Beer Pricing - A Moral Responsibility?

Yep. I love Karma, but when it comes to commerce as a customer, I'm only concerned with getting the best price. I've had situations where I managed to snag under-priced bottles or more bottles than the limit (either with a 'friends' allotment or the clerk flat up letting me). I do my "karma" by sharing the bottles or giving them to someone I know who missed out... but that's after the commerce took place.

I just don't see anything 'wrong' with buying a product at the price the merchant set. If someone on craigslist sells me a product for x, but I know someone else posted a price of x+y, and I know the cost was originally x+y+z, am I to figure out what 'fair' amount to give the person? No, I pay x. That's what the price was set at.

 

There is no moral responsibility in beer, it's every man for himself.

Nah, jk. In this case I'd probably buy 2 4-packs and let the guy know that he's practically giving it away. That's pretty much all you can do.

 

Buyer beware AND seller beware. If I had a great relationship with my local store I would say something- after I paid. The local store sometimes has no prices and I tell them what it was, never cheat them. But some stranger?

 

College should be about two hundred grand a year by the time he makes it.

 

I'd rather he have strong values than a father that can pay for his college.

 

Good question and I'm intrigued by some of these responses.

Last year I went to my usual shop to pick up something new and noticed that Southern Tier's '2XONE' was marked at $2.99 for a sixer. I realized that they probably meant to do $12.99 but forgot a digit or something. The beer was fresh, and they were fully stocked so I politely went up and informed the guy working. He said it was their mistake and that I can buy as many as I'd like at that price since they made the error, but that he would fix it after I left. I went back and got another before I left haha.

It's times like these where you can really build a relationship with the workers/owners of these smaller stores. As luck would have it, that same worker is still there and when KBS came around, that same worker saved a 4 pack in the back for me. He has also hooked me up by setting aside several other hard-to-get releases and special ordered other beers I can't get elsewhere.

It almost never hurts to be honest, and in the long run it usually pays off.

Cheers!

 

I would have bought them all up, save for one four pack. I am assuming you could see the entire stock, and the 4-5 four packs is all they received. So I would go about going in for about four 4 packs.

Then I would have shared the wealth with BA members with $4$ ($10 four packs. not the going rate elsewhere) trades. Or I would have shared with friends and other locals.. At that price, you could even give a couple away without any regrets.

 

The store owner had no idea what he had, priced it low to get rid of it. End of story.

 

Do you endorse socialism?

 

Much, much rationalization here in this thread and the other one. In the current environment of the me first world we live in people blinded in their pursuit of hard to get beers will do anything or come up with many rationalizations why it is OK to buy a $10 4 pack of KBS which was obviously priced wrong. Simple thing would have been to ask the store owner if the price was right informing them that typically the price is around $25 or so. If they double-checked and said it was a mistake, gladly pay what the right price was and be happy for doing the right thing.

I have from time to time walked away from a store forgetting my change and had the clerk call me back, it is just the right thing to do and I was happy they corrected my mistake.

If people want to race to the bottom and throw out all decency in pursuit of beer or anything else they do, go for it, not the way I live my life.

Many great BAs on this site, but also many people continually exposing the crappy side of this hobby. Karma is a real thing, in life in general you get what you give, that $10 four pack of ill gotten KBS may taste great, but make sure you are looking over your shoulder because karma definitely looking to pay you back.

 

I would love to have a drinking session with you to just to understand the anger. Well, maybe not. Anyway, flying off the handle has never won any good argument I saw or participated in. And what is sperg-ass? Christ, if you don't like it just go away. Sorry pal, but that was just plain uncalled for!

 

Oh, thanks!

 

If not being a dick is socialism I endorse it whole heartedly.

 

If I could buy beer for the masses, I would. As it is my family does quite well on the local teat!

 

Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Better yet, let the door hit you on the way out. For people like me, many times economics define morality. So, every time you get a free pint at the bar from the bartender, do you demand a notarized note allowing that beer to be comped? So, op is concerned that he is causing the store to lose $7 from purchasing Kbs at $10 ($100/case divided by 6 4 packs=16.67/cost per 4 pack). But you would take a free pint (priced at $5 cause...uh...whatever man)?

In your funky opinion, should the OP have offered to pay $30 at the register, cause, uh, if he was a "beer advocate" (whatever that means) he is supposed to pay full freight on every beer he buys?

Maybe he bought 2014 Kbs and the store owner priced it below cost because he thought it was expired stock. Maybe distributor error, there's a thousand possibilities, but really it doesn't matter. If this bodega is going to go under because of a $42 loss (7/pkg loss x 6 pkgs) then realistically, it was on the way out anyway.

If we were discussing an economic loss that would close the business, then you might have a point, but this is one transaction if a million and has no particular economic impact. If I get a free pint, I assume it's recognition that I'm a good customer and my business is appreciated. I generally assume businesses price in waste, loss, etc. into their pricing.

 

I'm really curious where your "karma" starts and ends. Apparently you believe that you should pay full freight for every beer you drink...so you never take freebies from the bartender? I mean, after all, they could be giving you beer that is being STOLEN from the bar owner (gasp!)

With your strong belief in karma, perhaps OP just had his ship come in and had some good karma coming his way?

 

Has anyone asked a store owner why a beer is so expensive?

I almost feel like we are okay taking some form of punishment by over paying, or assuming it's right? But when we know for a fact it's wrong, we feel guilty?

 

if i said anything as idiotic as some of the crap in this thread, i would deserve to be called out in a similar fashion.

the other direct responses to my comment only serve to illustrate my original point.