ComplaintsforFlaviar, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  01/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I ordered a gift subscription for $180 that was never sent. I have contacted them 3 times with no response. Also left phone message.

  Business response

  02/01/2024

  Dear ******,
  

  Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you've experienced regarding the Gift Subscription.
  

  Upon careful examination of your case, no email messages were located under the provided email address. Could it be possible that you reached out to us using an alternate email address? We regret any delay in addressing this matter and appreciate the opportunity to assist you.
  

  Our records indicate that the gift card, purchased on November 27, 2023, was sent to your email address on both November 28, 2023, and January 18, ****. If you haven't received it, we recommend checking your spam and secondary folders. In an effort to safeguard your sensitive personal information, we have initiated communication via email to discuss and resolve any concerns. We eagerly await your response!
  

  Our goal is to swiftly resolve this matter and find a satisfactory solution. Thank you for your understanding. :)
  

  Warm regards,
  Flaviar Team
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Over charged: $973.00 I originally purchased this as a gift in 2021 for my husband and Flaviar opened an additional account under my email address. Thus, charging me twice in 2021 and again in 2022 and 2023. I never signed up for a membership and none of this has been used. I expect a full refund in the amount of $973.00 which cover the following charges I did not agree to: 1.12/17/21 - $349.00 2.12/12/22 - $324.00 3.12/07/23 - $300.00 I find their practices to be deceptive and underhanded. Not once did I get notified these charges were taken place. As of 1/10/24 I have received a $229 refund - $744 short of what I expect.

  Business response

  01/18/2024

  Dear **,
  
  Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We sincerely apologize for any disappointment and confusion surrounding your Membership, and we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.
  
  Upon reviewing your case, it appears that you added both a Gift Membership and a Personal Membership to your cart during your initial order on Dec 16, 2021. One of our agents already informed you of this, and you can also review this order in your Order History page. The system treated the Gift Membership differently by sending a Gift Card to the recipient, while the Personal Membership was immediately linked to your account.
  
  In accordance with our Terms of Service, all Memberships are set to renew after the prepaid period, and our Refund policy allows cancellations within a 3-day "grace ******** During the checkout process, you agreed to these terms.
  
  Upon canceling your Membership through the system, you received a refund of $229.00, covering the cancellation which took place after the 3-day grace ******* Despite our standard Refund policy, we made an exception and issued an additional refund of $95.00 for the renewal.
  
  Regrettably, we cannot refund earlier renewals from 2021, 2022, and 2023. To address this, we are extending an exception by keeping your account active for a limited time,enabling you to claim your unused tokens. We eagerly await your token claim to reach a resolution that satisfies both parties. We are confident that we can promptly and amicably resolve this matter.
  
  If you encounter any challenges in claiming your complementary tokens or have further questions,please feel free to reach out to us at *********************************** We are committed to assisting you.
  
  Best regards,
  Flaviar team

  Customer response

  02/01/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ******** and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because: I respectfully disagree with Flaviar's response.

  A renewal notice was not sent/received as Flaviar stated in their 1/17/24 email. Flaviar's records should also show the account in question was not accessed until they were notified on 1/2/24. This is because purchasing a membership for myself would be a waste of money and resources - as I do not drink. 

  In total I purchased 2 gift certificates for my husband - The original purchase was a Christmas gift for my husband (12/17/21) and again on 10/25/22 for our anniversary.  I would also add, in both cases the handwritten gift card that was to be delivered in 5-7days NEVER arrived and I had to wrap a cheap piece of paper instead.

  Flaviar's response is disappointing,and their practices are deceptive and underhanded."Tokens" (whatever those are) are useless to me, because as mentioned earlier I do not drink. I expect a full refund of the balances owed to me ($649.00) for a membership I did not request or was properly notified annually of it being renewed.
  

  Sincerely,
  ****************; 

  Customer response

  04/30/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  The resolution thus far while not ideal, would be considered adequate. I do have a question regarding the "tokens." The ability to use said "tokens" was extended and my account shows I have some available however the system is not allowing me the ability to use them. 

  ** * 

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business response

  05/31/2024

  Hello **,

  Thank you for getting back to us and pointing out this issue!

