Flavourly - Unsatisfactory beers but no full refund

AW618

Sandtree said:

KatrinaWaves said:

They weren’t too your taste. No different to buying a pint in a pub and it not being to your taste. You’re not getting a refund after you’ve downed it. 

In any decent pub, at least craft beer pubs in London, you absolutely can return your beer because its not to your taste... 

"Craft beer pubs in London" is such a small subset of "decent pubs" that this is akin to saying "Everyone in the world - or at least the 3 people I asked..."

mattyprice4004

Sandtree said:

In any decent pub, at least craft beer pubs in London, you absolutely can return your beer because its not to your taste... arguably the "downing it" is a moot point as you generally cannot post an open bottle of beer but can return a pint with a few sips gone. In practice many such bars in London will offer you a free sample before you buy a pint so the risks are reduced (the alcohol also prepares you for the price they then charge afterwards)

The 'London Tax' will cover the cost of doing that for the odd fussy customer, but by and large with beer the rule is you try it, you buy it. 

I've never heard of a pub allowing the return of a pint before, it's just not the done thing where I live (where there's plenty of craft pubs, but I'm guessing the margin is much lower because of the area). 

The rule is definitely not 'in any decent pub'. They're doing that to appease customers paying £7 a pint for something that isn't to their taste, not because they have to. 

Sandtree

AW618 said:
"Craft beer pubs in London" is such a small subset of "decent pubs" that this is akin to saying "Everyone in the world - or at least the 3 people I asked..."

Having lived and worked in London so long its a bit hard for me to really comment on elsewhere without experience. I think you are grossly underestimating the number in London though… the railway arches near to us have about 20 pubs and tap rooms in just over a mile stretch.

mattyprice4004 said:
The 'London Tax' will cover the cost of doing that for the odd fussy customer, but by and large with beer the rule is you try it, you buy it. 

I've never heard of a pub allowing the return of a pint before, it's just not the done thing where I live (where there's plenty of craft pubs, but I'm guessing the margin is much lower because of the area). 

The rule is definitely not 'in any decent pub'. They're doing that to appease customers paying £7 £15 a pint for something that isn't to their taste, not because they have to. 

You certainly should ask to try before you buy and thus avoid the issue however I've bought a beer that I loved last time and then tried it again on my next visit and its not been as I remember (though only once to the extent that I took it back). I didnt bother with a sample as I thought I knew it.

Certainly wasn't implying that they "have to" but in my experience most decent pubs, bars, tap rooms, restuarants, food vans etc want happy (appeased) customers and will choose to make a loss today on something and have that customer comeback a dozen more times than have an unhappy customer that chooses to go elsewhere instead. 

PS. the "London Tax" is predominately to cover the London property prices and doesn't give much more wriggle room to be more generous to customers. I was surprised on a recent trip to Bristol (pre-lockdown obv) that prices in the craft beer places I went were not materially lower than London. A Fosters in a chain pub was though.

Cimbalon

This is the first time I've tried Flavourly's products. Even at the discounted price, I don't believe that this represents good value for money. At the non-discounted price, the proposition is frankly risible. This is just gimmicky beer. I have too many interesting things going on in my life to engage in a war of attrition over a refund. Doubtless, the beer will be consumed at a party. Caveat emptor.

DCFC79

Another user who has deleted the account all because they didnt like the replies.

AW618

Cimbalon said:

This is the first time I've tried Flavourly's products. Even at the discounted price, I don't believe that this represents good value for money. At the non-discounted price, the proposition is frankly risible. This is just gimmicky beer. I have too many interesting things going on in my life to engage in a war of attrition over a refund. Doubtless, the beer will be consumed at a party. Caveat emptor.

That's just "craft beer", though.  All craft beer is overpriced gimmicky nonsense; you can't join a  craft beer club and complain that that is what they have sent you.

Sandtree

AW618 said:
All craft beer is overpriced gimmicky nonsense

Now, without doubt there are some that are questionably expensive but then again Carlsberg, certainly not a craft brewer, did their Jacobsen Vintage which were circa $400 each. You are also talking, depeding on the brewery, of something made by 5 guys using machine with limited capacity and so clearly is going to be more expensive than an automated factory that can output the same capacity in a day as to what the brewery does in a year. Small scale is inefficient and so more expensive.

Certainly some are "gimmicky" - a 40% beer anyone? - but the majority are not and what falls between the two I would say are more experimental.

For my tastes at least, most of the craft largers aren't worth paying a premium for but plenty of the IPAs, Stouts etc are.

Do wonder what bad experience you've had that has set you against all craft beer? Are you against artisnal products in general or is it just beer?

andytgeezer

This is such a strange request. You drunk 5 cans then decided you wanted to get a full refund?! 
For the record, i quite enjoyed my last crate of Flavourly, but I do think the OP is being completely unreasonable

p00hsticks

andytgeezer said:

This is such a strange request. You drunk 5 cans then decided you wanted to get a full refund?! 
For the record, i quite enjoyed my last crate of Flavourly, but I do think the OP is being completely unreasonable

It's a thread from nearly a year ago, and the poster is no longer around....

Murphybear

There seems to be a slight issue here.  Were the beers a substandard product or were they an ok product but not to your taste.  From what we have read you are an aficionado of beer and have been sent beers which perhaps are aimed at a slightly different market - people who do not have your palate.  

If this is this the case then I can understand how you feel, I have an excellent palate for cheese and when I can I buy a good selection from a proper cheese shop.  The difference to me is clear and is worth the extra time and effort, not to mention cost.

If however you genuinely believe there is a problem with the beer then you would be entitled to a refund.  The problem is, with each beer being different, it is impossible to ascertain whether every can is substandard without sampling them all and how you would prove they are all substandard in that case is next to impossible.

if I were you I would accept the partial refund and get on with your life.