to-date, but he still hasn't sent anything (though he kept saying he did, and he told PayPal he did). My sister (who purchased it with me) kept saying we should cancel (early on, like after 22 weeks!), but I kept insisting that we should trust him and that he'd deliver... I really wanted this to be an honest transaction. I'll never hear the end of this from my sister! I disputed this through PayPal and wound up with PayPal ruling in my favor - in the interim, Fred insisted that I needed to stop the dispute and literally stated in an email, "all I have to do is send PayPal a shipping receipt and this will all end in my favor" and he continued with threatening me that, if PayPal ruled in my favor, I would still be responsible for paying it and would recieve a paper bill. If Fred was honest, I would have been more than happy to continue to be patient. read more

Finally received the two saltbox houses I ordered months ago. It took 21 weeks to receive them and I'm really not sure they're worth the wait. They were packaged well with a lot of paper cushioning, however, the chimney on one of the houses still got smashed somehow and is hanging halfway off the house. The backs of the houses also aren't painted. Really? I paid over $200 for these things that I know didn't take that long to build and paint once he got started on them and he couldn't have at least painted the backs? When I received the email with my tracking number, he didn't even offer an apology for the much longer wait than the estimate on his website. I think he's made himself too busy with the replica birdhouses. He probably won't get any more of my business, unfortunately. read more

I had the opportunity to view one of these "custom" bird houses first hand. My friends bird house cost over $300 dollars and looked like it was made by a 7th grade wood shop class. The "bird house" doesn't even have a hole for the birds to go into. Don't waste your time or money on this product. read more

Ordered one of his products in January. Told 4-16 weeks. Waited patiently, of course he got paid. Kept emailing for updates. Got any number of excuses. Illness in the family etc. recently told it would be finished last weekend and mailed on Monday. No tracking number, no email. Do not waste your time with this clown. Terrible service and basically no delivery on work that was promised. I see reviews from 2015 here, so we need to act and to put this jack wagon out of business. Just ridiculous. Rick Benjamin read more

Fred, thank you! You did a great job on the replica of our home. The details are so well done. Also thanks for doing this so fast so that it was in time for my husband's birthday. He loved it ..as will the birds! read more

For anyone Googling The Birdhouse Barn or Fred Heartley who ended up here, PLEASE do your research and don't go through what I just did. Look up his terrible Better Business Bureau record and look at the complaints on other websites as well. The hilarious review listed on this site is obviously a friend and not a customer. Fred is not some elderly man who builds birdhouse as a hobby; he is a 24-year-old kid who will do nothing but lie and give excuses. FIND SOMEONE ELSE! I placed an order for a custom birdhouse to be built as a replica of my parents' house as a Christmas gift for them. I placed the order in October after emailing with Fred Heartley for a few months, with his promise that it would be completed by Christmas. He was paid in full at that time - $480. I didn't hear anything from him until I emailed him to ask him about the progress a few weeks before Christmas. It was then that he told me he wouldn't have it done in time. I was incredibly upset, but I still wanted it so I agreed to a receipt date of January 5. Of course, that date came and went and he didn't have it done (and again, didn't communicate with me about it). I asked for a picture over 10 times and never received a single one. He ended up changing the delivery date a total of 5 times. I finally contacted the Better Business Bureau. After 3 months of waiting as he had my money, 6 different false dates and not a single picture of it, I got an email from him that he has decided he likes MY birdhouse so much that he's keeping it and canceling my order. I immediately contacted my credit card company & PayPal. PayPal told me since it was over 90 days, there was nothing they could do. But, since I placed the order through my credit card using PayPal, my credit card company would allow me to dispute it. If I had waited any longer or done this through my bank account, I couldn't have even gotten my money back. I don't know if that's part of his plan or not. Since then, he has kept harassing me to the point that I have now blocked him from my email server and threatened harassment charges. I have also filed a claim against him with the Attorney General's Office in West Virginia. I don't want him to be able to do to anyone else what he did to me. PLEASE don't go through what I've been through. Find someone good and reliable and don't waste your time with this kid. read more