  We have reopened your membership but it was canceled when the additional refund was issued. We have now reopened your Membership again for a week so that you can claim the unused tokens. Please do so until the end of next week as the tokens will become unavailable after this time.

  You can claim your complimentary token by navigating to "Manage your Membership" on the top right of the website while signed into your Flaviar account.
  ??
  ?After clicking CLAIM NOW youll be asked to verify the shipping address. First, you will be able to choose from a selection of tasting boxes. In the next step, you will be offered to make a choice from a currently favored selection of full-size bottles. In the last step, youll be asked to confirm your selection.
  ??
  ?Follow these steps if you are not able to claim your Membership Benefits:
  ??1. Logout
  ??2. Sign in with your account details
  ??
  If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to get back to us at **********************************.
  

• Initial Complaint

  12/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have tried unsubscribing from Flaviars marketing emails for at least 3 days, and it doesnt appear the required unsubscribe link at the bottom of their emails actually works. I have tried multiple ways, and am tech-savvy, and it appears they are purposefully making it impossible to unsubscribe from their emails which is illegal under FTC law in the US. All unsubscribe links MUST be functional, and theirs is not. I have tried to find a way on their website to contact them to see if its just a broken link but that appears impossible to do as well.

  Business response

  12/15/2023

  Hello,

  I trust this message finds you well! We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have encountered with our email unsubscribe process. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns to ensure a better experience for all our customers.
  

  To manage your email preferences, including unsubscribing from marketing emails, you can click on either "Change Newsletter Frequency" or "Stop Emailing me" located at the bottom of our email communications. These options will direct you to a page where you can easily update your preferences.

  Upon thorough investigation of your case, we confirmed that our unsubscribe functionality is indeed operational as you have been successfully opted out from receiving marketing-related emails. It appears that a temporary technical bug may have raised doubts about the functionality of this option. We sincerely apologize for any frustration this may have caused!
  

  Should you encounter any difficulties or have further questions, our dedicated customer support team is readily available to assist you. You can access our contact information by scrolling to the bottom of our website and clicking on the "Contact Us" option. Alternatively, you can reach out to us directly at *********************************** and we will be more than happy to help address any concerns you may have.

  We hope this clarification eases any uncertainties. Thank you for your understanding. Have an amazing day!
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I made a purchase on 11/4 and was told it would take 3-5 business days to ship. I was immediately charged $78.44 even though I was told I would not be charged until the items shipped. After a week of no shipping update I inquired about the shipping. I was told there was a vendor issue and it was being escalated. After two weeks of still not shipping I asked again and was told it was a vendor issue again. Meanwhile all the items I purchase still showed available on the Flaviar site. Going into the third week I was frustrated and asked for a refund. I was told Id be refunded in 3-5 days even though they previously told me they wouldnt charge me until items shipped and it reality they had immediately charged me almost three weeks prior. So I said fine and then I placed another order based on my refund. I was then told hours later it couldnt be cancelled and refunded and would ship soon. The items shipped and then the day before delivery the items were recalled by the sender. When I reached out about this I was then told once the items had been received by the same vendor who couldnt figure out how to ship them for three weeks that I would then finally actually be refunded. I has already been almost a month since I was charged. It is absurd that I should have to wait another week plus to get my money back due to their incompetence. Im beyond furious with them and want my money back immediately.

  Business response

  12/04/2023

  Dear ****,

  We appreciate the time you took to bring your concerns to our attention, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you experienced with your recent order.

  After thoroughly investigating the matter, we understand that the delayed shipment and subsequent cancellation process fell short of your expectations. We acknowledge the frustration caused by the unforeseen stock issues our vendor encountered, which led to the delay in shipping your order.

  Upon receiving your request to cancel the shipment, our team took steps to communicate this with the vendor. Due to the bulk processing, the order was already prepared for shipping, making it challenging to prevent its dispatch. We understand the importance of timely communication, and we sincerely apologize for any confusion caused during this process.

  Subsequently, when the package was in transit, we took immediate action to recall it. Unfortunately, the success of a recall is contingent upon the carrier's policies and procedures, and we regret any inconvenience caused by the delay in its return.

  Due to the dispute that was filed in the meantime, we were not able to issue a refund right away. However, we are pleased to inform you that the dispute has been accepted, and the full funds will soon be returned to your account.

