Northern Brewer

[Paps]

I It's like they're trying to trick people.

Umm...they are.
They (NB) imho have some VERY unethical business practices.
Because of this i will not give them my business.
I encourage others to do the same.
I am amazed that they haven't yet been sued for the defective glass BMB that they sold knowing that it was sending their paying customers to the E.R. (whilst being used properly)

 

[chisena]

I have placed about 20 orders with NB over the past several years with no major problems. Had one minor part left out of a kit once. They quickly rectified the issue without question and also sent a nice pint glass along with the part. Their customer support is excellent; both on the phone, via Email, and even chat. Website is pretty well designed and user friendly with exception of a few minor annoyances. Shipping has always been well packaged and prompt for my location (Austin Texas). I don't mind if order processing takes a few days; it's not Amazon Prime!... everyone and their instant gratification requirements these days. Most importantly, product is always fresh and of good quality. All in all, they put my LHBS to shame (price and product availability) which is really to bad.

 

[Pappers_]

Ordered a wine kit from NB, easy website to use, good price, and fast shipping. Two thumbs up.

 

[sensortech]

Ordered two 15 gallon tall boy kettles and they both arrived with small dents in the bottom. Got ahold of them right away and they immediately shipped out 2 replacements, and shipping labels to send the first two back, no questions asked. Things like this Happen from time to time and the customer service was outstanding. I've had many other orders with them with no Issues. Highly recommend.

 

[DromJohn]

I will be missing my first brew day.
I ordered last Thursday for next Saturday's brew. The order was processed within the last hour and will get here Monday to be brewed two Saturdays from now.
I obviously didn't notice the new NB policy:

Chase T.
The flat rate shipping should have informed you of the longer shipping wait when you checked out online. We basically are easing up on the constraints of our warehouse crew so that they are not overworked each day.

Looks like I have to order further ahead or .... It's a conundrum.

 

[jabba11]

I guess maybe its cause I'm a little pissed but I wanted to feel out the forum to see if this is happening to other folks too. I used to spend a good deal of time searching the supply people to get the best deals etc. A few years back I settled in on using northern Brewer almost exclusively and have literally order maybe 10s of thousands of dollars of product from them over the last couple years. The two biggest reasons have bee that their stuff got here fastest (I'm in KS and no I don't really have a LHBS) and they gave me a veterans discount. In the last 6-8 months Ive noticed a downward slide from the company. I order something on Friday I'm dang lucky to get it by the following Saturday anymore. Today I called about a order I placed on the 7th. It shipped this afternoon..Almost 8 full days to process and ship an order and what I was told is 'we are behind". You are 7 days behind in shipping product? Whose in charge if shipping..casue you sir are fired. Really sad. Began with a disastrous redesign of their website which didn't include a place to put a note with the order to get my discount so now I have to call and place the order to do that. The new site is difficult to navigate and mkes little sense when doing so. Anyway I'm venting/curous to see if anyone else seems to be having issue? Anyone know if it changed hands or something? I'm just angry and bummed about it really..

 

[bbohanon]

I ordered a few things from them recently and had no issues...Everything arrived in a timely fashion and was packed properly.
Not sure if you caught them on a bad stretch.

 

[johnmac22]

Was anything backordered? Some places won't ship an order until everything is in stock

 

[hopsandhops]

My last two orders have arrived in their usual time frame, but the crush looks more coarse, and I've gotten much lower mash efficiency. The first two batches I figured could be me, the third I emailed. They said the crush hadn't changed. Anyone else have this issue?

 

[kh54s10]

I haven't ordered anything from them for quite a while. I have a new local LHBS so I get a lot of my stuff there. So, I can't say anything about their shipping recently. I have only had good experiences in the past. One problem which was resolved quickly.

I never used a note feature on my orders so that doesn't concern me. I just went and looked at the website and I like the look and feel of it a lot. I was able to locate what I was looking for easily...???....
Even during the last while that I have not been placing any orders, I have frequented their website. I find it one of the best going. So no I do not share any negative opinion of the website.

 

[jabba11]

no nothing I ordered was on back order. Like I said the response I got when calling to check was "we have been behind filling orders". Ill give the website a pass I guess, it was better before though IMHO but maybe I'm just change resistant. I used to order and have it three days later consistently unless something wasnt in stock. it just seems to me I'm having worse and worse service. I may move on and try someone else but like I said the shipping always seems to be fastest from them (once its actually in the mail that is). I will agree that its extremely rare for me to get a "mistake" on my order etc although Ive had some things packed poorly that managed to make it. Once I ordered a pound of a small grain addition (maybe a pound of 10l caramel). I usualy mill my own but accidently ordered it milled. not a big deal, when it arrived the bag they sent was literally 95% husks. they sent me another free of charge. Screwed up my brew weekend but no huge loss or anything. Now that one instance is one in hundreds of orders though. Like I said they are good at getting what you ordered to you.

 

[jabba11]

As an update I just got off the phone with Todd at NB and we had a very cordial talk about what was happening and has happened. Part of the problem was that with the 7.99 shipping they give you a delivery window. They were hammered last week over the holiday with flat rate shipping and my order was shipped on the last day they said it would be. Honestly I never noticed the delivery window when ordering. it is only located at checkout not on any receipt they give you but they are working on a way to resolve that to keep customers more informed. if you need something shipped the next day as an example you should choose one of the other shipping options which is usually a couple dollars more depending on what you are ordering. Kudos to NB for following up, I would have hated to start looking elsewhere. I did not need this order for a brew day so it didn't ruin anything, and in the future Ill pay more attention to what the window is etc. In short for now if you need something by the weekend and its Monday pay attention to your options at checkout.

