The 1855 saga continues

Post on Jim's Loire on the continuing saga of 1855 – still failing to deliver their clients' en primeur purchases, while a move to start a class action against the company gathers pace.

1855 (1855.com, 1855.con): nearly 500 cases for 300,000 €!

Château Beychevelle: 2005s and 2007s outstanding

The extraordinary tally of Bordeaux en primeurs not delivered by 1855 to its clients continues to mount and becomes ever more jaw-dropping. Nearly 6000 bottles remain to be delivered for a value of close on 300,000€.

As of today, the tally of wines known to have been ordered, paid for but not delivered has reached 5930 bottles (494 cases) for an estimated value 295,883€. The value is the cost to buy calculated by taking the cheapest price credible price from UK merchants on wine-searcher. 

Vintage breakdown

2002           1 bottle             39.93€

2003       118 bottles     10,330.77€

2004       353 bottles     10,808.35€

2005     3734 bottles    170,372.96€ (+ 4 bottles Flor de Pingus 275€)

2006     1131 bottles      49,341.05€

2007       589 bottles      54,755.08€

Although it is clear that 1855 (1855.com) got into big problems with the 2005 en primeurs, these figures show that the difficulties had already started with the 2003 and 2004 vintages. Fabien Hyon's (COO of 1855) explanation that the failure by 1855 to deliver the ordered en primeurs is down to the economic crisis of 2008 looks increasingly unlikely. 

Hyon said that only 5% of the en primeurs ordered had yet to be delivered. Not knowing the total value of the en primeur orders placed for the vintages 2002-2007, it is impossible to know whether Hyon's figure is correct. However, 1855's total turnover is around 10 million euros and en primeur is only part of their business, so 5% may be an underestimate.  

Do 1855 have the resources to supply both the undelivered en primeurs from 2002-2007 as well as the 2008s, whiuch are due in June? 

1855 is a member of Fevad (la Fédération des entreprises de vente à distance).

From 1855's press release of 31st January 2011 announcing that they had become a member of La Fevad

'La Fevad accorde depuis toujours la plus grande importance à la promotion de règles fondées sur des valeurs de transparence et de respect du consommateur. Ces règles garantissent l`éthique de la profession et permettent de renforcer la confiance des consommateurs, dans l`intérêt de l`ensemble de la profession.'

'Toute entreprise membre de la Fevad s`engage à respecter les principes généraux et les règles prévus par les codes et chartes de la Fevad, tant dans l`esprit que dans la lettre.

"Le fait pour 1855 d`être devenu membre à part entière de la Fevad et signataire de ses codes et chartes est une nouvelle illustration de notre engagement à bâtir une qualité de service de référence » selon Fabien Hyon, Directeur général de 1855."

Contact Presse
Lucie Delaruelle
Responsable Communication, 1855
Tél. : +33 (0) 1 42 61 06 55 - Email : ldelaruelle@1855.com

   

1855 (1855.com, 1855.con): latest update

 Château Gazin (Pomerol): some 2005s and 2006s still outstanding

 The current tally of wines not so far delivered by 1855.com now stands at: 4782 bottles (398.5 cases) with an estimated value of 239,130€.

There was some good news in early February when a customer received their 12 bottles of 2007. However, this has been far outweighed by details of one very substantial order that remains outstanding.

I continue to keep a tally so please email me the details on jim@investdrinks.org

1855 has recently become a member of FEVAD – fédération du e-commerce et de la vente à distance.

From FEVAD's charter:

'Réguler 

La Fevad accorde depuis toujours la plus grand importance à la promotion de règles fondées sur des valeurs de transparence et de respect du consommateur. Ces régles garantissent l’éthique de la profession et permettent de renforcer la confiance des consommateurs, dans l'intérêt de l'ensemble de la profession.'

Very early April fool: 1855 joins Fevad (fédération du e-commerce et de la vente à distance)

 Château Brainaire-Ducru (St Julien): some 2004 and 2005s not delivered 

Incredibly it was announced on Monday that 1855 (1855.com) had become a member of Fevad (fédération du e-commerce et de la vente à distance). Some things just take your breath away – is this this really serious or has April 1st come early this year?

Fevad is supposed to give an assurance that e-buyers are dealing with reputable companies. Instead they have accepted 1855 (1855.com) that increasingly gives the appearance of being a fraudulent ponzi scheme failing in a substantial number of instances to deliver the en primeurs that their customers have ordered and paid for usually including the transport and tax when the wine is allegedly ready to be delivered.