I am saddened to have to write this poor review and wish the owner, Fred Heartley could have worked with me to address my concerns and compromise to make this right but unfortunately that isn't the case. I purchased a replica birdhouse for my Grandfather with excitement and after doing some research I chose to go with Fred because the samples of his work on his website were outstanding! The birdhouse I got didn't live up to mine or my friends and family's expectations what so ever. Fred initially was very kind and his responses were very prompt, after I paid him through PayPal, his quick responses and demeanor changed. When I received my birdhouse 5 months after I placed the order, I emailed him to address the very visible broken piece of wood in the front of the house and had to send another email after I still hadn't received a response in almost a week. The brick detailing seen in the picture on his website was nothing even close to what I got. Fred mentioned he had a large amount of birdhouse this year and that's why mine took so long, which was fine (I thought it was going to be well worth the wait but I ended up very disappointed with the product I received). I attached pictures of the broken piece of wood on the front porch and a comparison of my actual house compared to the birdhouse Fred made. I have no carpentry experience and feel as though I could have done a better job. I paid an extra $50 fee to add the deck in which I thought would have far more detail including each spool (as seen on the website) not just 4 pieces of would slapped onto the side. (Below is a photo) I don't think what I received was worth the money I paid and after over a week and multiple emails Fred responded that he wouldn't give even a partial refund and basically there is nothing he can do. I am extremely disappointed in his customer service skills and the fact that he clearly doesn't take pride in his work like his website falsely portrays. The birdhouse on his website look better than the actual house he was replicating, mine did not come out that way, between the sub-par brick detailing, broke piece of wood and uneven cuts in the roof that don't line up. I have attached photos comparing the samples of the detailing on his website vs. what I received. I am feeling very disappointed and just don't want anyone else to get their expectations up only to receive something not even close to quality work. Lastly, I asked Fred if he stands by his works on my birdhouse and if he would be willing to post the pictures of my birdhouse on his website and he never replied to my email and disregarded my question. I suppose I got my answer right there and that tells me that he realizes this wasn't his best work, but isn't willing to fix it. I have read several responses from the owner, Fred himself in which he speaks of 100% money back guarantee but when I asked for just a portion of my money back he stated "I'm sorry I can't provide you with a refund. The 100% money back guarantee is on regular merchandise. Custom work is non refundable." There seems to be a lot of misinformed people and you should probably work on your communications skills and make your policies and expectations more clear. What makes me the most upset is how poorly I was treated and just ignored. No way to treat paying customers. Especially because writing this review was my last resort as I tried my best to contact the owner and work with him on making this right so we are both happily satisfied. I will not be doing business with him again. read more

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BUYER BEWARE!! I also wish there was a zero star option to select. We are also another victim of scam artist Fred Heatley. We ordered custom bookcases in October 2017, was told they may take up to 60+ days to receive. In July 2018 we finally received our custom purchase. I wish there was a way to show photos with these reviews, as I feel my articulation of the poor quality product we received will not do justice here. We ordered custom, reclaimed bookcases, got unfinished plywood that belongs in a nursery school setting, as it appears to have been put together by a toddler. Fred has refused to make things right, and clearly has a delay in getting customers their orders because he practices fraud and knows that if he delays delivery then disputed claims are outside of the required timeframe. He told us the reviews on this site are from one "disgruntled" customer and that he is having them legally removed, but I guess we should have listened to the customers and not the scam artist, as he now has another "disgruntled" customer. He should be under investigation, not in business! read more

Fred is not a fraud. It took a long time to get my product, but he states that right on his website. Each time I e-mailed him for a status, I got a prompt response. I absolutely love the product. It is very well made. I would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a well crafted handmade item, and is willing to wait for the quality. Elizabeth C. read more

I ordered a birdhouse like my house and it was wonderful experience. I wanted it to look like the house I grew up in and it surely does. They did an amazing job and they are truly artists. Such a great experience and I'm so glad I found someone who had the ability to do this. read more

I placed 2 orders mid August, one was a saltbox house listed on the website, the other was a custom order. According to their websites shipping information, I was not expecting to receive my custom order until mid December. I emailed Fred regarding a few questions I had and received a reply within a reasonable time frame. I was very happy to have received both of my orders October 8th - again, I was not expecting my custom order that early. I , personally, was very happy with the overall experience and I love my saltbox houses!! read more

The Birdhouse Barn specifically Fred Heartley was wonderful to work with on a custom furniture item I ordered. I saw mixed reviews on here but my experience was everything I could have asked for. I am not giving a full 5 star rating because the timeframe it took was a little long but it's worth the wait in the end. I wish they could nail it down to delivering within a few weeks but it's understandable once you see the quality and the fact that the work is custom. I recommend them and I plan on ordering again in the future. Scam or crook I think not. The work is amazing. read more

Thanks for nothing! My daughter ordered me 3 Primitive Houses on 12/15/16 for my Christmas gift and they still have not arrived. When I emailed Mr. Heartly on March 20th he said they would be to me in April. Well 18 weeks later and still no houses. I have my daughter disputing the charges to her credit card. What a totally frustrating experience! I too am filing a complaint with the BBB and WV State Attorney's office for fraud. read more

This is the 2nd order that I purchased from The Birdhouse Barn. The 1st order took 4 months to receive. I was told there was a family emergency and that the order would take longer than usual and was given a 15% discount. I decided to give them a 2nd chance and placed an order this year on 3/1/2016. I paid my shipping on 3/2/2016. I emailed on June 8th asking for an expected ship date and was told it would be a few more weeks for completion and that I would be sent my tracking information soon. It is now 9/4/2016 I have not received my order or my tracking info. I have emailed with no response and have called and left multiple messages with no response. read more

I ordered a replica birdhouse from Mr. Heartley. I was hesitant to place such a large order with someone but he put my mind at ease with the option of a deposit to start the project. Within 8-10 weeks the birdhouse was finished and the picture he sent me was amazing. It looks even better in person and was packaged very safely. I would recommend this service to anyone. It's a very unique gift. read more

