When I first joined the club, the membership was reasonable, and within a year they asked me to renew (early?). The membership cost was now quite high (went from $60 to $210), but with the quartlery discount credits, it was not unbearable. Plus, it still gave me a way to try out new whiskeys that I did not have access to at the local liquor store.
However, on my last order, I ordered 2 bottles of new whiskey and used my credits to help with the financial side. As it turns out one of the bottles was out of stock (no notice given), so they decided it was best to cancel it off of my order. It would not have been such a disappointment, if they had let me keep my quarterly discount. However, they had me pay full price for the one item that was in stock. The refund that they gave me was only for the out of stock item MINUS my discount. So in essence, they took my discount away, with no explanation, and simply said sorry. When I explained to them that this was not really a great business practice, and that I would not be willing to do business with a company that treated their customers in such a way, they basically just thanked me for my input. No aplogies, no recompense.
Consequently, I canceled my membership (no refund) and will not be referring Flaviar to anyone I meet. In fact, I will let everyone know my experience, so that they will not fall prey to their bad business ethics.
I wish you health and happiness.
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Company Response from Flaviar Ltd.
Jan 29, 2020
Hi Tim,
Thank you for sharing your experience. Apologies for not serving you better.
It's true that one bottle was refunded; we understand how frustrating it can be when stock issues occur! This being said, the entirety of the store credit used for your order was returned to your Flaviar account ($45). This amount, plus your latest renewal, remains available on the account. You turned off auto-renewal for your account, but your benefits will remain available until April and we'd love to help you get the most out of your time with us!
Concerning the membership cost, a few months after your membership started, we launched a new membership tier and invited existing members to upgrade. The membership came with additional benefits, including the bottle credits that we are referencing today. The difference in price was because your membership length upgraded from quarterly (90 days) to annual. Upgrading was entirely optional and we tried our best to make clear that the upgrade process would only take place at your own discretion.
As mentioned, we'd love to help you get the most out of your membership! Please reach out at support@flaviar.com and we'll be happy to help.