Lot 18 Holdings, Inc.

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attentionTo confirm, the customer's package was returned and a refund of $149.00, for the value of the wines in his shipment, was issued back to his credit card on 3/**/Per the terms the customer agreed to upon self-enrollment in the Tasting Room wine
club, the $shipping fee was not refunded and a $restocking fee was levied. Please note that the customer not only agreed to have both read and understood this policy upon self-enrolling into the Tasting Room wine club, this information was also explained to him verbally over the telephone on 3/*/and via an exchange of emails beginning 3/*/and ending 3/**/15. Here is a timeline of events relating to the customer's membership:2/*/- The customer self-enrolled to the Tasting Room website agreeing that he had both read and understood the membership terms, including the cancellation and return policiesCustomer agreed to be charged and sent shipments of wine with the first shipment processed on the date of enrollment and the next processed days later. 2/*/- Customer's initial shipment was charged and processedThis shipment consisted of a tasting kit including six miniature wine samples (order #***)2/*/- *** delivered order #***.3/*/- Customer's second shipment was charged and processed (order #***).3/*/- Customer's second shipment sent out with ***. 3/*/- Customer contacted Tasting Room service department for the first timeHis wine club membership was canceled and the club policies regarding order cancellation and returns was explained verbally, over the phone, and in email. 3/**/- Customer's second shipment was returned to a Tasting Room fulfillment center as *** was unable to deliver the shipment and the customer did not pick it up.3/**/- Refund of $processed to customer's purchasing credit card for the returned package$restocking fee levied per customer's agreement with Tasting Room. To confirm, the customer's membership is canceled so no further orders will be processed or charged unless he chooses to reactivate his subscription at a later dateThe customer has also received a refund, for the value of his wines, for the returned packageIf any further information is needed, please let us knowWe are happy to help

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. To confirm, the customer's package was returned and a refund of $149.00, for the value of the wines in their shipment, was issued back to his credit card on 3/**/15. Per the terms the customer agreed to upon enrollment in the Tasting Room wine...

club, the $19.99 shipping fee was not refunded and a $15 restocking fee was levied. Please note that the customer not only agreed to have both read and understood this policy upon self-enrolling into the Tasting Room wine club, this information was also explained to them over the phone on 3/*/2015.Here is a timeline of events relating to the customer's membership:2/*/2015 - The customer self-enrolled to the Tasting Room website agreeing that they had both read and understood the membership terms, including the cancellation and return policies. Customer agreed to be charged and sent shipments of wine with the first shipment processed on the date of enrollment and the next processed 30 days later. 2/*/2015 - Customer's initial shipment was charged and processed. This shipment consisted of a tasting kit including six miniature wine samples (order #[redacted]).2/**/2015 - UPS delivered order [redacted].3/**/2015 - Customer's second shipment was charged and processed (order #[redacted]). 3/**/2015 - Customer contacted Tasting Room service department for the first time. Their wine club membership was canceled and the club policies regarding order cancellation and returns was explained verbally, over the phone. 3/**/2015 - Customer's second shipment was returned to a Tasting Room fulfillment center as they refused the delivery.3/**/2015 - Refund of $149 processed to customer's purchasing credit card for the returned package. $15 restocking fee levied per customer's agreement with Tasting Room. To confirm, the customer's membership is canceled so no further orders will be processed or charged unless they choose to reactivate his subscription at a later date. The customer has also received a refund, for the value of the wines, for the returned package. If any further information is needed, please let us know. We are happy to help.

Good afternoon,
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. [redacted] was actively enrolled in the Tasting Room wine club between the dates of 3/*/14 and today, 7/**/14. In response to this dispute, we have cancelled her membership so she is no longer...

