GrowlTap Growler Dispenser - Buyer Beware

[Ragamuffin]

If you haven't seen it, the GrowlTap is a system that you can attach to a growler. It uses a CO2 cartridge to dispense the beer through a picnic faucet, and since it's replacing the displaced beer with CO2 instead of oxygen, it's meant to preserve your half-full growler of beer for weeks (as opposed to hours). It sounds great in theory, but I've had some huge issues with mine, and I wanted to alert you guys in case you were considering buying one.

[Redacted. While I had some issues with my GrowlTap, the owner has fixed the issues and given a full refund.]

UPDATE: After posting this review, GrowlTap issued a full refund without requiring I pay for return shipping. You can see their response later in this thread. I appreciate them rectifying the situation.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Your first post is to complain about a product...

Then shamelessly promote your YouTube video and provide a link.



Uh huh.

 

[Ragamuffin]

Yeah, I know I've been a long time lurker, but haven't posted anything before. Yet this frustrated me because I spent good money on it, and didn't want other people to make the same mistake I did.

I'm not "promoting" my YouTube link - I just wanted to provide video proof of its malfunction. If you look at the YouTube link, you'll see it's 100% about that product - I'm not getting any ad revenue nor encouraging you to go to read my blog nor promoting myself if any way.

When I googled this product, I found no reviews from real people - just a magazine article praising it. I just wanted to fill that void and keep people from losing $50.

 

[soccerdad]

Meh - 64 ounces - how long do you want or need it to keep?

 

[Ragamuffin]

Meh - 64 ounces - how long do you want or need it to keep?

My issue has been my friends are always way too generous about sharing beer. 5 guys get together to watch a game, and somehow 10 growlers end up being brought. Seemed like we were always opening all of them to try them, but never able to finish them all right away.

 

[soccerdad]

K - sorry. Did not mean to sound snarky. I just never fill a growler thinking that I will have the beer for any longer than 24 to 36 hours. Any sort of growler saver needs to be marketed to folks other than me. Hope your fix works out.

 

[AnOldUR]

Sure there's a pressure release valve, but hooking an 800psi CO2 cartridge to a glass bottle will at some point end very badly.

If the beer is pushed through the pressure relief valve, do not operate the GrowlTap™ until the pressure relief valve is cleaned with warm soapy water and rinsed thoroughly. A clogged pressure relief valve can lead to growler failure.

Funny, they're worried about growler failure. No mention of flying shards of glass and death. :cross:

 

[Homercidal]

Your first post is to complain about a product...

Then shamelessly promote your YouTube video and provide a link.



Uh huh.

Do you have anything constructive to add to the conversation?

There is no minimum post requirement to post in the company review area. Reviews both good and bad are accepted as long as they are personal experiences and truthful.

If you don't have a personal experience with the company, please don't post in the review area.

 

[kombat]

Don't worry, there's a better option coming to market later this year. I've already pre-ordered the 128 oz one.

 

[Ragamuffin]

Don't worry, there's a better option coming to market later this year. I've already pre-ordered the 128 oz one.

Whoa, that one looks awesome! I'd never heard of it before - thank you for the heads up. While it's much more expensive than the GrowlTap, it appears to be a much better value given its construction and materials.

 

[smAllGrain]

I bought one of these back when it was tapitcap. Not sure what has changed but have never had an issue with mine. Then again, its been a while since I have used it. The owner Robert Scott, guess I don't know if he is still the owner, was nice to talk to. Sorry you are having issues with yours... The "better option" looks awesome!!

 

[Baja_Brewer]

Don't worry, there's a better option coming to market later this year. I've already pre-ordered the 128 oz one.

Damn that's pricey but cool

 

[GrowlTap]

Robert Scott the inventor of the GrowlTap here. To be honest I botched customer support for this customer. That is why I agreed to refund the purchase price for the product. I've attached an email that PayPal just sent to Ragamuffin and CC'd to me. Unfortunately there was confusion on their part about a different payment. It involved a customer who purchased a GrowlTap, immediately returned it, then tried to both cash the refund check and dispute the original charges with their credit card company. Unfortunately Ragamuffin's refund got lost and for that I am sorry. I stand by my product and was glad to see that a happy customer posted in our defense.

 

[Ragamuffin]

Robert Scott the inventor of the GrowlTap here. To be honest I botched customer support for this customer. That is why I agreed to refund the purchase price for the product. I've attached an email that PayPal just sent to Ragamuffin and CC'd to me. Unfortunately there was confusion on their part about a different payment. It involved a customer who purchased a GrowlTap, immediately returned it, then tried to both cash the refund check and dispute the original charges with their credit card company. Unfortunately Ragamuffin's refund got lost and for that I am sorry. I stand by my product and was glad to see that a happy customer posted in our defense.