  We would also like to note that, in response to our customers feedback, we have recently made changes to our payment policies. Our updated policy now ensures that the full amount is charged before shipping to prevent any pending charges. You can find detailed information about our payment policy in our FAQs, available here: ***************************************************************************************

  We sincerely value you as our loyal customer, and we are committed to continually improving our processes to better serve you. If there is anything else we can assist you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to our customer support team.

• Initial Complaint

  11/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company sends emails and says your product has been delivered when there is no delivery. This is happened twice now I just want to credit for the product.

  Business response

  11/23/2023

  Hi *****, 
  
  Thank you so much for your feedback! It allows us to swiftly resolve any issues. 
  
  We are terribly sorry that your order was misdelivered. We rely on the diligence of our partners and hope you can understand that we are constantly working on improving the delivery experience. We understand these things can happen and we always try to resolve the issue as quickly as we can whilst following strict protocol. 
  
  I see you were in contact with one of our support agents, Polona. She arranged for your package to be reshipped as quickly as possible to the following address: 
  
  ***************************
  **** ******* ***** **************** ************* * ******* ** ************
  
  The reshipment has been delivered, according to the carrier, and signed for by ***************** ****** has not received any further communication or response from you to indicate the reshipment has not been received. 
  
  If the reshipment has not been received, please reach out to our support team at ********************************** and we'll be able to assist. Alternatively, you can respond to ******'s last email. 
  
  We wish you all the best!
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  10/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  August 26, 2023. Definitely misrepresented the product/gift card to my wife and I. She bought me a Flaviar membership for one year. When you go to their website, there are hundreds of bottles or tastings to choose from. You can buy multiple tastings but are limited to buying from a selection of five bottles, two of which I can buy anywhere, one is rum, one is scotch and this only leaves the *********** very Small Batch Bourbon which retails for about $35. That means the single tasting is about $140. This is a terrible deal and I would like to have my money refunded. We would have never bought this except it gives you the idea that you can do multiple tastings and then buy the bottle(s) you like. The membership requires you to buy a tasting and a bottle.

  Business response

  10/26/2023

  Hi *****, 
  
  Thank you for sharing your concerns. Constructive feedback is always appreciated and helps us improve further.
  
  We're really sorry to hear that you weren't satisfied with the value or benefits that the club has to offer! Whilst the tangible benefits are an integral part of the Flaviar experience, the club offers many perks alongside them, including:
  
  - Unlimited free shipping
  - Discounted Tasting Boxes
  - Access to rare and hard-to-find spirits
  - and much more!
  
  We do our best to outline the perks of gift memberships on the gift membership page, but I understand if these details are missed in the excitement of a gift purchase. 
  
  We see that you're currently in communication with a senior member of our customer care team. Your complaint has been taken into consideration and we'll resolve the issue in the most amicable way. You can expect a response from ********** soon. 
  
  Kind regards, 
  Flaviar

• Initial Complaint

  09/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was gifted a membership. I did not wish it to continue. They charged my credit card for another year of membership. By the time I found out that they had done this it was after what they claim the cancellation time. This was a gift from not myself but my family. I had no idea that I was going to be tricked into another year of membership by their clever scheme. I only found out about their charges to my account after the cancellation date as they set. I did not, do not, or will ever want to deal with such an unscrupulous way to trick me into another year of membership. They are absolutely disgusting in how they send, interact and deal with members.They take the time and effort to trick people into another year of membership even though the gifted first year of membership was a nightmare and totally aweful. This company is unscrupulous and vindictive. They can not deliver on their promise. They are out of stock of posted products. Their delivery service is useless and very bad with poor service. They should not be allowed to conduct business with people in **************************** because they trick and manipulate people into another year of membership even though those people dont like the way Flaviar has treated them(this gift turned into a nightmare because of their decisions and treatment of my orders and their absolutely disgusting delivery service.Please stop them from duping others with this very clever manipulation!Thank you for your time and considerations

  Business response

  10/04/2023

  Dear *****, 
  
  Thank you so much for reaching out with your concerns and for giving us the chance to look into this. 
  
