# Horrible Beez Neez...



## boingk (22/12/09)

Hey guys. I picked up a sixpack of Beez Neez after remembering it as a decent summer drop when I tried it on tap a year or two ago. All seemed good.

On opening, it tasted foul! Immediate oxidised/lightstruck taste and aroma. Damn! I only had one swig of one bottle, the rest are still in the sixpack and the empty is there as well.

I got this from a local retailer (although it is a commercial chain). What do you think my chances of taking this undrinkable sixpack back are?

- boingk


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## pokolbinguy (22/12/09)

Is there a production date on the bottle??? 

Anyway I would just take it back...tell them it does not taste like it should (e.g the off characters) and ask for a replacement...they should give it to you for sure.


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## Pete2501 (22/12/09)

pokolbinguy said:


> Is there a production date on the bottle???
> 
> Anyway I would just take it back...tell them it does not taste like it should (e.g the off characters) and ask for a replacement...they should give it to you for sure.



+1. If you asked for Fanta aka Orange Soda and got lemonade would you live with it?


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## boingk (22/12/09)

> If you asked for Fanta aka Orange Soda and got lemonade would you live with it?



NO WAY!!! 

Cheers guys, just thought I'd ask this before I ran off down the street. I'll give a yell when I get back...

- boingk


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## boingk (22/12/09)

Well, that was unfulfilling to say the least. The official line from the fellow in charge was that he can't give me a refund because he can't guarantee the product as it isn't produced by them. One gem was:



> *turning over bottle* Well, it says its been crafted...so it should be ok...


I felt like telling him I 'craft' beer in a plastic bucket and it comes out tasting a hellava lot better than that! Also, 'crafted' in and of itself means jack all if it yields a poor result or is mistreated enroute.

Anyway, you may notice I havent mentioned the store or chain in question. Following my store experience, I searched the website for return or quality assurance information. Nothing, although their description of how beer is made is better than most. I found a contact number and called that, and am now waiting for a regional manager or some such to get back to me. I don't generally like to cause fuss, and especially not over something as relatively trivial as a few beers, but this total lack of in-store quality or return policy has me stumped.

Updates as the saga continues - boingk


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## Supra-Jim (22/12/09)

Good on you for following it up. If you're still unsatisfied it wouldn't to sent a little feedback off to Matilda Bay, piss in their pocket a bit i.e 'I buy your beer regulary and really enjoy it, but this time blah blah'

Cheers SJ


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## Fents (22/12/09)

skip the middle man and send the remaining five straight back to matilda bay with a nice big letter if the rest of em are really infected they should take one sip and send you a free carton.


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## manticle (22/12/09)

Yep. I'd email the brewery. Offer to send back the unopened bottles (at their expense).

Bottle shop guy sounds like a dick. He could either re-sell the other five individually or (as he should) send them back to his supplier. Hopefully he's just lost your business.


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## Pete2501 (22/12/09)

manticle said:


> Yep. I'd email the brewery. Offer to send back the unopened bottles (at their expense).
> 
> Bottle shop guy sounds like a dick. He could either re-sell the other five individually or (as he should) send them back to his supplier. Hopefully he's just lost your business.



Dick salesman = black listed bottle shops. I refuse to go to what used to be my local after the guy sold expired beer on two separate occasions. The beer was barely carbonated (IPA and a Paulaner Hell). Among other times when I've been looking for a type of beer I get a "try this one it's great". Rather than something I've asked for specificity like "really hoppy" or "really malty" etc etc. 

Don't take that shit. Stick it to the man. Then find a new local.


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## boingk (22/12/09)

There are plenty of locals around here, I just don't go to any of them much due to homebrewing. On the odd occasion I'll go in for a case of decent stuff with mates or buy a sixpack like I did this last time. 

Aside from that, just heard back from the regional manager then. He said the store was following policy, but has instructed them to allow an exchange. Seemed like a good guy, even wished me a merry Christmas. He also said he would be taking the issue up with Matilda Bay on my behalf; not quite sure what that entails but I'm fine with them knowing I got a few dud beers if thats the case. Conflict resolved.

Cheers - boingk


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## pokolbinguy (22/12/09)

boingk said:


> The official line from the fellow in charge was that he can't give me a refund because he can't guarantee the product as it isn't produced by them



This is a cop out. From what I gather is the retailer has the responsibility to make sure the product they are supplying the consumer is ...well consumable...Woolie/coles etc don't grow the vegetables, cows, milk, etc etc but they are responsible for selling it to the consumer in good condition.