Thank you for issuing a refund this evening, I appreciate that. I'm just sorry I had to write a public negative review in order to get a response. I wrote you on Feb. 9th, and received no response. After you accused me of fraud to PayPal on Feb. 11, I wrote to you and provided records of our communication that showed it would've been literally impossible for me to deposit a check on the day you said I did. You did not respond to that, either. I felt I had no other option than to write a negative review.

While I appreciate you issuing a refund and an apology now, I am very upset that you attacked my character and accused me of fraud. In all of our communications, I was very cordial, and never asked for anything more than a working product. I know you are a small business, and I tried to give you as much latitude as possible, and you responded with false accusations. You calling me a liar took me from being a patient (even if frustrated) customer who understands that mistakes happen to an insulted and infuriated one.

I will update my reviews so that everyone's aware of how you remedied the situation. Yet I suggest that in the future, you look at the facts before making false accusations of your customers.

 

[GrowlTap]

If a customer opens a Paypal dispute it is our practice to cease any additional contact with the customer until the dispute has been resolved by PayPal. Any additional information, for example an email, that PayPal is not privy to can lead to PayPal taking the wrong course of action.

PayPal misinterpreted the data and denied your dispute. At no point did I ever accuse you of fraud. Once notified of the issue I immediately corrected the problem notifying PayPal that they had erred and that I had no dispute with issuing you a refund.

I understand that PayPal communicated their feelings that you were attempting some sort of fraud. The email you received from PayPal is their acknowledgement of their mistake.

 

[Ragamuffin]

If a customer opens a Paypal dispute it is our practice to cease any additional contact with the customer until the dispute has been resolved by PayPal. Any additional information, for example an email, that PayPal is not privy to can lead to PayPal taking the wrong course of action.

PayPal misinterpreted the data and denied your dispute. At no point did I ever accuse you of fraud. Once notified of the issue I immediately corrected the problem notifying PayPal that they had erred and that I had no dispute with issuing you a refund.

I understand that PayPal communicated their feelings that you were attempting some sort of fraud. The email you received from PayPal is their acknowledgement of their mistake.

Here's the screen grab of your comments making the accusation. PayPal didn't accuse me of anything - these were the comments you added to the dispute. Maybe you're saying you intended to add these comments to a different dispute instead of mine, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

Thank you for making it right in the end, but you really made this difficult. I tried to show a lot of goodwill when you sent me multiple defective products, but you did not show me the same respect. Glad this is over and we can move on. I know your business is a start-up and still figuring things out. I hope you can continue working out the kinks and keep growing your business.

 

[rushsteve]

That's basically what happened at our house this Christmas. Opened Growltap pressent from my wife. Screwed on Growltap to fresh beer. Pressure inserted. Kabooom. Lucky to be alive. No warning label

Sure there's a pressure release valve, but hooking an 800psi CO2 cartridge to a glass bottle will at some point end very badly.



Funny, they're worried about growler failure. No mention of flying shards of glass and death. :cross:

 

[jjkatzer]

My wife purchased the GrowlTap for me as a gift. Before I got a chance to use it, I received the email below. We have contacted the company several times by email and also by logging directly into their website, trying to return the GrowlTap for replacement. It has been almost a month, and they refused to respond to my emails, let alone replace the (possibly) defective GrowlTap. BUYER BEWARE! DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!
If I get a response from GrowlTap, I will update this post, but since we have emailed them at least 4 times and received NO response, I think that it is unlikely.....
Dear GrowlTap Customers,

This letter is to inform you that we have discovered a defective GrowlTap was manufactured and shipped out over this holiday season. The GrowlTap was not given sufficient time to cool during the plastic molding process causing two obstructions to form inside the manifold. These obstructions blocked the GrowlTap's two pressure relief safety features. This resulted in a growler failure. There has been only one reported incident and after reviewing GrowlTaps from the same manufacturing run we have not found another defective GrowlTap. We have updated our quality control with a new test that checks for this specific issue.

The likelihood that this manufacturing defect occurring twice is low, however, our top priority is your safety. A sign of the defect would be a completely non-functioning GrowlTap. If you have already used your GrowlTap and it pours beer your GrowlTap is not at risk. If your GrowlTap has not been used yet we ask that you email us at, customersupport@growltap. com to receive a return shipping label and replacement GrowlTap at no cost to you. We will also provide full refunds if you would prefer. We are truly sorry for this incident and inconvenience. We look forward to continuing our mission to protect and serve beer.

Cheers,
Robert Scott
Growltap.com
303-351-2517