Do you think it's okay for a store to sell me skunked beer?

Question

It doesn't seem fair to me that a store can sell me a 6 pack of beer that has skunked, and not call it spoiled food. The way I see it, I payed for a product that is supposed to taste fresh. If I buy chicken or eggs or bread that is spoiled, I can take that back. But they won't except a return for alcohol. Seems like a double standard to me.

Answer 1

Really??  They wouldn't take it back...even though it was bad??  That's odd.... here in Canada, we can take back beer or wine that is "skunked" as long as we still have our receipts.

Answer 2

What type of Beer is it ? If its a Bud or some other type of mainstream beer, I think it will usually have an expiration date printed in real faint lettering on the side of the bottle or on the opposite side of the label. If its a craft beer, you may be out of luck. But really...so long as you have a receipt for the purchase, you just need to talk to the DAY MANAGER and explain the problem. Just be cool w/ them, and 9 times out of ten you'll get the problem resolved. HINT: go talk to them right after lunch between 11am-1:30pm. People are usually more agreeable after they have had a break and a good meal !

Answer 3

Talk to the manager.  In many states, they are discouraged to take liquor returns.  I got them to do it at Trader Joe, but had to speak to the manager and had an unopened bottle.

Answer 4

That's BS I would've gotten my money back.  I would've flipped out in there.

Answer 5

I think its fair.  You seem like a pain in the rump.  Ha Ha Ha.

Answer 6

Aw, just drink it, after a couple you wont know the difference.

Answer 7

The problem is that your average American, let alone run of the mill store clerk, doesn't know their *** from their elbows about beer.  It's so uncommon for somebody to bring beer back on the basis of it being skunked that you're probably going to be hard pressed to find somebody understanding of the situation.  While working at a beer store I actually knew of people that thought skunking was a desirable flavor profile.

Personally I would demand they take it back and furthermore suggest that they take measures to shield their beer from light.

Answer 8

That depends. If it was Corona, you should have known better. If the beer was in cans or dark bottles, the problem was in storage. If the manager will not give you a refund on the unopened beer, contact your state's consumer protection agency. You might have to take the matter up with the brewery, though.