WineXpert WE Limited Release?

[wineh]

RJ's, CC, etc... anywhere but with WE, vote with your dollars. Let's send these corporate tools a message!

WineXpert, Vineco (Cellar Craft, Kenridge, Cheeky Monkey, Niagra Mist) and Wine Kitz are part of Andrw Peller Ltd.

 

[sour_grapes]

They aren't price fixing CC kits yet,

Hmmm, that is an interesting observation indeed. Wonder if that situation will remain?

 

[Elmer]

RJ's, CC, etc... anywhere but with WE, vote with your dollars. Let's send these corporate tools a message!

As much as I like to take a stand against corporate greed, raising prices, price fixing and anything that takes an extra dollar out of my pocket,
The reality of the situation is, the Cheapest LHBS in my area stocks WE exclusively.

I have finally got my old standby LHBS to start getting some RJS, and not just Mosti Mondale.

And the most knowledgeable LHBS carries WE & RJS, but at $20 more.

So it basically comes down to buying what is available at the price, unless I go hunting on the interwebs or switch to juice, only available 2x a year!

 

[richmke]

From our friends in FL:

Public Service Announcement​

We have decided it would not be in the best interest of our friends and clients to participate in and offer you, our valued customers, this years Winexpert LE 2014 kits. Why? Because we do no want to participate in any price controlled or manipulated pricing scheme (also know as MAP or Minimum Advertised Price) of Winexpert and/or their only USA distributor, LD Carlson. We believe this manipulating price fixing strategy is unacceptable and therefore have opted out of this years Winexpert LE series. It's up to you if you want to support this product but we're not.

I wonder if there are enough of us to make a boycott effective.

 

[Boatboy24]

From our friends in FL:



I wonder if there are enough of us to make a boycott effective.

I think WE will feel this a bit. Maybe not a ton, but some. We are but a small sampling of their buyers, and while we aren't necessarily boycotting them altogether, many here have decided to limit or avoid these LE kits this year. I intend to write to WE and let them know that their decision has cost them some revenue - at least from me. I will also be letting the vendors I order from that WE's policy has prevented me from buying their products, in the hopes that they will send that message to WE.

 

[joshs]

I think that I am passing this year on the WE LR kits. I wasn't head over heels for then and was leaning towards the Super Tuscan or the Triumph.

I started this fall moving towards grapes and juice and if I see promising signs from my first 18 gallons later this year, will continue this pursuit.

I still have a couple kits in the queue and also some that I want to buy (Kenridge Passport Pinot Noir) so I don't think that I will miss out on much. Time will tell....

-Josh

 

[buffalofrenchy]

I don't know what these guys are worth in Florida but they for sure are entertaining

MAP is ridiculous and it creates a mockery of the American free enterprise system. You have merchants like us who won't handle the product and on the other end of the spectrum, you have merchants jumping through hoops trying to earn your business with free stuff becasue you're not allowed to sell below MAP. You probably don't need free things like cheap corks, a one dollar air lock, free shirts, discounts on future purchases, secret clubs, discounts but their prices are even higher than MAP.

 

[Brian55]

From our friends in FL:



I wonder if there are enough of us to make a boycott effective.

Yes, we can at least send a message and try to make people aware of this issue, like Jim has suggested. These are not big industries. The type of people lined up to buy limited editions and premium kits are people like us. The type who are into this hobby deep enough to research all they can about the process, the manufacturers, the vendors, etc.. on forums such as this, making informed decisions before purchase.

 

[Brian55]

I don't know what these guys are worth in Florida but they for sure are entertaining

The good:
They seem to understand the definition of "free market". They have very competitive pricing. They obviously have a sense of humor.

The not as good:
They have mediocre customer service, on their better days. They love to litter your home and sometimes if you're not extremely careful, your must, with smashed up bits of pink styrofoam packing peanuts.

 

[ericcif]

The not as good:
They have mediocre customer service, on their better days. They love to litter your home and sometimes if you're not extremely careful, your must, with smashed up bits of pink styrofoam packing peanuts.

Lol, god I hate those things. They cling to everything.

 

[UglyJohn]

The good:
They seem to understand the definition of "free market". They have very competitive pricing. They obviously have a sense of humor.

The not as good:
They have mediocre customer service, on their better days. They love to litter your home and sometimes if you're not extremely careful, your must, with smashed up bits of pink styrofoam packing peanuts.

The bloody awful:
Having a $40 difference between their on-line prices and their in-store prices. Even after shipping, it would have been $20 cheaper for me to go home and order a kit than to pick it up when I was talking with them face to face.

 

[SouthernChemist]

The good:
They seem to understand the definition of "free market". They have very competitive pricing. They obviously have a sense of humor.

The not as good:
They have mediocre customer service, on their better days. They love to litter your home and sometimes if you're not extremely careful, your must, with smashed up bits of pink styrofoam packing peanuts.

The packing peanuts are the worst. It's awkward enough trying to pick up an almost 50 lb package out of a sea of packing peanuts let alone doing it with a cat or two nearby. They get everywhere. I had to completely remove everyone from a kit box once (juice/concentrate included) because the packing peanuts had efficiently made their way down into the box.

As for their prices being cheaper online...sometimes I've noticed a kit I ordered was shipped straight from the distributor (Atlanta, GA) and not from FL. That might account for some difference.