In summary - took over 4 months to receive 4 non-custom lighted houses, only to receive items that look like a good high school woodshop project. Don't spend the money, they are way overpriced for what you get - no skill involved, just plywood nailed together and finish is no more impressive than anyone with minimal craft skills. I did give 2 stars because other than a couple of prompting emails, had no trouble receiving the items, unlike other reviewers, communication was good and the items were well packaged with no damage upon arrival. read more

Overall I'm a satisfied customer! Took a little longer then anticipated (was worried I wasn't going to even get it because of the lack of pictures/blueprints provided), but once I received my birdhouse I was very happy. Thought there would be more detail but after it took 8 months to finish, I was just happy to have it. Thanks Birdhouse Barn :) read more

I have hada similar issue with The Birdhouse Barn and dealing with"Fred." At first, he is very nice via email and promises to deliver a quality product. I gave a down payment of $300.00 on October 30,2015, and have seen no evidence of this replica birdhouse being built. I have received nothing but excuses as to why it is not done, and he hasn't sent pictures of the progress of the birdhouse being made as promised. There are 15 complaints on the Better Business Bureau, all have experienced the same. I just sent an email requesting a refund. I will see what happens. Do not do business with this company. It's so sad to have to write this, as small businesses are struggling as it is. I guess lesson learned, always read reviews before online purchasing from small businesses. PS. They deserve no stars. If he fixes this, I will let you know. read more

If my computer was working better I could select 5 stars but for some reason it won't let me. I ordered 2 custom houses from Fred over the years with my most recent one arriving about 2 weeks ago. I couldn't be more happier with his service! Did it take a while to get? Yes...but these days you can get junk in a day that is made in china or have patience and wait a few months for something really nice. Love it! read more

I wish it would let me select zero stars, I'm sad to even give this "business," (because it's a complete scam so I hate to even use that word) anything. They have a decent little website and things sound promising on your initial email with "Fred" but I guarantee you will never get your bird house, (and he will email you back after multiple emails you might send to say that they are behind, have a family emergency, delays, etc). Once you file a complaint though Pay Pal they might send something to close the case and look like they did their part of following through, (granted this will be months after promised date) but the quality is horrendous - it's basically a $4 project that a child could make and will look nothing at all like your home. Such a massive scam - I'm furious about this place and can't believe they are still operating - please help us shut this down and save others from losing so much money. read more

After several emails requesting updates and being told it would take longer, I found a bunch of complaints on the BBB and other websites so I stayed on top of the process with requesting a claim through PayPal and they put the pressure on The Birdhouse Barn so I ended up receiving a Birdhouse "replica" on August 3rd a few weeks after the promised date of July 14th -18th. I am very disappointed in the quality. This was a 25th Anniversary gift and he knew my home had a metal roof, I emailed him that fact during the ordering process. I got a painted Brown roof. The website says they replicate stone and brick. My home has a stone front and I got wood painted like brick. I expected real stone. I used to work in an Artisan Gallery and the birdhouse I received would never have made the cut. You might find something of this quality at a store but it would probably be priced in the $20-50 range. About a tenth of what I paid. Do yourself and your wallet a favor and buy from someone else! read more

I have been looking for a farm table and had no success until I stumbled on the website The Birdhouse Barn. Living so far away I was scared to order on line Wonder if I didn't like it. I placed a call and spoke with Fred Heartley himself. Every question every concern I had he went above and beyond answering my questions and helping me. He took pictures to show me before he sent it to me to make sure if I liked it. Fred wanted to know if it was to my liking I did order the table because I loved it. A very important part was because Mr Heartley was so wonderful to talk to and help me in anyway he could That I trusted to do this purchase from so far away. I received my table a little damaged for reason of the delivery service from delivery I spoke with Mr Heartley when it arrived damaged. Just wanted to say he took care of it fro the begining to the end. I would not hesitate to buy or recommend him to anyone. Again, thank you Fred for all the wonderful service and standing by your product in everyway Not to mention how much I love my table and how many compliments I get on it. read more

I had been on the search for a company or person who could build a birdhouse replica of our family cottage, which we lost to flood waters in 2011. This was a very sentimental gift for my parents and I wanted the final piece to be beautiful and high quality. My search led me to The Birdhouse Barn and I was not disappointed! Fred was very helpful and I was very impressed with the customer service as well as the finished birdhouse. I live in Canada so I was a bit anxious, to be honest.. I wasn't sure if the birdhouse would arrive in time for Christmas (which it did!) and when I opened the box, the birdhouse was absolutely beautiful and in perfect shape after shipment. The day my parents opened the box with the birdhouse inside was truly unforgettable, the look on their faces was priceless! 2 years later, and my father still refuses to place the birdhouse outside because it's just too nice. Too nice for the birds, he says! :) It sits on its own shelf in the new cottage for everyone to admire. I was so impressed with the work that was done on the birdhouse that I've already recommended Fred's business to a colleague of mine who was interested in doing the same for her parents. Thank you Fred Heartley, and keep up the great work!!! read more