- Report: #1037207
Complaint Review: Grapes The Wine Company - Daniel Posner - White Plains New York
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Grapes The Wine Company - Daniel Posner
731 North Broadway White Plains, 10603 New York, United States of America
Phone:
914-397-9463
Web:
www.grapesthewineco.com
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Grapes The Wine Company - Daniel Posner Grapes The Wine Company - Daniel Posner - Wine Rip-Off - Won't Make Refund for terrible wine White Plains, New York
*REBUTTAL Individual responds: Philip Seldon goes crazy over $13!
*Author of original report: Follow-up on Daniel Posner is a Liar
*REBUTTAL Individual responds: Philip Seldon goes crazy over $13!
*Consumer Comment: I love Grapes the Wine Co.!!!
*Consumer Comment: If you do not know CVNE Crianza with all your supposed fancy wine credentials, you should not have bought the wine
On January 19, 2013 I received an email from Daniel Posner, owner of the wine store Grapes The Wine Company in White Plains, NY titled "Your Bargain Crianza!" touting Vina Real Crianza 2009 from Rioja Spain as an extraordinary wine.
The email read as follows: "Yesterday, we sampled the 2009 Cune Vina Real Crianza and we were very impressed. The old world style of Rioja is on a roll, much to the shagrin of Jorge Ordonez and Eric Solomon. Even Robert Parker could not hide his approval of this wine, blasting out a 91 point score on this one. I am not sure what 91 points means these days, but you probably do" with a sale price of $12.99
From the description in the email it sounded like this wine was even better than a Marquis de Riscal which sells for around $20. I was persuaded to buy six bottles. I tried one yesterday and was so disappointed - it was far from a 91 point wine - as an experienced wine writer I would rate it at about 80 points or less - it had no character and tasted like a $7 wine.
So, called the store seeking a refund for all six bottles and was told that I would have to speak with Daniel Posner. I called three times without getting a call from Daniel. Finally, I was able to reach him after 6 p.m. He acknowledged that he received my messages and was very unfriendly verging on hostile.
When I explained the wine was not as touted and advertised he challenged by wine tasting ability and wine knowledge even after being informed that I was a world renowned wine writer. He refused to give me a cash refund offering me only a store credit with no credit for the bottle that was opened and poured out.
While he acknowledged that he wrote the email advertisement he said that he did not know what a 91 point wine was!!! This from the owner of a wine store.
Most wine stores give refunds to their customers who complain but not Daniel - he would prefer to have his customers dispute the charge on their credit card company and insults his customers when they say that they are going to do that. He is a very bad businessman. He touts inferior wines as great wines and wine bargains when they are not. I will never buy from him again and suggest that you do not either as he is a rip-off.
Philip Seldon
Author
The Complete Idiot's Guide To Wine
The Smart Guide To Wine
Founder, Vintage Magazine
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Jay
White Plains,New York,
United States
If you do not know CVNE Crianza with all your supposed fancy wine credentials, you should not have bought the wine
#2Consumer Comment
Wed, November 01, 2017
You claim to be the author of three wine guides and you do not know CVNE Crianza? You compare it to mass maket Rioja plonk like Marquis de Riscal? It's a $13 bottle of wine, not Lopez de Heredia. I have driunk plenty of CVNE including bottles over 45 years old and you get what you pay for. $13 is an inexpensive wine and CVNE is a solid version of that.
TrumpTowerWineLover
White plains,New York,
I love Grapes the Wine Co.!!!
#3Consumer Comment
Wed, April 16, 2014
I've been shopping at Grapes for several years now, and never had a bad experience. Daniels staff is courteous, knowledgeable, and attentive. I've also come to know Daniel quite well, and he has always been honest, helpful, and courteous to me. His prices are extremely reasonable, and the store boasts a plethora of great wines, and spirits alike. I also wanted to congratulate Daniel on his recent victory in court. Some people clearly do not have anything better to do with themselves then to bring frivolous, bogus lawsuits against honest, hardworking Americans...Shame on you mister!!
Daniel Posner
Philip Seldon goes crazy over $13!
#4REBUTTAL Individual responds
Sat, March 23, 2013
Fascinating work, Philip. So, you did not slam the phone down? We were disconnected, and I was supposed to call you back? TO take more verbal abuse over $13?
Good to see you fire back against the facts.
A couple of more fun facts
Neal Martin, another critic for the Wine Advocate, also gave this wine 90 points. So, Robert Parker scored it a 91. Neal Martin gave it a 90. Philip Seldon hated the one btl that he opened. The name of your book is The Complete IDIOT's Guide to Wine...what is your commission on the Amazon sales of that one?