charged for new wine club shipments while this is resolved.
Please note that Tasting Room has no record of [redacted] requesting that her membership be canceled. Her membership began on March [redacted], 2014 upon self-enrollment. During her enrollment, three shipments of wine were processed. The order she is disputing was processed on 4/*/14 and delivered on 4/*/14.
[redacted] contacted the Tasting Room customer service department on the date of April [redacted], 2014 after her second wine club shipment was processed, to state that she had not rated her tasting kit yet. In a latter message, she violated the club’s Code of Conduct by using profane language with our staff. A copy of the correspondence between [redacted] and the Tasting Room service staff is attached showing her use of foul language and our service staff’s efforts to explain the basic club policies to her.
For background, our club offers members the unique opportunity to submit online ratings of a wine mini-bottle tasting kit, sent at the start of their wine club membership, which are then used to personalize the wine club shipments they receive. Rating the kit is completely optional and future shipments will be sent regardless of whether or when online ratings are submitted. If members rate the kit, their future shipments will be customized based on the red and white wine preferences identified through the rating. If members do not rate, our curators will choose a mixed shipment of red and white wines for them.
This information is clearly stated on the Tasting Room's online Frequently Asked Questions page and members who have not submitted ratings after receiving their tasting kit shipment are sent several reminder emails encouraging them to do so before the date their next shipment is charged and processed. If members do not rate before a shipment is processed, we do not offer a return or cancellation on that order. Instead, we encourage the member to rate the kit and have this applied to latter shipments.
As the tasting kit ratings set our wine club apart from other services, we do want our members to submit the ratings and actively reach out to members who have not submitted ratings with gentle reminders to do so in order to have the best experience with our club. However, Tasting Room does make it very clear, both on our FAQs and in email correspondence with new members, that ratings submissions are not required and that orders will be processed whether or not a member has rated their tasting kit.
To date, [redacted] has not submitted her tasting kit ratings online. On the date of 4/*/14, when she emailed the Tasting Room service team, she received an email explaining that several reminder emails were sent out prior to her order processing date and offering to cancel her membership if she so desired. In response, [redacted] replied that her order had been delivered and cursed at our service staff.
As stated in our club’s terms and conditions, as well as posted on the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website, Tasting Room does not offer order cancellations, refunds or return pick-up for orders that were processed during an active enrollment. If [redacted] has issues with the quality of the wines she received, she is welcome to contact our service team to resolve this issue. We do offer credit if a wine is flawed or damaged. Please note that the Tasting Room is a wine club and the wines we offer are meant for consumption. Tasting Room does not market our wine club as an alternative to fabric dye. Additionally, Tasting Room makes no claim that the wines we offer will or will not have screw caps; our selections may have a cork or screw cap. 
The Tasting Room FAQs can be reviewed here: [redacted]
Relevant passages are below:
What if I don’t rate the wine samplers you send me?
“If after 30 days from when you placed the order for your wine samplers you don't rate them on our site, our wine curators will simply select a range of wines for your first wine shipment, and you can rate those wines after you receive them. You're not required to rate any of the wines we send you. But doing so enables us to create your Wine Profile and refine our selections according to your feedback.”
Can I cancel my order?
“Please keep in mind that orders cannot be canceled once they are processed. Any orders processed before a membership cancellation is requested will still be shipped.”
How do I return my product?
“Tasting Room does not generally accept physical return of shipped products. If you are unsatisfied with any wine that you received, please contact [redacted]. We are happy to find a resolution which may include a site credit, refund or replacement.”
Tasting Room Terms & Conditions are also posted online here: [redacted]
Code of Conduct:
22.1 At Tasting Room by Lot18, we continually strive to offer our members a superior experience by curating small-production, hard-to-find products that our procurement teams discover from all over the world. We also do our best to offer a first-class experience for our members, and uphold the highest degree of professionalism. We, therefore, reserve the right to cancel and/or terminate any member’s account for any violation of the Terms & Conditions listed throughout the site. Any fraudulent behavior, creating of multiple accounts to acquire additional credits, spamming, flaming, excessive use of profanity or abusive language, either on Tasting Room by Lot18 or any other website in regards to Tasting Room by Lot18 or while contacting any of our Member Services team, will not be tolerated.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
First, I did not receive a full refund from the package in addition to the 15 dollars that they charged me initially. Below is a quote the business sends it's customers.
"If this was the third and final delivery attempt, your wine will be held at a nearby [redacted] facility for 5 days. During this time you may pick up your package with a photo ID. If, after 5 days, your package has not been claimed it will be returned to our warehouse." There is no mention that [redacted] may or may not hold the package for 5 days. Reading this, it is clear that [redacted] will. Given the business is not delivering the package but are informing the customer of this procedure, either they bill [redacted] for returning the package early (not the customer) or they clearly indicate that [redacted] has full discretion in whether the package is held for that time. It is not fair to give information to a customer that may be wrong, and then bill the customer when s/he makes decision on this information regardless of the terms of agreement. 
As a customer, I did not want the package to be returned to the company any more than they wanted to receive it. I trust the information they send to be accurate. They should have either resent the package at not extra fee or give me a full reimbursement. Not punish me for what [redacted] did. If [redacted] isn't honoring their agreement with the business then the business should bill [redacted].
 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Thanks for alerting us to this issue. Tasting Room does not cancel processed orders. This is clearly stated in our enrollment materials and publicly in the Frequently Asked Questions section available on the Tasting Room website. [redacted]'s membership was promptly canceled the same day that...