  After reviewing your case, it is clear that there was an unfortunate oversight on your customer care agent's part. They missed the fact that your membership was a gifted one. We apologize for this. The agent has received feedback on this and a revision session has been conducted in order to prevent this from happening in the future. 
  
  Although our Cancelation and Refund Policy holds true, we handle gift memberships with more consideration and lenience. We do our best to keep all members up to date with email reminders letting them know their membership is up for renewal on the applicable date, but we understand that these email reminders can be missed. 
  
  Normally, we would go ahead and issue a refund for the renewal, but this charge has been disputed and the funds have been frozen by your bank until they have reached their decision. A refund is currently not possible, but our disputes team will continue to monitor this and, as soon as your bank has resolved this, they will be sure to refund the payment should the bank's decision not be in your favor. Should the dispute be resolved in your favor, the  funds will return to your account automatically. 
  
  Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience this has caused and thank you again for bringing this to our attention. 
  
  We wish you well, 
  Flaviar

  Customer response

  10/06/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased a bottle online from this company's website on 3-18-23 with order confirmation # *******. (Amount paid with credit card: $162.35 incl. shipping) On 3-27-23, I received the wrong bottle. After following the complaint/issue submission protocol exactly, Flaviar acknowledged the mistake in writing and assured me of a resolution in just days. I was advised by Flaviars representative that they would have the vendor ship the correct bottle out immediately, and that they would also email me a prepaid return label for the errant bottle. Other than a couple emails offering delays and no solution, nothing happened. Eight days later, I was advised that their vendor no longer had the specific bottle for which I had already paidthe bottle that was clearly described, unmistakably identified as the exact one I sought, and listed as available for purchase on Flaviars website. The bottles unavailability wouldve been readily apparent after a single contact with their vendorsomething Flaviar had claimed in an email to have already done multiple times throughout their resolution processyet the admission came over a week after their first contact with that vendor. After finally admitting that they cannot fulfill their end of the obligation, they suggested I keep the wrong bottle and they would refund me $30. (I can buy this bottle 1/8 mile from my house for under $90. And the whole point was to acquire a very specific bottle that would complete a collection. So keeping a bottle I don't want does me no good and costs me an additional $45 for the inconvenience.) I refused.Since then, they have not offered any explanation, nor have they addressed the fact that the order number on my confirmation doesn't match the order number on the slip that came in the shipment. They may have confused orders. Either way, they need to make this right.To date, there is still no communication offering me a refund, and responses to my emails seeking a proper resolution have ceased.

  Business response

  04/11/2023

  Dear ********,

  This certainly isnt the experience we want you to have and we apologize for the inconvenience caused.

  Wrong orders aren't uncommon in the e-commerce business, but what sets us apart is the way we handle such hiccups. It doesnt happen often, but were very adept at handling wrong orders and always offer appropriate compensation for any inconvenience caused to a reasonable extent.

  At the time you wrote this review you were still in contact with our customer support. Your issue has since been resolved in a timely manner and to your full satisfaction. Your order has been fully refunded, and as a courtesy for all the inconvenience caused, we decided that you can keep the bottle that was delivered to you by mistake.

  If you need help with anything else or believe your issue wasnt resolved to your full satisfaction let us know, were easy to reach if you write to us at **********************************.

  Customer response

  04/11/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution, while not completely satisfactory, is good enough. I will consider the matter closed, however, I would like to point out just a few things.

  Having read Flaviar's response, I wish to add the following:

  I did receive a full refund, (three weeks after the fact!) and only AFTER contacting the BBB and writing a scathing review to warn the public. I never should've had to take it that far to get a fair resolution.
  Further, they claimed in their response to be very adept at handling wrong orders and that they always offer appropriate compensation. It was my experience that they delayed such compensation and/or appropriate resolution until I publicly shamed them into doing so. The process was long and unnecessarily painful.
  Also, they mentioned that at the time I wrote the review, that I was still in contact with their support. To clarify, I was in contact, but they were ignoring my repeated attempts to communicate.
  And finally, for the record, while they took the liberty of unilaterally declaring that the matter has been, "resolved in a timely manner and to my full satisfaction," I'd like to point out that this is ENTIRELY UNTRUE! It was neither timely nor to my full satisfaction.
  The matter took three weeks to get resolved and only happened at the expense of my time.
  It's pathetic that Flaviar needs to spin the situation in a poor attempt to sidestep their accountability in this mess. Any company with integrity would have simply apologized and refunded the money immediately. Mistakes are just that, and I am a reasonable person. But this was a train wreck from the start and just got worse with each passing day. As a consumer, I expect more. As a business, they should require more and maintain widely accepted business standards. Buyers beware!