I say the response you got was just a cop out.

Pok


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## tallie (22/12/09)

Glad to hear you got it resolved.

Speaking of bad Beez Neez, I had a terrible one the other night at a restaurant. Oxydised and an almost chemical taste :icon_vomit: . At the time, I put it down to the fact that it probably wasn't ordered very often at this particular place, and it may have just been old stock that was poorly stored. I didn't think to check the date/batch number though, so no idea if it's from the same stock as the one you got.

And speaking of bad bottle-o service, my house mate is still waiting after six weeks to get a refund after being charged twice for the same transaction on her key card (first transaction was cancelled on the till, but not the eftpos machine). Some of these places really need to do some work on their customer service.


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## roo_dr (22/12/09)

Strictly speaking, the bottle shop man was right. It's not his fault, and he is under no obligation to refund / exchange if the product is within date. Just like for a bar of chocolate - "if you are unhappy with this product in any way, please contact us for a full refund on....". That said, he's just lost a customer for handling your concerns so badly.

Contact the Brewery directly (I think it's somewhere in South Hobart!!). First thing they'll do is send you a carton. 

Just don't do it too often


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## benno1973 (22/12/09)

boingk said:


> The official line from the fellow in charge was that he can't give me a refund because he can't guarantee the product as it isn't produced by them.



Bollocks! If I buy anything, I return it to the retailer that sold it to me if it isn't satisfactory. I recently bought a coffee machine from KMart. It didn't work, so I returned it to KMart, not Sunbeam. It's the suppliers job to return it to the original manufacturer.

Still good result in the end I guess...


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## warra48 (22/12/09)

The retailer is talking crap.

He is responsible for selling you merchandise of a marketable quality.

Here's an extract of Section 19 of the NSW Sale of Goods Act.

Print it out, and take it with you, and have another go at the numbskull. Subsection 2 is the relevant one. Your contract of purchase was for beer fitting the description of a Beez Neez type beer. If it's not in acceptable condition, it is not of merchantable quality. End of argument.
The retailer can take it up with Beez Neez if he wishes. That's not your job.

SALE OF GOODS ACT 1923 

19 Implied condition as to quality or fitness 
Working Date: 17 June 2008 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

19 Implied condition as to quality or fitness 
Subject to the provisions of this Act, and of any statute in that behalf, there is no implied warranty or condition as to the quality or fitness for any particular purpose of goods supplied under a contract of sale, except as follows: 

(1) Where the buyer expressly or by implication makes known to the seller the particular purpose for which the goods are required so as to show that the buyer relies on the sellers skill or judgment, and the goods are of a description which it is in the course of the sellers business to supply (whether the seller be the manufacturer or not), there is an implied condition that the goods shall be reasonably fit for such purpose: Provided that in the case of a contract for the sale of a specified article under its patent or other trade name there is no implied condition as to its fitness for any particular purpose. 
(2) Where goods are bought by description from a seller who deals in goods of that description (whether the seller be the manufacturer or not), there is an implied condition that the goods shall be of merchantable quality: Provided that if the buyer has examined the goods there shall be no implied condition as regards defects which such examination ought to have revealed. 
(3) An implied warranty or condition as to quality or fitness for a particular purpose may be annexed by the usage of trade. 
(4) An express warranty or condition does not negative a warranty or condition implied by this Act unless inconsistent therewith.


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## real_beer (22/12/09)

I worked at The Cleveland Sands Hotel; Carindale Hotel; Loganholme Tavern; & The Australian National Hotel. If someone came in to return or complain about a bad product we would always respond positively. We'd take the persons name and contact details stick it to the bottle and put it aside for when the rep came in, and then give the customer another bottle or a refund. We'd get a credit from the rep the next time he'd call in for an order and he'd follow up with the customer if needed. We always did this in a friendly cheerful manner because if you do it begrudgingly you've wasted the opportunity to create a good impression and probably lost future sales.

Wine get corked, beer, especially when twist tops arrived on the market often degassed if knocked about too much on the trucks. And someone would get a kick up the ass if the beer was old because it hadn't been rotated in store. I think it takes about 8 times as much money to bring in a new customer as it does to keep an old one happy.

