Lot 18 Holdings, Inc.

Review: I cancelled my account 3 months ago, in March. However, I was still shipped another wine shipment a few days ago and billed 168 dollars. When I called in, the woman said they had no record of my call to cancel, and that if I wanted my money back, I could refuse the shipment -- but I'd still be out the 19 dollar shipping fee, as well as a 15 dollar restock fee. I don't even know if I can get my apartment building to refuse the shipment. This is really unfair and deceptive. I called to cancel and now they're saying they have no record of that. I'll ask my apartment building to refuse the shipment but it's kind of unfair that they're still keeping thirty-five bucks of my money.Desired Settlement: I want a refund.

Consumer

Response:

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,

Review: I signed up for this company's wine club during the summer. I was notified that my second shipment would arrive on [redacted], when the shipment did not arrive I emailed them. I received no reply until [redacted] that there had been a delay in shipment due to inventory issues. The new shipment date was set and confirmed with a tracking number through UPS. I was out of town when said shipment was to arrive and had arranged with a friend to wait at my house. The shipment never arrived that day. I called UPS to return shipment to sender because I was at training and was unable to receive shipment. I emailed customer service about this issue and have not gotten any replies. My credit card still has a charge for the shipment that was never received.Desired Settlement: I want a full refund and would like to discontinue my membership

Consumer

Response:

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,

Review: This business is advertised as a "wine club." Their program was advertised as they would send samples, then profile the kinds of wines I might like based on my replies to the samples.

However, before I received the samples, they were already pressuring me with buying wines, to which I objected. I changed the "membership" setting so that no wines would be shipped until May **, so that I could complete the samples and decide if I wanted any wines. They sent an email confirming this. However, prior to May **, they shipped wines, obviously without my authorization or approval. I was so annoyed by this, I cancelled the account/membership and demanded they reroute the shipment and credit my account in full. They refuse to do so and are claiming that I must pay to return the wines and that they will deduct the initial shipping and a restocking fee from any refund. I believe this is wrong. I see online there are several similar complaints about this company and their practices.Desired Settlement: I want this company to reroute their wine shipment to return it to them and to refund my entire purchase without any offset for freight, either direction, or any restocking fee.

I have asked them if they prefer that I refuse delivery or if they want me to accept delivery; which I would do if they send a pre-paid return label at no cost to me and refund all charges. They refuse to choose, either alternative.

Business

Response:

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. To confirm, Tasting Room is asubscription wine club service. This information is publicly available on ourwebsite and detailed on all enrollment pages. All new members mustagree to the club's terms and conditions, which includes authorizing the TastingRoom to process, charge and ship new packages of wines until the membership iscanceled. [redacted] agreed that s/he had both read and understood theseterms before submitting their payment and membership details on the date of4/**/15. Tasting Room offers members both flexibility and advance notice of upcomingshipments. Members need only visit their online account to do the following:1. Cancel a subscription2. Change the date of an upcoming shipment will be processed3. Review upcoming shipment datesMembers can also call the Tasting Room member services department for help withany of the above. According to system records, [redacted] logged intohis/her online account at [redacted] on two different dates to makechanges to his/her subscription type and the date s/he would receive their nextwine club shipment. On the date of 4/**/15, [redacted] used the onlineoptions to change the pricing per shipment. Then, on the date of 5/*/15 logged into their account again and changed 2 thingson their account. #1 S/he chose to only receive red wines in their shipments. Previously, s/hehad been enrolled to receive red and white wines. #2 S/he selected the option to have his/her next shipment charged and sentout earlier than originally scheduled. These changes occurred at 8:41 PM EST on 5/*/2015 and were self-initiatedby the account holder ([redacted]).To confirm, [redacted] was originally scheduled to have his/her second wineclub shipment processed on 5/**/15. Instead, on the date of 5/*/15, [redacted]

[redacted] selected the option labeled "Ship Now" in his/her account.Choosing "Ship Now" means that you have elected to have your orderprocessed (i.e. charged to your credit card and sent to fulfillment) within thenext 24 hours. If [redacted] had not selected this option when making otherupdates to his/her account online, then the next shipment would not have beencharged and processed until 5/**/15 per the original schedule. When [redacted]'s second wine club shipment was processed and charged, our systemautomatically triggered a confirmation email on 5/*/15. According to ourrecords, the order successfully charged and processed on 5/*/2015 6:05 AMEST. It was not until the following day of 5/*/15, that [redacted] got in touchwith the customer service department to cancel his/her membership via an emailsent at 12:07 AM on 5/*/2015. At that point, s/he requested the most recent orderbe canceled as well. However, the order had already been charged and processedas [redacted] had chosen this option when logged into their account on5/*/2015 - about 36 hours prior to requesting a cancellation for theaccount. Please note that memberships to the wine club can be canceled at any time overthe phone or online. Canceling your membership will cancel any future orders.Canceling a membership does NOT retroactively cancel orders that were alreadyprocessed in the past. To be 100% clear, Tasting Room does not cancel processedorders. This is stated in the wine club terms & conditions that all membersagree to upon enrollment in the club. It is also explained in thepublicly-posted FAQs on www.tastingroom.com. Further, this policy was explainedto [redacted] through email on 5/*/15. Again, we would like emphasize that [redacted] logged into his/heraccount and chose to have the second wine club shipment processed 20 daysearlier than originally scheduled. The order shipped out with [redacted] on 5/*/15,which was the same date that [redacted] contacted Tasting Room to requestthat the order be canceled, along with the subscription. The Tasting Room staffwas prompt and courteous in helping [redacted] but our business was unable tooffer an order cancellation. Instead, we provided [redacted] withinformation on how to return the package for a refund for the value of thewine. Accordingto [redacted], [redacted] refused delivery of the order that they had requestedTasting Room process and ship out early. The refusal was logged by [redacted] on 5/**/2015. The package was subsequently returnedto a Tasting Room four days later, on 5/**/15. As the package was returned,[redacted] has received a refund for the value of the wines. The usual $15restocking fee levied on refused shipments has been waived. To recap, [redacted] hasreceived a refund after refusing his/her second wine club shipment. Prior tothis, [redacted] had logged into this/her account online and requestedseveral changes, including different pricing-per-shipment, that all wines sentshould be red only, and that the order was charged and processed 20 daysearlier than originally scheduled. After the order was charged and processed,and the customer was sent an email confirmation, [redacted] canceled theirmembership which canceled any future orders. We hope that clears things up. Please let us know if any further information isneeded.

Consumer

Response:

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 had no intention of changing the ship date of wines. The ONLY CLEAR COMMUNICATION from the company was that my "next" shipment would be May **. At no time did I understand that would be changed.Every other club of any kind of which I am aware has sent notices of a pending shipment PRIOR to sending, with details as to the cost and what exactly is proposed to be shipped. This company only sent an email AFTER the shipment was made, which I consider intentional to avoid the possibility of rejection. So, it's not a mutual agreement and no contract can be claimed.I believe it is wrong to have sent me an email that my NEXT shipment would be May ** without sending another email that that had changed, prior to shipping anything. A copy of the email is attached.Their business practice seems confusing by design, which is a poor business practice. There are many other past customers who complained about this business and their practices online. Unfortunately, I did not see them until after my problems with the company. That the company is intend on defrauding was evidenced by the response of their representative. Rather than apologize for the shipment or any confusion about their practices, she immediately insisted that it was in the fine print of some agreement. I believe an actual email stating the next shipment was sometime in the future rules until there would be another email attesting otherwise.If this was a simple error on my part, I would accept the cost; however, I do believe the business practices is designed with the intention of being confusing and anti-consumer, which is my greatest concern. Furthermore, after canceling my "membership" due to their practices, they sent an invitation to order wines on my schedule without their "membership." This Form Letter style email demonstrates that I am not the only one to find their "club" atypical and abusive.This is not a reputable way of doing business and they know it; otherwise, they would be more apologetic about the outcome and there wouldn't be as many complaints online about their practices.Thank you.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