  I consider the matter closed as I have gotten a full refund. But this was a bad experience and I will not deal with this company in the future.
  
  ***********************************
  
  
  
   
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I paid almost ****** for a year membership and right out of the gate they have no idea where my order is 20 days in. Can't get a refund after 3 days of signing up so I was taken for all my money. Very unhappy with the effort to resolve. All I have so far from them are generic emails saying they are looking into it. They need to be stopped of their poor business tactics of selling a product that takes weeks to deliver, if at all, but only refund your membership if you cancel within 3 days. That is the definition of a scam.

  Business response

  03/10/2023

  Hi **,

  We apologize for your experience. The feedback you have provided is one of the only ways we can improve.

  At the time of posting this review, I can see that you were in contact with our **************** which has been updating you on the matter. I can see that the delay behind your order was stock related. 

  We understand how frustrating it can be when stock issues occur! Please note that we rely on partners and outsourced services for an essential step of our deliveries, services we cannot directly influence. 
  This isn't an attempt to justify or shift the blameonly to help explain the complexity of our logistics.

  Since we failed to deliver what was promised on time, and you express your wish to cancel the membership for a full refund instead, we decided to honor your request and make an exception from our 3-day refund policy. Your order was canceled and the membership fully refunded. The refund should be already with you.

  Once again, we are very sorry for the poor delivery experience and that the membership didn't work for you.

  If you need help with anything else or believe your issue wasnt resolved to your full satisfaction let us know, were easy to reach if you write to us at **********************************.

   

  
  

  Customer response

  03/14/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  ******* is an online liquor-sales website and subscription service. My complaint pertains to it charging customers days before it has confirmed that a product is available, and then providing false and misleading information to buyers regarding shipping status and estimated delivery. Delivery of alcoholic products requires that an adult is present to sign for the package, but ******* will not provide the delivery date.Here is a synopsis of events for my recent order:1/12: Order confirmed 1/13: ******* informs me that order #******* shipped, and that delivery usually takes up to 10 days (meaning up to Jan-23). My credit card is charged 1/16: ******* changes it story to "Orders typically take between one and five business days to process before being shipped out", and "At the moment, we do not yet know the shipper. We will need to wait a few more days before any further information can be provided. Before this time, we do not yet know if the order has been fulfilled or not."oLater on 1/16 (4:15 PM), ******* emails a shipping confirmation, "aims to land in 3-7 business days" (i.e. Jan-19 to Jan-27)". oOn 1/19: ******* informs me "Your order is shipping with a courier called STAT. This should be with you soon, within **** days approximately (i.e Jan 26 Feb-2)." But on its website. my order status shows " Order has been shipped via temperature controlled line haul carrier. Westcoast Gateway WeShip". Not STAT!o On 1/24: ******* says "Unfortunately, because this is a smaller regional carrier, they do not have the same tracking features as the larger couriers." But that is false: WeShip Express has warehouses located throughout the ** and a full-scale nationally established distribution network. STAT Courier has nationwide operations in 39 states.

  Business response

  01/31/2023

  Dear ****,
  
  Thank you for sharing your concerns. Constructive feedback is always appreciated and helps us improve further.
  
  Please allow me to shed some on the matter.
  
  

  ******* is an online marketplace and all alcohol sales are solicited, offered, accepted, made, and delivered by alcoholic beverage licensees. Our customers are not buying from ******** but ******* is connecting them to vendors who have products available for sale.  We rely on the diligence of our partners and hope you can understand that we are constantly working on improving the delivery experience. 
  
  Shipping alcohol is an extremely complex process. By now, we are well versed in handling unexpected delivery issues and fluctuations in state laws so there is no disruption in the quality of our service. Recently, though, weve experienced several such issues at the same time, which has made resolving them efficiently a lot trickier. This, in turn, caused shipping delays, longer transit times, and issues with order tracking.
  