The latest tally of undelivered en primeurs is 2810 bottles (234 caisses) worth an estimated 165,000€ for vintages from 2002 to 2007! Furthermore it won't be long before we discover whether there are similar problems with 2008 en primeurs.

The press announcement: 

'1855 est devenu membre de la Fevad, la Fédération des entreprises de vente à distance. La Fevad a pour pour mission de fédérer et représenter l'ensemble des acteurs du e-commerce et de la vente à distance, d'accompagner les entreprises et de promouvoir le développement du secteur.

La Fevad compte parmi ses membres les grandes enseignes de vente à distance, les principaux spécialistes de la vente sur internet (pure-players) ainsi que de très nombreux sites de e-commerce issus d'enseignes du commerce de détail, de la presse ou du luxe.

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From Fevad mission statement (http://www.fevad.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=117&Itemid=380):

Réguler

La Fevad accorde depuis toujours la plus grand importance à la promotion de règles fondées sur des valeurs de transparence et de respect du consommateur. Ces régles garantissent l’éthique de la profession et permettent de renforcer la confiance des consommateurs, dans l'intérêt de l'ensemble de la profession.

La Fevad dispose d'un code professionnel, mis à jour régulièrement pour s’adapter aux évolutions technologiques et législatives, ainsi que d'une Charte de Qualité adoptée en 1996 et complétée en juin 2000. En 2005, la Fevad a adopté la charte de l’e-mailing élaborée dans le cadre de l’UFMD et approuvée officiellement par la Cnil. En 2006, elle a publié la Charte de Confiance des plates-formes de vente entre internautes signé par le Ministre du Commerce et les 5 plus grandes plateformes concernées.

Toute entreprise membre de la Fevad s’engage à respecter les principes généraux et les règles prévus par les codes et chartes de la Fevad, tant dans l’esprit que dans la lettre.'

Fom the professional code – an undertaking that the company has acccess to stocks of the items it is selling. Clearly this is not the case frequently not the case in respect to 1855's sales of en primeur.

'43. Disponibilité des articles

Les entreprises veillerontà indiquer de manière apparente que leurs offres ne sont valables que dans la limite des stocks disponibles,sauf si elles sonten mesure d'honorer la totalité des commandes. Pour le débutde la période de validité des offres de vente, les entreprises veillerontà disposer de stocks en rapport avec leurs prévisions.'

http://www.fevad.com/

I urge all those still awaiting for their en primeurs and any other wins ordered from 1855 (1855.com) to complain to Fevad. I'm ready to let any journalist wishing to cover the 1855 scam have a copy of the file showing the quantity of wines outstanding.

If Fevad is a serious organisation, it is incredible that they appear not to have checked out 1855 (1855.com) properly before accepting their membership.

1855.com: possible class action

Château Cos d'Estournel (Saint Estèphe)

Michael Haynes, a UK lawyer but based in France near Bergerac, is planning to put together a class action against 1855 (1855.com). Like so many other 'customers' of 1855  he is owed a considerable quantity of en primeurs from the 2005, 2006 and 2007 vintages.  

Michael would like anyone owed wine by 1855 (1855.com) to contact him supplying details – the ideal would be for each claimant to supply me with a print out of their order from their a/c page from 1855.com, plus an edited version showing just the wines outstanding (as the a/c page shows both outstanding and already delivered orders) with an estimate of their current value.

The best way of finding current value I find (Jim) is to check on www.wine-searcher.com. I find it easiest to restrict the search to UK merchants using euro as the currency and to search for full cases rather than a bottle price.

Contact details: 

Michael Haynes
'Paute'
24500 Eymet
France

Tel: (+33) 05 53 74 23 11
Mob/portable: 06 72 34 99 83

email: michael@rosbifs.com

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Current tally of wines not delivered by 1855 (1855.com):

2122 bottles (176+ cases) for an estimated value of over 137,000€. With details of a further 150 bottles awaited.

1855 – wines still outstanding

As of this afternoon I have details of over 76 cases (915 bottles) of Bordeaux en primeur that have yet to be received by clients of 1855. There are 37 bottles missing from 2003, 18 from 2004, 581 from 2005, 187 from 2006 and 96 from 2007.

Email correspondence with 1855 reveals a succession of promises that the wine will arrive next month but for some next month never comes.

I'm still concerned to collate as comprehensive list as I can of wines that have not been delivered by 1855, so if you are still awaiting wine ordered from this company please email me with the details at jim@investdrinks.org Please be assured that your name will not be published.