Law or store policies re: alcohol purchases and refunds/exchanges?

[Deactivated] on 27/07/2014 - 04:49

What's usually the deal when it comes to alcohol purchases from joints like Dan Murphy's, Liquorland, BWS etc? If you buy a bottle of liquor, take it home, have one drink from it and find it almost offensively awful lol…. and the bottle wasn't exactly cheap-o… are we allowed to take it back and ask for a refund?

I know for most food type groceries, we're fully entitled to return the leftover product to the store if we aren't satisfied.. but with alcohol, I can see why returning an open bottle wouldn't be exactly smiled upon. Yet a bottle of booze is often significantly more expensive than any grocery item… are we just expected to suck it up as a bad choice and deal with it (and cry while pouring it down the sink)? What are our rights?

Cheers.

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • juventino on 27/07/2014 - 06:49
    +25

    Taste is a highly subjective and personal matter.

    in my opinion, refund should be given if products are not fresh or faulty, not if they are not according to your taste.

    I wouldn't be surprised if they refuse to refund. The liquor being offensively awful is your own personal opinion, others might think it is palatable. Otherwise, I can just grab the most expensive wine, have a few sips and tell them it tastes awful and demand refund :)

    It's like going to the movies, good or bad movies you still have to pay for it.

    • lolmao on 28/07/2014 - 08:58
      -7

      except at the movies you can get a refund if it sucks

      • humdogg on 28/07/2014 - 10:30
        +1

        Hmmz what lolmao says is sort of true. If you watch say 15-20 mins of a movie, form an opinion that it is terrible, you can walk out and get your money back. Not sure whether that is your right or general policy of cinemas.

        • juventino on 28/07/2014 - 11:47
          -2

          nah, your right doesn't cover bad selection on your part.

          I would love going to your cinema

          if being terrible will get you a refund, i reckon you'll pay more if the movie was awesome ? Or ask for partial refund as you deemed the movie to be 2 1/2 stars out of 5 ?

        • humdogg on 28/07/2014 - 13:23
          +5

          @juventino:

          just regular Hoyts cinema. Was watching 'Tree of Life', about 20-30 minutes in i had no idea what the movie was about and walked out with friend saying that movie seems horrible. Money back no question asked, Done it with another movie long time ago can't remember which but same result.

        • dccardwell on 28/07/2014 - 21:07
          +2

          @humdogg: A while back at Hoyts we asked if a certain movie was any good and they told us very confidently that we could get our money back up to a half an hour in if you didn't like it. They certainly gave the impression that it was general policy.

        • juventino on 28/07/2014 - 21:56
          +2

          @humdogg:

          that's great to hear. I've endured some excrutiating times with bad movies haha

        • StewBalls on 29/07/2014 - 15:13
          +2

          @juventino:

          I've endured some excrutiating times with bad movies

          I share your PTSD…Michael Bay should be tried at The Hague…

        • electric drifter on 06/08/2014 - 11:04

          @humdogg:

          Did you read reviews before you watched it? I don't think the fact that you couldn't understand the movie is a valid reason for a refund. The cinema didn't make the movie.

      • [Deactivated] on 29/07/2014 - 02:19

        Not sure why this is being voted down, as it's actually true at most cinemas if you leave within 20-30 minutes. I have done it a couple of times; some movies are just that bad (and how would you realise until you give it a chance) other times I have severely wished that I had done so, expecting a story or action to actually start any moment but it never arrives or only for a couple of minutes at the end (not just from the money perspective but not wasting any more time on it).

      • telljoolz on 29/07/2014 - 09:28
        +1

        these down votes on lolmao are unjustified. Lolmao is right, as per humdogg's details re first 15 minutes.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/07/2014 - 07:39
    +7

    It was frankly just an advertising gimmick, but didn't Woolies have a 'Double Your Money Back and You Can Kick the Fresh Produce Manager in The Nuts or Kill The Bastard in Cold Blood' (or something to that effect) campaign if you bought a dodgy apple, awhile back?

