Vinatis — Restaurant in Annecy

While i've enjoyed ordering wines from Vinatis in the past, this time was different.. I ordered 18 bottles of wine for an upcoming cheese and wine night on september 4th 2023 (order 2445796). Because of the current temperatures (32 degrees celsius) i didn't give consent to drop off the wines when we're not home. On the 8th of september i got an email that the package was delivered to our house. We we're not home at the time. When arriving home we found 2 boxes, out in full sunlight, 32 degree weather for a couple of hours. Not the greatest conditions for wine... Upon opening the boxes only 12 bottles were delivered.

We contacted customer service about this the same day. The 11th of september we received note that the delivery company was on it's way with the 3rd box. A little bit after that we got an answer from Vinatis that the order was indeed underway. They also apologised for the "inconvenience" of the bottles being out in 32 degree weather for a couple of hours.

When the 3rd box arrived (this time signed of by the delivery guy) i put it aside since i was working from home. Upon opening the box that evening i saw that only 4 bottles we're inside the box. One bottle was too long to sit upright in the box and was placed in horizontally.

We again contacted customer service about this right as we found out (11th of september). The reply (13th of september): Did you check the box before the delivery guy left? Please send us pictures of the box and transport labels. Within 15 minutes I replied with pictures and confirming that this was probably a warehouse issue because of the bottle that was horizontal in the box.

Another 2 days later (15th of september) they stated that i should've checked the box when the delivery driver was still at the door. While i follow this in principle, no delivery driver has the time to stand around people opening their packages in front of them.

The solution Vinatis proposed? A voucher or refund for the 2 bottles. Which do not even cover the purchase of these 2 bottles that were missing (shipping cost, bulck discounts,...).

To this day (19th of september) i have yet to receive their promised voucher. As a result i have to change some bottles in our cheese and wine night, because the missing bottles will not be here on time.

While i've enjoyed buying from Vinatis in the past, this experience -which is dragging on for the past 12 days- will have me looking for an alternative in the future.

The slow response time, warehouse issues and bad proposed solutions is not the experience i expect this big of a company.

UPDATE AFTER REPLY VINATIS: They state that they have yet to receive my reply for a reimbursement or voucher, yet i’ve replied to their mail on the same day i...

Avoid online orders!

Terrible experience ordering from Austria.

Ordered on a Saturday online. 11 days later (9 working days) still hasn't been handed over to UPS.

I have not receive a single status update during that time.

Inquiring about the state of my order at customer service, I waited more then the 24 hours stated on the website to the get a reply.

The customer agent claims that in my order confirmation I have been notified that there is a 2 - 4 days processing period for orders - a lie, just as the response times. There is no mention of such a processing period in any email I have received since ordering.

Funnily enough, I got this reply on the 5th working day after I had ordered.

Further inquiries on my end remain unanswered so far. I don't care at this moment anymore and am cancelling my order.

I suggest you:

Communicate "high load times" on your website and if not there, in an automatic email when support is contacted - not as an excuse here in the ratings.

Do not claim that you can reply within 24 hours if you cannot do it. Either assure that you can, or adjust expectations accordingly.

Processing periods like the one mentioned should be clearly stated on the website and in the booking confirmations, which they are not.

Make sure your support staff's reply are in line with what your actual process is (e.g. wrongfully claiming, a process fee is mentioned in the order confirmation)

Make sure your support staff gives status updates and works on solutions instead of giving useless outdated answers (e.g. mentioning a processing period of 4 days on day 5, where the package should clearly be on the way)

Make sure customers are well informed during waiting times what waiting time remains.

EDIT: Vinatis' reply repeats that I should have received a confirmation stating that delivery takes 2 - 4 days. I have checked all messages received from Vinatis and can confirm that NONE contained such a note. Since the emails I received were in German, it is possible that the French & English emails do contain the note, German ones...

AVOID VINATIS AT ALL COSTS. We have ordered several bottles of wine from Vinatis on Nov. 5, 2020. We have been informed by Vinatis and DPD that the shipment would arrive to our doorstep on Nov. 16, 2020 (Already significantly later than their promised 3-5 business days delivery). We have stayed at home for the entire day in anticipation of the packages arrival. We were even following the DPD delivery truck with our package tracking number using their online platform, so that we could see exactly where their delivery truck was up to the minute. We have been informed by both DPD and Vinatis that the shipment arrived at 13:01 to our doorstep. This was not the case. We were home the entire time, including during this very moment. No package has arrived, we have also checked the entire building including with neighbours, no package has been delivered on this date, at this time as they claim. We have been in contact with both Vinatis and DPD, both still insisting that the delivery occurred to our doorstep (where we were waiting) and taking ZERO responsibility in the process. We have also not received any offer for compensation or a replacement shipment. Vinatis claims that this was somehow our fault and responsibility. For a first time buyer, this is extremely disappointing. I would strongly recommend to avoid purchasing from this company based on many aspects including but not limited to speed, accountability, service level and...