Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Thursday 12 January 2012

1855 (1855.com): towards the perfect zero (part 4)

Cusumano Benuara

Sad tale of how 1855 let down a now ex-customer over a Christmas present. They ordered three magnums of 2009 Cusumano Benuara from Sicily. Sadly the wine was not delivered although promised within 10 days on the 1855 site. Two emails ignored. The delivery might have been slow but 1855 trousered the client's money quickly enough!

"Nous avons commandé 3 Cusumano Benuara - magnum 2009 le 06/12/11 pour nos cadeaux de noël, fort du fait que sur le site il est noté que l'expédition se faisait dans les 10 jours. Nous avons tenté de les joindre de nombreuses fois, chaque fois messagerie. Nous leur avons envoyé deux emails qui sont eux aussi resté sans réponse. Par contre, le paiement a été encaissé tout de suite. De là à penser que ce sont des escrocs, il n'y a qu'un pas et pas très grand....."

Ce commentaire a été posté par noiry on Hervé Lalau Chroniques Vineuses.

This latest story suggests that Emeric Sauty de Chalon and Fabien Hyon may have greater ambitions regarding the 'perfect zero' than we thought. Not just content with royally pissing off their Bordeaux en primeur customers, they are doing the same to customers ordering wine that should be in stock. Their aim for 2012 may be to end up with no customers at all. I'm sure that there are many amongst the myriad of the 'friends' of 1855's who would be delighted to assist de Chalon and Hyon to achieve their ambition.

**

'Management' and leading shareholder of 1855
Emeric Sauty de Chalon and Fabien Hyon are the senior 'management' team of 1855 (1855.com, 1855.con). Thierry Maincent was an administrateur and one of the directeur général délégués until he resigned his posts for personal reasons on 30th September 2010. Businessman Jean-Pierre Meyers, who is on the boards of L'Oréal and Nestlé, is a long-term shareholder of 1855.

1855 is a probationary member of La Fevad.

4 comments:

Hervé LALAU said...

You're hard on them, Jim.
There must be a logistics problem at 1855, that's all. The fact that they use reindeers and only work an Xmas Eve does not help, of course.
And it fits perfectly in the picture, Jim, because to order wine from 1855, today, you have to believe in Father Xmas. Jingle bells, jingle bells...

Jim's Loire said...

Hervé:

This must be right, although back in October 2011 Fabien Hyon was confident that 2008 en primeurs would be delivered as he told Decanter:


Complaints mount against 1855.com
Friday 7 October 2011
by Jim Budd

In an email to Decanter, Hyon said he was confident that all orders would be fulfilled.

‘As far as the 2008 Bordeaux primeurs are concerned, they are delivered from June through December 2011. Deliveries have started and will take place until the end of the year. All our employees work hard on making sure we do not experience further delays.

‘Regarding the 2009 and 2010 Bordeaux primeurs measures have been taken to improve quality of service since 2010. This will ensure that everything will get better.’

http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/529421/complaints-mount-against-1855-com

Unfortunately 'logistical' problems must have undermined Hayon optimism as there are still a number of customers awaiting their 2008s.

Karel said...

Hi All,

I ordered 2 bottles on 29 November. Both available in 10 days. Still available today on their shop in 10 days.

I haven’t received anything.
No single reply on my 50+ emails, calls so fare.

Why is France not stopping this gangsters????

Jim's Loire said...

Karel – a very good question. Perhaps Emeric Sauty de Chalon or Fabien Hyon can explain why they haven't delivered your wine or replied to your emails.