they made the request. However, per the terms that the customer agreed to upon submitting enrollment, the processed order could not be canceled. A Tasting Room representative explained this policy in email to the customer. As [redacted] did not refuse their shipment, it was delivered by [redacted] on the date of 2/**/15. According to [redacted] records, the package was signed for by "Fry." If [redacted] wishes, they may return the package to receive a refund. Instructions on how to return a package are listed on our website in the FAQs section. We cannot issue a refund unless the customer returns the merchandise. If any further information is needed, please let us know.

So I didn't know it was a monthly subscription but I called them to cancel and see if they would give a refund. They were super nice and helped me out perfectly!!

Thanks for notifying us. The facts are below.Customer did not redeem a voucher for a free tasting kit. Customer paid $10.75 for a wine sampler, which is the start of a wine club subscription with our business. Thus, the customer entered a credit card, billing and shipping information. The...

customer was charged upon enrollment. The customer also agreed to the following "Offer Details" which are displayed in large text to the right of the fields the customer used to type in their credit card details and account password: 
"OFFER DETAILS
Your wine tasting kit will be sent right away. It will include simple instructions on how to rate the wines included in the kit and receive your free wine profile.
After rating your kit, unless you cancel, you’ll receive your first shipment of wine (** full-size, 750ml bottles) for only $149.00 (a little over $** per bottle), plus $19.99 shipping. That’s up to 37% off the retail price!
Your first shipment will be processed as soon as possible after rating your kit – typically the following day. If after 30 days you have not rated the wines in your Tasting Kit, we will automatically send a selection of ** customer favorites for your first shipment.
You’ll receive a new case of wine, each bottle selected based on your profile, 2 months after we send your first case. All shipments thereafter are sent every 2 months. You can modify your shipment dates or cancel at any time, with no fees or penalties.
Wine deliveries are not contingent upon rating the wines in your Tasting Kit, but we encourage you to rate them to ensure we send you wines that best match your preferences. See our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy."
Please see attachments detailing the pages of the enrollment form the customer used to sign up for a subscription wine club shipment online. This is the exact same enrollment for this customer used on the date of 1/**/2016. 
 
To confirm, the customer was sent and received the tasting kit shipment via [redacted]. The package was out for delivery starting 1/**/16; due to missed delivery attempts it was finally picked up by the customer on 1/**/2016 according to [redacted] records. 
 
Customer had 30 days from the date of enrollment to do the following:
1. Rate their tasting kit online
2. Change the date of the upcoming wine shipment
3. Cancel the membership either online or over the phone with a Tasting Room representative
 