To confirm, [redacted] logged into her/his account and chose to have her/his most recent wine club shipment processed earlier than it had been scheduled. Just prior to making this change on her/his account, as we demonstrated in our prior response, [redacted] also changed his subscription settings so s/he would only receive red wines instead of a mix of red and white wines. While [redacted] has not acknowledged that s/he took this self-initiated action, we can confirm that the order was processed earlier than scheduled because s/he logged into her/his online account and submitted the request to process and charge the order early.There is nothing deceptive about empowering customers to change the date they will be charged for a wine club shipment. The Tasting Room aims to offer the most flexible, customizable wine club experience. Customers can simply log into their account (or contact customer service) to re-schedule upcoming order dates--a feature that [redacted] used on 5/*/15. If a customer logs into their account elects to process an upcoming order earlier than scheduled, by using an option called "Ship Now"--as [redacted] did--then any past correspondence about the scheduled order date is irrelevant as the customer has chosen to change the date themselves. To be 100% clear, if [redacted] had not logged into his/her wine club account on 5/*/15 and chose the "Ship Now" option then her/his order would have been processed on the date of 5/**/15. Instead, [redacted] took the action of changing the order processing date on his/her own accord and did not contact Tasting Room until the day the order shipped with [redacted] to request a cancellation of the account and the order. If [redacted] had mistakenly chosen the "Ship Now" option on 5/*/15, while logged into his/her account, s/he could have contacted the Tasting Room immediately to request cancellation of the pending order as it was not charged until the following morning. S/he could have also contacted Tasting Room the day after s/he chose to process the order early, as a confirmation email listing the price he paid and the wines that would be shipped was sent to her/his registered email address. Instead, [redacted] did not contact Tasting Room until 5/*/15. Please note that her/his first communication about the order was sent nearly *6 hours after s/he chose this option. Consequently, the order could not be canceled as it was already processed and was shipped out with [redacted] that same day.As [redacted] refused the [redacted] shipment, s/he was refunded for the value of the wine, per the Return Policy that s/he agreed to upon self-enrolling in the Tasting Room wine club. Please note that the Tasting Room strives to give our members flexibility in scheduling their order processing dates. Members have the option of choosing to process a shipment earlier than scheduled, as [redacted] did, or pushing the date up to 1 year in the future. Members can also change the frequency of shipments (every month, every other month or every three months) and the number of bottles per shipment (2, 6, 12). If, for some reason, a customer accidentally chooses to be charged for a shipment of wine earlier than scheduled, they can simply contact customer service for help. However, Tasting Room has a strict policy that processed orders cannot be canceled as our business strives to ship orders as quickly as possible. While our staff is happy to help customers it is unreasonable to expect that an order processed 36 hours prior can be canceled. We kindly ask the Revdex.com to render a decision as we have demonstrated that the customer self-initiated the order and did not contact our business for nearly 36 hours after doing so. We have also demonstrated that the customer received a refund after refusing the shipment. Further, we can confirm the customer's account was canceled promptly upon request so no further shipments will be charged or shipped unless the customer choses to reactivate their membership at a later date.

Consumer

Response:

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 continue to maintain that this business operates in a way that seems intentionally designed to send goods not wanted by the consumer -- in this case, me. I continue to maintain that the overriding document is their email that no shipments would be made until a future date.It seems they argue that I changed that online, which I do not recall doing.The draw to their wine club is a group of sampler bottles, for which I paid. The idea is to sample those wines, respond to questions about them, rating them and so forth. I did that, online, as was part of the program. It seems they are now arguing that as part of that response I would have changed the shipping date of the next shipment. I have three responses about that argument. First, I do not recall any part of their sampler questions indicating I would be ordering any wines. Second, if I supposedly ordered wines, they at no time told me that a shipment would be made or what would be shipped. I understood the program was that based on the wine sampler they would recommend wine shipments to me or at least give notice of what they intended to ship with time to accept or decline. It appears they send whatever they want to send and at whatever price they desire to charge. I never agreed to such a unilateral agreement and would not. Furthermore, it is a bad business practice because it forces a sale onto the consumer, which should not be allowed.Third, American contract laws generally are not enforceable unless there is an agreement on the part of both parties. Such is determined to not be possible if one or more of the parties has been consuming alcohol or other substances that would interfere with sound judgment. If this company maintains that orders are placed immediately following the consumption of their wine sampler, they would know such "orders" are invalid due to the possibility of impaired judgment. This is a "fine print" company -- they are not upfront about their proposed transactions with consumers. They hide things in the "fine print" and, particularly poorly, knowingly do so following consumption of alcohol. A fair and responsible wine club would send an email alerting consumers that the company proposes to ship, in a certain number of days, certain identified products at and what cost. This would give the consumer an opportunity to accept or reject the actual shipment. Anything less than that seems designed to abuse the consumer.Sending an email that a shipment has already been sent does not give the consumer adequate notice to accept or reject the shipment. My response to them that I did not want the shipment was well within a reasonable time to respond to them, but they claim it was "too late" because the shipment was already made. However, any response would be deemed "too late" by them since they only send notice AFTER the shipment has originated, which is absurd.My complaint against this company is about the charges they made to my account and also their business practice and timing of doing so for myself and others. I believe it is programmed to have complaints and disputes that put consumers in a difficult situation due to their "fine print" and not a normal, responsible business relationship. Due to their absurd business practices, I reject anything less than a full refund including all shipping and handling fees. They should absorb the costs of their unethical attempts to coerce consumers with their "fine print" arguments when adequate notice was not provided by design.Thank you.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Review: Received a voucher for 6 mini bottles free tasting. While on line submitting my order, there was no indication of me engaging in their subscription. The gift voucher was received to do a trial of 6 mini bottles only. The email confirmation also provided information on this order showing the amount I paid. The next thing I know I am being charged $180 for wine. I called immediately stating that I was not aware of this charge and they refused to assist. I have proof that the wine was not yet shipped and was just in process but they refused to work with me or provide a refund. I sent over the email showing that there was no indication that I was part of a wine subscription and they denied that this was the case. I would like a full refund and do not need the bottles of wine.Desired Settlement: Full refund - do not need the wines to ship. I don't mind returning but refuse to pay shipping or a restocking fee of $15.

Business

Response:

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 DETAILSYour 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 online2. Change the date of the upcoming wine shipment3. 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.

I canceled my membership to the Tasting Room because I found it difficult to receive shipments as they had to be signed for at the identified address and could not be routed anywhere once the shipment was made. Additionally, the wine selections they selected for me were types of wines I did not enjoy and did not feel like they were in line with my profile. As with most subscription services it was difficult to cancel my membership and before the cancellation could become final they sent me a shipment and charged me for it. When I called to ask them to cancel the shipment they refused saying it was "processing" and I could refuse the shipment when it came to my house. However, I was told that there would also be a restocking fee of approximately 50% of my original charge. When I asked to speak to a manager, hoping to find some resolution, the customer service agent told me that I could leave an email address because the manager did not take phone calls. I asked to speak to someone that would be willing to provide me with some assistance and I was met with hostility and resistance. I was refused any time I asked to speak with a manager to escalate the call and eventually the agent hung up on me. When I called back I only received a voice mail system. I have reached out to the company via twitter and as of yet have received no attempts at resolution and do not expect any from the company. I have had a terrible time dealing with this company and I warn anyone from seeking their services that it isn't worth it.

Review: About the middle of May 2015, I received an email from the company, [redacted], advertising the Tasting Kit experiment, which seemed to be a novel and inventive concept. So I ordered the kit, providing my credit card information as required and paying $6.95. After I had received the tasting kit, Ireceived an email on May ** reminding me to rate the wines. At the bottom of the email, was the statement: “Rating must occur before first shipment in processed and billed”. Since I had no intention of rating the wines, I took no further action and considered my brief relationship with the company ended. On June **, I noted that the amount of $168.99 had been withdrawn from my bank account on June ** for wines that I had not ordered. I contacted customer service and explained that, after ordering and paying for the Tasting Kit, I was not interested in going any further with the experiment, since I did not, particularly, like the wines that you had sent. So I did not visit the company website to rate the wines, which would have generated a profile, nor did I create an account, or indicate my acceptance of theirTerms. Despite this explanation, their customer service representatives refused to acknowledge that the statement at the bottom of the website was a clear indication of their policy on processing and billing of orders. They also refused to send me a PDF of the form they alleged I had completed on their website, showing that I had signed up for a [redacted] wine club membership and checked an agreement to be automatically billed and shipped new shipments on a regular schedule. If such a form exists, I believe it should be my right to see it.

After discussions with Customer Service, I visited the website, for the first time, and noted, under “How it Works”, the following:

a. “Go online and rate the six wines in the Tasting Kit.”

b. “View your free wine profile

c. “Just 24 hours after you get your profile, we’ll ship you twelve regular-size bottles (750ml) of wine that match your taste preferences.”

Given this sequence of actions, which I did not follow, I should not have been billed me for wines that I did not order. I did not rate the wines, so no profile could have been, or was created. Also, nowhere in their Terms and Conditions does it state that I would be sent wine even if I did not rate the Tasting Kit and create a profile. The customer service reps claimed that: “Additionally, this information is publicly posted in our website's Frequently Asked Questions.” However, Frequently Asked Questions are not the same as Terms and Conditions. Consumers should not be expected to comb through their website to find statements referring to their policies and procedures. To bury basic information regarding the [redacted] Membership--such as costs, future shipments and cancellation policy -- a in a pile of verbiage, then expect consumers to comb through it to get the facts, suggests a blatant intent to confuse, frustrate and ultimately defraud.

