Underpriced (mislabeled) beer?

Some years back a new small store had opened up in the village and had the small bottles of Chimay for $2 apiece. I asked the guy if that was right as I had been paying more than twice that at other places. He assured me it was so I bought a few bottles. The next time I was there he told me he had actually mispriced it and it should have been more than twice that, I don't remember the exact price but it was closer to $5. He had sold a case of it at the wrong price and no one except for me questioned it. I told him I had bought several bottles and would pay the difference. He declined it. There was another time I caught a pricing error and told him. He gave it to me for the incorrect price anyway.

It's not that I'm a goody two shoes, it's just that this was the first liquor store in the village since before prohibition and I didn't want to see them fail! Besides the convenience of the location he would often give me a free cigar. He eventually closed due to a dispute with the landlord. I miss that place.

 

Got a Rochefort 8 for $1.99. I asked the clerk if he was sure about that price. He waved his hand at me dismissively, so off I went.

 

A local grocery store suddenly has a few Duvel on the mix-a-six shelf. I figure somebody must have broken one of a case or something -- I've seen higher-gravity beers on this mix shelf before, but never anything that's at Duvel's normal price point. I only took one, as I've not tried Duvel before.

 

Tell (or ask) someone who works there why it is underpriced, and if it is possibly mislabeled. If it is the right beer and I want it, I don't feel bad and I buy it anyway. I tell nobody...

 

Got a sixer years back of Dogfish Head "ImmortAle" for 4 bucks and change because the clerk was too lazy to lookup the right price. It was a new arrival in the store and as usual for that store at the time, placed on the shelf with no price sticker/sign. I would have suggested the correct price as I knew it wasn't cheap but when he rolled his eyes and sighed when he couldn't be bothered to check I wasn't gonna say a word.

 

I'm having difficulty with the big chain vs small mom and pop store. It seems more OK to take the big chain's money, but not the little guy's? It doesn't seem right. Tell someone who works at the store!

 

I liked it, but, the carbonation was out of control.

 

How should I know how the store prices its merchandise? Prices are set for all kinds of reasons, including to get people in the door to buy other items as well. For all I know, they may have gotten a deep deal on a limited supply for some reason that I would not pretend to know. I would not assume that the "going rate" around town is reflective of the real value of the item. This happens all the time in the retail world. I would not tell the gas station clerk that I believe their gas prices are too low because everyone else's if higher. The vagaries and strategies of merchandising and pricing are part of competition in business. On the other hand, if a cashier, waiter etc. under- or overcharges me, based on the price listed, I always bring it to their attention.

 

I have on many occasion told the owner or employee at my go too store. Last year when the owner was away they were charging $7.99 for Sucaba and I explained to them, that it comes in 6 not the usual 12. Just like they made a mistake in the other direction with Fool Proof Peanutbutter Porter. They figured it was 6 packs not 4 packs and charged me way to much. I texted the owner who brought me to ACBF in Boston on his dime back in May and told him. When Victory Storm King went to 4 packs, I knew the $11.99 he was charging was incorrect and told him. If it was another store, I may say sorry sucka, but I like to believe I would tell them. Bad Carma? The burden of being a beer nerd, most people wouldn't even know.

 

bought 6 bottles of Allagash Curieux at $4.99 each. Left the other 6. Have seen many under priced beers and bought none. Have seen way more overpriced beers and bought none.


Enjoy

 

Right. So when this happens, does alerting them keep good Karma? OR is it Karma paying you back if you stumble upon this situation? I always figure that you should get rewarded for a good job...so if you can't keep your prices straight, you're doing a bad job, and shame on you. It seems more and more shops are nickel and diming us...maybe Karma is paying them back! See what I did there, lol.

 

Had the chance to pick up Lolita bombers at 9.99 (same price as Sofie / Matilda), didn't know how much of a steal it was at that time (not crazy into craft beers at that point). By the time I went back they were all gone (one of you must have snapped them up ).

 

Hopefully they were selling Coney Island for half that price, because that shit is terrible.

 

In a beer club and just doubled up on a shipment because they have a belgian that I can get locally for $28 and they are selling it for 2 for $26. I added 2 to my last shipment because my thought was they should know what they are doing.

 

Big Chain - probably wouldn't mention it, mostly because anytime I have mentioned something like this no one seems to give a crap and no one does anything. So I just don't bother anymore as I don't have time or energy to deal with the blank stares. I've bought enough expired product that I've had to dump that it all evens out.

Small Store - depends, if I feel like they over price regularly (many do) than I might stick it to the man just this once, otherwise I'd mention it. Anyone honest with me gets an honest response at the end of the day.

 

This debate seems very familiar....

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/beer-pricing-a-moral-responsibility.278284/