The customer did not do any of these 3 things and per their subscription agreement, their 2nd wine club shipment was charged 30 days after enrollment. This is exactly what was stated on the enrollment form as well as in emails sent to the customer leading up to the next order date. In fact, the customer contacted our business after the 2nd order was processed and forwarded a copy of the "Welcome" email our business sends to all new enrollees on the date that they sign up for a subscription. 
Here is the text from the email the customer received when they enrolled, which they forwarded to our business on 2/*/16, after their 2nd wine club shipment was charged and they were notified via email. This is proof that the customer was not only informed a second time, after enrolling, that they were in a club, that they had been charged for their first shipment (thus it was not free) and that they would be charged for a 2nd shipment 30 days later if they did not cancel. For what it's worth, this email also includes instructions on how to cancel a membership. 
*Welcome to Tasting Room!*
We gave your Tasting Kit to the guys with the brown trucks. They told us you'll receive your six mini bottles between *January ** and January [redacted].They even smiled.After your kit arrives, take a look at the instructions on the inside flap, then follow the prompts online after you log in. The online rating process is fun and easy. Just taste the wines in the order they're presented on your computer screen, and click on the ones you like. That's all there is to it!
If, at any point, the instructions seem unclear or your tasting results don't seem to jibe with what you already know about your wine preferences, just give us a call at ###-###-#### on any weekday, 10am-6pm EST. We'll talk you through it. The only thing we know and love more than wine is helping other people find their love of it.
*Why Taste and Rate?*
Everyone's tastes are unique - like a fingerprint. If you taste and rate the mini bottles, we can do a much better job of selecting the bottles that are right for you. If you can't find time in the next 30 days to rate the wines in your kit, don't worry! We'll send you a broad selection of our best-sellers and all-time favorites. And you can still rate the wines in your kit whenever you find the time, so as to personalize your future shipments.
We're excited to explore the wine world with you!...
...You can cancel your membership by calling ###-###-#### any weekday between 10am and 6pm Eastern time. You may also access cancellation information at any time via the Club Management tab within your account."
Customer called our business on 2/*/16 after being notified via email that their 2nd order had been charged and processed. Tasting Room does not offer cancellations on processed orders; customer had 30 days to cancel and agreed to this policy upon enrollment. This was explained over the phone and via email. Customer's account was promptly canceled upon request. Customer requested for a supervisor to contact them. This occurred promptly on the same day of 2/*/16. 
The customer was sent the following information via email by the supervisor:
"To confirm, your membership is now canceled, per the request you made on 2/*/2016. This cancels all future orders. Your current wine club shipment, #[redacted] will be your last unless you choose to reactivate your subscription at a later date. Please note that the shipment was processed on 2/*/2016, prior to the date on which you contacted the Tasting Room to cancel your membership. Per the wine club terms that you agreed to upon enrollment on 1/**/2016, we cannot cancel this shipment as it was charged and processed before you requested a membership cancellation. To confirm, membership cancellations can be accomplished two different ways: #1 You can cancel your membership over the phone with a Tasting Room representative Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST (certain holidays excluded) #2 You can cancel your membership at any time by visiting the online membership cancellation form available within you Tasting Room account. The Tasting Room offers members advance notification of upcoming orders and the flexibility to change or cancel orders. Upcoming shipment dates are listed in each member's account alongside online features that allow you to schedule the date your next order will be processed. Members can push their next shipment date up to 1 year into the future. Members can also request that an order ship earlier than scheduled. Additionally, to ensure our members are informed, the Tasting Room sends out courtesy reminder emails 14 and 7 days prior to processing orders, to the account holder's registered email address. Orders are processed whether or not the courtesy reminders are received. To confirm, membership cancellations work on a go-forward basis. Members will continue to receive shipments until their subscription is canceled either online or over the phone with a Tasting Room service representative. Canceling your membership to the Tasting Room wine club will cancel any upcoming orders that have yet to be processed. Membership cancellations do not retroactively cancel past orders and the Tasting Room does not offer cancellations for orders processed prior to a membership termination request. For further information about the Tasting Room's policies on order cancellations and returns, please visit our FAQs: [redacted]We appreciate your understanding. "
Customer claimed they did not receive reminder emails, though note that they did forward a copy of the email they were sent the day they signed up which clearly stated that they would be charged for a 2nd shipment in 30 days. This information was also available online in their account. Please note Tasting Room makes no guarantee that a customer will receive any email. As a courtesy to our members, we attempt to send shipment reminders both 14 and 7 days prior to charging a customer's credit card for a shipment. Our records indicate no failed delivery of messages and our correspondence with the customer via our service center shows that emails we send can make it to the customer. 
On 2/*/16, the customer was sent the following message which clearly outlines how they may return the wines to receive a refund for the value of the wines:
"[redacted], 
Thanks for your message. The reminder emails are a courtesy that we attempt to send to all enrolled members. I am sorry to hear you are unable to locate them. When we send correspondence about an account, we use the registered email address. To confirm, all enrolled members will be charged for and sent shipments of wine, per the type of subscription they have signed up for, whether or not the courtesy shipment reminder emails are received. In the Terms you agreed to upon enrollment, we state that our business attempts to send the reminders; we are unable to guarantee that reminders, or any email, will be received. You can review our Terms here: [redacted]Our Frequently Asked Questions are here: [redacted]Your package is with [redacted] and the expected delivery date is tomorrow, 2/**/16. You can view your tracking information hereAt this point you have the following options in regards to this package: 1. Keep the wine. 2. Refuse the shipment with [redacted] so it is returned. In that case, we can issue for the value of the wine and a $15 restocking fee will be charged. The $19.95 shipping charge is not refunded for returned shipments. 3. Return the wines after delivery. You can send your unopened wine to [redacted] to receive a refund. Only complete, unopened shipments are accepted for returns. Please include the order number and your shipping address with the package so the return can be identified with your account. When we receive your wine, we will refund your card in full (minus any shipping charges) and notify you via email."
As of 2/**/16, the customer's order is out for delivery with [redacted].The package was processed to ship on 2/*/16; the same date it was charged. If customer wishes to receive a refund, the customer may follow the instructions outlined in the email above which are the same instructions listed on our website in the Terms & FAQs. 
In conclusion, the customer willingly self-enrolled in a subscription wine club service. The customer was informed of all pricing and shipment dates. The customer had the option to cancel the membership either online or over the phone. Further the customer had the opportunity to change the 2nd order processing date online or over the phone. The customer demonstrated that they had received an email from our company listing this information, as the customer forwarded the email to us. Customer has been fully informed of our policies regarding order cancellations, membership cancellations and several options for returning merchandise both over the phone, when calling customer service, and via email by a supervisor. This information is also viewable by members and the public by simply visiting our website FAQs and Terms. 
We are happy to issue a refund for the value of the wines should the package be returned. Note that all merchandise must be present and unopened with the return in order to receive the refund. Do let us know if you need any further information. We are happy to help.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
Sincerely,
[redacted]...