Further, within the boilerplate the customer service representatives regurgitated to address my concerns, was a statement regarding returns, as follows: “If you have received a shipment and would like to return it, you can send your unopened wine to [redacted] to receive a refund. …When we receive your wine, we will refund your card in full (minus any shipping charges) and notify you via email.” So [redacted] actually wants to bill my account for wines that I never ordered, also expect me to return unordered wine at my expense, also to be responsible for the shipping charges! The company billed me for wines I did not order, using a credit card I provided solely and exclusively to pay for the Tasting Kit. The only charge I authorized was the $6.95 I paid for the Tasting Kit. Their unauthorized use of this card to pay for wines that I did not order is an inexcusable liberty and wanton exploitation of my consumer rights!

Since I had no success with their customer service, I contacted my bank and provided them with copies of correspondence, with together with copies of negative reviews of your company, which are now being evaluated by its Fraud Division. I have also asked the company to reverse the charge of $168.99 on the account of [redacted], which is recorded in their files as #[redacted]Desired Settlement: Reversal of charge of $168.99 on my bank account

Business

Response:

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Please see attachment showing the online enrollment offer the customer used to self-enroll in the [redacted] wine club. Full offer details are provided on the enrollment page. The details are also explained below.To confirm, the customer self-enrolled herself into our wine club and explicitly authorized our business to charge her credit card for wine club shipments until she canceled her membership. In total, she received two wine club shipments before canceling her membership. The order in question is the second of these shipments. It was processed on the day that had been promised to the customer--the date of which was available in her online account on the [redacted] website--and was in transit to her shipping address when she first reached out to our company to request a refund. Please note that the customer's first ever contact came via an email with the timestamp of 6/**/2015 11:23 p.m. This is outside our normal service hours, which are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST on weekdays. Meanwhile, [redacted] had already scheduled delivery of her package for the following day. Thus, it was impossible to cancel the shipment, at the time the customer requested, as it had been in transit for several days and was delivered the following afternoon at 12:22 p.m.The customer has been helped by 2 customer service representatives, the manager of Member Services and the [redacted] of our company. The customer has been provided with a live link to the enrollment materials she used to sign herself up online for a membership. These materials clearly state that [redacted] is a wine club and members will receive shipments until canceling their subscription. The materials are also clear that by submitting payment for the initial club shipment, the customer is authorizing [redacted] to continue charging the card on file until the member cancels the subscription. Thus, the second wine club shipment the customer contests was authorized by her because she self-enrolled into the club and did not request a subscription cancellation until after the order was processed, shipped and scheduled for delivery with the carrier. If the customer did not wish to receive this package, she had the option of refusing the delivery with the carrier. If that had occurred the customer would have received a refund for the value of the wines. As the package was accepted via adult signature, the customer now has the option of returning the wines to receive a refund. Instructions on how to return the wine have been sent to the customer, via email, by three different representatives of our company. This information is also available on our website in the FAQs and Terms sections. To confirm, the enrollment form this customer used to sign herself up for a wine club membership clearly states the following:"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". This information is located here: [redacted]Please note this text is located directly across from the credit card entry form where the customer input her billing information to complete the enrollment.[redacted]The exact language from the Offer Details listed on the enrollment offer are below:"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, 2 months after we send your first case. All shipments thereafter are sent every 3 months. You'll always pay the same low price. You may cancel or skip a shipment at any time on our website or by calling [redacted]. 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." In conclusion, we are happy to offer a refund for the value of the wines if the customer returns all of the wines she received. Again, the customer has been sent instructions on how to return the shipment and can also find this information listed publicly on our website in several places. Until the wine is returned, we are unable to offer a refund as the order was authorized by the cardholder upon enrollment. Further, it was processed, shipped and delivered prior to her membership cancellation. Thank you for your consideration.

Consumer

Response:

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:

My Rebuttal of the Merchant’s Statement is as follows: I responded to an email promotion by Tasting Room/Lot 18 whereby I would purchase a wine sampler kit for $6.95 and rate the six wines provided in the kit, after which I would receive a personalized wine profile based on my choices. I gave the company my credit card number and was charged the $6.95. The wines were subsequently sent, together with a card for rating the wines. I completely refute the company’s allegation that: “the customer self-enrolled herself into our wine club and explicitly authorized our business to charge her credit card for wine club shipments.” Please note the following statement included in the company’s offer details: “When you click the button below, you agree to be billed $6.95 (plus applicable taxes) for the wine samplers to the credit or debit card you provide.” Note that I have underlined the clause “for the wine samplers”. I did not rate the wines because I did not like any of them. A few days after I received the kit, the company sent me an email with the caption: “Get $20 off by rating your kit now!” It was an offer for $20 off my first shipment of full sized wines and a free wine profile. At the bottom of the email was the statement: “Rating must occur before first shipment is processed and billed.” Based on this statement, since I had not rated the wines, I did not expect to receive and be billed for a case of wine that I had not ordered. I also refute the company’s statement: “she received two wine club shipments before canceling her membership.” If I had been sent a shipment in addition to the one I received, the company should have provided me with further details, such as a tracking number. The discussions held with the company have been in connection with only one shipment received to date, which is now sitting unopened just inside the entrance to my home, where it has remained untouched ever since I arrived home one day and found it. I also did not cancel any membership. There was no membership to cancel since I did not enroll in the club. Had I established membership, I presume that this would have entailed filling out a form that clearly indicated that this was my intention. I would then have received an email from the company ratifying and affirming my membership (which I believe is standard procedure). But I did not. I have repeatedly asked the company to provide me with such a form, completed by me, clearly indicating that I opted for club membership and agreed to the company’s terms and conditions, but this has not been forthcoming. The company has tried to lock me into a membership I did not want, has sent me wines I did not order and has placed an unauthorized charge of $168.99 on my credit card which I provided, in good faith, only for the purchase of a sample kit of wines costing $6.95. The company further states, erroneously and mendaciously, that this shipment. “was processed on the day that had been promised to the customer--the date of which was available in her online account on the Tasting Room website--and was in transit to her shipping address when she first reached out to our company to request a refund.” I wish to state emphatically that I was not: “provided with a live link to the enrollment materials she used to sign herself up online for a membership.” I established no online account with this company, was never “promised” any shipment date, nor cancelled any shipment date. I had no communication whatsoever of this nature with the company. I have never visited the company’s site through any live link to any enrollment materials that the company states I was provided. The company states that: “ by submitting payment for the initial club shipment, the customer is authorizing Tasting Room to continue charging the card on file until the member cancels the subscription. It must be clarified that I authorized the company to use the credit card I provided only to charge me for the Tasting Kit, and for no other reason. Please, again, review the following statement, quoted above in the first paragraph: “When you click the button below, you agree to be billed $6.95 (plus applicable taxes) for the wine samplers to the credit or debit card you provide.” Regarding “the second wine club shipment,” As stated above, I received only one shipment, which I did not order or authorize. The company states: “If the customer did not wish to receive this package, she had the option of refusing the delivery with the carrier. If that had occurred the customer would have received a refund for the value of the wines. As the package was accepted via adult signature, the customer now has the option of returning the wines to receive a refund.” Since I was not at home when the unordered package of wines arrived, I could not have refused delivery with the carrier. I strongly object to the company’s assertion that I could return the wines if I were to pay for the initial shipment as well as the costs for returning the wines, since I did not order them. After a series of extremely unproductive telephone conversations with the company’s ineffective customer service, I reached out, unsuccessfully, to [redacted], the [redacted]. For your further edification, I have provided copies of my emails to him, which follow below (in italics); 1. Mr. D[redacted]: I am most certainly disputing the fact that I signed up for a tasting room subscription! I did not go to your website, sign up for membership or check any boxes indicating acceptance of your terms. I have repeatedly asked your customer service representatives to send me the actual form indicating that I have done so but they have refused to produce it. All I did was to respond to your offer to sample your tasting kit for which I paid $6.95. After I received the tasting kit, I tried the wines, none of which I liked, so I did not go to your website to rate them. A few days later, on May **, I received an email reminding me to rate the wines. This email states clearly at the bottom: "Rating must occur before first shipment is processes and billed." I am assuming that this email and the statement it contains originated from your company so am somewhat mystified that both you and your representatives are refusing to acknowledge that this statement, printed in black and white, on an email that you sent, is a clear admission of your policy! Since I did not rate the wines and create a profile, I certainly did not expect to be billed for wines I did not order! I did not authorize you to bill my credit card for any amount other than the $6.95 I paid for the tasting kit so you had no right to charge me $168.99 for wines that I did not order. I am, therefore, expecting an immediate reversal of these charges in full. As for the negative feedback, it is, of course, your prerogative to continue harboring the illusion that your company has a good reputation. But were I in your shoes, I would be extremely concerned to have 50+ derogatory comments about me floating around in cyberspace! I have hastened to add my own observations by contacting the Revdex.com of New York as well as the Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and anticipate very positive responses to my complaints. So you may sit back, relax, and continue resting on your non-existent laurels - I have absolutely no doubt that they will do their due diligence so that justice will be served! 2. Mr. D[redacted]: I was puzzled when you stated that your business is Revdex.com-accredited since my research indicated quite the opposite. Allow me to enlighten you with this rating from the Revdex.com website: Revdex.com Business Review THIS BUSINESS IS NOT Revdex.com ACCREDITED.Lot 18 Holdings, Inc.Additional LocationsPhone: ###-###-####View Additional Phone Numbers[redacted]