    Even when satisfaction guarantees are made by retailers (maybe even by some liquor retailers), the assumption made by said organisations is that few customers will fully avail themselves of just refunds, or make other returns.

    Think of the Seinfeld 'Kramer Calmly Discusses the Returning of Bad Fruit' episode. I know that you will remember it clearly. (Incidentally, I know that turnips are sans-thumbs, but, otherwise, you dance like Elaine, right? Sorry. Rhetorical question. Yeah you do.)

    If every time a Woolies customer who bought a couple of avocadoes that turned out to be rotten, or just a rockmelon that wasn't even sweet, actually returned those for a 'money-back/double-refund/killing-spree/whatever' refunds, it would up-end the whole retail world.

    Also, let's not forget that you have weird tastebuds. Well established from your OzBargain comments. Be sure to leave your tongue to science when you die, Madam. There may not be a specific box to tick, licence-wise or otherwise online, but that donation does need to happen.
    For science.

    Give what remains of the bottle of alcohol to somebody that you like/don't like.
    Write a letter/send an email to Dan Murphy's, express dissatisfaction of any kind related, and you may well get sent a voucher.
    Write a letter/send an email to the specific distiller or wider-group associated company, expression dissatisfaction of any kind, and you may well get sent another bottle of something (that you will like) as compensation.

    I'm imagining you drinking that right now - and then the horror of you dancing just like Elaine! Aaaargh!!!!

    • [Deactivated] on 27/07/2014 - 18:10
      +2

      Okay, you're freaking me out. How do you know I'm a Sein fanatic, and how do you know I've been known to spontaneously bust out the Elaine dance?

      But yes.. now that you've made me think of it… this question of mine does sound awfully reminiscent of Kramer's bad fruit stance lol. Oh dear.

      • [Deactivated] on 27/07/2014 - 18:38
        +2

        I forgive you, Kramerlaine.

  • cypher67 on 27/07/2014 - 08:43
    +4

    I have bought bottles of red wine in the past and when I opened them they fizzed out like a bottle of coke. Something when wrong in the bottling process and the wine started to ferment. I took the bottle back and as long as the manager has half an clue that wine is not suppose to do this, they will exchange it for a new bottle or maybe offer money back.

    I suppose a safe rule is if the product is clearly not what its suppose to be then u can ask, like u buy a bottle of jack and it tastes like dirt and u always drink jack, then u have a case. But something not being to your taste isn't an excuse.

  • Cheeper on 27/07/2014 - 10:48
    +2

    Many items of liquor taste bad to many people. Where would you draw the line on this?
    If the item is defective then a refund is compulsory.
    If you purchase something for a taste test and it is not to YOUR liking then you want a refund?
    No.

  • Ughhh on 27/07/2014 - 11:14

    I know for most food type groceries, we're fully entitled to return the leftover product to the store if we aren't satisfied

    What's with this sense of entitlement…

    • [Deactivated] on 27/07/2014 - 18:02
      +4

      Not a sense of entitlement. Have you ever read packaging of many food products from supermarkets? You'd be surprised at how many state 'if you're not happy / not satisfied with this product, return it to the store blah blah blah'. I didn't just come up with that concept out of a sense of self entitlement.

      You might also need to sit down for this part: I've never returned a grocery item simply because I didn't enjoy it. GASP!

      The point of this thread is this question: what's the difference between fresh produce and food products, and alcohol, when the former are allowed to be returned or exchanged if the customer is unhappy with it based on personal taste… and where does alcohol stand in that spectrum?

      It's a topic for discussion. I'm not here stomping my feet demanding that anyone take back a product I've already opened just because I made a poor selection.

      But well done for jumping to conclusions :)

      • cloudy on 28/07/2014 - 16:05
        +1

        AS you said Waterlogged, it states on the packaging of food, so you can expect it. Does it say it on ur booze? if not, why are you comparing it to a product that does do this?

