I tried them out a year and a half ago and my experience was mixed. I placed an online prearrival order, got my confirmation and waited, and waited, and waited…
I finally emailed about a year later and was told, “Oh, we won’t be able to fulfill that order. I’ve credited it back to your account.” Unfortunately that was a credit card number which had been compromised and replaced. So they had to uncredit it and I took it as a store credit for one in stock wine and one pre arrival. Again I waited and waited. I finally emailed to ask and was told the prearrival wine had arrived months ago. They shipped and everything arrived promptly and in good condition. But the whole experience did not inspire confidence.
I was assigned a new sales rep recently and some offers were tempting but I’ve been holding off.
I don’t think they send out daily blasts, more like a few/week, which is far less than the incessant daily drivel from Wine Library or the breathless spiels from Fass or Last Bottle.
I don’t get offers every day, but sometimes get two or three a day. I also get occasional offers from JJ Buckley that are not from my rep (maybe once every week, or two). I’m pretty sure the reps aren’t all sending the same offers. My rep has also learned some of my wine preferences and has offered me things I don’t think he’s sending to his whole list.
Thanks. I bought something from them a few years ago and they said they were assigning a specialist or a rep to me. I never pursued it much and eventually they stopped sending me e-mails. Prices were OK, but what I bought was at the year-end sale or inventory reduction or whatever they called their annual clearance and on one or two things I just paid what the going rate was everywhere else to fill out a case.
I don’t buy enough to develop any kind of personal relationship with anyone but I guess if I did, it might be nice to have a specific person to talk to.
Pricing is often higher on the website than it is through the “private client” offers, and the reps can often get you better prices on wines that they’re not specifically offering.
There was a point about two years ago where they were undergoing changes in ownership and there was additionally an insane-sounding inventory control system rehaul of a such complexity that you’d think it involved firing up the Hadron particle collider. The result was that for months (years?) the website didn’t accurately display inventory or customer orders, or what had shipped, or what was in storage. I always went to pick stuff up in person, and they always delivered every bottle I ordered, but confirming it was aggravating. And someone more informed/with a better memory could confirm this, but I think they changed hands…twice? I’m buying some 2015 Bordeaux from them (you’re welcome to the Clos St Julien after I’ve bought mine-- look it up), and was asking the broad question about current experiences in case that might not be such a hot idea.