[redacted]View Additional Web Addresses In addition, I attach a small sample of user evaluations culled from the Internet, which I have sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Agency as additional information that could be used to discredit your company and prevent other unsuspecting consumers from enduring the same fate. You need to clean up your act and stop being in denial! 3. Mr. D[redacted]: Allow me to point out that ethical commercial practices include the expectation that the merchant or trader should behave honestly, fairly and in good faith towards a consumer. A practice is unfair if it fails to meet the standard of "professional diligence" - the standard of skill and care that would reasonably be expected of a trader in its field of activity - and if it materially impairs an average consumer's ability to make an informed decision. Deceptive acts and unlawful practices by merchants affect the consumer’s ability to make an informed choice about whether to buy a product or service and make the consumer responsible for purchases that he or she would not otherwise have bought if he or she had known the true facts. All these facts apply in my case. You are billing me for wines that I did not order, claiming that I should have read the emails giving me a window of time in which I should contact you to stop you from debiting my credit card. You are implying that by signing up for the Tasting Kit I also signed up for membership in your club, despite the fact that I did not go into your website to sign up for membership or to indicate my acceptance of your terms and conditions. If I did so, all you have to do, and this is what I have been asking for repeatedly, is to send me a copy of the form showing that I signed up for membership and checked a box agreeing to your terms and conditions, which you are either unwilling or unable to do. It is abundantly clear to me that the goal of Lot 18/Tasting Room was to get my credit card so that you could bill me for wines I did not want or agree to purchase. You used my acceptance of your offer of the Tasting Kit to lock me into a subscription that I did not want. Because I did not respond to the emails you sent (none of which I saw or read except the one I mentioned), you felt you could charge my credit card, although I had not placed an order for wines. You took this action because you had my credit card! This materially impaired my ability to make an informed decision, therefore, is unfair and deceptive. Incidentally I am still receiving emails from Tasting Room. I try to unsubscribe, to no avail. It doesn’t matter how many times I hit the “unsubscribe” button, I do not receive a confirmation that I am unsubscribed and the emails keep coming! Kindly ensure that my personal information is immediately removed from your system and that no further emails are sent to me. I do not want to run the risk of being billed for the second time for wines that I did not order. Thank you.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

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

Review: Initially I had ordered a wine sample on [redacted] website on Feb [redacted] using my credit card. After the transaction was completed online, I checked and ensured my credit card information was not saved to the profile. On March [redacted], I received an email stating that a wine case shipment is on its way and [redacted] had charged my credit card. I did not order this transaction nor did I authorize [redacted] to charge my credit card. Upon calling [redacted] to inquire about this charge, they mentioned that I had signed up for a membership and they would shipping wine cases periodically. I don't recall signing up for any membership nor authorized [redacted] to ship or charge my credit card (also my card was not stored in the online profile). This is fraud, the business cannot charge a customer without authorization. I'll be rejecting the shipment once I receive it. However, [redacted] says they'll will refund the partial money after they receive the shipment back. I would like to have full refund as I didn't authorize the charge and also damages towards the inconvenience.

Please advise next steps.Desired Settlement: Refund the credit card charge in full, and pay for the damages for the inconvenience and stress caused.

Business

Response:

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. To confirm, the customer's package was refused and a refund of $149.00, for the value of the wines in their shipment, was issued back to his credit card on 4/*/15. Per the terms the customer agreed to upon enrollment in the [redacted] wine club, the $19.99 shipping fee was not refunded. Please note that the customer not only agreed to have both read and understood this policy upon self-enrolling into the [redacted] wine club, this information was also explained to them via email and 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 [redacted] 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 2/**/2015 - [redacted] delivered customer’s first wine club shipment.3/**/2015 @ 12:13 p.m. EST- Customer's second shipment was charged and processed.3/**/2015 @ 1:45 p.m. EST - Customer contacted [redacted] service department for the first time, through email. In reply, Customer was emailed instructions on how to cancel their membership and the club policies regarding order cancellation and returns were explained.3/**/2015 4:34 p.m. EST @ Customer contacted [redacted] service department for the second time, via phone. Customer’s membership was canceled. Policies regarding order cancellation and returns were explained. 3/**/2015 - Customer's second shipment was refused. Package is in transit with [redacted], back to the [redacted].4/*/2015 - Refund of $149 processed to customer's purchasing credit card for the returned package. Original shipping fee of $19.99 was not refunded, per the customer’s agreement with [redacted] terms and conditions. To be clear, memberships may be canceled over the phone or online. Removing or changing saved shipping or billing information does not constitute membership cancellation. Please note that the customer agreed to the club Terms on the date of 2/**/2015. This means the customer agreed to be solely responsible for any damage that results from their use of the [redacted] services and products. Thus, the customer is not eligible for “damages.” The relevant passage is below:15.4 ANY PRODUCTS OBTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF THE SERVICESIS DONE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK AND THAT YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLEFOR ANY DAMAGE THAT RESULTS FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS.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.

Consumer

Response:

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]

As noted in my complaint, the merchant had fraudulently embedded the membership/renewing shipments verbiage. The merchant is incorrect in stating that I was explained about the terms of membership. I didn't voluntarily agree or sign up for any continuous shipments. The only transaction I ordered was for $6.95 on 02/**/15 which constituted a sample of wines. Again, after ordering this transaction on 02/** I ensured that my credit card information was not saved on the online profile, that I had to create to order this shipment; and it was not saved which is good. How did the merchant charge me on 03/**/15? Is the merchant storing my credit card information in their system without my permission? Why did they charge my card on 03/**/15 without my consent as I didn't order it?As for the refund, I did reject the shipment from 03/** and was credited partial amount - $149 out of $168.99. This complaint is to request for full refund. Hence, request for the remaining $19.99 + damages (for fraudulent practice of storing and charging my credit card with my consent, and the inconvenience caused).

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Attached is the order form that the customer used to enroll. It clearly states the following:"OFFER DETAILSYour Wine Tasting Kit will be sent right away. Itwill include simple instructions on how to rate thewines included in the kit and receive your FREEWine Profile.30 days after ordering your kit, unless you cancel,you'll receive your first shipment of wine (12 full-size, 750ml bottles) for only $149 (a little over $12per bottle), plus $19.99 shipping. That's up to 40%off the retail price! You'll receive a new case ofwine, each bottle selected based on your profile,every 3 months from your enrollment date. You'llalways pay the same low price.You may cancel at any time on our website or by calling ###-###-####. There are no cancellationfees.Wine deliveries are not contingent upon rating thewines in your Wine Tasting Kit, but we encourageyou to rate them to ensure we send you wines thatbest match your preferences."By submitting their enrollment, the customer authorized [redacted] to charge their credit card for wine club shipments until they canceled their membership. As you can see the, the schedule of shipments was listed. The customer's second shipment was scheduled for 30 days later. Subsequent shipments would be processed and charged every 3 months from the customer's enrollment date. Nowhere does it state that the customer was only purchasing a tasting kit and that no further shipments would be processed. The text is very clear in stating the frequency, pricing and schedule of future shipments. If the customer did not want to be charged for future shipments, they had the option of not enrolling or canceling the membership within the first 30 days. As the customer chose to enroll and did not cancel in the first 30 days, [redacted] upheld the agreement and processed another order. There is an option to purchase tasting kit vouchers available on our wine club website. These are part of our prepaid subscription options available to customers who prefer not to be enrolled in automatic shipments. Please note that the customer did not choose this option and instead enrolled themselves into a wine club membership under the Offer Details outlined above. If additional information is needed, please let us know. We are happy to assist.

