Missing Wine?

So, back in late April I purchased 6 bottles of 2010 Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny from a retailer in Southern California. Since the temps were already starting to get fairly warm, I asked them to hold off on shipping until the weather had cooled down. They said that wouldn’t be a problem. A couple of weeks ago, I emailed them to get this wine shipped and the person I spoke with said that they would ship it out the following Monday. The following Friday I reached out to them to check and see if this order was actually shipped and I was told that they didn’t ship my order because they can’t find the bottles that I purchased. They told me that that they could either refund my card or offer me store credit. Keep in mind, I didn’t pay some crazy low price for these bottles. I paid about what the current value was at the time. Unfortunately, Clos Rougeard has gone really crazy at auction lately and the few retailers that do have stock of this exact wine are asking about 50% more than I paid for these bottles. What would you guys do? Am I just screwed? I don’t want to out this store just yet so that’s why I haven’t said where I purchased these bottles from.

Well, to me, this has Premier Cru written all over it. Perhaps they got a better offer. Have you ordered from this retailer before?

I have and they are a retailer that everyone on here knows so that’s why I haven’t named them just yet.

I have had stuff similar to this happen on small purchases. Not sure I have had it happen on a half case purchase but absolutely on singles or two bottle orders. In my case, I have a relationship with the stores and I can usually talk to someone and work out a deal. If its nothing important, I substitute current vintage and don’t complain if its not as good as what I ordered. If it is something more important, I have worked out other deals where they cut me a small discount on something else I want and I use the credit towards that instead.

I don’t know how I would address it if it wasn’t a store that I shopped at regularly. Most likely just take the charge back and not deal with them in the future. It’s probably an innocent mistake but at the same time there is always that lingering doubt that I just don’t need. Plenty of other places to buy wine.

Fishy. I’d be really pissed. Not impressed by either option offered. Big red flag is that you had to call later in the week to inquire if they shipped. What didn’t they reach out to you?

I’d like to know the store involved…one I’d easily pass purchasing from

Hopefully they make good by you

At least you “owned” it for several months, that is more than many of us can say.

I’d ask for a refund plus interest - they held on to your money for half the year with no benefit to you.

Or, ask for first dibs on the next bottles they get in.

Sounds like a bait and switch…I would get a store manager. Point out to them that they took your money, then failed to deliver the product that you purchased. They have some choices to make. I am sure they can locate the product somewhere, obtain it at current cost, then deliver it. Choice B is to work out a satisfactory compromise with you for substitute product, at hopefully some discount to allow for your disappointment. Refunding your money is a crappy outcome. I would point out to them that if the price went DOWN, they would not likely refund your money. If you cannot get a satisfactory deal, then they become fair game to be outed here with names. That is the only recourse for those consumers that have been…ahem… disappointed.

Many years ago, when this happened, the retailer sourced the wine for me.
It doesn’t hurt to tell the retailer that is what you want them to do. You can even find the wine and ask them to buy it for you.

Call a senior manager, to ask imagine being in your shoes. Then, stay silent on the phone, waiting for the response.

As someone who buys from S. CA retailers, I will continue watching this thread to see the outcome. This seems pretty suspicious to me.

Thanks to everyone for their advice. I really appreciate it. I’ll definitely keep you posted on how this goes.

It could be an honest mistake. It could be some scab of an employee who bought your bottles, sold them in an auction, and has since been fired. This board is paranoid, not every little mishap is the next Acker or Premier Cru thread in waiting. To make things interesting for me, I say if they can’t get your wine, you should ask for 150% of your purchase price in store credit, if your numbers are accurate. And like our President says in “The Art of the Deal” you have to be willing to walk away. Can you live without ever shopping with them again?

Frankly, a lot of stores don’t have very good inventory systems. It was predictable in April that the price on the wines would escalate, so in your position I’d be a bit cranky but not suspicious that I was played. What would I want out of it? I think it would depend on whether I hoped there would be good opportunities to access good deals from them in the future.

-Al

I think most of us on this board would only settle for first born sons. The lawyers among us can go for the last ounce of flesh.

It’s true about inventory systems not being best-of-breed, though. Many of these stores are 1 operation and not all can invest in top notch inventory systems.

What about leakage. A few items here and there get lost and no one is the wiser.

I don’t necessarily think anything sinister happened here. My frustration here is that I really just want the wine for the price I paid. Back in April, there were several merchants who had this wine at around the same price, but I purchased from this shop because they have a good reputation (they definitely aren’t a one man show) and I haven’t had any problems with them in the past.

Like I said above, I didn’t pay a super low price for these bottles. I paid $165/bottle…so the the shop was making a really nice profit on these bottles. For example, I paid $90/bottle for the 2011s from another retailer.

Hopefully I’ll hear back from them today.

Generally I am pretty easy of stuff like as this as things happen. But here you paid a premium for the wine in order to secure a back vintage which was also available elsewhere. You chose the merchant due to their reputation when faced with other choices.

I would nicely point those facts out and point them to where they can source the wine now. Or maybe they can make it up to you with a similar vintage of the same wine. I would not lose sleep either way but this is one of the cases where I would ask for something tangible rather than the simple refund.

Just a quick update here. The wine shop finally got back to me last night and has said they will source these bottles elsewhere to make things right. Thanks to everyone on here for their advice. I really appreciate it.

Thanks for the update, Jeff. The store’s response is appropriate and encouraging. Please let us know if they ultimately follow-through on their promise.