Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?

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hillfooter

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Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« on: March 30, 2011, 14:44 »
Hi everyone just noticed this topic and as I've just taken up brewing after a long absence (via the kits available these days) I thought I'd ask if anyone has had any experience of http://www.the-online-homebrew-company.co.uk/.  I ordered a Wherry Microbrewery and kit plus some plastic bottles from them recently and I'm less than pleased with their service. 

In response to the order the bottles were reported out of stock and the whole order was being delayed untill they were available (12 days).  The micro brewery with brew kit was listed as available. I tried to request they deliver the microbrewery but their automatic on-line help system kept rejecting my request as "I hadn't looked at their stock answers to my request".  Actually I had.  There appeared to be not way to contact them by any means so as other companies were able to do a next day delivery I decided to cancell my order but found they would only accept a cancellation by recorded delivery.  I eventually found an email address for new orders and sent my query via that.  I got back an email saying the microbrewery was "in transit" from their main warehouse  but would take 5 days.

In these days of next day deliveries such service is very poor but even so they could have part shipped the available items immediately which would have mean't the brew would have been about due to bottle when the bottles were available.  Not being able to contact them seemed like a deliberate policy to fob me off and the order cancellation procedure needing registered post  seems designed to make it as difficult as possible.  After all they can accept orders over the web so why can't they cancell them too?

Needless to say I won't be using them again.   Anyone else had experience with this company or can recommend a better one?
HF

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hamstergbert

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Re: Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2011, 15:22 »
Not used the company you refer to but I have had excellent service from www.brewuk.co.uk   Now used them several times with prompt and efficient service.

Their range appears to overlap with your one, but probably quite a few not covered.    They do have the Woodfordes (I have had Nog, Wherry and Admirals from them)

In addition to kits at various times also bought chemicals etc, glass demijohns too for the wine part of my home brewing activities and reasonably priced hydrometer, fermlocks etc etc.

Their website does show a proper address, email address,  and phone number.

(And my only connection with them is as a repeating customer)
The Dales - probably fingerprint marks where God's hand touched the world

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hillfooter

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Re: Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2011, 16:28 »
Thanks hamstergbert,
In fact my SIL ordered from them almost identically to my order and had his order within 36hrs and their MD contacted him personally over a query.  So seems they are a good outfit.

Re the Woodfordes beer I've  got some Nelsons Revenge conditioning at present which testes very nice.  I've previously only done the Brubox kits so I'm expanding my experience at present.
HF

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Soilmates

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Re: Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2011, 19:16 »
I've never bought from the company you mention but have made quite a few online purchases from The Home Brew Shop ( www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk ). As I only brew country wines, these purchases have mainly been chemicals, yeast, airlocks, corks etc but I've never had a problem with their service and I think their prices are competitive. They also clearly state their address and phone number on their website.
Apart from being a satisfied customer I have no connection with them.

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mike1987

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Re: Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2011, 21:11 »
not bought anything from them but i use there forum quite a lot

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mikehorne

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Re: Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2011, 20:45 »
Indeed have used them before and can vouch for them, very good service.

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hillfooter

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Re: Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2011, 22:33 »
Indeed have used them before and can vouch for them, very good service.

Well I'm stilll waiting for my order of a Wherry Microbrewery (one of if not their best selling product according to the site), some sanitiser, and plastic bottles.  I'm still waiting but hopefully they may now have decided to part ship without the bottles so I might just get the micro brewery on April 11th which will have been 20 days from order despite sending several emails asking them to part ship.  I'll post when it arrives.

Can't really describe that as good service when the norm for web ordering is 1 or two days delivery.
HF
« Last Edit: April 09, 2011, 04:26 by hillfooter »

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Runwell-Steve

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Re: Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2011, 01:34 »
I have not used them myself, however I am a member of 2 Home Brew Forums and the company has been discussed in the past.

I will not post too much on this forum as they have threatened legal action against a HomeBrew forum where there quality of customer service has been discussed.

There are many Home Brew shops in the UK and I would recommend trying a few out.

Here are a few that I can recommend.

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/
http://www.homebrewcentregy.com/
http://www.barleybottom.com/
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/
http://www.thethriftyshopper.co.uk/

I use some other outlets but thats as I primarily buy Grain and Hops, but the above all sell kits.

I have a nice new Stainless Steel brewery I have just finished building that will be capable of producing 50 Litres of Beer at a a time from raw ingredients.  First Brew on it this weekend.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2011, 01:37 by Runwell-Steve »

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tobiwan

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Re: Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2011, 22:37 »
I've used them before. Twice I had no problems and was very happy with the service, the third time they failed to deliver the goods for over a month. Eventually the goods did arrive, but in the meantime they'd stopped replying to any trouble-tickets I'd raised through their website, and I couldn't find any other means of contact. I wouldn't recommend them to anybody.

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hillfooter

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Re: Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2011, 00:19 »
They did eventually deliver the micro brewery and Wherry kit after three weeks and several posts to request they part ship.  However the bottles still kept slipping delivery and eventually I cancelled them after the last delivery date I was given indicated over 6 weeks delivery and I had no confidence they'd meet that.  I've still to check whether they refunded me for them.

I won't be using them again.

HF
« Last Edit: June 08, 2011, 23:46 by hillfooter »

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timtheenchanteruk

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Re: Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2011, 15:47 »
oh dear, I used them a couple of weeks ago, and got everything I ordered quickly, looks like if it goes ok, they are fine, but their C/S isnt up to much, might try one of the other suggestions.

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hillfooter

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Re: Anyone used this home brew kit supplier?
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2011, 23:54 »
Over a month after they said they'd refund I still haven't had it. 

I'm sure you can be lucky and they happen to have the things you ordered in stock but if things go wrong they are very difficult to contact and slow to put things right.

The items I ordered were claimed to be one of their best sellers yet they still ran out of stock which suggests to me they aren't carrying a lot of stock and working hand to mouth to maintain a positive cash flow (they take your money from your card the instant you order whether they can ship or not) or have a poor relationship with their suppliers.

HF



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