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]This company is doing the same thing to hundreds of innocent consumers. When you do a search on [redacted] and [redacted] there are so many people who have been tricked by the fact this wine club "subscription" is hidden in the terms and conditions. [redacted] gets your credit card info when you sign up for the trail of tiny sample bottles of wine. You are told you will be offered great deals on wine. You are not told they will auto ship it to you. The [redacted] at [redacted] who said she would be responding to my complaint is correct I saying [redacted] sent me lots and LOTS of emails...none however that mention I have a shipment of wine coming..wine I did not order..There are no emails suggesting I have this wine coming and can cancel if I don't want it. The only email that says anything about this wine is an email on 10/*/2014 saying your wine is on the way! I did indeed call several times trying to get through to someone who could help stop the orderby calling the warehouse to put a stop to it. The customer service are completely unsympathetic and well trained at how to address this common complaint to [redacted] / [redacted]. They tell you it can't be cancelled. which is ridiculous because the charge went through on my card on 10/**/2014 and then I received another email today 10/**/2014 saying the wine shipped. So to say this wine I did not order can not be cancelled is quite sad. This is truly a pathetic way to scam customers. When you see the many chats people are having about [redacted] / [redacted] you can see photos of the people. These are real hard working people [redacted] is clearly taking advantage of. Apparently [redacted] also sends out 12 bottles of un-ordered wine for $149 to many of its unknowing customers and will not let any one cancel even though many of us are savvy and as soon as we see an email saying we are receiving something we did not order, we call in time to stop the order, but [redacted] will not stop the order. I hope someone finds a way to stop them from taking advantage of people. There are six bottles of wine that I do not want going to my home in California and I am not even in California at this time. I am care taking my Grandfather who is dying. So thank you [redacted] for adding more stress to my week. This is truly an unethical way of doing business. Shame on you for trying to shame your customers by tricking us. I don't want $60 worth of wine that I did not order going to my house right now, how can I prevent that? Also everyone talking about [redacted] says the wine is very low quality :( 
 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
However, there is one thing what I also find important to note: I haven't find anything on the business's website about 'setting up multiple account' with different shipping address would be a violation. The business never miss any chance to point to their well constructed policy about their customers are agreed about the automatic payments and shipments after ordering the wine tasting kit, but forgets to install a very simple algorithm what could eliminate this violations.Second thought about the profane language using: I apologize for that. I lost my temper after they ignored answering my emails, didn't even think they will respond at all. If they would have done a professional customer care, they wouldn't even reach that point where a satisfied customer turns into profane.About the cancellation I missed: 1. Cancelling the membership prior the order. Yes,this is the root of the every problem here: I wasn't aware about my order and membership till they charged my bank account. This is the part of what I still feel as a scam2. I didn't want to reschedule the order, I didn't want to order at all.3 Refusing a package is not cancellation, especially doesn't mean the client was willing to order the contain of the package.for the end, let me copy here who the business consider 'their customers':"[redacted]Beside I appreciate their credit, (I definitely accept it, no more action necessarily, thank you for the cooperation and help of the Revdex.com) I would say, these people who are refusing a package, are not customers but victims. That's my opignionThank you very muchSincerely,
[redacted]