Review: This company charged me for wine I did not order. I received an email today saying your shipment is on the way. I called to cancel. It is still early in the day. I asked the rep. to call their warehouse to stop this unwanted shipment. They refuse to do so. They say I can not return the wine either as it is perishable. I DID NOT ORDER THIS WINE.Desired Settlement: PLEASE DO NOT SEND POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS UNWANTED WINE AND CHARGE FOR IT

Business

Response:

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

To confirm, [redacted] was a member of the [redacted] between the dates of 9/*/2014 and 10/*/2014. She self-enrolled online on the date of 9/*/14 and her first wine club shipment was charged to her credit card on the same date. Before submitting her enrollment, [redacted] agreed that she understood and accepted the [redacted] terms of membership, including the club's policy that processed orders cannot be canceled. By submitting her enrollment, [redacted] agreed to be charged and shipped wine club order until she canceled her subscription. Information detailing [redacted] membership--including the cost-per-order, schedule of shipments and the cancellation policy--were laid out on the same webpage as the order form for review before an enrollment is submitted.

[redacted] had until the date of 10/*/14 to request a cancellation before her second shipment was charged on 10/*/14. Notice of the upcoming shipment date was available in [redacted]'s account as well as in courtesy email reminders. Information on how to cancel was available to [redacted] in the emails she received as a club member and publicly posted on the [redacted]'s website in the club's FAQ section. [redacted] had the ability to submit her cancellation request online as well as over the phone. If she had submitted her cancellation request prior to 10/*/14, her upcoming shipment would have been canceled and her card would not have been charged. As [redacted] did not submit a request prior to 10/*/14, the [redacted] processed her second wine club shipment.

On the date of 10/*/14, [redacted]'s second wine club shipment was processed and an order confirmation was sent to her registered email address. After receiving the order confirmation email, [redacted] called the [redacted] member services department 4 times within a span of 60 minutes, speaking with two different representatives. [redacted]'s membership to the [redacted] was promptly canceled, per her request, and the representatives explained the cancellation policy. Below is an explanation of the [redacted] cancellation policy as it is publicly-posted on our website:

"You can cancel your membership at any time, for any reason, simply by calling member services at ###-###-#### or canceling online. 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."

The [redacted] policies can be reviewed here: [redacted]

As [redacted] requested that a [redacted] reach out to her, the [redacted] of the department sent her an email confirming that her membership is canceled and explaining that the current order could not be canceled under the club policy [redacted] had agreed to upon enrollment. [redacted] has continued to contact [redacted] via email. We have notified her that we are cooperating with the Revdex.com in mediating her dispute.

At this point, [redacted] cannot offer a refund as [redacted]'s shipment was processed prior to cancellation. Her membership is now canceled, per her request. No further club shipments will be charged to her account. The current shipment, processed during her enrollment in the club, will be the last she receives unless she reactivates her membership at a later date.

We appreciate your help in resolving this matter. Please let us know if any further information is needed. We are happy to assist.

Consumer

Response:

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,

Business

Response:

[redacted] makes wine club policies are both clear and publicly accessible. All members who enroll must agree that they have read and understand the club policies. In this case, [redacted] enrolled herself into the [redacted] and agreed that she had read and understood the club policies. By enrolling in the wine club, she authorized the [redacted] to charge her credit card for wine shipments until she canceled her membership. She also agreed to the club's policy that shipments will be sent whether or not the customer has submitted their online tasting kit ratings. Additionally, she agreed to the club policy that orders cannot be canceled. This information is presented on the enrollment page to be reviewed before entering and submitting payment to start a club membership.

In addition to having agreed to these policies upon enrollment, [redacted] had access to this information at all times by visiting [redacted] website. Please note that information regarding the club's policies and terms is available publicly. This means that both members and non-members can access the information on the [redacted] website.

Further, as a member [redacted] had access to her upcoming shipment dates, as well as an online cancellation option, inside her [redacted] account. Additionally, [redacted] was sent--and received--multiple emails about her membership and orders. These emails encouraged her to rate her tasting kit prior to her next order while also clearly stating the date her next order would be processed and charged to her credit card. For the shipment [redacted] is contesting, she received 2 emails stating the date her order would be processed, both 14 and 7 days prior to the order processing. Email logs show that both messages were received by [redacted]'s email client. This means that neither message bounced back and her email client accepted the messages.

To confirm, [redacted] received upcoming shipment reminder emails, alerting her to the fact that her next order would be processed on 10/*/14. The dates [redacted] received the reminder emails are:

9/**/2014

10/*/2014

In total, [redacted] had 30 days from the date of her enrollment until her next shipment was processed to request a membership cancellation. She did not do this and, per her agreement, authorized the [redacted] to process another shipment on her account. On the date of 10/*/14, [redacted]'s order was charged to her credit card and a third email was sent out to her with the details of the purchase.

The above clearly demonstrates that [redacted] had agreed to the club policies, had access to information about the club policies and was actively informed, both online and via email, about upcoming orders. Although [redacted] had access to all of the information outlined above, she did not contact the [redacted] to cancel her membership until after her last shipment was charged to her account.

To recap:

#1 [redacted] enrolled herself into a wine club, agreeing to receive shipments and also agreeing that she had both read and understood the club policies.

#2 [redacted] had access to the club policies at anytime, by visiting the [redacted] website.

#3 [redacted] received multiple emails informing her the date on which her next order would be processed, as well as confirmation emails when orders were charged to her credit card and when packages shipped out.

As [redacted] agreed to be charged and sent wine club shipments and did not submit a cancellation request until after her last shipment was processed, the [redacted] cannot offer her a refund. This is in keeping with the policy that [redacted] agreed to have both read and understood before submitting her wine club membership.

At this point, the [redacted] requests that the Revdex.com issues a ruling on this complaint. The consumer agreed that she both read and understood the club policies upon her enrollment yet has submitted a complaint that she was charged for an order she had authorized the [redacted] to process and ship to her. If any additional information is needed, please let us know.

Consumer

Response:

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:

This is false. [redacted] / [redacted] does not send out emails to notify the customer regarding the auto shipment of wine. They send an email saying your order has shipped! That is the point at which myself and hundreds of other individuals with the exact same complaint contact [redacted] / [redacted] to cancel the shipment. [redacted]/ [redacted] refuses to even attempt to stop the shipment even though it does not leave their warehouse for another two days. Also, we are told we will be tasting the wine then rating it, then we will be offered deals on wine. I did not even have a chance to sample the wine, or rate it, and I never chose any wines to purchase from [redacted]. Then [redacted] starts sending unsolicited wine to your door right away. If you decline the shipment they charge you anyways. When you do get a chance to taste the wine it is truly awful. If [redacted] is a legitimate business why are so many people stating they are being charged for wine they did not order and that the wine is not even drinkable? They do not notify you that they are sending you wine you did not order so that you may cancel it beforehand. When you call two days before it is even leaving the warehouse the offer no opportunity to cancel the wine. Does this sound like they are giving you an opportunity to cancel as they say they are? I have all my emails from [redacted] saved there is none stating, " You are about to be charged for six bottles of wine you did not agree to have automatically charged to your bank act. would you like these wines ? " if you read the complaints all over the internet about [redacted] / [redacted] they all say the same thing. No warning email. No opportunity to cancel even when you call within moments of receiving an email saying you are being charged. If all of us consumers are ignoring our emails from [redacted] why is it we all sure notice that one quickly? I have definitely been defrauded by [redacted] / [redacted] along with hundreds of other people.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

I did a trial of the tasting room wine which required me to go onto the website and fill out information of the first wine shipment that I paid for. The website conducted its survey and then automatically executed another shipment of the next full case of wine without any kind of confirmation or review page to ensure I actually wanted to shipment. I immediately emailed the company and they instructed me to call them to cancel. I called the next day as soon as they opened and they informed me that the shipment had already commenced that morning (5AM) and they could not stop it, which is false. The actual shipment did not ship until 3 days later. They had plenty of time to cancel my shipment as I requested but chose not to despite my multiple calls and emails throughout the process. I have refused the shipment from [redacted]. They have indicated they will charge me a restocking and return fee.

Review: I signed up for the Lot 18 Tasting Room service and, due to travel and moving, attempted to email them to ask they delay the delivery (and purchase) of my first quarterly wine order. There was no response and they charged my credit card on 8/*/13 for the shipment. After they charged my card I received a response that they would hold it for a month. At this point I asked them just to ship it as they had already billed it, and to go ahead and cancel future orders. They then said it would ship at some point but they were waiting for the rest of the wine to fulfill the order. I asked them at this point to refund me and cancel the order and received no response.

I finally today, 9/*/13, went directly to my bank to dispute the charge and am hoping that they have better luck getting this resolved than I did directly with Lot 18.Desired Settlement: At the minimum Lot 18 should refund the money to my credit card immediately. In the long term, it sounds like they have some serious internal billing and shipping issues to resolve. Looking around on Google it appears as though Forbes and other magazines are looking to Lot 18 to fulfill their new "wine club" services. Any media organization looking to partner with Lot 18 should know about these issues.

