As you've probably noticed by now, we've had a little bit of a redecorate here at Ales By Mail. We've by no means finished, so expect to see new bits and pieces appear as we add new drop-cushions, hoover the curtains, and generally try to make the place nice for you!
Right, let's get onto the important things you need to know about the new site...
• Account history
We've done our best to bring across all the old customer records, logins, order history etc - but we won't lie - it wasn't an easy thing to do. So, please check your account details are all still correct, and edit them if necessary.
If you prefer to just re-register and start from scratch (rather than trying to remember your old password etc) then please do.
If you have any problems registering or logging in, please use the Contact Us page to let us know, and we will look into it urgently. We've tried to iron out bugs before going live, but a few things are bound to crop up!
• It works better for You.
The billing & shipping address management, and order history, are much easier to work with. We think you'll find placing orders (particularly for those that like to ship to alternate/work addresses) much easier.
• Simpler Shop Layout
We've ditched our old method of having beers listed in Singles, 6 Packs, 12 Packs, 24 Packs (and on...!) and boiled it all down to what we are calling "Pick N Mix". Single bottles, buy whatever quantity of whatever beers you want, pick and mix your own cases. We'll still do cases where we put together a special selection around different themes, breweries etc of course.
(Tip: when creating a pick 'n' mix buy in multiples of 12 for making the most of our postage charges!)
• Amaz-ing shop filters.
With more than a small nod to a certain large online merchant you may have used, the shop now lets you use Filters on the products being displayed. You can filter by brewery, ABV, and lot's more. You'll need them too, we've Hundreds of different beers listed!
(With hundreds of products, we're still ratcheting through them, making sure all possible filters are applied. You'll notice this feature get more and more refined every day!)
• Shipping... and possibly Plane-ing?
No need to wonder any more if we ship to your Country - the shop has shipping rates for everywhere (we think!). If we can ship beer to you, the cost will come up automatically. (Sorry, its still quite expensive to ship to some countries, beer is heavy!)
• Big Pictures.
It's always nice to see what you're buying - so either buy from the shop screens that show multiple products, or click through on any product to see more information about it, and be able to click on the thumbnail for a much bigger image.
• We are still improving it...
Of the many reasons for changing the site, was the chance to tie it in with our inventory/despatch system in the warehouse. This means that when our warehouse say your order is on it's way, this store will be able to email and let you know. We hope to continue to refine this system so that you can track your order every step of the way.