Bruce Head wants to drink the wine he paid for.
The Colwood mechanic purchased two batches of wine, a white and a red, from Bayley’s Brewhaha U-Brew in Langford two months ago.
When he didn’t receive a call from the store to schedule bottling, and hearing the rumour the store was empty, Head went to check it out. He found the store gutted but for carboys full of what appeared to be wine visible through the window.
“He should have called us a week or two ago to bottle,” said Head, explaining he is out $300. “I’d rather have my wine (than the money returned).”
Head hopes his credit card company will return one of the transactions. The other he paid with cash.
“(The store owner) could have just called and said the store was closing and I would have paid $50 for the carboy and took my wine somewhere else to be bottled,” said Head, who has been a customer at the store for years.
“This type of business is buyer beware.”
Head saw a WestShore Chamber of Commerce sticker on the door and called to report the closure, but was told Bayley’s Brewhaha hasn’t been a member for about two years.
“The membership has not been renewed and we’ve received calls about the business in the past,” said Craig Sorochan, chamber manager of communications and community relations. “I think the only thing they can do is take it up in small claims court.”
Head also called the Better Business Bureau, B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch and has spoken to other U-brew customers who have reported the closure to the West Shore RCMP.
“We don’t believe this is fraud, it’s just going out of business for what ever reason that may be, “ said Cpl. Scott Braes, of West Shore RCMP. “(The store owner) vacated the property and dumped out all the alcohol. This is a civil matter.”
The owner of Bayley’s Brewhaha was unreachable by phone and email. The voicemail box for the company was full and the Gazette was unable to leave a message.