JO site

[Shiraz Man]

I subscribe to Wine Front and Wine Companion, and am very happy with both sites. The posting rate on both sites is very good.

[Jeremy Oliver]

This thread was recently brought to my attention, and it certainly deserves some response. I have just posted the following notice on my website. Hopefully it will explain the circumstances surrounding the site.

[b]Notice to Subscribers[/b]

I offer a profound apology for not having provided the expected level of content update to this site over the last six months or so.

The reason is not that there has been a lack of tasting or writing activity on my behalf, but rather that the updated material has been posted to my new website, to which your subscription to this site will soon be automatically transferred.

This new site was intended to be fully operational mid 2008, but its completion has been delayed as a result of a very serious illness contracted by my developer, a personal friend of mine. I chose not to make this public at the time in case it became something that retarded his recovery, which is now complete. I am informed that the new site will be operational within a three week period.

The new site will bring significantly advanced features to my web operation, which will greatly enhance the value of membership. I will introduce those features when it is ready to go live. Additionally, the new site will directly feature the many hundreds of tasting notes that would have been posted on this site over the last six months and more.

Meantime, by means of compensation for the lack of service to my subscribers, I will be extending all existing subscriptions by six months as soon as the new site becomes live. I will also be offering those who chose not to renew their subscription over the last six months a new free subscription for the same period.

I hope you appreciate that this has been anything but an easy time for those of involved in the site, and I certainly understand the frustration that has emerged as the direct result of this site’s lack of refreshment.

I now look forward with great enthusiasm to the new site, which will provide subscribers with a significantly enhanced level of functionality, interaction and service.

Thank you for taking the trouble to read this notice.

Jeremy Oliver.

[griff]

Jeremy,

While the reasons for delay were not pleasant, I thank you for letting us know. I wish you well with the new site and shall certainly have a look.

cheers

Carl

[dazza1968]

Fantastic Mind you i am just out side his agreement window Maybe Jeremy will be kind enough

[csimmo]

The Jeremy Oliver Site is back up and running I notice this week. He launched the new site, but alas this was dismal with most areas not functional. Anyway Jeremy has posted a note apologising to his subscribers and has reverted back to the old site and is updating this with all his last 6 months of tastings over the next few weeks.

Nice to get some new notes after so long. I'm guessing the web developer got the ...

[Red Bigot]

Yeah, the email promises a lot, but had no indication of timeframe.
My subscription expires late February, I won't be renewing unless he delivers on promises before then.

[gpk]

I just received an e-mail that my subscription was about to expire (it had been extended by 6 months free of charge) and another e-mail also advertising the infamous new site a few days latter so i decided to check on things to see if things had improved and if I will renew. The new site was not up and running, so I went to the old site . 16 posting was all I could find in the past 6 months (kind of cancelled the free extension). Anyhow I followed up thru info@jeremly.oliver.com to see ask about content and express by disappointment over the past 18 months. Received an e-mail to say 2400 tasting notes had been posted in Aug. rechecked and could not find them, followed up again and was told, they had made a mistake and the notes were posted in July. Rechecked again and as far as I can see the site has posted 965 notes for 2009.

Not sure what is going on, but his site has gone down the toilet and the pr side is not keeping up. Nothing worse than getting fed BS. I wonder how many subscribers he has lost!!

cheers

Gerry

[Red]

I just received an e-mail that my subscription was about to expire (it had been extended by 6 months free of charge) and another e-mail also advertising the infamous new site a few days latter so i decided to check on things to see if things had improved and if I will renew. The new site was not up and running, so I went to the old site . 16 posting was all I could find in the past 6 months (kind of cancelled the free extension). Anyhow I followed up thru info@jeremly.oliver.com to see ask about content and express by disappointment over the past 18 months. Received an e-mail to say 2400 tasting notes had been posted in Aug. rechecked and could not find them, followed up again and was told, they had made a mistake and the notes were posted in July. Rechecked again and as far as I can see the site has posted 965 notes for 2009.

Not sure what is going on, but his site has gone down the toilet and the pr side is not keeping up. Nothing worse than getting fed BS. I wonder how many subscribers he has lost!!

cheers

Gerry

Agreed Gerry. Is there an alternate address for the new website other than www.jeremyoliver.com. ?
I also got the email advertising the new site and can see no evidence of it yet. What is going on?
JO is someone whose palate i often disagree with, but whose opinion I'm still nevertheless interested in. My experience with his website over the past 6 months has been very disappointing, and certainly hasn't endeared me to him any further. Waste of money.

[TiggerK]

I'm not sure what's going on either, but my guess would be that the new web site isn't happening yet, and the email was an announcement for what will be happening (sometime?) in 2010. Poor communication from JO though to not actually give more details I thought, leaving us all in the dark, confused and yet again, somewhat frustrated.