  At the time the order is placed, the shipping fee is charged immediately. The product fee is charged at the time the order is shipped. In your case, the order was shipped with an intermediate carrier and it's on the way to the sorting facility. Delivery sometimes can take ***** days in extreme circumstances, though it is usually much quicker. Your order was shipped with WeShip Express and STAT is one of the couriers they collaborate with. I apologize if this caused any confusion.
  
  At the time you wrote this review, you were still in contact with our customer support and our concierge is keeping you in the loop regarding the relevant order updates. It appears that the tracking link has updates and your order should be with you shortly. 
  
  Please accept our sincere apologies for the long delivery times and know that were working hard to implement improvements.
  
  Please write to us at ********************************** if there is still any confusion or if you need our assistance, we promise to get back to you as soon as possible!

  Customer response

  01/31/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  Dear ** & ********

  None of this response addresses the false and misleading information that ******* delivers to its customers, and it contains numerous lies. I shouldn't have to repeat the facts of the matter, but here they are:

  (1) On Jan-13, ******* FALSELY informed me that my order had shipped. How do I know that was a lie? Because three days later, on Jan-16, their own concierge (*****) wrote "At the moment, we do not yet know the shipper. We will need to wait a few more days before any further information can be provided. Before this time, we do not yet know if the order has been fulfilled or not."  But they charged my credit card four days earlier, on the same day the order was placed, Jan-12! 

  (2) Later on Jan-16, ******* emailed me again, this time saying "Our Liquor Fairy just took off with your delicious goods! She aims to land in 3-7 business days."  But that was not true either.   How do I know that? Seven days later... on Jan-23, I called STAT, and they were able to look up the WeShip tracking number. Their response was that they hadn't received the package from WeShip. 

  (3) On Tues. Jan-24, when I inquired as to why the WeShip tracking status (which ******* copies to its website) hadn't changed since Thurs Jan-19, ******* once again lied to me, saying "Unfortunately, because this is a smaller regional carrier, they do not have the same tracking features as the larger couriers (such as ***** and UPS)."  In fact, WeShip Express has warehouses located throughout the ** and a full-scale nationally established distribution network. STAT has nationwide operations in 39 states. And on its website page describing "Why Choose STAT over Other Major Carriers?", **** says they are the only one to provide Email and SMS Updates!

  (4) WeShip Express is complicit in this chain of misinformation.  Although I got them to reply to one email, they cut me off after that, and generally refuse to communicate with the end customers. But on Jan-26, WeShip Express customer service informed me that "This shipment has not been scanned in by the carrier just yet."  So lots of finger pointing, but clearly, it had not SHIPPED!

  (5) On Jan-30, ******* and WeShip backdated the tracking information! This suddenly appeared: "19 Thu 02:26 PM. In Transit. Package has arrived at Final Mile Carrier facility WeShip"  How can it be that 7 days later, WeShip directly informed me that "This package is in manifest status and has not made it to the carrier yet. We are unable to provide an update until the carrier scans it in."  That status update, posted 11 days after it had supposedly occurred(!), not only contradicts what WeShip told me, but it was posted with a time stamp just 7 minutes after this: "19 Thu
  02:19 PM. Order has been received at the fulfillment gateway and is being processed. Midcentral Gateway WeShip. Apparently, these imaginary packages can move at the speed of light!

  In summary, as has been my experience in the past, ******* engages in numerous false and misleading business practices. And it charges customers for products before it has secured them from one of its vendors. Although I was already familiar with their business model, nowhere do they inform members of their club or other online customers that they "are not buying from ******** but ******* is connecting them to vendors who have products available for sale." They say "we are well versed in handling unexpected delivery issues and fluctuations in state laws", but those laws include requiring an adult to be present to receive deliveries of alcohol, yet they won't provide an ETA.

  Consumers need to know the truth about this company.

   Sincerely,

  *********************

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business response

  06/08/2023

  Hello ****,

  We understand that you have expressed dissatisfaction with our previous explanations, and we sincerely apologize for any frustration this *** have caused. We would like to address your concerns and provide further clarification on the matter.

