The Auswine Forum

Have used Langtons occasionally, both buying and selling, local and imported wines.
Recently bidded, and won, 4 bottles of the same wine in 3 different lots in 2 auctions - single bottle in one auction, then 2 singles and a pair in another auction. (2006 Shingleback Block D Cabernet - $ 27 + com + freight.) Automatic debit for the wine, and paid freight about 5 days later. 15 days later I rang Langtons, a little concerned it had become lost. 'Whoops' they said, freighting order lost in system - will be despatched 'today'.

Two days later was told that bottles had label damage through breakage - fine, I said, send the remaining bottles and refund me the broken one. Next day, was rung, to be told that they would not be able to supply order, wine is just not in warehouse, and refund was on its way.
Emailed them back to say I smelt a rat - was this wine pulled to be put in another auction or sold Langtons retail.
They emailed me back saying they would be happy to send 4 bottles of the 2018 vintage, as a replacement. I asked for a refund.

I then googled the wine, and ....... guess what? Langtons have 3 bottles of the same wine in their current auction!!

I rang and said I'll take the 3 x 2006 ( on auction ) and 1 x 2018. They said they will see what they could do ..... fuck me!

You've been patient reading this post - I'm interested if anyone else has had a similar experience.

Winerick.

I think that whoever is selling the three bottles currently on Langtons deserves the right for them to be offered/sold fairly through the auction channel, and not somehow funneled to you to replace your lost/broken ones. It's unfortunate for you, but I guess take the refund and move on.

cuttlefish wrote: ↑Wed Aug 09, 2023 9:24 pm I think that whoever is selling the three bottles currently on Langtons deserves the right for them to be offered/sold fairly through the auction channel, and not somehow funneled to you to replace your lost/broken ones. It's unfortunate for you, but I guess take the refund and move on.

Does it change things if 36 bottles of that wine are being offered in dribs and drabs from the same vendor? Not to mention that they took my money instantly for the successful bids. They have offered to withdraw the three bottles from the current auction to service my successful bid 3 weeks ago.

I'm just asking if anyone has had a similar experience. Have bought from auctions for over 30 years - first time this has happened.

Have 'taken the refund and moved on'!

I can totally relate to your experience.

My last 3 purchases/deliveries with Langton's have had something gone awry with them. Two of them had missing bottles and when I called to explain the missing bottles (5 in total over two orders), they came back to me within a couple of days and said they could not find them and offered a refund. In regards to the other one ... the wine that was delivered was the incorrect label and when I let them know they said it was a listing mistake and again offered me a refund if I sent the bottles back via their courier system.

Although they have never been perfect to deal with the last 6 months the service levels appear to have worsen and I have stopped using them and moved onto MW Wines.

There's three things at my age I don't put up with ... bad wine, idiots and poor customer service.

WineRick wrote: ↑Wed Aug 09, 2023 11:09 pm

cuttlefish wrote: ↑Wed Aug 09, 2023 9:24 pm I think that whoever is selling the three bottles currently on Langtons deserves the right for them to be offered/sold fairly through the auction channel, and not somehow funneled to you to replace your lost/broken ones. It's unfortunate for you, but I guess take the refund and move on.

Does it change things if 36 bottles of that wine are being offered in dribs and drabs from the same vendor? Not to mention that they took my money instantly for the successful bids. They have offered to withdraw the three bottles from the current auction to service my successful bid 3 weeks ago.

I'm just asking if anyone has had a similar experience. Have bought from auctions for over 30 years - first time this has happened.

Your lot has nothing to do with any other lots or future lots. If they somehow managed to pull another lot to fill yours because it was the same vendor, all good..but normally I wouldn't expect that to be the case.

It is a high volume wine auction..as long as you're made whole, that's about as good as you should expect...

Think there's way too much latitude given to Langton's.
I buy though Wickham's, Oddbins and MW... They can get it right, so why can't Langton's??!!
Cheers Craig

Polymer wrote: ↑Fri Aug 11, 2023 5:31 am

WineRick wrote: ↑Wed Aug 09, 2023 11:09 pm

cuttlefish wrote: ↑Wed Aug 09, 2023 9:24 pm I think that whoever is selling the three bottles currently on Langtons deserves the right for them to be offered/sold fairly through the auction channel, and not somehow funneled to you to replace your lost/broken ones. It's unfortunate for you, but I guess take the refund and move on.

Does it change things if 36 bottles of that wine are being offered in dribs and drabs from the same vendor? Not to mention that they took my money instantly for the successful bids. They have offered to withdraw the three bottles from the current auction to service my successful bid 3 weeks ago.

I'm just asking if anyone has had a similar experience. Have bought from auctions for over 30 years - first time this has happened.

Your lot has nothing to do with any other lots or future lots. If they somehow managed to pull another lot to fill yours because it was the same vendor, all good..but normally I wouldn't expect that to be the case.

It is a high volume wine auction..as long as you're made whole, that's about as good as you should expect...

What annoyed me most was separate lies on 5 different occasions. If they had told the truth first up I'd have accepted their refund and closed the matter.

WineRick wrote: ↑Fri Aug 11, 2023 9:54 am
What annoyed me most was separate lies on 5 different occasions. If they had told the truth first up I'd have accepted their refund and closed the matter.

Indeed, and I expect I would have also accepted the refund if they'd been truthful upfront. However given such crude attempts to fob the customer off, it's difficult for someone experiencing that to ever trust them again.

It seems like good old Langtons never change their ways.

I swore off Langtons after auctioning off some wines several years ago. The wines sold, and after more than a month after the auction closed I didn't receive my money. After querying what was happening they advised me the person who purchased the wine returned them not happy with the first two bottles. I responded by asking where in the T & C's of the auction was it listed you could return bottles? I received no answer to that question.

Not only was the communication non-existant between the sale and my follow up email, but I felt like I was lied to about being able to return wines as it was not on their website and not in the T & C's of the auction. Their customer service is attrocious, not to mention being dishonest.