Hello Everyone,
I have read all of the comments and I stand guilty as charged for the problems and excitement generated from "http://www.makewinebeer.com" aka "http://www.hamiltonhomebrew.com" with good reason.
We have been in business for several years now and have been providing homebrew supplies without a hitch until this mishap. Please be assured that no one has ever gotten beaten or taken for an online transaction with us. We run an honest and secure online business.
The problem you experienced was actually something easy to fix but has unfortunately caused a false perception of how we do business which has resulted in leaving you with an unlpleasent "first impression/last impression" experience which I deeply regret.
Our website is mainly built for retail business. We also provide business to select customers who purchase from us at a bulk discounted rate which was obviously very attractive to many of you when you found the error. During a massive update to our database our retail site was updated by mistake using our bulk rate pricing options that are only provided and made available to designated accounts. These accounts are provided a different web address and require specific and unique access. The access was made available to everyone in error.
This was not done intentionally it was done by mistake. Both retail and wholsale portions of our site use the same DB format but operate differently in regards to pricing. This was purely an accident which was found and resolved quickly.
Shipping - It is true (fact) that our site uses UPS online integration engines to price out shipping from our location to the customer destination. In this case the pricing was a flat rate shipping charge baseed on pounds not ounces and that was also a problem related to bulk pricing that carried over. Also, additional charges may have been impossed based on the shipping method selected such as UPS Next day, UPS 3 Day or Ground as well as UPS Glass handling charges for bottles and carboys which is valid.
HOPS by the ounce - We believe our pricing for 1oz HOPS are in line with the competition online. $3.00 an ounce retail is not bad guys. I have extended a 10% discount to most everyone that complained and even some of you at $2.50. The lowest I went today (for those that could give me a comparison) was $2.25. If I forgot some of you (my apologies) it applies to all who have experienced a problem with my site. We are not as big as HomeBrew Heaven($3.50 per 1oz) or Austin Home Brew ($3.49 per 1oz) and their shipping costs by the ounce is actually slightly higher than us and they are reasonable too. I do take into consideration that it might not seem to be as attractive after the excitement of placing your orders at the bulk pricing in error. But, you really can't compare local home brew store retail cost with online business. They are two different animals.
I believe the majority of people that experienced a problem came from your forum and I wanted to come here to apologize to all of you personally.
Many of you were completely understanding in regards to the mishap that transpired. I truly want to thank each and every one of you for your patience, respect, cooperation and trust in me as a business professional while making every attempt to resolve the situation at hand.
Some of you were very angry and disapointed. It is completely understandable. After reviewing the orders from our website I noticed that this was your first order/experience with us. Had you been a return customer I am confident in saying that I seriously doubt that you would have the same impression that was left with you today. There would be no question in regards to our reputation and/or integrity and it may have been less alarming to you. I sincerely apologize for the problem that transpired and most of all for disapointing and/or inconveniencing you.
I will say, in my experience I have never been referred to as "a dumb M'FER", "a Deuche Bag", and certainly not "a poor business man" over an honest/admitted mistake. The best of the best make mistakes and we do not pretend to be perfect and make mistakes at times. I doubt that this will be the last. I can promise you that we will continue to make the neccessary adjustments needed to progress and/or improve in the future.
There were some comments about charges to cards. There were no charges to cards unless your order was confirmed and processed. The bank provides approval codes to us when you place your order and the card is not charged until we confirm the transaction can be satisfied. Your card is charged once we know we can fill the order. If you believe you have been charged in error, please contact me directly and I will research the problem immediately and guarantee a complete refund if due.
I think I covered mostly everything I wanted to communicate. I thank you for the opportunity to express myself on your forum and I apologize once again for the mishap that transpired earliar. If you should have any problems, questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.
Respectfully, Sincerely,
Tom
http://www.makewinebeer.com