Hoping fervently that he gets it together as I do still appreciate his opinions. Heard him on the radio the other day actually, first time I'd heard his voice. Funny, I was half expecting a slightly english or posh accent from his photo, but no, he's fair dinkum aussie.

Cheers
TiggerK

[Red Bigot]

I just received my "Subscription will expire - in 30 days" notice.
Touting these exclusive benefits (my italics):
Access to Tasting Notes and Ratings before wines are released to the public.
Access to news and opinion from one of Australia's leading independent wine critics.
Access to the constantly updated, expanded and searchable online version of The Australian Wine Annual.

I replied that I would be waiting to see if the promised features eventuate before I decide to renew. I'm betting my membership will lapse before the new site happens.

[dlo]

Another subscription lost here.

[gpk]

After I posted the above, I received another reply from JO, but it was still more of the same, excuses, how important his aust customer base is and a fall back position on content posted at the end of 08 and the beginning of 09. He is not living up to his words/marketing info, but perhaps the Asian/Chinese market is more lucrative for him today and that is were his true efforts are. Gerry

[daz]

Dunno, never been a subscriber but it seems that he's just about totally cocked up his own marketability. I'm still waiting for Halliday's January 100 tns - though he is getting on a bit in years.

[dazza1968]

i cancelled my membership a while ago (at the beginning) of all the problems . I musy say after reading all the problems still going on it all adds up to a fantastic bottle of red .

Regards Dazza

[chrisf]

I just let my (previously extended) subscription run out too. I emailed JO and asked if he was interested in extending my membership (again) until the new site came on line...but he's not taking this approach anymore.

This was his reponse: "The new site will commence around March this year. I will be offering a free period of time for all expired subscribers then. You're welcome to take up that offer when it comes".

[dkw]

Hmm, I let my subscription lapse last year, and when I was sent a invite to resubscribe recently I sent a prompt reply explaining why I hadn't done so. That was more than a month ago and I am yet to receive any reply.

[dazza1968]

arrogance at its best

God status maybe

regards Dazza

[WineAroundOz]

interesting reading. was toying with the idea if subscribing to the JO online (have the hard copy). Looks like I'll be saving some money by NOT signing up.

[monghead]

Hmmm,

Seems like he has lost many fans.

[Broughy]

Has anyone sought a refund on their subscription? Possibly "goods not as described" clause?
Gave up a long time ago on resubscribing to this site, unfortunately has tmade me wary of others sites on a wait and see basis

[gpk]

Has anyone sought a refund on their subscription? Possibly "goods not as described" clause?
Gave up a long time ago on resubscribing to this site, unfortunately has tmade me wary of others sites on a wait and see basis

I did not bother going down that route, quite frankly can not be bothered. JO did give me a free 6 month extension which I had to ask for after seeing his reply on this post (It did not come free will!!) In those 6 months he posted 16 new tasting notes, so it kind of negated the offer.

Don’t get put off by JO poor effort, highly recommend the Winefront, good value with a lot of content and continuous feedback from Campbell and Gary and other subscribers.

cheers

Gerry

[Rednick]

My 6 month extended subscription (which I had to chase) is about to expire and I won't be renewing.

It's a real shame as I find JO's tastes to be the most closely aligned with mine out of all the local reviewers.

[Red Bigot]

My Subscription expires today. I'll look again if/when the new site appears.

[TiggerK]

My Subscription expires today. I'll look again if/when the new site appears.

Yep, I expiring tomorrow, had enough waiting, and still no real communication from JO. Sad that the guy who got me interested in collecting in the first place seems to have lost his way in this website fiasco.

Hoping it comes right eventually.

[GRB]

Mine goes in a couple of weeks, and I don't think I will renew. He seems to have lost interest in the whole internet thing.

GB

[daz]

I think Halliday learned a lot from his and Len Evan's Winepros fiasco. His and TWF are my go-to sites for wine info, though naturally neither can cover all wines. The latter is usually more up-to-date even though Halliday adds 100 tns a month (with the exception of January this year I think). Never been interested in Oliver nor his variable opinions.

[wiggum]

Hope he gets to posting his Penfolds reviews soon. I might just be interested in a couple of them before the specials cease!! No sign of them yet. Arghh

[Red Bigot]

From JO on Twitter: "work on the website is firing up. looking forward to launch in a few short weeks!"

[JF]

From JO on Twitter: "work on the website is firing up. looking forward to launch in a few short weeks!"

This is very funny. Has JO thought of getting into stand up?

[Rednick]

Well Halliday has beat him to integration with Cellar Tracker - this was enough to get me to sign up for JH.