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. 
According to our records, the customer [redacted]had a recurring...

wine club shipment processed on Tuesday, January **, 2014 at 9:52 A.M. After the order was processed, the customer requested that their wine club membership be canceled via an email (received Tuesday, January *, 2014 at 2:52 PM and voicemail (received Tuesday, January **, 2014 at 11:08:12 AM.). The same day, 1/**/14, we canceled [redacted]membership. 
Previous to [redacted] cancellation request, we sent several emails in the weeks leading up to the order processing date. In that time, we did not receive a cancellation or order change request and the next wine club shipment was processed and charged. In keeping with our club's Terms & Conditions, processed orders cannot be canceled. This is noted publicly in the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Tasting Room website. [redacted]
 
Can I cancel my order?
Orders cannot be canceled. You will be given advance notice of all club shipments and have the ability to cancel before shipment by contacting member services at [redacted]
In response to [redacted] cancellation request, we sent the default cancellation email as well as a personal email explaining that their membership was canceled and that the current order could not be canceled:
 
Sent: 1/**/2014 6:00 PM
Dear [redacted], Thanks for supporting Tasting Room! We have received your emails and phone call today, and we have canceled your subscription. As your current order #[redacted] was already processed before your requests were sent, we are not able to cancel that order. Please be assured we will not process any further orders on your account after the current shipment #[redacted]. Enjoy the wines and thanks again for your support! Best, [redacted]
To confirm, [redacted] membership is canceled and no further orders will be processed. The current order, processed and charged before the cancellation request were made, will be the last shipment sent to the customer. 
Thank you for your time.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
 
 
I have searched every email but none was found. I keep all my emails.I never ordered any of these products and should not be charged for things I never ordered regardless of what hidden wording they had in the agreement.  The only thing I found was this and it is very confusing and does state a shipment is coming that I will be charged for.Great wine and a $20 credit coming your way in one week!I sell on amazon and always pay shipping for returns.
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

As no further or compelling information, our business requests the Revdex.com close the case again.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
Business is relying on "fine print" to justify response. They bait customers with a $10 tasting kit with no mention on the ad about signing up for a recurring membership in a club, until after the $10 worth of wine has been rated by the customer. They subsequently bombard the customer with e-mails that do not mention a shipment pending. Then, when the shipment has been charged, they send an e-mail. The business eventually refunded the the fee for the wine after the delivery was rejected, but they refused to refund the $19.99 charged for shipping.The business claims that it is very clear about what the customer is signing up for - a quick [redacted] search will show that I am HARDLY the only aggrieved party who has fallen victim to this sort of deception.If you look at the enclosed images from the business' web site, the language would lead you to believe that you'll only be sent wine after you rate the wines they sent you for $10 to taste and they have matched your preferences. https://www.tastingroom.com/lp/1/index.htmlThe language "WinePrint THEN compiles" would lead you to believe that you have to take some sort of action to be sent additional wine.https://www.tastingroom.com/lp/1/index.htmlThe business had terrible customer service. A combative representative hung up on me when we could not agree on a resolution to the problem. She would not allow me to speak with a supervisor or give me a last name or a phone number for the supervisor. Eventually I received an e-mail from the supervisor with only a first name and no additional contact information.
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

