Who kenna French Cellar 'Wines' Up saga here?

[kobayashiGT]

 

Anyone here subcribed wine from them?

 

The French Cellar 'Wines' Up Without Notice - Customers Owed "Thousands Of Dollars"

Sources: https://vulcanpost.com/665149/the-french-cellar-singapore-closure/

 

 

Online wine subscription platform, The French Cellar, announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday (28 May) that they have “ceased operations on 27 May 2019 and is now in the process of voluntary liquidation”.

 

It cited “difficult business circumstances” as the reason.

 

Screenshot of The French Cellar’s Facebook post

 

The news came as a shock as apparently, there was no prior notice given to subscribers, some of whom have lost “thousands of dollars”.

 

Existing customers will no longer receive the bottles of wine they’ve paid for.

 

Liquidators will be in touch with them and affected customers can “file a proof of debt in respect of [their] wine subscription”, the post stated.

 

No Sour Grapes, Just Relationships Gone Sour

 

Daniel Ogunshakin, a Singapore-based FOX Sports Asia broadcast journalist, shared with Vulcan Post that he has been a customer at The French Cellar for the past 15 months.

 

His Facebook comment expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the company handled his enquiry on his April order that didn’t reach him.

 

Mr Ogunshakin subscribed to The French Cellar as he thought it was a convenient way to try new wines that he otherwise might not have tried.

 

“We were lucky that we only paid on a per-month basis so we only lost $84,” he said.

He revealed that the company didn’t inform him beforehand on the ceasing of its operations.

“I even called them a week or so ago to ask where my wine was and was told it would be delivered last weekend,” Mr Ogunshakin told us.

 

Ms Lee Hui Ting, however, wasn’t so “lucky”.

Like Mr Ogunshakin, she subscribed to The French Cellar because it’s a convenient service.

She paid $1,014 including GST, upfront, and received a free wine chiller.

 

Ms Lee, who was a customer since July 2018, was surprised by the news and thought something was wrong when no one answered her call on Monday (27 May).

 

“[The] number was unavailable when I called again on Wednesday. Only saw the post when I searched on Facebook.”

Her order earlier this year was also delayed and the company also made a mistake on her order in March, which would have been correctly fulfilled in the past.

 

Left with three more months of her subscription that can’t be fulfilled, Ms Lee said she will lose about $250.

One of the subscribers who spoke to The Straits Times (ST) shared that they have already lodged a police report.

This subscriber had signed up for the 12 months plan last November, paying an average of $143 a month, but she has only received four months’ worth of deliveries.

 

According to her, The French Cellar blamed its tardy deliveries on the strikes that were happening in France, but she found that reason “rubbish”.

 

Another customer Vulcan Post reached out to also had a similar experience.

 

A corporate wine-tasting event held by The French Cellar / Image Credit: The French Cellar

 

33-year-old Roy Loi attended a free wine-tasting session The French Cellar conducted at a place somewhere in Cecil Street in April last year.

 

He said that some 20 people attended the event and were given different wines and cheese to try.

 

“It was a pretty good session. Not pushy. Very informative. Anyone [was] free to leave at any time,” he recounted.

“And the sales guy, I think is one of the founders (sic), was conducting the event.”

 

The software engineer told us he signed up after the session ended, so he’s been a customer since May 2018.

He revealed that his subscription costs $84.53 monthly and he noticed in January 2019 that his order was delayed.

 

Email issued by The French Cellar in April to Mr Loi / Image Credit: Roy Loi

 

“They [also] missed my deliveries for February and March. I emailed them and got my wines after a few back-and-forths. They called me as well,” Roy said in a WhatsApp conversation with this writer.

 

He lost about $168 so far as his April and May deliveries did not arrive.

 

Roy was advised to cancel his credit card to stop the recurring charges, and he’s “glad” that he did not sign up for the annual subscription plan the company has been promoting, with the incentive of a free wine chiller.

 

But he sincerely believes that The French Cellar sold good wines that was “value for money”.

“Their service had been good up till January this year. So, I guess something must have gone very wrong by end-2018,” he guessed.

 

What Could Have ‘Wine’ Wrong?

Founders of The French Cellar / Image Credit: Qoo10

 

Founded in 2013 by Eric Joubert and Vincent Morello, The French Cellar wanted to make exclusive French wines selected by its sommelier accessible here.

 

They dubbed themselves as the pioneer subscription company for wine and has delivered over 100,000 boxes in its five years of operations, their website stated.

 

Customers can choose from three different tiers that suit their wine-drinking preferences.

For the 12-month plans, monthly subscription fees range from $88 to $288.

 

Those who don’t wish to commit to a year-long subscription can choose the “Pay As You Go” plan that starts at $108 per month, with the highest tier costing $328 a month.

 

Every month, customers will receive two different bottles of wines with wine-tasting notes.

 

ST reported that the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) had received five complaints against The French Cellar between 26 to 30 May, with claims worth a total of at least $5,000.

 

It is highly possible that the business has been affected greatly by the “strikes” that happened in France.

Based on The French Cellar’s email response to Mr Loi, we would assume that certain partnerships may have fell through, thus causing the “delays”.

 

Going by the number of engagement on its Facebook, the company perhaps doesn’t have a wide enough customer base to sustain overheads.