One part of our conversation which caused Philip to stop yelling was the subjectiveness of wine. You could open up the same btl of wine for 10 people, and 5 people could love it and 5 people could have it. It is the beauty of wine. There are no right or wrong answers. Philip Seldon does not believe wine to be subjective. At least, not in this instance.
Philip Seldon
New York,New York,
Follow-up on Daniel Posner is a Liar
#5Author of original report
Sat, March 23, 2013
Daniel Posner claims that I yelled a lot which is a lie and that I slammed down the phone. This is a lie.
The phone became disconnected while I was in the middle of a word. Daniel Posner did not have the decency to try to call me back.
In rereading his response, you should consider if this is the kind of man you would want to buy your wine from - a man who would prefer to malign his customer rather than make a $13 refund to keep a customer and retain good will and earn hundreds of dollars in sales in the future.
Daniel Posner fails to mention that I spend money with him in the past and that this was not a first time sale so clearly he does not value his customers when it comes to a problem with the wine he sells. It appears that he prefers to mistreat a customer than keep one.
Daniel Posner
Philip Seldon goes crazy over $13!
#6REBUTTAL Individual responds
Sat, March 23, 2013
My name is Daniel Posner. I own a small wine store in White Plains, NY, called Grapes The Wine Company. The Wall Street Journal called us, "One of the most important wine retailers in America," recently.
I have been selling wine for 13 years. This story speaks for itself, nevertheless, I am here to offer the facts, as Philip Seldon appears foggy about them...
Fact #1) Philip Seldon called my store and harassed my staff, while I was not in. He spoke to two employees and they both told him that I would get back to him. I arrived to the store at 4 pm, and was told of his messages. On Fridays, I spend my day with my 3 beautiful children until the afternoon, when I go to work. I have a 7 year old, a 3 year old and a 1 year old. The 7 year old is in school for most of the day, but I get the morning with her. My wife is an attorney and she works, as well. This week, she was on a business trip to Dallas, TX, so I had the kids for most the afternoon today, as well. When I arrive on Fridays, like any other day, I have many messages and emails to return. Mr Seldon's message was on my list to return. I did not know it was such an emergency. Perhaps, he should have called my mobile, while my 1 year old and 3 year old were napping. After all, we are talking about $13 here. Life or death for Philip Seldon.
Fact #2) Philip Seldon DEMANDED that I pickup 5 btls of wine and refund him for 6. It is illegal for a wine merchant in New York State to refund for wine purchased.
Fact #3) I offered to pickup his remaining 5 btls and give him a store credit for them. He told me that he would never buy from us again, so a store credit did him no good. Well, that kinda ended that, right?
Fact #4) When we first spoke, Philip Seldon never mentioned the name of the wine. He started off by telling me that we sold him a crappy 91 point wine. I told him that I did not know what a 91 point wine tasted like. I told him that I drink wine, not points. He proceeded to read the email that I wrote about this wine, which clearly shows me mocking the points system of rating wines. He could not say much at that point.
Fact #5) Philip Seldon tried to tell me how important he was and how he wrote a few books and that he was an expert and this wine was utter garbage. I told him that we have had many many reorders on this wine and it has been one of our bestselling wines of 2013, thus far.
Fact #6) This wine received 91 points from Robert Parker, a man who is considered the foremost authority on wine on the planet. Philip Seldon never mentioned that Robert Parker knows nothing about wine, did he? Philip Seldon rates it 80 points. Robert Parker rated it 91 points. You decide.
In summation, Philip Seldon has 5 btls of a $13 btl of wine. We offered a store credit because he did not like the wine. We delivered this order free of charge to Manhattan, 20 miles from our store, and we offered to pick it up, free of charge, from his apartment. He was never going to order from us again, as he made clear before he blew up at me. I was never hostile. He yelled a lot. He slammed the phone down. He threatened to dispute the charge with AMEX. He made all sorts of threats. Philip Seldon has a lot of time on his hands. In the end, he is complaining about $13 here. $13 for a wine that he drank and did not like. We were offering credit for the other 5 btls.
$13, folks. Philip Seldon wrote the Idiot's Guide to Wine. You can buy it on Amazon.comfor a few pennies these days. I am sure you are intrigued.
This site is great, thank you for the introduction to it, Philip! I hope things get better for you. Surely, you are having a bad day!
I hope that this "report" gets taken down, as it serves no public good. It only attempts to destroy a wine merchant with a very good reputation.
