Busy times from home brew shops

[MickDundee]

I'm not sure, I came across it while looking for cheap highland delivery. If memory serves correctly I didn't order because it was more expensive than THBC, I don't remember how much more expensive it was just that it was more

I remember looking into ordering to collect when I was in Edinburgh the following weekend and even without the delivery charge I would have been more expensive than ordering from GEB and having it delivered. The shop itself is great though, it’s the only time I’ve ever actually been in a HBS.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Just managed to order from love brewing, some specialty malts, they open their website at 10am everyday then when they a target they shut it,

 

[ChrisD123]

Placed an order with THBC thanks for the advice folks. No extra charges from the normal rates.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Is that Brewstore? I always found them very expensive for online order stuff, but the twice I’ve been in when I’ve been in Edinburgh I’ve gone a bit crazy (first time I’d gone in for a couple of easy kegs and a new sample jar and ended up buying 600g of reduced to clear hops; second visit wasn’t quite as OTT).

They're quite ambitious which means they can have a fair bit of remaindered stock - for instance they're one of the very few places to consistently stock the White Lab seasonal yeasts from what I can tell.

Going back to the original question, their standard courier rate applies to the whole of the mainland plus Skye, with an "island" rate that also includes the Isle of Wight. :-) Their method of having a flat rate for 10g of malt means they can work out quite expensive for base malts (but if that's a problem then surely you're buying at wholesale prices via your local brewery?) but work out quite reasonable for speciality malts. Plus their main maltster is Simpsons which means they have the rare stuff like DRC that few other places have. But combine their lack of packing charge for small amounts of malt (unlike eg Malt Miller), and the generous 1kg limit for sending by Royal Mail, and they can work out the cheapest option if you just want just a few bits of speciality malt for a brew.

Do you think any suppliers of grains could supply bread flour? Or just high gluten wheat?....and if we can grind our own
It may be that it is still available bulk, but demand for 1kg small bags has exceeded supply.

Exactly that - as with beer, the producers of bread flour have seen a reduction in demand from their usual customers who take flour in wholesale quantities, and a massive increase in demand for retail packs which they aren't really geared up for. See this article. Your best bet (as with getting malt from local breweries) is to talk to any local bakeries to see if you can get a sack.

 

[gb0wers]

Hmmm, Parcel Force contacted me to ask what was in my parcels so they could locate it in the depot. I responded with "what the hell has the contents got to do with you being unable to find it?" and made clear the irrelevance of that. They still stuck to protocol so I told them and that's the last I heard from them. Now weeks down the line.
I also reordered from Worcester Hop Shop, and they used UPS, who delivered exactly when they said they would.

I had another fruitless conversation with Parcelforce Coventry yesterday. Despite platitudes, they admitted to not having completed a search 5 days on and on being pressed, would not commit to a date when that would happen.

I am as convinced as I can be that they want to know the contents so they can prioritise the effort, with winemaking supplies being low. The vendor is now out of stock.

I've since re-ordered from a another vendor and it arrived by courier a couple of days later.

My preferred outcome would be to receive the lost parcel, so let's see how long Parcelforce can spin this out.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I've the same problem with Royal Mail 2 deliveries just not turned up one from Brew2Bottle and one from Amazon.

 

[Richie_asg1]

Maybe some of the Eastern Europeans the UK has just flown in to pick carrots would be better placed delivering parcels?

 

[Rodcx500z]

I paid 2 pound extra for dpd delivery from thbc i do not and will not use royal mail or pf, i will go without ale first

 

[dwhite60]

I had another fruitless conversation with Parcelforce Coventry yesterday. Despite platitudes, they admitted to not having completed a search 5 days on and on being pressed, would not commit to a date when that would happen.

I am as convinced as I can be that they want to know the contents so they can prioritise the effort, with winemaking supplies being low. The vendor is now out of stock.

I've since re-ordered from a another vendor and it arrived by courier a couple of days later.