  Here are some key points to explain the situation:
  
  Orders typically undergo processing within 1 to 5 business days. Occasionally, due to logistical reasons, shipping labels are generated before the order is physically shipped. This process *** lead to the issuance of a shipping confirmation email even before the order has left our facility. We understand how this can cause confusion and apologize for any inconvenience it *** have caused.
  At our company, we collaborate with multiple vendors who utilize different shipping couriers. In your case, your order was shipped using "***************," which works in conjunction with the "Stat Shipping Courier." This interconnection is the reason why both names were mentioned in our communications.

  
  The tracking link provided for your order *** experience a delay in updating the shipment status. This can occur as the orders are transferred between various sorting facilities before being handed over to the final-mile courier responsible for the delivery. We understand that this delay in tracking updates can be frustrating, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue.

  
  We also acknowledge that there *** have been confusion caused by the shipping confirmation email and the explanation provided by our agent. We apologize for any misunderstanding that *** have arisen from our previous communication and assure you that we are working to improve our processes and address these concerns effectively.

  
  We understand that this might be confusing and difficult to understand and we are really sorry for not being more transparent about the shipping process.

  I hope you will find this explanation satisfactory, so we can successfully close the complaint.

  Customer response

  06/13/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   So, now ******* hopes that I find it's explanation satisfactory, so that "we can successfully close the complaint". Believe me, I'm just as tired of this back and forth as they are. 

  But let's see.. we're now at about 5 months after this incident began, and the company persists in evading the issues that I have repeatedly and clearly documented here, and it continues to employ doublespeak and outright lies in its "explanation"? Its repeated statements that its processes and business practices may caused CONFUSION and are DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND are incredibly insulting.  And those those self-serving excuses are designed to avoid directly addressing the issues, rather than taking responsibility.

  Let me be 100% clear *******.. I am not, and was not, the least bit confused!! Lied to.. yes!  Deliberately misled.. yes!  Let there be no confusion about that!   Are we clear *******?  Are you listening? 

  Apparently, as is the case with all liars, making repeated false statements results in the company being incapable of keeping its story straight. It previously admitted that ******* is actually a marketplace, even though they describe the business as a club and a store to consumers that happen to fall upon their website. Incidentally, and this is very interesting... it now appears that the company has removed the term "marketplace" from its site, and instead says in its Ts & Cs that " the product you select must be purchased from a licensed retailer having the right to deliver alcoholic beverages in the state where you seek that delivery be made". 

  Then why, in its latest "explanation", is it saying that its process "may lead to the issuance of a shipping confirmation email even before the order has left our facility", when they don't do any of the shipping? It's those third-party licensed retailers that handle the order.. not *******! Contradict yourself much? 

  Let me restate what happened with the order that initiated this complaint. I've lost count of how many times I've repeated this, but a copy of the correspondence is attached to this complaint. THREE DAYS AFTER ******* told me that my order had shipped, its "concierge" wrote "we do not yet know the shipper, because your order is still processing". The concierge also said that the charge issued to my credit card was just pending, when it had already completed processing in my account 3 days earlier! None of this was "due to logistical reasons", it's endemic to *******'s business practices. 

  Furthermore, as I also previously documented, the concierge lied to me about the shippers. He wrote: "Unfortunately, because this is a smaller regional carrier, they do not have the same tracking features as the larger couriers (such as ***** and UPS)."   But, as ******* has said in its latest explanation, my "order was shipped using "***************," which works in conjunction with the "Stat Shipping Courier."   These are NOT smaller regional carriers. You can look it up!
  

  OK.. as tiring as this is.. if ******* wants to "successfully" close this complaint, all they need to do is be honest. But, they appear to be incapable of that.  Directly respond to the issues. Spare me, and all consumers using this BBB record your lies, doublespeak, and obfuscation. 

  As a reminder for you, ******** this is the the BBB's mission and purpose, and why I created this complaint to begin with.  To help inform consumers.  "For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust."

  Trustworthy companies don't hide behind terms and conditions. Trustworthy companies don't deliberately misrepresent the nature of their business. Trustworthy companies take responsibility for their actions.  
  

  ******* is NOT a trustworthy company. 

  And until they show that they are, I can keep doing this as long as they do. 

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
  
   
  

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