        There is a sense of entitlement on your part, and if my senses are wrong (which it could be), and the REAL point is what you stated "what's the difference between fresh produce and food products, and alcohol" maybe you should just change ur topic as such. Confusing the issue doesn't help.

        and oh, in answering the question of where does a product stand on the "spectrum" you speak of. Well the answer is, read the packaging, does it say you can return it due be unsatisfied? if yes, then you can. Simple.

    • ChickenTalon on 28/07/2014 - 09:24

      Spending $50 (no idea what the actual number is) on a bottle of wine. Only to find it's not been bottled correctly and gone "off". Then wanting to return it because you can't drink it?

      I don't think there is any unwarranted entitlement. There is $50 worth of entitlement.

      • Ughhh on 28/07/2014 - 11:08
        +2

        This thread is about returning products due to personal taste, not wine going off or faulty product.

        • ChickenTalon on 28/07/2014 - 11:21

          I must have missed that when i was reading the thread specifications.

          OP didn't mention not liking it because it was "off" or incorrectly packaged, or because they simply didn't like it.

          There are two potential scenarios. If there is some sort of satisfaction guarantee on the product or store. Then there is an entitlement to a refund if you're not satisfied, wine "gone off" or not. It's pretty clear, it's not some "sense" of it.

          If there isn't a satisfaction guarantee then you'd have to prove the wine wasn't up to an expected standard. Simply not liking the taste wouldn't cut it. It would need to be defective in some way.

  • stemcell on 27/07/2014 - 11:23

    Perhaps it was to coke you mixed it with.

    • [Deactivated] on 27/07/2014 - 18:03
      +1

      say what now? lol

  • mousie on 27/07/2014 - 12:17
    +1

    Maybe you have drinkers remorse after a big night and the thought of having more of said alcoholic beverage is now repulsive?

    • [Deactivated] on 27/07/2014 - 18:04
      +5

      That's usually directed at the person I wake up next to the next morning.

      (joke!)

  • minniethemoocher on 27/07/2014 - 12:25
    +1

    I think the rule is if there is something wrong with it take it back for a refund/exchange, but if there is nothing wrong with it & you don't like it too bad. But it's a hard one when you haven't tried the product before & you are not sure if something is wrong with it. We all know wine & beer can go of but not so much liquor.

  • YOTR on 27/07/2014 - 12:49

    What did you buy and where did you get it from? What exactly about the taste did you not like?

    FWIW, you are allowed to ask for a refund. Just as much as they are allowed to not give it to you.

  • Sweaty-penguin on 27/07/2014 - 13:01
    +4

    I work at a Bottle store.

    As long as the significant majority of the product is left we will exchange for a new one or store credit.
    We dont really care as its no skin off our backs, you would be surprised at the amount of cask wine we have to throw out due to best before dates.

    We require your name, phone number and signature though.

    For the love of god though dont bring a 6 pack back with only 1 full one left.

    Edit: For clarity we arent legally allowed to taste any product while working so dont encourage us to take a taste. We have to take your word for it.
    Just dont be a douche or do it often and honestly it would be uncommon for someone to refuse.

    I work at one of the larger chain liquor stores for reference.

    • stemcell on 27/07/2014 - 20:04

      What happens to the return item ;)

      • [Deactivated] on 27/07/2014 - 20:34
        +1

        If I may, Sweaty-penguin, to save any (slight) embarrassment, I'm happy to answer this one for you…

        Stemcell, while - as indicated - staff are clearly prevented from drinking the returned alcohol, the other tempting option - especially for penguin staff - is clear.

        Alcohol evaporates very readily and quickly relative to normal perspiration, and when applied to skin, or feathers - think about the effect of cologne, perfume or aftershave - allows for an impressive heat-exchange.

        This effect is well known to keep even the sweatiest of sweaty-penguins nice and cool, and comfortable.

        You're welcome.
        Stay curious. I know you will.
        Stemcells will be very important to medicine, moving forward.