Business

Response:

Review: I signed up a sample win kit but then just now they shipped a case of wine without telling me and charged me $168. Now if I refuse it and send back they want to double charge me shipping plus $15 to restock. eDesired Settlement: I cancelled act because they people are rip offs. I want a full refund and never want them to contact me again.

Business

Response:

Thanks for alerting us to this complaint. As it turns out, [redacted]'s has already received a refund, less the initial shipping fee, per the Tasting Room wine club Terms that he agreed to upon enrollment. Further, Tasting Room logs data on whether emails are received or undeliverable. The records indicate that [redacted]s received 2 courtesy reminders, via his registered [redacted] account, prior to his next order date. He also received and responded to other correspondence sent by the Tasting Room to the same email account. Please note that upcoming shipment reminders are a courtesy and not a requisite of membership. Wine club members can also log into their online accounts at any time to view or modify their upcoming shipment dates, as well as to cancel their memberships. [redacted]s did not take advantage of these features prior to his 1/**/15 shipment processing date. To confirm, [redacted]s was sent and received the following emails leading up to his latest shipment day:14 Day Reminder - 1/* 7 Day Reminder - 1/** Order Confirmation - 1/[redacted]s did not contact the Tasting Room to cancel his membership until after his order was processed on 1/**. The Tasting Room does not cancel processed orders, per the terms that [redacted]s agreed to upon enrollment into the wine club on the date of 10/**/2014. While processed orders cannot be canceled, memberships can be canceled at any time. To confirm, [redacted]'s membership was canceled on 1/**/14 which is the date that he first contacted the Tasting Room service department about the order that had been processed and charged 10 days prior.Per [redacted]'s request, Tasting Room filed a "Return to Shipper" request with the package carrier and [redacted]'s order was returned on 2/*/15. On the following day, 2/*/15, [redacted]s received a refund for the value of the wine: $149. The $19.99 shipping fee was not refunded, per the Tasting Room Returns policy. Please note that the Tasting Room did waive the usual $15 restocking fee levied on returned shipments.If any further details are needed, please let us know. We are happy to help!

Consumer

Response:

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,

Business

Response:

As previously confirmed [redacted]'s has already received a refund, less the initial shipping fee, per the Tasting Room wine club Terms that he agreed to upon enrollment. Additionally, [redacted]s agreed to be charged and shipped wine club orders until he canceled his membership. All payments were authorized per his enrollment agreement. Further, [redacted]'s agreed that he both read and understood the Tasting Room policies before he submitted his enrollment and initial payment.As confirmed previously, email reminders are a courtesy that Tasting Room provides our members leading up to their order processing dates. Processing dates are also available 24/7 in each member's account. Tasting Room does not guarantee that any email will be received although our business does attempt to send emails to registered account holders. Tasting Room does keep logs detailing if--and when--emails are received or undeliverable to a member. According to the logs, [redacted]'s email client accepted receipt of the two courtesy reminders sent 14 and 7 days prior to his last shipment processing date. There is also record that his email provider received the order confirmation email sent the date that his card was charged. We suggest that [redacted]'s reach out to his email service provider if he does not see these emails. Dates of email receipt are below. 14 Day Reminder - 1/* 7 Day Reminder - 1/** Order Confirmation - 1/** Once again, to confirm, [redacted]'s shipment was intercepted with [redacted] and returned on 2/*/15 after Tasting Room received his request to cancel the shipment. On the following day, 2/*/15, [redacted]s received a refund for the value of the wine: $149. The $19.99 shipping fee was not refunded, per the Tasting Room Returns policy. Please note that the Tasting Room did waive the usual $15 restocking fee levied on returned shipments. If any further details are needed, please let us know. We are happy to help!

Review: I've came across an advertisement that published that for $6.95 I'll get wine sample that will allow the company to build my wine profile for future orders. I've placed an order and got the product. After few weeks I received a notification that my $59 shipment is ready for shipping. I immediately responded that I have not purchased or had intention to purchase (as the first paid sample was in such a low quality) any more products from this company. They claimed that when I ordered the $6.95 set I've agreed to become a subscriber to their service (which I didn't do at any point). I've tried cancelling it online and by responding to their email. But they still went ahead and shipped that shipping. I then called and asked to cancel my unwanted subscription (which then they finally did it). I've asked them also to cancel any shipping and they said they can't, but that I can return it and pay $15 restocking fees.

Since this is a service I never signed for I do not want to pay anything for it. I think they advertisement and web site are very misleading as they don't make it clear that by buying a product for $6.95 you actually commit for a service that costs a lot more.Desired Settlement: I do not want to pay for the returned package any fees.

Business

Response:

To confirm, [redacted]'s membership to the Tasting Room wine club was canceled, per the customer's request, on 11/**/14. However, the order that [redacted] is contesting was processed prior to the cancellation. The Tasting Room policy, that all members agree to upon enrollment, is that processed orders cannot be canceled. Canceling 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. [redacted] enrolled into the Tasting Room wine club on the date of 10/**/14. During enrollment, [redacted] agreed to the Tasting Room terms and conditions, including our policy regarding order cancellations. Before any prospective customer is allowed to complete their order, they must agree that they have read and understand the terms and conditions, which [redacted] agreed to before submitting payment on 10/**/14. Additionally, all of the basic information regarding a Tasting Room wine club membership such as costs, and future shipments, were laid out on the same webpage that [redacted] used to enroll in the wine club. During enrollment, [redacted] was informed that a second wine club shipment would be processed in 30 days. 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 members to schedule the date their 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. As [redacted] did not cancel their membership or contact the Tasting Room during the 30 day period after enrollment, their next order was process on the scheduled date of 11/**/14. After the order was processed, [redacted] was contacted via email with the order details. It was only in response to the order confirmation email that [redacted] requested a membership cancellation and contacted the Tasting Room customer service department. At that point, our customer service staff explained the order cancellation policy both verbally, during a phone call, and in writing, via an email. [redacted] was also provided with details of our return policies and procedures. Please note that information about the return policy is also publicly posted on the Tasting Room website in our FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) section. As [redacted] refused delivery of the package, a refund for the value of the wine has been issued, for the total of $59. Per the Tasting Room Returns policy, a restocking fee of $15 was charged. As [redacted] has canceled their membership, no further shipments will be processed or sent unless [redacted] chooses to re-enroll at a later date.For more information about the Tasting Room's policies on order cancellations and returns, please visit our FAQs: [redacted]We appreciate the Bureau's help in resolving this complaint and are happy to provide any further details.

Consumer

Response:

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:

I believe the business is misleading it's customers who want to order the $6.95 offer but do not realize that they sign for recurring membership fees of $59 a month.I received a notification regarding a shipment to which I responded that I request not to ship, but the following day I still received an email saying that the shipment was ship.So to summarize:1. Taste room mislead its customers by hiding the additional committed expenses2. Tase room doesn't provide the opportunity to change shipment ahead of time thus forcing the $15 cancellation fees

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Thank you for notifying us about the need for follow-up.To confirm, Tasting Room is a subscription wine club service. This information is publicly available on our website and detailed on all enrollment pages. All new members must agree to the club's terms and conditions, which includes authorizing the Tasting Room to process, charge and ship new packages of wines until the membership is canceled. [redacted] agreed that they had both read and understood these terms before submitting their payment and membership details on the date of October **, 2014. Tasting Room offers members both flexibility and advance notice of upcoming shipments. Members need only visit their online account to do the following:1. Cancel a subscription2. Change the date of an upcoming shipment will be processed3. Review upcoming shipment datesMembers can also call the Tasting Room member services department for help with any of the above. The restocking fee is only levied if a customer refuses or misses delivery of a shipment processed during the course of their membership. In this case, [redacted] neither canceled their membership nor rescheduled the date of their upcoming shipment in the 30 days between the start of their membership and the scheduled date of their second shipment. Per [redacted]'s agreement with Tasting Room, their second wine club shipment was processed on schedule, 30 days after the start of their enrollment. In response to receiving an email confirmation that the shipment was processed, [redacted] contacted Tasting Room to request a cancellation. [redacted]'s membership was promptly canceled and, in keeping with the Tasting Room policy [redacted] agreed to upon enrollment, [redacted] was informed that the most recent shipment could not be canceled as it has already been processed. As [redacted] refused the delivery of their shipment, a refund was issued for the value of the wine and the $15 restocking fee was applied, per the Returns policy publicly explained on the Tasting Room website:Frequently Asked Questions: [redacted]Terms & Conditions: [redacted]At this point, we kindly ask the Bureau to make a decision regarding this complaint as we have demonstrated the following:1. The consumer had the opportunity to review the club policies and terms before enrollment and submitting payment for their first wine club shipment.2. The consumer agreed to be charged and sent wine club shipments until a cancellation was requested.3. The consumer was informed of all club policies and upcoming shipment dates via information posted in their Tasting Room online account.4. The consumer did not request a membership cancellation until after two shipments were processed.5. The consumer received a refund for the shipment they refused.