My preferred outcome would be to receive the lost parcel, so let's see how long Parcelforce can spin this out.

Probably need to stay on them. Call them every couple days at least. They're probably hoping you'll give up.

 

[gb0wers]

I had another fruitless conversation with Parcelforce Coventry yesterday. Despite platitudes, they admitted to not having completed a search 5 days on and on being pressed, would not commit to a date when that would happen.

I am as convinced as I can be that they want to know the contents so they can prioritise the effort, with winemaking supplies being low. The vendor is now out of stock.

I've since re-ordered from a another vendor and it arrived by courier a couple of days later.

My preferred outcome would be to receive the lost parcel, so let's see how long Parcelforce can spin this out.

Well this sorry tale is drawing to a close. The parcel has been found, and returned to the vendor, which is not what I asked them to do. I know things can and do go wrong, and in my opinion, what separates the great from the average is how the problem is dealt with. In this case, parcelforce have shown themselves to be lacking. It is perhaps telling that the vendor has changed their delivery service to DPD.

Edited to add, the vendor was Get er Brewed and to be clear, I've been completely happy with them and would use them again now they have changed to DPD.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I tracked my non delivery from B2B on the Royal Mail tracker and it says they haven't received it 11 days after despatch from B2B. I've mailed B2B but don't expect any reply. It looks like I'm £33 down if so I'll never use them again.

 

[terrym]

I tracked my non delivery from B2B on the Royal Mail tracker and it says they haven't received it 11 days after despatch from B2B. I've mailed B2B but don't expect any reply. It looks like I'm £33 down if so I'll never use them again.

Nobody should be out of pocket if they have bought something online and it doesn't turn up or it is short or damaged on delivery. The buyer has entered a contract with the supplier and it is the responsibilty of the supplier, not the customer, to ensure it is delivered as ordered however that is achieved. There is UK legislation which covers this. If you have not received your items within a reasonable timescale which may have been specified in the order, and have been unable to contact your supplier, I suggest you go back to your card company or Paypal or however you paid and talk to them.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Thanks Terry

 

[MickDundee]

I tracked my non delivery from B2B on the Royal Mail tracker and it says they haven't received it 11 days after despatch from B2B. I've mailed B2B but don't expect any reply. It looks like I'm £33 down if so I'll never use them again.

@Brew2bottle Homebrew are a sponsor on the forum and have been regular visitors AFAIK.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I know and the last time they posted I replied to it saying they had a delivery problem with RM and a promise to do something but they didn't.

 

[terrym]

@Brew2bottle Homebrew are a sponsor on the forum and have been regular visitors AFAIK.

Sponsor or not any supplier still has to fulfill a contract if they choose to accept it. I suspect that many online businesses are turning work away (i.e. they are not accepting orders) due not only to their own ability to process the order but also the problems they are facing with carriers, which in turn creates more work for them. Looking through here that's why one supplier has had to change from Parcel Force.

 

[Richie_asg1]

I had a parcel dropped off yesterday by Hermes. He ran away faster than I could open the door. This is how I found it-

Item smashed to bits and missing parts of course.
Any idea why it was returned to sender though? I thought their contract was to get it to you, or at least attempt delivery?

 

[MickDundee]

Sponsor or not any supplier still has to fulfill a contract if they choose to accept it. I suspect that many online businesses are turning work away (i.e. they are not accepting orders) due not only to their own ability to process the order but also the problems they are facing with carriers, which in turn creates more work for them. Looking through here that's why one supplier has had to change from Parcel Force.

I’m not absolving them of blame because they are a sponsor, I was tagging them to try and draw their attention to the posts to see if that will help get the issue resolved.

If one good thing has come out of all this, it’s that GEB have started using DPD!

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Thanks Mick if still no response then I'll contact Amex.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Ordered a couple of cases of bottles from Balliihoo late sunday evening which were delivered this morning
- DPD
Now waiting on bench press for capping, filling wand and other sundries from the Homebrew company which
I ordered at same time so I'll be ready for bottling !