I had placed an order about an hour ago for my dads birthday next week. I have zero confidence it will actually appear so have cancelled order and placed a new order with Lay and Wheeler.
I fully understand that the WS won’t give a flying toss about losing my business, but it’s a real shame that they have no interest in resolving the incredibly poor service that is being given time and time again to long-standing members .
Ah well. First world problems.
I have been watching this thread with interest and also with a bit of a heavy heart. All retailers suffer from inaccuracy and shortfall, but we do suffer a little more than most. The quantities are very small, but when it happens to you and, in some cases, more than once I do understand that it is intensely irritating.
The answer as to why is quite technical, but I am going to try a simple summary!
I know there has been speculation about the new website. I can confirm that it is entirely innocent. The issue lies with our core operating system. This is the last of our systems to be modernised as it is such a huge undertaking, starting this year and completing late next year or early the year after. We are now in a position where all our other systems have been changed or replaced so that we have the foundation for this big change. Our current system is a 1997/8 vintage (Coincidentally and apt as a wine seller, “most wines past their best but an occasional surprise) ) and simply is not able to move data around our myriad systems in real time. This means that our stock position is updated several times each day and during this period we have the potential to oversell.
This issue will be addressed by the new system and we have several mitigation processes in place (for example, putting First Release wines through the EP system where it can be allocated fairly) , but the situation will prevail for a little longer. On the odd occasion a wine isn’t where it should be in the warehouse, but the bulk of issues tend to be small stock, sought after wines. What I can say is that when we do oversell a wine, then it is allocated in order of time when the order is placed.
We are acutely aware of the need to minimise overselling occurring but stress again that it represents a tiny proportion of orders despatched.
(For the Tech wizards among you, this is a very simplified explanation and we have a very clear plan to resolve it!)
May I say how fantastic it is to have a CEO engaging and interacting with members like this. Thank you Steve.
This does seem to differ to several experiences mentioned in this thread. There have been examples of orders being placed early for a later delivery and that member missing out. I worry that if I place a delivery for 1-2 weeks time I will miss out on a wine I want because it’s not picked until delivery. I have taken advantage of the delivery no matter the size to make sure I get a wine I want, I’d rather avoid this to help play my part if there was increased confidence on securing the wine when ordered.
Agree. In many occasions I placed my order when there was plenty of stock and sometimes 24h later the wine was still in stock and then when it comes to collecting the order I get the shortfall email. I think there’s a second issue that might be or not related to stock level and database updates
Based on the explanation above it might be that the queue of orders doesn’t necessarily update the legacy backend in chronological order. Hopefully not FILO 
Very disappointed to receive a shortfall in your order email this morning for an order for 3 Jean-Marc Vincent Saint-Aubin 2017 I ordered on Friday (when the wine appeared for sale) for delivery on the earliest available delivery date (tomorrow)
This is the second shortfall in your order I have received recently. (I also had a shortfall email for the Bonhomme)
I heard that another customer also had his Bonhomme order cancelled as the wine was earmarked for the showroom and upon investigation was then diverted back to him. If that is the case with this Jean-Marc Vincent wine it would be nice if my order could get fulfilled.
I joined the club…
That’s not how a pleasant trip should play out !
Not getting an email about an issue with an order is absolutely unforgivable and then because one bottle was missing the order was not put together?! Where’s the logic in that??
That’s good of Steve to offer an explanation - much appreciated.
At least it’s only wine 
- or to put it in context - I challenge anyone in the Stevenage area to comprehend the problems trying to get elderly relatives admitted into Lister Hospital right now.
I would avoid Lister at all costs
I had my first shortfall today
Fortunately the six bottles from A&B turned up ok!
Here’s an A&B near us - but I’m sort of assuming you mean A&B Vintners? 
Had one of these shortfall orders this morning. I’m not bothered by it in the grand scheme of things.
Was very keen to try this guy https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/amarone-della-valpolicella-vigna-garzon-pieropan-2016
In the pursuit of a cheaper version of Quintarelli. If anyone does have a bottle and gives it a try, would be keen on knowing what it’s like 
OK. Had ordered Moulin Touchais '02, '05 and '79 last week - there were only 5 of the latter left when I ordered my two bottles, next day only one was left, for delivery today and I was muttering into my breakfast Cinsault, sorry, breakfast Cereal, to myself this morning how I was bound to get a ‘shortfall email’ and would go on a long and bitter rant about how that was totally unacceptable etc etc, when a notably cheerful Daniel turned up in a SRV and delivered exactly what I ordered exactly when they said they would deliver; and from wines that were almost predestined to suffer this sort of thing given their tiny tiny volumes and all the multiple factors discussed extensively on this thread.
So credit where it’s due. GBP35 for a range of ancient Chenin from a top place available by the bottle to a large membership organisation, and all worked out. Chapeau.
On Friday I spotted a few bottles of Rapail Ay '15 (a cracking JLL 5* wine, and ToT top tip) that briefly appeared on the site.
These are due to be delivered tomorrow, and while no word as yet from TWS, I’ve just noticed a rogue £21 credit on my account (so presumably I’m only getting one). Even worse, if I call off an account statement it says +£42, which would imply none.
We’ll see what happens…
This is annoying as there were somewhere between 6-12 available at the time, and clearly somebody else has got lucky in the lottery!
Maybe even his.
Happened to me a week ago on an order of 6 bottles of 2 X different wines i asked to be sent to reserves.
A credit for £34 pounds appeared in my account which i guessed meant I didn’t get 2 X one of the wines at £17 each.
No email for a day or 2 so i phoned customer services and cancelled the total order as I specifically wanted the 3 bottles of each.
What a mess thats caused.
They credited my card for the 4 bottles but my account still showed £34 credit. Over the weekend I ordered 3 bottles of SA fizz highly recommended by Inbar coming to £43.50 but was only charge £9.50 due to the £34 credit. Then when I looked at my account yesterday i was £34 in debt as subsequent to my fizz order they’d credited my card the £34.
So I now need to make a payment of £34 to balance the books again.
What a palaver.
The billing system is certainly subject to its own foibles as well, something of an insult on top of the original injury!
And now the dreaded ‘About your oder…’ email has arrived. One bottle at least, and @szaki1974 I will certainly raise a glass to him as/and when this is opened.
I’ve noticed quite a few things added recently which looked a lot like ToT’s - almost everything he recommended, such as multiple vintages of La Rosine, 2016 Mont-Redon and 2010 Exhibition Hermitage, has come up in the last couple of weeks.
There has been a sprinkling of decent burgundy appearing as well which would also line up.
01438 741177