 

The business is targeting a niche market, seeing as they import wine directly from different French regions.

 

Of course, accepting orders and money from consumers while knowing that their company will never be able to deliver is a dishonest move and only puts them in an even worse light.

 

On top of that, announcing their closure on Facebook is sure to leave a sour taste in anyone’s mouth.

 

The French Cellar’s website is still fully operational at the time of publishing.

 

 

 

Featured Image Credit: The French Cellar

 

 

[Mustank]

Heng I only drink 中国酒

[RadX]

From the beginning it was a bloody scam

[Volvobrick]

Going to start a mineral water subscription service. At the very worst, still can top up with PUB water.  Members will never run dry, unlike paying to ang moh companies.

 

Lai lai lai! PLease sign up!

[kobayashiGT]

there was a time i got xiao tempted to subscribe. when they have the sign one year, free one wine chiller promo.

 

 

But neither i got habit of drinking wine and my house have no space to an additional wine chiller. So i decided to give it a miss.

 

Lucky.   

From the beginning it was a bloody scam

 

[Freeder]

Now wine prices everywhere so cheap.. Why must order online n kanna scam

[ER-3682]

From the beginning it was a bloody scam

Hyflux also....    

[Angcheek]

Poor lady kana burnt ... must be the free cock age ...

[Kyrios]

The hansum good lookin french conmen/owners also helped lah..esp for the ladies customers.

[Celicar]

From the beginning it was a bloody scam

How is it a scam from the get-go?

 

I can see a business that failed. I can also see that it's business model was to try and collect upfront and hopefully lock in customers long-term.

 

But scam from the beginning? I am probably not seeing something.

[RadX]

How is it a scam from the get-go?

 

I can see a business that failed. I can also see that it's business model was to try and collect upfront and hopefully lock in customers long-term.

 

But scam from the beginning? I am probably not seeing something.

 

my gut feel was it would end up similar to ostrich eggs/farms and the like.  I was told that at end of the day, you just keep the wine and drink, and that was that

 

So that was my assessment that it was another scam in the making

[Mockngbrd]

Amdl knows best. U all sour grapes

[Sosaria]

How is it a scam from the get-go?

 

I can see a business that failed. I can also see that it's business model was to try and collect upfront and hopefully lock in customers long-term.

 

But scam from the beginning? I am probably not seeing something.

Could be anything ... guess we assume biz men always start out with good intentions. But planning is very important. Anything can sink the biz, unexpected costs that forgotten to figure in, supply chain breakdown with no backup plan, etc.

 

This kind of thing too "atas" for me, luckily The only wine I drink these days is yomeishu occasionally for pumping up hydraulic pressure

Edited June 4, 2019 by Sosaria

[Blueray]

Used to receive calls from Australian Wine Index. Suppose to send me free wine guide. Never received.

 

Think they also run road liao ... 

[Acemundo]

Used to receive calls from Australian Wine Index. Suppose to send me free wine guide. Never received.

 

Think they also run road liao ... 

AWI is quite a big scam and its con masters took on many different identities to con.

 

includes The Bottled Wealth Holdings and Asia Fine Diamonds.

 

i was invited to the latter 2 and not convinced so never did invest.  but i did quite a lot of research after i attended Asia Fine Diamonds and found that these 3 companies are linked to the same con master.

 

i remember during the session at Asia Fine Diamonds, this con tried to pull a fast one on me by claiming Maybank Tower is owned by Maybank who is in turn owned by Malaysia government.  He said Malaysia government would have done the background checks on all tenants in Maybank tower and not allowed a dubious company to rent a unit at Maybank Tower.  i was like  and very convinced they are just con artist at best.

Edited June 4, 2019 by Acemundo

[Atonchia]

Now wine prices everywhere so cheap.. Why must order online n kanna scamðð»ð

Its not a pure online purchase model.

But subscriptions based purchase.

 

Like gym membership that gone due to closure.

[Blueray]

AWI is quite a big scam and its con masters took on many different identities to con.

 

includes The Bottled Wealth Holdings and Asia Fine Diamonds.

 

i was invited to the latter 2 and not convinced so never did invest.  but i did quite a lot of research after i attended Asia Fine Diamonds and found that these 3 companies are linked to the same con master.

 

 

Dunno why they keep calling me, I said I dunno how to appreciate red wine and I am a kopi tiam uncle ,,, they still keep calling ... 

 

but i remember one of the selling points was that supply of a particular type of red wine was guaranteed, members can chope first. 

[Atonchia]

I only buy from established retailers

, ecommerce or off-line.

Sometimes warehouse sales.

 

Only subscriptions I pay are for

Phone and TV.

 

If wine, don't be lazy to choose.

Usually subscriptions type all crappy wines.

 

Want to know more on wine just Google lor, or attend wine dinners, wine tasting events etc.

Dunno why they keep calling me, I said I dunno how to appreciate red wine and I am a kopi tiam uncle ,,, they still keep calling ...

 

but i remember one of the selling points was that supply of a particular type of red wine was guaranteed, members can chope first.

These type is not sell wine.

But using wine as a topic as investment.

 

The lesser one person knows about wines.

The more they want the person.

Because easier to con