When 1855 went into administration last October it was reasonable to conclude that the defrauding of its unfortunate customers would now be at an end. Scandalously this seems to be not the case as a very recent article in Que Chosir shows. Alleged serial fraudsters Fabien Hyon and Emeris Sauty de Chalon continue to fleece their customers but now with the seeming blessing of a Parisian court.
The article in Que Choisir demonstrated clearly that the difficulties and frauds associated with 1855 continue even though the company is in administration. Through an intermediary Que Choisir placed an order for wine that should have been delivered within 24 hours – the wine was supposed to be in stock and available. However, a month later they were still waiting delivery of their wines. It proved impossible, of course, to contact anyone at 1855.
Hardly surprising as alleged serial fraudsters Emeric Sauty de Chalon (Président du conseil d’administration) and Fabien Hyon (Directeur général) have been retained to run the company despite the very long litany of complaints and a host of legal actions against 1855! Que choisir article:
‘1855.com, la coupe est pleine
Que Choisir alerte régulièrement ses lecteurs sur les pratiques commerciales douteuses de 1855.com. Malgré plusieurs procédures en cours (dont une plainte déposée par l’UFC-Que Choisir), ce site de vente de vin en ligne est toujours en droit de poursuivre son activité. Actuellement en redressement judiciaire, la société est en période d’observation. Honore-t-elle pour autant ses commandes ? Pas vraiment.’
Curiously within ten hours of this article appearing on line three of the four wines ordered were delivered. I suspect if it wasn’t for the article the person who had ordered the wines would still be waiting for them to be delivered. In any case 1855 – Hyon and and de Chalon – were only able to cobble together three of four wines ordered – all, of which, were supposed in stock. Arnaque toujours! There is also an interesting interview here with Hélène Poulou, the Bordeaux lawyer who represents some 300 fleeced clients. Also here there are further reflections on the persuasive charm of fraudster Emeric Sauty de Chailon as well as rumours of orders placed during the period of administration, which haven’t been fulfilled.
Jim Budd
Les 5 du Vin 
Espérons qu’un jour quelqu’un dira tout sur cet étrange phénomène d’une société qui a roulé ses clients depuis des lustres, a quand même réussi à en piéger tant d’autres et surtout a dû bénéficier – comme il est écrit ici – d’appuis parisiens de tout haut niveau qui lui ont permis d’échapper à de justes et surtout immédiates condamnations.
On avait déjà évoqué cette étrange société et son fonctionnement bizarre dès 2006 ! Epoque où elle nous menaçait de procès et autres turpitudes.
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It is strange that we French people do not use the word rétribution in the same sense anymore. A rétribution, in modern French, is a payment.
Whereas for you Anglo-saxons, it is more a payback, like in « payback is a bitch ».
We do not seem to use the same judiciary system either. In a lot of countries, a firm that keeps on not delivering the goods would be closed because it misleads the consumers. But due to the exception culturelle française, as the judges in the Tribunal du Commerce are often commerçants themselves, 1855 carries on.
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AU RISQUE DE NOUS REPETER,LES CINQ DU VIN REFUSENT ET SUPPRIMERONT TOUT COMMENTAIRE NON SIGNE,QUEL QUE SOIT SON CONTENU.
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What about the clients who decided against accepting the wine – what solution applies to them ?
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