Good businesses take good & bad feedback on board to improve their service, but it's usually how you handle the bad feedback or upset customer that pays off the best in the long run. It's guaranteed that the company that makes the product wants to know about a problem as soon as possible, it could save them distributing and then having to recall any more of a contaminated or bad batch of product.

Speak with your wallet and shop somewhere else, but let the owner of the store know about it, it's no good telling the deadbeat you tried to talk too already.

On the other hand, I haven't worked in the pubs since 2002 so a lot of things could have changed customer service wise now I suppose.

:icon_cheers:


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## 0M39A (22/12/09)

roo_dr said:


> Contact the Brewery directly (I think it's somewhere in South Hobart!!). First thing they'll do is send you a carton.
> 
> Just don't do it too often



thats cascade brewery mate. can smell it from my place when the wind blows just right.

they do make redback for matilda bay (have tasted it fresh and unfiltered before, much much nicer than the stuff in the bottle). not sure if they do beez neez though.


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## saccarin63 (22/12/09)

0M39A said:


> thats cascade brewery mate. can smell it from my place when the wind blows just right.
> 
> they do make redback for matilda bay (have tasted it fresh and unfiltered before, much much nicer than the stuff in the bottle). not sure if they do beez neez though.


this is whats pissing me off allso,we deliverd beer the other week to a certain bottle shop and well and behold me it was going to be stored in a back room steaming hot with no coolroom storage. certain places need to get educated about micro beer and store this stuff correctly. we have please refridgerate on delivery stamped on our cases,but this sometimes falls on deaf ears. our beers r like milk , store them cold and not in hot rooms, or else they will fuckup quickly. check to see how the beer is stored ,if this is a brewery fault by all means contact them and demand a refund, get them to try it and iam sure they would refund. i know we would. beer coming fresh and straight from a coolroom to a hot bottle shop should be fuckin banned. anyway thats my bitch for the day.


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## benny_bjc (22/12/09)

I have only ever tried Beez Neez once... on tap... I was let down greatly and felt ripped off... no honey taste or aroma to speak of, watery mouthfeel and tasted pissy. 
Although I must admit I was pissed drunk, but I still have no motivation to try it again! I have heard very little good reviews about it! Honey and beer sounds like a really nice mixture but I'm yet to find a beer which incorporates it!!?

Although I remember way back when the James Squire Amber Ale had a really nice 'honey' malt taste!!! Those were the days!


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## Cube (22/12/09)

Mate ( read your OP and about 10 replies )... skip to reply.... and my advice to you is this:

*Go direct to brewery.
*

The store is in *no way* interested in you besides your money. The brewery is a little smarter than them and value you a whole heap more. It may well be the transport/storage/knumbnuts store owner who leaves a delivery out in the sun for 2 hours before getting it inside his shop etc ( I can name quite a few shops that do that ) and not the brewer who will be, and should be disappointed, that you are so in his product. It may well be a bad batch via infection or whatever and he will sure as hell will be wanting to know about it.

If you have anything less that a favourable outcome I will be shocked. Keep us posted good or bad.


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## jayse (22/12/09)

Whatever it is, even if its just one beer that you have poured in your glass and gone oh gee wizz, pour it back in the bottle and give it back to them, don't even tip it down the sink, I think is the ultimate stance, give it back to them. :lol: 

In the case of I have a whole lot of this beer and I only opened one and took a sip....................
As everyone has said no probs, money back has to be a given.

Microbrewed beer maybe gets a bad name amoung those giving it a try for the first time because of this and that has on going affects, aside from us brewers theres a lot of drinkers educated but its a shame new people can be put off by substandard beer being sold as the ducks guts or the beez neez.


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## HoppingMad (23/12/09)

Last time I checked Beez Neez was a horrid tasting beer regardless of whether it was stored well or not h34r: 

Had my best ever Beez Neez several years ago when it was a new product - long before they appeared to cut the amount of honey in the brew down to save a quid. At least that's what my tastebuds told me - pure speculation, but they haven't let me down yet.

When you crack one of these beers open now and taste it - it is teetering on the brink of average in terms of flavour. For a honey beer where is the honey? Where is the real sweet punch of flavour you used to get in this? It disappeared long ago methinks.

I reckon it's great you got a replacement for your faulty beers, but next time grab a better brew. This product was a good one in the Matilda Bay range years ago, but it's star has long since faded. 

My 2c,

Hopper.


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## jbirbeck (23/12/09)

HoppingMad said:


> