Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I am writing this post for two reasons:
1.To inform any potential Wine Enthusiast Grand Cru 800, Grand Cru 1600 and Grand Cru 4200 customers about my negative experience with the inferior Grand Cru cooling units and a lack of Wine Enthusiast customer support.
2.To inform current dissatisfied customers that they are not alone. If enough people contact Wine Enthusiast with their legitimate complaints maybe they will provide some sort of remedy to our situation.
This is my history with the Grand Cru 800:
1.Ordered Grand Cru 800 on around February 14, 2009 and built a custom cabinet to cellar my wine.
2.Unit malfunctioned October 12, 2009, 8 months after purchase.
3.My wife and I spent 4 weeks making many phone calls with both Warrantech, the extended warranty company, and Wine Enthusiast , filling out paperwork and being told we would be charged for a service call even though the warranty states no hidden fees or service charges. During this time to maintain cellar temperature we had to place ice packs in the cellar every 8 hours.
4.Four weeks after starting this situation I finally got a sympathetic service representative to fulfill their contractual obligation and send me a new unit in November of 2009.
5.Second unit malfunctioned January 18'th, 2011, we are back to placing ice packs in the cellar.
6.I spoke with Carmen on January 18'th, 2011, and she told me she would call me back with a resolution; she did not.
7.I spoke with Liz on January 19'th, 2011 and she told me that since I've already received a replacement unit that I am not eligible for any further customer service on this purchase.
8.I exchanged multiple emails with Alan Greene and Chrissy Thompson from January 19'th, 2011 and January 26'th, 2011, at which point I was offered $100 Wine Enthusiast credit towards my next purchase, which is not an acceptable remedy.
I paid for a "Two Year" protection plan, which required 1 month of phone calls, letters and emails with two companies to get fulfilled, and does not get me two years of working wine cellar cooling.
A customer cannot get to the details of the protection plan without purchasing it, so in no way before purchase can they figure out that the plan doesn't cover them for two years, only for one replacement unit.
The Wine Enthusiast web site hides negative reviews of their products. Buzzillion/Power Reviews hosts reviews for Wine Enthusiast, but though you can compose a review directly on the Wine Enthusiast website, the site only allows the positive reviews to stay on site, creating a false impression of customer satisfaction. The inaccessible negative reviews can only be found if a customer travels to Buzzillion
*Grand Cru 800, Buzzillion: 2.0 Stars 29 Reviews Wine Enthusiast 4.0 Stars 10 Reviews
*Grand Cru 1600, Buzzillion: 2.3 Stars 21 Reviews Wine Enthusiast 3.5 Stars 11 Reviews
*Grand Cru 4200, Buzzillion: 2.2 Stars 40 Reviews Wine Enthusiast 3.5 Stars 18 Reviews
Five of the six Grand Cru 800 reviews written BEFORE my purchase are negative. Had I seen these I would never have purchased the unit. Between the three reviewed models, I have counted 58 failed units including my own. At least twenty one (21) of those failed units are for the Grand Cru 800 alone.
I paid for a custom wine cellar which will only fit the Grand Cru 800 cooler; I will have to go to considerable expense to rebuild to a new cooler dimension.
There is a history dating back to 2007 of the Grand Cru products being unreliable causing frequent expensive replacement purchases for Wine Enthusiast customers and yet they advertise having a 100% satisfaction guarantee:
"We stand behind every item we sell, and we want everyone who receives a Wine Enthusiast product to be completely satisfied. If you or your gift recipient are not 100% happy with an item, call 800.648.6058 or email us. We'll make it right."
Wine Enthusiast is not standing behind the items they sell. I am not a satisfied customer, and the reviews indicate Wine Enthusiast has a lot of other unsatisfied customers. If anyone is interested, contact me, I will forward additional technical information I have on the design flaws of the unit, emails to and from Wine Enthusiast and any additional information I have.
Scott
Click Here to see more reviews about: Grand Cru 800 - Wine Cellar Cooling Unit (Black) (Max Room Size = 100 Cu Ft
Our brand new units are in! New and improved, the newer Grand Cru Cooling Units are quieter and more efficient.After extensive research, Wine Enthusiast experts have developed the Grand Cru Cooling System. Breakthrough technology monitors natural air currents in your wine cellar, automatically adjusting to fluctuations and maintaining correct temperature and humidity levels. Creating optimal storage conditions, these state-of-the-art systems do exactly what you want them to do: ensure your wines taste their absolute best. Electronic Controls Vibration-Free System High Density Thermal Insulation Ease of Installation Built-In Defrost Recycler Low Maintenance and Anti-Corrosion Condensation Management UL listed 1 Year Limited Warranty Size: 9"H x 15-1/2"W x 15-1/4"D; Drip pan adds 2" to the Height of the unit but not the cut out. Total height with drip pan is 11". Installation Notes: Mounts easily through your wine cellar wall and vents to an adjacent room.Venting space must be as big or larger than you wine cellar. Your cellar must be properly insulated and vapor sealed for the unit to cool properly.For further descriptions and comparisons, please call 800.377.3330 for a free consultation with one of our wine storage specialists.
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