I became involved with this company after reading a review telling me about their tasting kit. I tried the kit and was unimpressed. On their website they say that you complete your taste analysis and they will send you the first shipment of wine. I never completed this or accessed the webpage other than to order the tasting kit. According to their representative after the first month they send your first shipment with or without your approval. I don't know how a company can claim to send curated wine shipments if they just send you one even if you never respond to their taste analysis. I think this completely goes against the idea of the service. They may indeed have some small print somewhere that says they will just send you a wine shipment without seeking any sort of approval, but I think this is a bad business practice. The first thing you see on their webpage is the line, "Taste. Rate. Enjoy." but I don't know how they can claim that given that even if you don't ever give any indication of your opinion they will keep sending you wine based off of nothing. Sent in a complaint asking to cancel the order made without my approval and was told it was already processing. They had charged my card Friday and there is no way to get in contact with the company over the weekend. Customer service opens at 10 am on Monday and when no one responded to my email I called and was told that I would have to pay to return to send even though it had not shipped yet and there was no way for me to get in contact sooner. I think it would be a good business practice to get in contact with your customers in some capacity whether it be through a completed survey, an email, or a call before you charge $180 to their account and call it a day.

Thank you for alerting us to this dispute. Summary: Customer self-enrolled into a subscription wine club service, agreeing to be charged for shipments of wine until cancelling. Customer also agreed to the wine club policy that processed orders cannot be canceled. Customer’s account was...

canceled promptly upon request. The customer self-enrolled in the Tasting Room wine club subscription on the date of 08/**/2016. At that time, a shipment of tasting wines was sent out to the customer. Per the Offer Details the customer agreed to upon enrolling (see below), the customer had 30 days after their enrollment date to cancel before their second wine club shipment was processed. The customer did not cancel the membership in those 30 days, so a second wine club shipment, for 12 full-size bottles, was processed on the date of 09/**/2016. Email notification confirming the order was sent to the customer. Please note our system also sends advance notice of upcoming shipments, both 14 and 7 days prior, as a courtesy. Receipt of the notifications are not guaranteed and orders will be processed whether or not customer receive the emails, but sending upcoming order notification emails is our business' standard practice.  Below are the Offer Details the customer agreed to upon enrolling in the wine club. Please note these Offer Details are displayed in large format text on the enrollment page the customer used to sign up for a wine club membership. This is displayed directly to the right of the fields where the customer entered their credit card information and is thus, highly visible. All members agree to the Offer Details when submitting their enrollment and initial payment.  “OFFER DETAILS Your Wine Tasting Kit will be sent right away. It will include simple instructions on how to rate the wines included in the kit and receive your FREE Wine Profile. Just 24 hours after you finish rating the wines and receive your profile, we’ll send your first shipment of wine (12 full-size, 750ml bottles) for only $149 (a little over $12 per bottle), plus $19.99 shipping. That's up to 40% off the retail price! You'll receive a new case of wine, each bottle selected based on your profile, every other month thereafter. You'll always pay the same low price. You may cancel or skip any upcoming shipment at any time on our website or by calling###-###-####. There are no cancellation fees. Wine deliveries are not contingent upon rating the wines in your Wine Tasting Kit, but we encourage you to rate them to ensure we send you wines that best match your preferences. If you do not rate your wines or cancel within 30 days of signing up, we’ll send you 12 bottles of customer favorites for $149 plus $19.99 shipping.”
The customer's package was shipped via [redacted] on Monday, 9/**/2016—which is the day after the order was processed and the customer was notified via email--and the customer refused the delivery with the carrier on 9/**/2016. The package has not yet been delivered back to the Tasting Room fulfillment center. In keeping with our returns policy, after the package is received, our company can issue a refund for the value of the wine. A $15 return shipping fee is charged and the original shipping fee of $19.99 (plus tax) is not refunded. An email confirmation is sent to customers upon receiving a refund.
This policy is outlined on our website in the FAQs and Terms. "What if I refuse my shipment? If your order is undeliverable and is returned to us we will process the return and refund your card, minus any original shipping charges, and charge a $15 return shipping fee."
  The customer canceled their membership on the date of 09/**/2016 (note: this is after the order in question was processed and the customer had been notified by email).  As the customer’s subscription is canceled, no further orders will be shipped or processed unless they choose to re-activate their subscription at a later date.  We appreciate the Revdex.com's help in resolving this matter. Please let us know if any further information is required.