 

[motobrewer]

Iliterally order maybe 10s of thousands of dollars of product from them over the last couple years.

you have literally spent 10's of thousands of dollars at northern brewer in "a couple years"...?

 

[BrewSavage]

....ignore my comment...I did closer reading.

 

[DromJohn]

I also had a very nice phone call with NB, James.
Not from NB, but from my cynical interpretation:
Flat rate used to be a delivery window based on UPS. Hey, if you go flat rate it is low priority for UPS. You get the UPS shipping that you pay for.
Now, NB has determined that if you choose flat rate, then it is low priority to be processed before it is ready for UPS pickup. Later orders by others paying more than flat rate will now leapfrog ahead of earlier orders by those who select flat rate.

 

[jabba11]

well how bout over 10k..in the last 3...sound better?

 

[jabba11]

This is correct, its not about UPS taking longer, they fill flat rate orders AFTER the "other orders"

I also had a very nice phone call with NB, James.
Not from NB, but from my cynical interpretation:
Flat rate used to be a delivery window based on UPS. Hey, if you go flat rate it is low priority for UPS. You get the UPS shipping that you pay for.
Now, NB has determined that if you choose flat rate, then it is low priority to be processed before it is ready for UPS pickup. Later orders by others paying more than flat rate will now leapfrog ahead of earlier orders by those who select flat rate.

 

[hopsandhops]

I think amazon does the same thing for non-prime orders

 

[Rhumbline]

I also had a very nice phone call with NB, James.
Not from NB, but from my cynical interpretation:
Flat rate used to be a delivery window based on UPS. Hey, if you go flat rate it is low priority for UPS. You get the UPS shipping that you pay for.
Now, NB has determined that if you choose flat rate, then it is low priority to be processed before it is ready for UPS pickup. Later orders by others paying more than flat rate will now leapfrog ahead of earlier orders by those who select flat rate.

I don't know why anyone would be surprised at this, some people are willing to pay more for faster service. Compare Fedex ground to next day delivery.

What would really get me bent out of shape is if I paid the ridiculous premium for next day delivery and it took them three days to process my order.

 

[idiotsinc]

I was told Northern Brew was bought by Midwest a couple years ago. Monday I received the wrong order from Midwest (which they did a fantastic job of correcting plus letting me keep the mis-order) Today I received an email asking if I was satisfied with the handling of their mistake. I clicked on the link and it took me to a site that had Northern Brewer in the address bar. I usually get either of their shipments 2days after I order but they have both been behind this month.

 

[motobrewer]

well how bout over 10k..in the last 3...sound better?

Man that's a lotta cake!

Did you buy a sabco?

 

[chisena]

No problems at all. Been ordering for 3 years or so, almost exclusively. I have noticed orders taking 1-2 days longer than usual over the past six months. But not 7 days to ship. Not yet and hopefully not ever cause that would be sad. I think they are just getting exponentially more busy because in my opinion, they have some of the best prices, best website, and fastest least expensive shipping of the major online brew supply sites. I actually liked the web redesign and have no problem entering codes. No need to call. You want to talk about disastrous web redesign; did you happen to see Austin Homebrew Supply's redesign last year? Dear God... Lost all my info and history... Ridiculous.

 

[thumpersk_a]

I've used NB for 99% of my orders but recently found morebeer.com they give free shipping on orders overy 59.00. I'm not affiliated with them just a pleased customer. Don't think I've ever had an order under 60.00 so what is there to loose? NB seems to me like they have to always have the gimmick of the week on their site to attract new brewers.

 

[nubrun]

I've used NB for 99% of my orders but recently found morebeer.com they give free shipping on orders overy 59.00. I'm not affiliated with them just a pleased customer. Don't think I've ever had an order under 60.00 so what is there to loose? NB seems to me like they have to always have the gimmick of the week on their site to attract new brewers.

I agree, I have switched over to more wet exclusively. They have had comparable prices, free shipping, and I have a local store.

The customer service is also fantastic. Had a glass carboy break in shipment and they replaced it with a speidel in the store for no extra charge.

 

[chisena]

"More Wet" sounds good to me...

 

[jabba11]

I bet I average an order every two weeks for 60 or more dollars just in grains yeast etc. I also order for my brother..we ahem brew togther on my equipment...ahem.. 60 x 26 x3 =4680..now thats without any "gear" bought. I dont have a SBACO no. I do have a several kettels in several sizes and probably 10 fermetners of various sizes etc etc etc..you add that up...it adds up real quick :cross:

Man that's a lotta cake!

Did you buy a sabco?

 

[eadavis80]

I haven't been ordering from that as much - in fact, I've got a $15 gift card still from a promo they had like 1/2 a year ago that if you bought D. Ringer extract kit, you got the card. I bought a TON from them when I started brewing, but now that I'm pretty maxed on my equipment, unless they run a great deal like buy X kits, get Y free, I'm not ordering. MOST of their promos are for starter kits or X piece of equipment free with a purchase of X. I do hope they run their Columbus Day sale again. Last year you could choose 3 of 5 kits at $14.92 each. That was nice!

 

[nubrun]

"More Wet" sounds good to me...

I hate autocorrect... "MoreBeer"

 

[BrewSavage]

Just for comparison purposes:

Ordered Thursday 9/10
shipped Thursday 9/17 ( a week to prepare order)
arrived Monday 9/21

 

[thumpersk_a]

Sounds like dead yeast to me