I’d also like to shoutout to how nice the occasional Saturday pickup option is.
I realize there may be issues with offering it on a more predictable calendar basis, but if it could be offered twice a year on dates that might make sense for your staff (and visitors) its a wonderful amenity. It goads us into visiting the region for a mini getaway…and gets me to bid on non 750ml sized bottlings which particularly benefit (shipping economics wise) from being picked up in person. I always see the same gentleman at the front desk whenever I have made a pickup and he’s gracious & accurate.
Maybe this only really makes sense for customers within a 300mi range or so, but that’s still a big population, and there may be people who might schedule mega pickup trips for their mailing list and other ‘destination wine retail’ (Benchmark, K&L, etc.) that are broadly in the area.
Thanks everyone for your feedback. Our 3 person customer service team will really appreciate these notes. We’ll look into doing more Saturday pickup options- that’s a great suggestion. @J Migone glad we worked it out, thanks for the kind comments. Everyone, watch those temps in Napa and at your destination, and estimated points along the way when you are scheduling your own shipping with the new features (Feel free to send me feedback privately on it as well!) If you want more info, emaill or chat customer service, they can give you an idea of the routes the carriers normally take, but that’s no guarantee and we have no input or control. Happy tasting and sharing your experience!
LMAO, not wine, thankfully. It’s been more places then I have in the past 3 years and still going.
in transit
Oct 21
12:23 PM
In Transit SOMERSET TWP, PA
Oct 20
11:20 PM
In Transit VANDALIA, IL
Oct 20
11:19 AM
In Transit HYDRO, OK
Oct 19
10:13 PM
In Transit GALLUP, NM
Oct 19
9:03 AM
Departed FedEx Location BLOOMINGTON, CA
Oct 17
9:49 PM
Arrived At FedEx Location BLOOMINGTON, CA
Oct 15
8:17 AM
In Transit TEXOLA, OK
Oct 14
7:52 PM
In Transit MASON, TN
Oct 14
8:18 AM
Departed FedEx Location KERNERSVILLE, NC
Oct 14
3:53 AM
Arrived At FedEx Location KERNERSVILLE, NC
Oct 13
8:33 PM
Left FedEx Origin Facility HAMPTON, VA
Oct 13
6:46 PM
Arrived At FedEx Location HAMPTON, VA
Oct 13
4:50 PM
Picked Up HAMPTON, VA
I just received my shipment from Winebid that was shipped via temperature control ground. It was sent from Napa, UPS got it in upstate NY and delivered it to me in NYC. Definitely seems like a box ending up in FL was a mistake by either Vingo or UPS.
I got a little more insight into the Florida connection. I was ready to have my wine shipped but the temps in Napa are still a little on the warm side to suit me, so I decided to use the temperature-controlled method. As I understand how that works, the temp-controlled trucks transport the wine to a terminal in my region where it is transferred to either UPS or FedEx ground. I live in Atlanta and the regional terminal for my region is in Bradenton, Florida where the high temp today is 91 and highs in the 80s for the next 9 days. It would take easily another couple of days to get my wine from subtropical South Florida up to me in Atlanta. The idea of temp-controlled shipping is great but if the wine is handed off in a hot area for days more of exposure to ambient temps, that last part defeats the purpose. Maybe it would be ok in the styrofoam shippers, maybe not. I’ll just watch the weather in Napa and wait a while longer for safer temps and use the previous ground shipping method across to Atlanta.
It seems to me that the shipping window from Napa to where I live is gradually shrinking, year by year.
I’ve also been monitoring temps. Winebid generously offers free storage for 6 months but unfortunately this year I am still waiting on a bottle bought in May after my spring shipment. Luckily this year it’s not a bigger issue, and I’d rather incur the (fair) storage cost that will start shortly than ship during warm weather.
Atlanta itself is a FedEx Cold Chain hub. You could get temperature controlled wine all the way from Napa to the Atlanta hub and then onto a truck for pre-1030am delivery year round.
This is what drives me nuts. I authorize shipping for Monday of this week because temps are down and figure I will get it Thursday at the latest. Get notice that it is going to ship. They don’t deliver it to FedEx until Tuesday and now it is stuck in NoCal with no further updates. Moreover, weather temps are expected to be in the high 80s low 90s for the next week. Can’t tell if it is a FedEx problem or what, but I’m frustrated for sure.
Strangely, I tried to get WineBid to ship this week, but Monday was not an option available a couple of weeks back, so I opted for Tuesday (when I saw the forecast for higher than previously expected weather, I pushed out for delivery mid next month). How long ago did you schedule for Monday? Only asking because that is specifically the day I had intended on asking for and was surprised it wasn’t available.
Napa temps are finally coming down on Friday so I thought I’d schedule my shipment for Monday. Ground, Express Saver, Two Day, Standard Overnight, and Priority Overnight all showed Unable to ship. The only option was Ground (Temperature Controlled). No problem, I’ll just go one day later. Same thing. Two days later. Same thing. In fact for the entire month of November I can only ship Temperature Controlled. Anyone else experience this? I might have selected Temp Controlled anyway but I like to compare the various shipping prices.
Not a big deal (as I said I might have gone temp controlled ground anyway) but I’m curious if everyone else is seeing this?
Edited to add: They fixed it. I choose temperature controlled ground anyway.
Hi T.Alt, Ron, Jay and all- Glad you all are using and experimenting with our new shipping functionality and we appreciate the feedback. As you all have noted, there have been a few things we’ve been ironing out in the software, and the ongoing high temps in Napa have been part of the issue. FWIW, depending on where you are shipping to, we only have certain options available, based on what we have been able to negotiate with the various providers. I can tell you that in some locations, the cost differential between temp controlled and not is actually nominal or in fact exactly the same, so we default to temp controlled. As always, if you have questions about the scheduling and shipping functionality, the best thing to do is just hit the orange chat button (during PST business hours) or call or email, and one of our hardworking customer service team can provide you more information or set up your shipment for you. We’re working to make this as self-service as possible and a great experience, so please feel free to email your thoughts to me- rmann@winebid.com
I got a summers worth of Winebid orders in today. All arrived cool, well packed, no crushed styrofoam, which I hate. No issues. Now I have bottles that I would have had to cellar for years, instantly, in my house. Thank you Winebid.
I love that shipment- mine is coming next week. Like Christmas in November since I’ve forgotten about probably 80% of what I purchased earlier in the summer.
I would expect that the warm Indian summer we just experience - hot & dry Septembers/Octobers - to continue given global climate changes. The old world of shipping windows as we knew it - for the transcon shipper - may need to really tighten their windows, and figure out which devil they’ll risk heat or cold.
I just had open cola bottles freeze in my truck in Wyoming, in late October! Still I’d rather take cold risk than heat risk. A car out in the cold is much less of a heat reservoir than a nice big trailer full of other stuff.
Gotta say, first time going through the self service shipment scheduling option on the full website (not mobile) today, and I really like how it works. Definitely a step up from past shipment scheduling.