Astor Home Liquors Inc.

Review: To Whom It May Concern:

I am lodging a complaint against Astor Home Liquors [redacted].

This will not be the first complaint against this outfit that you have received. After I returned to my home on Monday 4/1 I went online and found that 2 previous complaints were handled by you. Here is my complaint:

On Saturday, March 30, 2013 I purchased 2 bottles of red wine to serve with my dinner on Easter Sunday. On Sunday, I opened the most expensive bottle of the two, Le Pigeoulet en Provence 2007, first and we discovered that it had gone ‘off’- some oxidation most likely and highly acidic, not having any of the characteristics associated with this wine which I first experienced in its country of origin. When I returned to the store first thing Monday morning, April 1, the man who had answered a question I had on Saturday said ‘hello’ with some recognition until he realized that I was asking for my money back (I had the receipt). Then it was “Did you buy it here?”. After that I got an involved story about how there are no returns of open bottles (only 4 oz was missing from the bottle). My question to him and the manager who eventually came over was “how would I know that the wine is bad unless I open the bottle and, having discovered it then, why can I not return it in expectation of a refund?” Then the manager said “It’s not bad; I can smell that it isn’t. We just got the shipment” I asked if she were a viticulteur to be able to make such an assessment and she asked “What’s that?”. I kept pressing the question of how it was possible to know if a wine was bad if the bottle isn’t opened and why, once it is discovered the wine in said bottle is bad, the consumer cannot expect to receive their money back. Frankly, I would have even settled for a store credit because I have family in [redacted] still. She turned and walked away, clearly finished with me and my complaint. I would also add that though the conversation became energetic I never used abusive or foul language. There were several subtle levels of dishonesty that I experienced in their effiorts to refuse a refund and that, in short, is my complaint.

I have friends trained in the wine business—both the making of it and the marketing; the bottle was bad. This is not a complaint that I did not like the taste of the wine but 1) that the wine was bad and 2) that a merchant can dismiss a product complaint and keep payment for a defective product.

Finally, I contacted and spoke with the Northeast sales manager for the US Importer of that wine:

[redacted] and Northeast Sales Manager

Our conversation was very revealing with regard to dates and storage of that wine. If you decide to pursue this [redacted] said that she was willing to speak with you.

Thank you for your time.Desired Settlement: I would like this incident added to their already deplorable record with you.