      • Sweaty-penguin on 28/07/2014 - 18:27

        We throw it out…

        • [Deactivated] on 28/07/2014 - 19:04

          My sympathies to you and yours.

    • 8200 on 28/07/2014 - 18:49

      "Edit: For clarity we arent legally allowed to taste any product while working"

      I went to a Dans on a Saturday afternoon tastings and one Dans staff member was drinking like a sailor and I questioned him in a joking way about this and he said its allowed as long as he does not swallow it and spit it out its all ok?

      TRUE?

      • [Deactivated] on 28/07/2014 - 18:57
        +2

        I worked at Dan's for several years during uni and yeah, we were allowed (and encouraged) to taste products at the tasting table. You're definitely expected to spit it out but you'll often see employees swallow the occasional sip (namely the wine managers), just to be able to properly experience the wine.

      • Sweaty-penguin on 29/07/2014 - 16:15

        Yeah I may have jumped the gun saying legally..

        We are allowed to taste and spit but its such a (profanity) hassle.

        Is you swallow it is grounds for dismissal is your manager is so inclined.

        We also dont want to taste your shitty wine/beer that you think is off.

  • Shadow54 on 27/07/2014 - 15:40
    +1

    Consumer law talks about faulty, defective or not fit for purpose. I doubt this covers your opinion about taste…….. If, for example, you buy champagne and it has no fizz, then clearly it is defective and not fit for purpose……..Or if you buy wine and the contents is full of cork fragments, then clearly the wine is defective.
    Many large retailers will not quibble about the refund even if you don't 100% meet the legal definitions.
    Wine that tastes bad? There are lots of awful wines out there, so live and learn which are worth drinking.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/07/2014 - 18:20
    +6

    Jeebus, I should've made it clear in the OP that I'm not actually thinking of returning anything I've bought lol. It was just a hypothetical question based on various past experiences of buying something and hating it (yes, based on personal taste rather than a fault with the product). I was always under the impression that the big duopoly (and even Aldi) happily refund/exchange food and grocery products if you're not happy with them, often with no questions asked? So I was simply wondering where alcohol fits into that equation…

    Maybe I'll try my chances at returning something in the future on the basis of spite, and see how that goes down…?

    /seinfeld reference.

    Everyone's so quick to freaking assume around here lol. You can all put your pitchforks down now.

    • ChickenTalon on 28/07/2014 - 09:36

      If there's one thing OzBers love, it's complaining about complainers. or complaing about complaining complaining. wait. what was I complaining about again?!?

      anywho
      If a business gives you a "satisfaction guarantee" as part of their sales pitch to encourage you to purchase then you are entitled to satisfaction. It's pretty simple. And many business do this with purchases where you might not know what you are getting (wine is actually a great example, different people have different tastes).

      If a business has advertised a satisfaction guarantee and you returned 90% of a product because you weren't satisfied, then that's pretty simple. You should be able to get a refund.

      However, if a business doesn't have a satisfaction guarantee then this may not apply, you'd need to show that the product was defective etc. Wine that is ok, but tastes like crap probably wouldn't qualify.

    • cloudy on 28/07/2014 - 16:11

      I think its fair to say, if you are going to post, it's best to make it clear. If not, be prepared to accept comments based on what is written and the rest assumed.

      Fault lies mostly on your OP, sorry to say that. Maybe you can edit ur OP?

      • [Deactivated] on 28/07/2014 - 18:21

        I'll be sure to run any questions by you privately before posting them officially on the forums in the future, so you can fix any issues up with my wording, yeah? Cool?

        lulz

      • [Deactivated] on 28/07/2014 - 19:02

        Cloudy - just in case it hasn't dawned on you - we have here on OzBargain, a friggin' TURNIP THAT CAN WRITE!!!

        She is a proper wonder of nature. Show some respect.

  • Cluster on 28/07/2014 - 00:13
    +2

    I believe the store should allow an exchange if the wine is clearly corked or has otherwise gone off.

