Alesmith VSS/BASS pickup Deadline

Have you tried asking them?

 

When I went all I did was hand over the printouts and they crossed me off their list and gave me the beers. I went a few weeks after the release. They might have just been more strict at the start and maybe the last few days? Who knows.

 

The one time I had to get ahold of them I just called until I actually got someone who could answer. You might try doing that. They are usually really helpful if you can get someone who can help.

 

Though it isn't iron clad, you will often get a faster response on their Facebook page.

If you brought the tickets, credit card, *and* an ID, I think they'd probably be OK with you doing the pick up.

 

Seems pretty clear to me

She's had over 2 full months to pick up her bottles. If she can't amke tat widonw she shouldn't have bought the bottles. I don't mean to be redundant, but AleSmith was very clear.

 

I'm eager to hear the answer to this because if they allow it I'm gonna start ordering additional beers on my wife's CC/ID as well.

 

Exactly. AleSmith needs to enforce the terms that were in place when people ordered their beers, otherwise, people can order using their family and friend's cc and info, and we have an online mule situation. I'm sure AleSmith is aware of the ramifications of bending this rule. The upcoming Citra release has very similar terms to prevent this situation. Two months to pick up bottles is a very generous window, with Citra people only have a little over a week to do this.

 

I'll point out once again that, while I'm not a lawyer, I don't think that Alesmith stands on very firm ground taking your ground and not giving you a refund or bottles. CA law is pretty generous to the consumer in comparable situations like gift cards.

 

I think they will give you a refund; they just won't give you the beer.

 

I'm not a lawyer either but I think it is reasonable for them to require online purchases to be picked up by the person who bought them when they outline that policy before hand. I don't think I've ever seen anyone purchase a giftcard online and have to pick it up in person. This is the only way to ensure that the person bought the beer is going to get the beer. What if the wife showed up the next day and demanded the beer?

I think the time period window might be a little tougher for Alesmith to get around.

 

Are you picking up an allocation under your name as well?

 

Ya, I'm not saying that the rest of the requirements are wrong - I think it's fine having to jump through hoops to get it. I just don't think they can give you 4 months and then no refund and no beer.

That's not what the purchase makes it sound like. As you quoted above:

That doesn't sound much like a refund, does it?

 

I didn't quote that; Sebowski did. But surrendering bottles and not getting a refund are two different things. Do you know for certain? Have you ever been to Alesmith and talked to people there? Or are you simply speculating from halfway across the state?

On two different occasions in the past year, I've been in the tasting room and saw people getting monetary refunds that missed their bottle pickups. I'm not sure whether or not that is policy, but it is what I saw.

 

Sorry about the misquote.

I actually have gotten a refund, though it was a pain in the ass. It's remarkably hard to get ahold of beer people outside of actually going to the brewery. And then you have to hope that the person you want to talk to (Abby) is actually working when you go. Seems that poor customer service is still one of those things that's quite well tolerated in the beer world though.

I suspect they make it a pain in the ass so folks like me, from halfway across the state or further, don't speculate on bottles that we're not positive we're going to buy. Which I get, but I still want to point out to folks about to lose their bottles like the OP that that doesn't necessarily mean they're out bottles and $.

 

I entirely agree with your previous post, rrryanc.

I suspect Alesmith's customer service is just fine when you are a distribution account and not some poor individual schlub like you or me.

 

I don't think there's any reason to believe they keep the money. If I had to guess, they just don't want to store bottles forever when they could sell them off in a library sale very easily.

That said, OP, give the brewery a call and they might help you out. Its a small local business, not Wal-Mart.

 

If you look at a later post from him, he *did* call Alesmith, a week before this post. They simply did not return his call, which is often the case there for individual Joe Schmoes.

Alesmith VSS/BASS pickup Deadline

 

I saw that, but I frequently don't listen to my own voicemail either (or remember to call back every person that leaves one) so it doesn't surprise me.

I'd just call again, I doubt they're intentionally ignoring him.