Review: I purchased a product from the company on December **, 2013. They notified me via email that my order was received and the next day (12/**) confirmed that the product was ready to ship from their warehouse. The product was to be delivered between 12/**- 12/**and no later then 12/**. On 12/**, I checked my account online to see where my package was and saw that my product was never shipped from the warehouse, like stated on 12/**that it was ready. I then waited until 12/**to contact the business, with respect knowing of the holiday season rush. When contacting the company, the only options are to email or call and leave a VOICEMAIL. There are no live customer service representatives and when I emailed the company, they do not send a confirmation that the company even received the email, let alone email you back, period. I left three voicemails and two emails, one of which I sent directly from the company's website. I never received a phone call nor email responding to my requests. I still have not received my product as of today's date (12/**) or any kind of response back. I am to the point of having the charges disputed through my credit card company since I cannot get this resolved. There is absolutely no way to get in touch with someone from customer service or managerial wise. If at all possible, I hope to settle the complaint through you (Revdex.com) before I fill out an affidavit with the authorities and my bank.Desired Settlement: I would still like the delivery of my order (even though it was for Christmas) and also a refund of the shipping charges since it was an outrageous $12.99 and my product took almost a month, instead of 5-7 business days, to ship.

Business

Response:

Case #: [redacted]

Business Response: This issue was resolved on January **, 2014. The customer did not receive the shipment of wine and a full refund was issued to her credit card. The customer had also used $25 of site credit toward this purchase and that was returned to her account as well. Lot18 staff confirmed these details via email; the customer did not respond.

Review: I Cancled a order with Lot 18 and received a e-mail back on october * that they had received it and the order would be cancled. The order was not and it was shipped and $138.00 was deducted from my checking account. The wind sh ould be here in 1 to 2 days I will be returning or refusing the shhiptment.Desired Settlement: I want a refund of my money.

Business

Response:

Review: I saw Lot 18 on the web and they offered tastings of some wines they offered. I paid the about $6.95 for the samples and didn't like any of them. I went to their web site and sent email to cancel any subscription that may have been agreed to. The next day I received an email stating an order of 12 bottles of wine had shipped totaling almost $170.00 worth of wine. I immediately called their Customer Service and tried to cancel order, by then they had already charged my bank account. The CSR was rude and refused to cancel this order and told me it had already shipped, which was a lie because about 5 days later I received another email stating my order just shipped with a tracking code. This order could have easily been cancelled when I initially called in.

I have since gone online and see many complaints about this company for the same exact treatment.

THIS COMPANY NEEDS TO BE STOPPED. There way of doing business is unprofessional and dishonest.

Business

Response:

Thanks for bringing this matter to our attention. To confirm, the customer’s membership was canceled, by request, over the phone on 3/**/2016 at 12:16 PM EST. Per the terms the customer agreed to upon enrollment in the Tasting Room wine club, the customer’s most recent shipment, which was processed at 5:06 AM EST on 3/*/16, couldn’t be canceled. The membership timeline provided below demonstrates that the customer was aware a shipment was to be processed on 3/**/2016. In fact, on the evening of 3/**/16, the customer logged into their account and updated their preferences online, at which point they were informed that their next wine club order would be processed within the next 24 hours. The customer had the opportunity to cancel the membership at that time, or to change the order processing date, both of which can be completed online. The customer chose to neither cancel the membership nor change the order date (customer’s have the flexibility to reschedule orders for up to 1 year into the future without canceling their membership). Thus, an order was processed on 3/**/2016, which was within the 24-hour period that our business told the customer an order would be processed. Please note that the customer not only agreed to have both read and understood the Tasting Room policy concerning cancellations upon self-enrolling into the Tasting Room wine club, information on how to cancel a membership is available on our website. Members can cancel their account online or over the phone. Here is what the enrollment page said, which the customer used to sign up for a wine club membership online: 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 FREEWine 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, 2 months after we send your first case. All shipments thereafter are sent every 3 months. You'll always pay the same low price. You may cancel or skip a 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. Here is a timeline of events relating to the customer's membership. These events demonstrate the customer’s awareness of the fact that they were enrolled in a subscription wine club. In fact, the customer logged into their account on March *, 2016 and they were informed another shipment would be processed in the next 24 hours, which it was. 02/**/2016 – The customer self-enrolled into the Tasting Room wine club, agreeing to the membership terms, including the cancellation policies. Customer agreed to be charged for shipments of wine until canceling their membership; customer also agreed to order cancellation policy, specifically that processed orders cannot be canceled. 02/**/2016 - Customer's initial shipment was charged and processed. This shipment consisted of a tasting kit including six miniature wine samples. 03/**/2016 10:09:29 PM – Customer logged into their account at [redacted] 03/**/2016 10:**:51 PM – Customer submitted online rating of their tasting kit and was informed that their next order would be processed within 24 hours. 03/**/2016 05:06:55 AM – Customer’s second wine club shipment was processed, per the notification they received the night before when they logged into their account. An email confirmation was sent to the customer with the order details once their order was processed and their card was charged. 03/**/2016 12:16:40 PM – Customer’s account was canceled after they called the Tasting Room member services team. 03/**/2016 01:29:15 PM – Customer logged into their account again. Note: their membership was canceled as of 3/*/16. As of 3/**/16, [redacted] is holding the package for pick-up after making 3 delivery attempts. If the customer does not pick up the package and it will be returned to sender. Upon receipt of the package, our business can issue a refund for the value of the wines to the customer ($15 restocking fee will apply). Should this occur, we will notify the customer via email. 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 the option of returning the shipment to receive a refund for the value of the wine. Full details on the return policy—including instructions—are available in the FAQ section of the Tasting Room website.

Review: I just received an unauthorized charge from this company in the amount of $59.99. I did not place an order or authorize any shipments or charges. I have tried to contact the company and they do not answer their phone or email.Desired Settlement: I would like the charges reversed and the money refunded immediately.

Business

Response:

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. The charge is authorized, as it is for [redacted]'s second wine club shipment through the Tasting Room. On the date of 5/**/14, [redacted] enrolled into the Tasting Room wine club. At the time of enrollment, she agreed to receive recurring wine shipments. Her first shipment was charged on 5/**/14 and was delivered by UPS on the date of 5/**/14 (Tracking #[redacted]: You can view the delivery confirmation here: [redacted]). The package was signed for by "[redacted]" at the shipping address [redacted] provided upon enrollment.

Upon enrollment, [redacted] was informed that another shipment would be processed 30 days later; this information was also available in her Tasting Room account. Additionally, several 'upcoming shipment' reminders were sent to [redacted]'s registered email address informing her that another shipment would be processed in 30 days: [redacted]

[redacted] did not contact the Tasting Room to cancel her membership within 30 days and on the date of 6/**/14, at 1:02 PM EST, her second wine club shipment was charged for the total of $59.99 and an email confirmation with her order details was sent to her registered email address.

Only after her shipment was processed, and an email confirmation was sent, did [redacted] reached out to the Tasting Room for the first time. Our telephone customer service line was busy when she called, as our representatives were helping other customers, and [redacted] left a voicemail at 3:44 P.M. EST. She also sent two emails, the first received at 3:47 P.M. EST and the second received at 4:25 P.M. EST. In total, she reached out 3 times within the same hour. The following morning, at 9:52 A.M. EST, a service representative canceled [redacted]'s membership to the Tasting Room and a cancellation confirmation was automatically sent out. Additionally, the representative sent [redacted] a personal email explaining that her membership was canceled and that the current order could not be refunded as our club does not allow order cancellations. A copy of the email response sent to [redacted]'s messages is attached.

As of today, 6/**/14, [redacted] has not responded to the emails we have sent her, clarifying the details of her membership and confirming that her subscription was canceled. [redacted]'s current wine club shipment is out for delivery with UPS.

The Tasting Room's policy about order cancellations is publicly posted on the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website here: [redacted]

"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."

As [redacted] was actively enrolled in the Tasting Room wine club and our terms of membership clearly state that orders cannot be canceled, this is an authorized charge and we are unable to issue a refund. Her second wine club shipment was shipped out on the date of 6/**/14 and is currently out for delivery with UPS under tracking number [redacted] (You can view the shipment status here: [redacted]).

Review: I asked the company to cancel my subscription on 2 separate occasions but the company never responded. They proceeded to illegally charge my credit card and ship me a product I did not want. I tried to return the product but the company refused to accept the return.Desired Settlement: Refund my money and take their product back. I explicitly asked against shipping me any more product.

Business

Response:

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

The Tasting Room does not have a subscription, canceled or active, belonging to someone named [redacted]. However, there is record of a canceled subscription associated with the email address [redacted] provided in their complaint to the Revdex.com.