    However, I do recall a time I was at my local bottle shop. A customer was trying to return… a 4 litre wine cask. Customer said it didn't taste very good and his argument was that it said "Premium" on the box and the wine didn't live up to that bold marketing claim. The cask cost $10. Staff tasted it and said it tastes fine. Customer kept going on about how it wasn't "Premium". I left with a chuckle.

    • ChickenTalon on 28/07/2014 - 11:25
      +4

      Perhaps "premium" referred to its qualities as a pillow?

  • Seiko on 28/07/2014 - 08:19
    +1

    A similar case where a customer was arguing with a 7-11 employee about getting a refund on his swap and go gas bottle. He was under the impression he could buy the bottle, use the gas in it and then return the bottle and get his money back. I felt like a douche afterwards for not helping the employee and setting the guy straight, who was getting a little irate. But it did remind me why I don't have to personality to work retail. I would be up on assault charges before smoko. I have a very low tolerance for ignorant arogrant people.

  • ashikk on 28/07/2014 - 15:13

    BWS and Dan Murphy have a full satisfaction guarantee on some of the products.
    What did u buy and from where BWS or DAN'S?

    • Wyzard on 29/07/2014 - 04:24
      +2

      Read the posts. It's a hypothetical.

  • p1 ama on 28/07/2014 - 19:37

    It's certainly store policy and not the law, the whole refund if you don't like thing.

  • lplau on 28/07/2014 - 21:49

    It depends.
    Lets say it was Red Wine, that stuff can go "bad" if it was incorrectly stored.
    Then it is within your rights to return it, as it has gone bad.

    However if that's how it tastes, then your poor judgement and different tastes doesn't mean you get a refund. They would go broke if somebody took advantage of it, and opened each bottle took a sip and then returned it saying it is bad.

    It all depends on the store policy.

  • Davo1111 on 28/07/2014 - 22:41

    I used to work in liquor. We refund it. Just be reasonable… i.e. 1 beer left out of 6 seems a bit dodgy to me.

    As for where it goes, it gets poured out, then written off.

    • lplau on 28/07/2014 - 22:46

      Yup. I think its under law that you have to dispose of returned food / drink items.
      Even if its sealed, you don't know what the customer may have done with it.

    • Plankton on 29/07/2014 - 00:12
      +2

      Do you mean poured out into your mouth?

      • Davo1111 on 29/07/2014 - 09:49

        nah i wouldnt drink returned alcohol, especially if someone had a strong enough reason to return it.

  • wog_ta on 28/07/2014 - 23:10
    +1

    Hypothetically if the merchant implied that the product would be suitable for a particular purpose,for instance cooking wine and it proved otherwise then i believe you could legally take it back.

    Another thought is what if you asked the merchant for say a bottle of whisky that tastes like johny walker and the alternative product does not taste similar could you then take that product back because the purpose of the product does not meet the requirements of the request? Very subjective i know.

    Last of all what if you purchased your regular beverage and then realised that the recipe was changed so that the content was now 1% less in alcoholic content could you then claim that the regular consumer would likely be unaware/ fooled and return it on that basis?

    All just hypothetical, i would never return alcohol :D

  • Rex87 on 30/07/2014 - 20:55

    Like some here, I also worked at D.M's a few years back. The rule of thumb was that wine can be returned within reason (even if someone had purchased for a wedding and had multiple boxes left-over wine). Beer is a different story though, it generally cant be returned as they don't know how it was stored e.g. heating and cooling as it can ruin it.

    So if they refuse to refund it, then just tell them that it is "corked". I believe that the clean-skins have a money-back guarantee but if you speak to the fine wine guys they should be pretty sympathetic towards your cause.

    If that doesn't work, then ask to speak to the manager and you can always threaten to speak with the area supervisor. The manager will get his ass kicked if there are any complaints like this towards the store.

    P.s If you have to try any of these tactics, then i recommend finding another store that will look after you…

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