Totally shaken up over buying beer- need unbiased

[Deleted]

BEER AE because I need unbiased feedback on this.
I live in a city and often frequent an upscale small grocery store that specializes in beer and wine but sells other things as well. I've shopped there several times a week for over 2 years.

The couple that runs it is an elderly couple in their seventies. They have always been incredibly kind to me. Earlier today, I purchased a pack of microbrew for $10. They told me when I was there that I was a great customer and one of their favorites.

I'm a beer drinker and drinks all beers and I wouldn't consider myself picky. Admittedly, it's not one I have drank before but it had a very acidic vinegar taste like it had gone bad. I looked online and checked the expiration and I could only find the pour date which was over 2 years ago. The reviews said it should be smooth and sweet. I rarely return things to grocery stores and have less than a handful of times in the last decade but I really felt this was a case of the beer being "bad" and not a situation where I didn't like it.

I went back to the store with the rest of the pack and said gently that I thought it might be expired. The shop owner started to scream at me and say I was wrong, explained a pour date and said it could last up to ten years. I said "I understand it might not be your fault but it tastes wrong to me like this is a bad batch maybe from the distribution center, I was wondering if I can exchange it."

He walked around the store grabbing random beers and showing me the pour dates and continued to scream at me and told me to call the police if I didn't believe that it was expired. So I finally said to him, "Ok, I will pay for a new pack, but I have come here so many times over the years and never returned anything." So he did return my beer while screaming at me and saying that I was the only person who ever tried to return anything before.

Now I was annoyed and I said, "I find that hard to believe" and he started to talk about God and how God watches him and he protects the customers. I said "I won't be coming back" and he started screaming at me over and over "Ugly girl ugly girl ugly girl."

I'm a little shaken up by the whole experience but I am second guessing myself for even going back in the first place to return it. Was I wrong to try to return the beer when I drank one?

[polarbearfans]

I would have taken it back too. I can't believe the reaction you got. That's is just crazy.

[mollybrown]

I'm not clear why this needed an AE, but I agree that the owner sounds unstable. I would not have purchased anything else from the store after he yelled at me, and they'd be getting some very unflattering reviews online.

[ESF]

Holy shit. That is insane.

No you were not wrong to bring it back. Two years is OLD. That man is batshit crazy.

[Balki.Bartokomous]

:-|

That is very strange. I probably would have just asked him to taste it to settle the debate, but I don't think you were wrong to return it.

Also, the fact that you need an AE for this makes me think that you're a regular who people often think is a bit off or something, so I wonder if there's not more to the story.

[MarmeeNoir]

Aug 1, 2012 0:25:18 GMT -5 Stan said:

Or it's Miso trying to completely cover herself by posting a wall o text.

My real guess is Bliss. Because buying beer in SLC seems like it could be crazy.

That is my guess.

[statlerwaldorf]

To be honest, I probably wouldn't have bothered to take it back. Their reaction is bizarre. I wouldn't go back.

Maybe AE is hiding because they don't want people to know that they buy beer several times a week?

[Deleted]

I would have taken it back too. We bought a bottle of really expensive champagne to celebrate our engagement and it had clearly gone bad. They had no problem exchanging it for something that wasn't bad.

[basilosaurus]

I'd be the one calling the cops in that situation because I'd be so scared of such instability. That's nuts.

I'm too lazy to return beer, but if I did, I'd feel it was the right thing to do in your situation. If you're a regular, valued customer, they should make you happy. I've gotten free stuff from places where I'm less valued, just because keeping a good customer happy is good business.

[MarmeeNoir]

Aug 1, 2012 0:40:42 GMT -5 jenny1980 said:

Aug 1, 2012 0:33:27 GMT -5 MarmeeNoir said:

That is my guess.

Right. Because of all the crazy shit she's posted, this would be cause for an AE. LOL.

And do you really picture her being into craft beers?

True.

[Kore]

That is very fucked up, but lol that this needed an AE.

[polarbearfans]

What does AE stand for? I just thought this girl was a victim of autocorrect

[whitepicketfence]

I agree with those who were trying to figure out why this needed an AE. Odd...

The owner seems highly unstable. I would not have purchased anything else at the store after his crazy outburst. I would also leave horrible online reviews for the shop and never go there again.

[Kore]

Aug 1, 2012 7:18:28 GMT -5 polarbearfans said:

What does AE stand for? I just thought this girl was a victim of autocorrect

Alter ego

[mbcdefg]

It's not wrong to bring back skunked beer. The worst they can say is that they don't do refunds/exchanges. (Well, I guess the worst they can ACTUALLY do is flip out, in which case you just stop giving them your business.)

[Wines Not Whines]

That shop owner sounds BSC. I would stay far away.

[hannamaren]

The hilarious part of this is that the poster created an AE, I assume, so we wouldnt be distracted by her personality and blame her, ask her how it is MM to buy craft beers. She wanted us to address the OP only. Funny thng is that we still got sidetracked!

Back to the OP. I would never go back there. No matter how good the beer is.

[Deleted]

Weird. And not strange to take it back.

The local beer I buy (Boulevard) usually has an expiration date 2-6 months from when I have purchased it. I'm doubting all of it has been sitting around a year before I buy it. And I did drink a bad one once (my fault--just sitting too long at my house) and it was super gross.

[birdmom]

Was there anyone else in the store that witnessed this crazy outburst?

[thumper55]

Not that it was wrong to do so, but since it was a mom and poop store and not a national chain, I wouldn't have taken it back.

that man is a nutcase and I am surprised you didn't get that vibe any earlier from shopping there all this time.

I'm sorry that happened and I'd be shaken too. But good thing beer is easy to get elsewhere

[shell403b]

That dude is definitely off the res. You were not wrong to return the beer. I probably wouldn't be going back to that particular store though. Who calls people "Ugly Girl" just b/c they're unhappy with the product? It's not like you told him HE was expired or something--yo shop owner, it ain't personal. Jesus Christ.

[Mrs.Beagle]

Yes, I would have returned the beer and probably called the police if I was yelled at like that. He dees not seem stable.

And yeah, why the AE? Not necessary. If you were sleeping with the old guy and wanted to find out how to tell your husband, then maybe. But not for this.

[mbcdefg]

Actually, depending on the brew, the date on the bottle might not mean anything. Some craft brews get better with age. MH recently opened a beer that he'd been saving for the past two years and it tasted great.

[aspentosh]

No beer is good enough that I'd deal with that again.

Find a new place to buy beer. Also, you were not wrong to try and return.

[LoveTrains]

Sorry, that sounds like it really sucks. You were definitely not wrong to return the beer - I would have done the same thing in your shoes. I buy beer at two local stores right now, and both of them the people that work there recognize me. That is one of the nice things - seriously - about city living! I really do feel like I know the owners/staff at several local places that I go to.

that guy was obviously crazy.

however, what is the deal with the AE? Completely not necessary.

[Deleted]

I recently returned beer that I suspect had gotten skunked and had no problem. The shop owner wasn't sure how it happened because it had been in the refrigeration room and wasn't expired but she trusted me and let me pick out another case. Anyway, I'd find another store.

[pugz]

1) an AE? really??? are you afraid we'd accuse you of having a drinking problem? Or are you pregnant and drinking and afraid of the judgement?

2) lmao at "mom and poop" shop

3) dude sounds mentally ill

[slug*bug]

Aug 1, 2012 8:22:14 GMT -5 shell403b said:

That dude is definitely off the res.

Say what?

Agree about this being a silly reason for an AE...unless there's more to the story.

But no, you weren't wrong to try to take it back, though I probably wouldn't have bothered. He sounds crazy.

[dexteroni]

Aug 1, 2012 8:22:14 GMT -5 shell403b said:

That dude is definitely off the res.

What does "off the res" mean?

And yes, OP, that is crazy.

[kellbell191]

No you weren't wrong. DH is a wine distributor and if a customer returns something as wrong or off, the business returns it to the distributor and the distributor gives them a credit. This is totally normal. He acted like an absolute psycho and I would never go back there and would tell everyone about my experience. wtf.