I made my first-ever purchase from wineaccess (those '12 Bolly GAs) on Tuesday night last week, expecting them to be delivered (from NY) by Friday at the latest (NY deliveries are almost always 1-2 days) but stuff happened. They ended up being delivered on Saturday, fortunately early in the am because the temps topped out in the 80s later on.
When I got the note on Friday from UPS indicating that delivery had been rescheduled I sent an email to wineaccess expressing some frustration. I got a response from their Director of Client Service, who accepted full responsibility for the delay, even though their responsibility should truthfully have been shared with UPS and with me (I should have asked them to hold the wine until I could be more certain about weather).
More tangibly, she (a) added a $50 credit to my account to be applied to my next purchase and (b) offered to replace the bottles now. Alternatively said if they seemed off when I opened them I should contact her – with no time limit.
Stuff happens. What matters is how you respond when it does, and frankly I think their response was well beyond what decent customer service would gave required under the circumstances.
Their selection is limited but I will definitely be happy to shop with them in the future.
I’ve had similarly excellent service with them and am very happy to buy from them because of it, even if some of their prices are a bit higher (plus, they supposedly get all of their bottles direct from producers, which is also nice).
2 of my 3 shipments were shipped in styro with ice packs and the bottle were cool to the touch, despite the 80 degree weather. I didn’t ask for styro in any instance, so I’m not sure what makes them ship in styro or if you’re supposed to ask.
I had a similar situation … non delivery by the courier on a Friday and then it sat over a warm weekend (where, I’m not sure…). They sent new bottles right away. Combined with Amex Offers, it’s a great place to shop when they have what you’re looking for.
Interesting - where did your bottles ship from and to where? Mine came from upstate NY to MA. They arrived on a 65 degree day but this time of year if the sun is out, those trucks can get toasty even at what is otherwise a mild temp.
Also, I highly recommend their wine club. The wines they send are generally pretty good (and not expensive), but you also get 10% off all other orders. Again, paired with Amex offers, you can end up coming out pretty good with some pricier bottles.
With regards to styrofoam, it seems that there is ‘no way to win’ as so many dislike them - yet they are great insulators. Just note that a 12 pack styro shipper with an ice insert will add about $15 or so cost to the shipping winery or retailer versus pulp - something to consider.
I’ve done really well cherry picking expensive bottles from wine access with Amex offers and $50 referral credits stacked. I’m not otherwise chasing anything from them.
Got an email from wineaccess sharing their summer shipping options. Below is a short portion I pulled:
“In addition to our standard temperature-control measures, we have transitioned to our Perfect Temperature Packaging. This means each wine will ship with a cold pack inside the box, and styrofoam packaging instead of our standard cardboard inserts at no additional cost. While the cold pack will likely have melted by the time you receive the shipment, rest assured our cold packs are designed to maintain optimal temperature during the entire shipping process—especially for the short time they spend in a FedEx or UPS truck.”
I’ve always been happy with my purchases from them and their customer service has been top notch. They do occasionally have great buys.
I emailed them about a wine I had in my cart but subsequently sold out. I asked if they could find one more bottle for me and what you know I got an auto generate order with the bottle I requested.
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