Northern Brewer won't pricematch

I have been sitting on a gift certificate from NB for almost a year now. I got it last Christmas even know I asked for Brewmasters Warehouse gift certificates. Anyway, I put together an order with NB to use up the GC and it came in $21 bucks more then Brewmasters for the same products. I called NB and asked if they would match the price and the guys exact words were "No, we don't match prices, you might want to just buy from them".

Whatev. man. Ed is great and runs a super business. But if you think NB doesn't have some of the best customer service, products, and prices around your parents shone too much sunlight and rainbows up your arse.

They are both great companies. NB is my local store so I support them, but I have ordered from Brewmaster's Warehouse int he past and would not hesitate to do so again.

Hey good for you pal, I'm glad you support NB, but it is what it is. Ed will match prices and NB won't. If I offended you buy my post Oh well, maybe I can shone some sunlight and rainbows up your arse.
The guy in the St. Paul store was very nice and help full, but when I was redirected to customer service the guy there was brief and to the point. I was also told if you come into the store they can work with you, but online they won't.

I have had nothing but GREAT experiences from NB!

DannyW said:

I have had nothing but GREAT experiences from NB!

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So have I until today. After buying from them for 10 years now, I was surprised to hear them say "you might want to just buy from them".

Like I said before, the guys in the St. Paul store have always been great. But the customer service dept(Not the same as the guys in the store) could use some help.

Everyone has a bad day. You could have gotten this guy on his. You've had great service for the past 10 years and are banishing them from one bad experience. I order everything from BMW because I love the brew builder on his website and his flat shipping is $1 cheaper. But mostly because of the brew builder and his presence on these boards. Before he was around I ordered everything from Northern Brewer for 2 years. Always had a great experience. Whenever I can't get something from Ed, I go back to NB. I think it's a bad call to make them DEAD to you after 1 bad experience in 10 years.

Everyone has a bad day. You could have gotten this guy on his. You've had great service for the past 10 years and are banishing them from one bad experience. I order everything from BMW because I love the brew builder on his website and his flat shipping is $1 cheaper. But mostly because of the brew builder and his presence on these boards. Before he was around I ordered everything from Northern Brewer for 2 years. Always had a great experience. Whenever I can't get something from Ed, I go back to NB. I think it's a bad call to make them DEAD to you after 1 bad experience in 10 years.

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IrregularPulse, you have a point. DEAD may have been a poor choice of words, I guess my anger got the best of me. Maybe I'll edit the title.

Can someone show me the rulebook that SAYS a business has to match prices? Seems to me a business can do whatever the heck it wants and if we don't like it we can spend our money elsewhere. But we don't have to be d***s about it and bash them on a website. Especially a company that has been in business a long time, has a stellar reputation for customer service, great products and was one of the first online retailers of homebrew supplies. Just because they choose to do business one way over another. It's not like they are being unethical in their business practices and cheating people.

They are just not making you happy, but they aren't doing anything wrong.

Definitely uncool here on hbt.....

I just don't like the reason. They have bad customer service because they don't price match? That isn't there policy, and they told you they can't match the price and suggested if you want that price to buy it from where you saw it. That is their business model, they list items for sale at a price they are willing to sell them for. How is it bad customer service not to lower their prices?

If you like BMW better then fine. There are reasons to favor one store over another like IP pointed out. But you must realize this is a big board with lots of readers. And Northern Brewer is a great place to buy supplies and equipment. I was just pointing out they have very good customer service and prices in general.

I agree that price matching is not a good reason to hate on a company. Some choose to do it with the mindset that "more business is better than no business", but I would think that Northern Brewer does enough orders to justify their pricings.

Personally I switched from NB to Brewmasters about a year ago. BMW is cheaper, the brew builder is awesome, and they even save your custom built recipes so you can 1-click order in the future. Plus, if I'm feeling lazy, the crush they put on their grains has always given me great efficiency.

That's it! I'm through with Wendy's! Those F***ERS told me if I wanted a Big Mac, I would have to go to McDonalds.

Dead to me, Dave Thomas! DEEEEAAAAD!

I have edited the post, but can't do anything about the title. Like I said before I let my anger get the best of me. Now I know to cool off before posting.

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JetSmooth said:

Dead to me, Dave Thomas! DEEEEAAAAD!

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Methnks he already is.

I dunno if I'm anti mountain or pro molehill right now.

frogman said:

So have I until today. After buying from them for 10 years now, I was surprised to hear them say "you might want to just buy from them".

Like I said before, the guys in the St. Paul store have always been great. But the customer service dept(Not the same as the guys in the store) could use some help.

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I'm not sure how that qualifies as poor customer service. He told you their policy and gave you a pretty good suggestion. IMHO, that's good customer service.

Revvy said:

Methnks he already is.

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What?

I killed Dave Thomas!?

Nooo! NOOOOOOOOO! <\vader>

I guess you can't take things back on the Intertubes.

Revvy said:

Methnks he already is.

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I'm proud to be in such good company; that was my first thought.

I've owned retail businesses. In 99.9% of the cases when asked to match prices I gave the potential customer the boot!

And guess what, I lost all the non profitable PITA business and kept all the better margin, profitable appreciative customers.

I'd choose NB over many of the other online companies.

Won't it still cost you way, way more to not use the gift certificate and go to the cheaper place? Just use it up and go back to where you want to is what I would do.

JetSmooth said:

What?

I killed Dave Thomas!?

Nooo! NOOOOOOOOO! <\skywalker>

I guess you can't take things back on the Intertubes.

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[Fixed that reference / tag] Yep, Dave is dead, but those square burger patties live on. Love em.

OK, now back on topic: NB needs to pay for those great glossy catalogs! I love them.

passedpawn said:

[Fixed that reference / tag] Yep, Dave is dead, but those square burger patties live on. Love em.

OK, now back on topic: NB needs to pay for those great glossy catalogs! I love them.

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That was supposed to be the Episode III Vader "Noooo"; full of anger and grief.

Not the Episode IV whiny Skywalker "noooooowaaaah" with all the sniveling and blubbering.

What would you like the title changed to?

olllllo said:

What would you like the title changed to?

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I vote to delete the thread....oh, you weren't asking me?

If I were in a slightly different financial situation I would order a lot more from NB because of everything they do for the homebrewing hobby. They sponsor so much of the brewing media I love (brewingTV, the Brewing Network, their awesome free catalogs, the AHA, etc.). Those guys are truly ambassadors for the hobby and deserve every penny they charge.

frogman said:

I have edited the post, but can't do anything about the title. Like I said before I let my anger get the best of me. Now I know to cool off before posting.

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Go to the advanced tab in edit and you can change thread titles.

Another comment, I work in customer service and people ***** about our pricing.
Ex
Customer - You charge $xxx.xx for blah blha
Me - Yes sir, we do.

WTF do you want me to do. I'm in service, I don't make the pricing nor will we change it because YOU don't like it.
I also often give customers the manufactures part number and pricing on a lot of items we don't build ourselves because it's cheaper. I think that's great customer service.