Thanks for bringing this matter to our attention.To confirm, the customer’s membership was canceled, byrequest, over the phone on 2/**/2015. Per the terms the customer agreed to uponenrollment in the [redacted] wine club, the customer’s most recent shipment,which was processed...

on 2/**/2015, cannot be canceled. The membership timeline provided below demonstrates that thecustomer was aware a shipment was to be sent in February 2015. In fact, thecustomer logged into their online account during the month of December 2014 andrescheduled their upcoming shipment to process 2 months later. Thisdemonstrates that the customer was responsible for choosing that date of2/**/15 and was thus fully aware a shipment would be charged to their card onthat date they had picked. The claim that they did not order the wine and werenotified about the shipment “out of the blue’ is untrue.Please note that the customer not only agreed to have both read and understood theTasting Room policy concerning cancellations upon self-enrolling into theTasting Room wine club, a full explanation on how to cancel a club membershipwas emailed to the customer on the date of 2/**/2015 after the customercontacted our service department via email. As the customer did not cancel theirmembership either over the phone or via the online cancellation module in theiraccount, their next shipment was charged on 2/**/15 per their membershipagreement. The customer has received explanations of the [redacted]policies multiple times, by three different representatives of the [redacted]service team, including a [redacted]. These explanations occurred over thephone and in writing, through email. [redacted] retains both written andaudio recordings of these interactions and we are happy to provide these to theRevdex.com upon request. The customer is welcome to return the shipment upon receiptto receive a refund for the value of the wine. Information on how to return thepackage may be found in the FAQs listed on the [redacted] website. Here is a timeline of events relating to the customer's membershipindicating an awareness of the fact they were enrolled in a subscription wineclub and had logged into their account and chosen the date of 2/**/2015 to becharged for a club shipment.6/**/2014 - The customer self-enrolled to the [redacted] website agreeing that they had both read and understood the membershipterms, including the cancellation policies. Customer agreed to be charged andsent shipments of wine until canceling their membership.6/**/2014 - Customer's initial shipment was charged and processed. Thisshipment consisted of a tasting kit including six miniature wine samples.7/25/2015 – Customer requested to change the shipping dateof their next order (which was originally scheduled for 7/**/15). [redacted]representative scheduled the next order to process on 10/**/15 and confirmedvia email.8/**/2014 2:28 PM – Customer rescheduled the date of his next shipment toprocess on 9/**/14 instead of 10/**/14 9/**/2014 – Customer’s second shipment was successfullyprocessed and delivered on 10/*/14.12/*/2014 – Customer rescheduled the date of his nextshipment to process on 2/**/2015 instead of the original date of 12/**/2014. 2/**/2015 – Customer contacted service department via emailand received a reply explaining how to cancel membership either over the phoneor via online module in the customer’s account. Please note that thisinformation is also available in the FAQ section on the [redacted] website. 2/**/2015 – Customer’s third shipment was successfullyprocessed on the date they had scheduled using the tools in their onlineaccount. 2/**/2015  - Customerncalled [redacted] member services department. Customer’s wine club membershipwas canceled and the club policies regarding order cancellation was explainedverbally, over the phone and through emails. Three different representativesassisted the customer, including a [redacted]. To confirm, the customer's membership is canceled so no further orders will beprocessed or charged unless they choose to reactivate his subscription at alater date. The customer has the option of returning the shipment to receive arefund for the value of the wine. Full details on the return policy—includinginstructions—are available in the FAQ section of the [redacted] website.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
Sincerely,
[redacted]...

When the customer enrolled they agreed to our returns policy. To clarify, the customer is not charged $35 for "wine" they did not receive. The customer is responsible for the initial shipping cost on any undeliverable package (in this case that is $19.99 plus applicable tax) and a $15 return shipping fee, which is charged separately. Customers who wish to avoid the return shipping fee have the option of returning the wine by purchasing their own shipping label. In that case they would receive a refund less the original shipping and the $15 return shipping fee is waived.