This subscription began on the date of January **, 2014, when the account holder self-enrolled into the Tasting Room wine club. Before the account holder was able to submit their membership enrollment and before their credit card was charged for the first club shipment, they agreed to the club's terms and conditions, which included authorizing the Tasting Room to process, charge and ship new packages of wines until their membership was canceled. This subscription included an initial shipment of a wine tasting kit, a six-bottle shipment processed 30 days after the date of enrollment and subsequent quarterly shipments containing ** bottles of wine.

The subscription was canceled on the date of May **, 2014, when the account holder contacted the Tasting Room service staff to request a membership cancellation.

During this time three shipments were processed on the following dates:

1/**/2014

2/**/2014

5/**/2014

During the course of the subscription, the account holder contacted the Tasting Room to push out the delivery date of their second shipment, which was charged to their credit card on 2/**/2014.

The account holder first requested a delayed delivery for this shipment, via email to our customer service department on the date of 2/**/14. At that point, the customer service representative arranged a shipping hold, with our fulfillment warehouse and confirmed that the package would not ship out before the date of 3/*/14.

On the date of 2/**/14, the account holder sent another email requesting that the shipping hold be extended to the date of 4/*/14. This request was honored and the package shipped via FedEx with a delivery date of 4/*/14.

Upon reviewing the correspondence, we can confirm that on the date of 2/**/14, the account holder both extended their shipment hold and asked that the Tasting Room to no longer charge their credit card. However, the account holder did not request that their membership to the Tasting Room be canceled and it appears this is where the confusion started. As the membership was still active, the next quarterly shipment was processed on the date of 5/**/14. An email confirmation with the order details was sent out to the account holder on the date of 5/**/14. The package was shipped via FedEx and the tracking number was sent to the account holder via email on 5/**/14. The package was delivered by FedEx on the date of 5/**/14.

The same day the package was delivered, the account holder contacted the Tasting Room service department requesting a refund for the delivered package and a subscription cancellation. At that point, the account holder's subscription was canceled and no further shipments have been charged or sent.

I apologize, on behalf of the Tasting Room, for the confusion regarding this subscription cancellation. As the last shipment was sent in May, after the account holder requested no further credit card charges, Tasting Room has issued a full refund totaling $168.99, for the delivered goods. The funds have been returned to the purchasing credit card. We ask that the account holder give their bank a few business days to process the transaction.

If any further details are needed, please let us know. We are happy to assist!

Consumer

Response:

You are wonderful; if it weren't for you, I'm not sure I would have gotten my money back. This company, on the other hand, is one of the most deceptive and unethical businesses I have dealt with in my life. Their customer service team flat out ignored the emails I sent to request cancellation of my account. After shipping me a nondescript container without any email warning, they refused to accept the return. I first filed a dispute with my credit card company, who first ruled in my favor, and then overturned the decision based on the merchant's request. I would like to support the Revdex.com in any way I can.

After 5 months of dealing with this company through their customer service, my credit card company's dispute system, and through the Revdex.com, the matter is finally resolved but I'm unhappy that this company can still do business and continue to deceive other innocent customers.

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,

Review: I've ordered $2000 of wine from Lot18 this year. I've had no issues until now. My order from Nov. * 2013 was defective. Four of the six bottles of wine were damaged, the screw tops were damaged. The 4 bottles leaked a little during shipment and the wine was bad. I dumped all 4 down the drain. I took no pictures. My wife permanently stained a white sweater on one of the bad bottles. I promptly contacted Lot18 on or around Nov. [redacted] on the email form on the website. It took them one calendar week to respond by email and that email was only "sorry for the issues we are working on it". Another day went by, another vague email about trying to help me. They do not answer their phones so it's almost impossible to talk to a person. The customer service girl finally said she would only credit my account $20. Well the wine order was for $87.93. Four bottles were bad so that's 4/* of the order cost should be refunded or $58.62 not $20. I also will not pay for the shipping of defective wine. Their business practices are immoral and just plain wrong. Their 100% Satisfaction Guarantee reads from their T&C : 4. Lot18 100% Satisfaction Guarantee We want you to be 100% satisfied with your wine, glassware, or other merchandise purchase. If ever you are dissatisfied with any product you receive from us, just call us at [redacted] and we’ll either replace it or provide you with a full credit toward your next purchase. 5. Return Policy for Damaged Product In the event that you should have a broken bottle or damaged delivery issue, just call us at [redacted] within 30 days of delivery. We will work with you to resolve the problem to your complete satisfaction, which may include replacement or a full credit.Desired Settlement: I would like my credit card credited for the exact amount of bad wine they sent me $58.62 no more no less. I want them to live up to their own Terms and Conditions. I want my account closed after they do the first two items in this list. I am an honest man and expect others to treat me the same.

Business

Response:

This customer has already been issued credit, to use on the Lot18 website, for the price of the three wine bottles he claims were leaking.

The first credit of $20.00 was deposited on 12/*/13 and one of our representatives sent him an email letting him know this had occurred.

Review: I attempted to call tasting room to cancel my subscription and received an automated message that their phone lines were down. I then contacted their customer service by email on 9/**/15 at 5:46 PM at [redacted]. My email was verbatim as follows: "Please cancel my account associated with this email address. I was not impressed with the quality of wine sent and I can buy it cheaper per bottle at my local wine warehouse. I attempted to call to cancel, but got a message that your phone system was down. Please consider this notice that any additional charges to my credit card will be considered fraudulent & treated as so". My credit card was charged on 10/**/2015 for $168.99. When I called their customer service, I was met with an extremely rude individual. I was told that a link was sent to my email to cancel my account and I never cancelled the account using the link, which was why my account was charged. I informed him of the email I had sent cancelling my account due to their phone lines being down when I called to cancel. I was told I could return the shipment to sender (which I plan to do when it arrives) and I would be refunded less a $20 restocking fee. I told him that this was unacceptable since I notified them via email to cancel my account and notified them in the email that any additional charges to my account would be considered fraudulent. I informed the representative (Chris, I believe was his name) that it was the company's issue, not mine, that the phone lines were down when I called. I was essentially told there was nothing that would be done and I would be charged the additional restocking fee. I informed him that I would take up the fraudulent charge with my credit card company and was essentially told to "go ahead" that the company would talk to my credit card company and deny any fraudulent charges. When I called my credit card company they informed me that they would have to reissue my card and send another one within 7-10 business days in order for me to file the complaint. This was not feasible due to a vacation planned for next week. I called tasting room customer service back and asked to speak to a manager. I was informed that I would have to be placed in the manager's cue and would receive a return phone call. No information about my account was taken by this representative, I was not asked for my name or return phone number, so an actual return call is less than likely. I have checked reviews for this company on Yelp and all reviews listed on Yelp are negative and related to issues similar to mine in which unwanted wine was shipped and then customers were charged this restocking fee. These are predatory business practices and unacceptable.Desired Settlement: My desired outcome is a FULL refund of the $168.99 charged to my credit card after notifying this company to cancel my account and that I would consider any future charges fraudulent. The refund minus a $20 restocking fee is unacceptable since the product should have never been shipped to begin with. It is not my problem that the company's phone lines were down when I called to cancel my account and I refuse to pay anything for this company's mistake.

Business

Response:

Customer was fully refunded for the shipment after she refused the delivery with the carrier. Customer has been notified via email of the refund. Please note that we waived the usual restocking fee for this customer as she stated she tried to call to cancel her membership when the phones were temporarily down. Please also note that members can also cancel their membership online at any time by logging into their account, in addition to being able to call in during our service center hours.

Review: I ordered a shipment of wine from them, which they guaranteed each bottle. Three of the bottles I tasted were unpalatable, and I emailed them to complain. They never got back to me.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund.

Business

Response:

Thanks for letting us know. This issue was resolved on 5/*/14. I personally spoke with [redacted] after receiving the Revdex.com complaint notification. After thoroughly checking our records, I can confirm that our business did not receive the email he mentioned in his complaint. This is why our customer service department did not follow up with him initially.

Please note that we have, in the past, received and responded to other emails from [redacted]. Previously, he corresponded with one of our member service representatives about a missing package that UPS claimed was delivered to his shipping address. In that case, our company filed a claim with UPS for the lost package and sent [redacted] a replacement shipment at no additional charge.

After our telephone conversation, on 5/*/14, [redacted] was issued a refund totaling $32.66 for the three bottles of wine he found unsatisfactory. His bank accepted the refund total on the date of 5/*/14.

I have attached the email, sent to [redacted], after our telephone conversation which confirmed that a refund had been processed.

Please let us know if you need anything else in order to resolve this complaint. We are happy to provide whatever you need.

Consumer

Response:

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,