ainstyales.co.uk Reviews 4

Sadly Ainsty Ales has now ceased trading

Ainsty Ales - Sadly Not The Same Now - Do Not Recommend

To be quite honest, I do like the Assassin they produce; I’m not keen on their other beers, but that could be down to personal taste.

For those not aware, the company has been taken over this year (or to be precise, was liquidated, then quickly reappeared with a slight name change) and I do not like the way the company is being run now. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is the way it now treats its loyal customers, that have helped keep this local business afloat over the years.

I’ve been a loyal supporter of Ainstys Ales for 10 years or so, recommending them loads, but now I’d like to retract those recommendations and will not be supporting them any more, as will many others I know.

The main reason for this was when it was taken over by new owners at the start of the year, due to being liquidated in December, I had enough loyalty points for two 50% off codes, worth over £50 to me. I am also aware of other loyal customers in a similar situation.

Since then, I have continually been asking how I can use the codes as I knew the company was in turmoil, only to be told, the loyalty scheme is being updated, bear with us, instead of just being straight with me.

Five months later, their website, even today, (120624) is still advertising the loyalty scheme. (I have raised this matter via the appropriate authorities as it’s clearly false advertising).

I again tried to use these codes, but have now just been told they are no longer valid, despite the new owners still advertising this. No warning was given to any of their loyal costumers, which they could have easily done. I think it’s a disgrace and not the way to treat loyal customers who are also part of their future.

Some products have also increased by more than 40% as well, effectively de valuing the codes anyway. So, it appears they’re able to raise their prices on the website, but can’t find the time to remove the loyalty scheme.

I understand they’ve had financial issues, but to be so sneaky about it and just get rid of the scheme without telling their customers is not great business in my opinion. It certainly does not bode well for their future as I am one of many customers left in this position and haven’t even received an apology or valid explanation. Just a blunt e-mail saying ‘The loyalty points are no longer valid under the new ownership of the business. We are currently in the process of changing the website to reflect this.’

I wouldn’t mind too much, but the company appear to have also got away with over £230,000 of debts including £109,000 of taxpayers’ money (information taken from Companies House Records, freely available).

Not legally wrong, I guess, but definitely morally wrong, although how on earth a company can be liquidated with over £230,000 of debts, then start again under what appears to be a very slight tweak in the name is beyond me?

I won’t go into all the other reasons I’ve fallen out of love with Ainstys Ales, but I’ll take my beer money elsewhere to the many other more appreciative local breweries and would encourage you to do the same.

I wanted to support an independent business and ordered 2 different bag in a box beers, along with their respective pump clips. The order went through and was acknowledged in time for posting on Thursday - as stated on their website. Friday I received a message saying one box of beer wouldn’t be ready until Monday and unless they heard from me they would send my order Monday. It was a tad annoying that I thought everything was already on its way only to find out at least half of it wasn’t. I emailed straight back and asked if the one that was in stock had been sent as planned. I appreciate cost saving would make sense to send both together but I wanted to know if that’s what they were doing or if one had been sent. We had visitors coming and I needed to know if I had to make alternative arrangements. Simple communication was all I wanted. I didn’t hear back. On the Monday I messaged again and still didn’t hear back. On the Tuesday I put a comment on their Facebook page and surprise surprise they sent an email a short time later. An excuse of “being stretched” (get more staff) and “DPD letting us down” was given but I was offered a discount code for a future order and assured my order was on its way…
My Facebook comment was removed by them. Obviously anything slightly negative gets removed.
The next day I received an email from DPD saying they were expecting the package. So it still hadn’t even been sent!! Finally, on the Friday I received my order - well, part of it. The box that had been in stock and should have been sent the Thursday before, finally arrived. But no pump clip, which was clearly requested and had been paid for. As I assumed the delay was due to waiting for the other box to be ready, I expected both boxes and clips to be delivered and I was, by this time, getting rather annoyed. I rang a few times but nobody answered the phone and you can’t leave a message. I messaged again to ask where the other box was and said the clip was missing from the box I had received. That afternoon I received a message that casually said I’d receive my second box the following Tuesday - taking me to 12 days when they claim next day delivery. They didn’t mention the missing clip despite me saying it hadn’t arrived.
So I waited until Tuesday as they said but I hadn’t even had the email from DPD to say they were collecting a parcel, let alone one was on its way, so I knew that it still hadn’t been sent. I messaged yet again and asked what was going on and decided to cancel the second box and asked for a refund for that and the 2 clips I’d paid for but not received. Today I received an email saying they’d arranged a refund for half my order - one box and one clip. As this means I’ve still paid for a clip but not received it I replied and said I’d already told them twice the clip wasn’t in the box and I wanted that refunding too. It’s only £1.50 and normally I’d let it go but the service has been so bad I think they should have refunded more so I’m simply claiming back for items I haven’t received. Very quickly I received a reply saying if I checked the message below I’d see they’d refunded me the price of the clip. Yes, but only for the box of beer I never received. I paid for a clip for the beer I did receive. I have now told them this 3 times. I don’t know how much easier I can explain it.
Constructive feedback:-
1. please improve your communication with customers. If something is delayed explain if the whole order is delayed or just that item.
2. Don’t say things have been sent when they clearly haven’t.
3. If you can’t manage orders then you need more staff, not telling customers “you’re stretched”. You’re a business.
4. Don’t blame the delivery company for a delay when you haven’t even organised the collection and delivery.
5. When a customer says an item is missing, respond and apologise. This was a £1.50 clip, not the Crown Jewels, I’m hardly going to lie.
6. Ideally answer the phone but if you really can’t then at least have an answering machine.
7. Don’t only respond when you think you’re in the right (such as trying to prove me wrong about the refund in 10 mins when all others responses took hours or days).
8. Offering a customer a discount on a future order is fine if it’s a simple blip, and helps prevent bad reviews. However, a discount on the existing order would work better when it’s been error after error - because there won’t be a future order, just a very unhappy customer that has nothing good to say about your business.