Lame thread.
The shipping cost on the last order I received about a week ago was about $3 higher than the old flat rate so it didn’t bother me much.
Lame post.
[quote=“Martin Luther”]What a load of crap! I have looked and looked and I don’t see it. Kit prices are up an average 15%.
brewmasterswarehouse.com / austinhomebrew.com here I come along with my friends and brew club members!
Goodbye NB.[/quote]
AG kits’ prices are down quite a bit. But I have noticed extract kits have increased. I looked at other stores and I’m just not convinced with their kits…With the increase of 15%, I think I’ll stick with NB but start BIABing until I can get/make a mash tun.
[quote=“mvsawyer”]I looked at other stores and I’m just not convinced with their kits…[/quote]Austin Homebrew is, AFAIK, the largest seller of extract kits in the US, so their products ought to be good. When I first started brewing I bought their AG kits and they made good beer. I think NB has better customer service and a bigger selection, though.
I was actually on their site and, maybe just because I’m used to NB’s, I found it hard to navigate. Do all their kits have some kind of base malt that needs mashing?
I also noticed that AHS has the white house beer kits that are (exactly?) the same as NB’s “exclusive” white house kits.
I’ll give them another look and give them a try since they have $7 flat rate shipping.
You still get a 5% discount if you are a member of a Homebrew Club. Turning that “15% increase into only a 9.25% increase.” If you live in the area and are a member you actually get a 10% in store discount.
To get the 5% just mention what club you are a member of and where it is in the “Comments” section.
I don’t know of another place that does this that has such a community around it.
[quote=“mvsawyer”]Do all their kits have some kind of base malt that needs mashing?[/quote]Make sure you’re picking the right kit style from the drop-down menu - they offer something like six or seven options ranging from all extract to unmilled grains. Maybe some kits require a mini-mash though (I only looked at a couple).
so why is it that there is no choice for flat rate shipping now, it is there until I get ready to pay
Looks like the OP thought about it and edited it out so let’s give him a break. I admit I was surprised the flat rate shipping wasn’t there any longer but what the heck, I can look around to see if there is a better option but NB customer service does seem to be top notch.
No doubt flat rate shipping made it attractive for some but NB is a business and they have to maintain a margin. To do so they had to cover shipping in what they charged for products. A little bit selfish of me but I’m glad to see the separate the two, that way I’m not paying for someone else’s expensive shipping. Of course I’m local so can just stop by the store though if I’m not going to have time I’ve had them ship stuff a bunch of times.
has anyone compared the final cost yet, (products/tax/shipping) between getting an order from the host or an alternative shop?
Say, for instance, the classic Centennial IPA? That would be interesting.
this…
…and this. I’ve always had great experience with any of the staff I’ve talked to for any reason. also with the big one on the west end of the country. all the HBS closer to me now have neither the service or selection of NB or B3. I will gladly pay a little more for the privilege of great service & selection.
No more flat rate does suck, it was a major advantage and it caused me to want to buy more stuff to bring down the cost per item. I don’t mind adjustable shipping but I just entered an order for some packets of dry yeast (6) a a couple bottles of Fermcap S and the shipping was going to be $10.50. Thats a lot for a darned small/lightweight package, I don’t know what they are basing the shipping rate on.
There, I got my whining done. I feel better.
I placed an order for three extract kits and three liquid yeast packets and shipping was $9.50.
[quote=“Scott Miller”]has anyone compared the final cost yet, (products/tax/shipping) between getting an order from the host or an alternative shop?
Say, for instance, the classic Centennial IPA? That would be interesting.[/quote]
I did this a couple of times maybe a year ago, between AHS, NB and Rebel I believe. I don’t remember the exact numbers but at that time all were pretty close for the orders I compared. Thing is though each site had items that were cheaper, sometimes quite a bit cheaper, and others that were more expensive. For instance I remember 1 site had cheaper hops across the board but then another had cheaper malts and most equipment I looked at was kind of hit or miss, sometimes the same sometimes not, so it really depended on what you were ordering. It didn’t seem to me that any 1 site was cheaper overall and in the end I found it too much trouble to compare and convinced myself they were all pretty much the same. :roll:
I’m gonna miss the flat rate shipping. My nearest LHBS (if I have one) is about 45 minutes away, so my only choices are online. NB is the only place I’ve been doing my home brew purchasing (sans propane burner), but I’ll be looking more at other places like Midwest and Austin as my experience and needs grow.
I still seeing myself buying my recipe kits here though. Gotta support BTV!
I know I just placed an order with MoreBeer (LME, DME) and then realized if I added hops to the order it’d put me over 59 dollars which anything over that gives you free shipping on most of their items. I’d have to compare the prices of the LME and DME but I do know the same ingredients would have cost more from NB due to shipping.
I will say however it seems like MoreBeer took 3 or 4 days longer to ship it to me than NB. I still love NB and will continue to try to give them my business but if I can save 10 bucks or more shopping elsewhere, I will.
1+ I found that I always added a couple of “extra” items to each and every order just because there was no additional shipping charge. I think flat rate shipping was a great tool to generate more sales per order. Now that I’ll be paying for shipping 'by the pound" I don’t think I’ll be adding those “extra” items to my orders anymore. From my perspective, I think NB will sacrificing some net income, from me by charging by the pound, because I’ll be more conscious about the size of my orders.
I hate to publicly gripe about our host, especially with all the support they give to the community, but I feel it is important to let them know my opinion on this.
Frankly, I always felt that NB’s prices were typically a little higher than their competitors on average. The flat rate shipping was what made their pricing competitive overall. Unless they bring their prices down overall to compensate, I fear they will lose my business except for cases where there is a “must-have” item that I want and no one else carries it. I always price out every order I place at AHS, Midwest, NB and Rebel before I place it. I almost always go with the least expensive choice, but I may pay a buck or two extra at AHS for AG batches since I can order grain by the ounce.
