Problems returning empty bottles to the Beer Store

spinrsx · Post by **spinrsx** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 3:56 pm

Just wondering if anyone else gets grief from the beer store when they try to return odd bottles. For instance, my local store wouldn't take back the Rogue bombers that I purchased at the LCBO. They also wouldn't take the St Bernadus bottles I got from the LCBO last spring. Also, they will never take any of my U.S beer bottles, such as Dog Fish Head, Sierra Nevada etc. What exactly is the rule on what they do and don't take?

Streets · Post by **Streets** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 4:11 pm

On the contrary, my local TBS seems to take back everything I throw at them. I even returned a few bottles of DFH 90, Jai Alai, Hopslam and a Stone bomber the otehr week, and the only bottle the clerk seemed curious about was a Muskoka Mad Tom. She pulled one of the Mad Toms out of the box and looked at it for a second before continuing to count the rest of the empties.

lister · Post by **lister** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 4:16 pm

I haven't run into any issues with odd bottles yet whether purchased from the LCBO or out of province. I try to play it smart and return them amongst a mass amount of other bottles. If I ever do have issues I'll keep the bottles and try to return them some other time.

grub · Post by **grub** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 5:20 pm

I tend to bring the bottles a carload at a time, and when they're busy (saturday afternoon usually), so they've got less time to be picky. occasionally they'll pull out a few and look 'em over, but that's about it. the one time that they claimed i had bottles "from the US" i quickly replied "all purchased through the LCBO or one of the local import agents". it's not up to the customer to "prove" where they come from... but since yours are all from the LCBO i'd consider holding on to a handful of receipts shove 'em in their face if they get whiney.

JK · Post by JK » Wed Jun 22, 2011 5:44 pm

This post came up at the most perfect time. I was up in Bancroft camping just this weekend and the over zealous beer inspector showed up for her shift that day. Me and my brother came in with about 18 random lcbo summer release beers in a cardboard box that we got at the no frills upon check out and we were given the third degree. She gave a very careful look at every single bottle and when we noticed a line going out the door we gave a very polite "they are all from the lcbo" we got a very snark "well what lcbo did you buy them from" we both said Belleville at the same time and she gave us the eye and both made us feel as if we were trying to pass counterfeit 100's, but in fact we just wanted to get rid of 18 empties or just given a buck eighty and be on our way. Fuck do I ever hate that place. Why do you have to feel like a criminal every time you try to return empty beer bottles that they do not recognize. Give me a fucking break.

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 5:46 pm

Never really had a problem with US beer bottles since they were forced to start accepting wine and liqour bottles.

Personally I'd be shocked to find a beer store employee that cared about possibly giving away an extra 20 cents, I think the only thing they really look for now is pop bottles/cans mixed in.

NRman · Post by **NRman** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 5:47 pm

Almost never had an issue in Waterloo and that's with about 30% US bottles. The ONLY issue in the last 3 trips (each around $20 in returns) was the guy immediately pulled out two Yuengling cans and threw them aside saying "no good, US" I said nothing as there were a ton of US bottles in there. Bell's, Shorts, bottles bombers etc. We do mix our bombers in with cases of wine bottles which might help.

I find if you are organized, bottles cleaned and boxed, and make it easy for them they will turn a blind eye.

grub · Post by **grub** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 5:59 pm

JK wrote: Why do you have to feel like a criminal every time you try to return empty beer bottles that they do not recognize.

because TBS = BMC and you're not buying/returning BMC...

grub · Post by **grub** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:02 pm

NRman wrote:I find if you are organized, bottles cleaned and boxed, and make it easy for them they will turn a blind eye.

yep, i do this too. i always sort the big/small stuff, try to have them all neatly boxed. i've taken to grabbing boxes at the LCBO for returning (both flats/boxes for the small ones and wine boxes for the big ones). the big ones are even generally covered - less to see, less to question. usually means the only thing i have in their bins or odd boxes are the various liquor bottles and a handful of odd-sized bottles, which they never bother asking about.

the last time they did short change me and give me only $0.10 for some of my bombers, but i didn't complain considering my returns were likely 50% from outside ontario...

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 8:46 pm

I've never had a problem at the Brock St. store in Parkdale, but then again the employees are more concerned about gouging their hands on a jagged bottleneck than they are about where the bottles came from.

RayOhm · Post by **RayOhm** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:07 pm

Pretty sure your not supposed to return American beer bottles/cans. ...Possibly why they dont take them.

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:32 pm

RayOhm wrote:Pretty sure your not supposed to return American beer bottles/cans. ...Possibly why they dont take them.

Absolutely.

grub · Post by **grub** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:52 pm

RayOhm wrote:Pretty sure your not supposed to return American beer bottles/cans. ...Possibly why they dont take them.

you're only supposed to return things purchased in ontario. that happens to include "american beer bottles/cans", stuff from other provinces, and other countries around the world. flatly refusing anything based solely on place of origin is moronic at best.

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:01 pm

RayOhm wrote:Pretty sure your not supposed to return American beer bottles/cans. ...Possibly why they dont take them.

I've always been led to believe that they're obliged to take anything you bring them, they just can't offer deposit on bottles purchased out of Ontario. I find that everything I bring gets accepted, what with the LCBO brining in non-Ontario stuff all the time, and the general lack of knowledge on the part of most BS employee's regarding beer outside of the 'Big 10'. To be fair, there's no way they can really know for sure whether or not something was purchased out of province. I mean, if someone bought a 24 of Coors Light in Gatineau and tried to return the empties in an Ottawa BS, would it be evident at all that it came from Quebec?

Tapsucker · Post by **Tapsucker** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:16 pm

Early in the program I had issues. I brought it up with my local LCBO manager. After all the LCBO contracted TBS to do this and should be supervising accordingly.

He suggested hanging onto my receipt and producing it when challenged. Hah! What like for seven years like the tax department expects?

Plan B was to show them that the bottles either had added Canadian stickers (ABV% etc.) or bilingual labelling indicating LCBO regs. Plan B works so well I can return my Quebec bottles with ease!

If the whole world would wise up and revert to stubbies, this problem would go away.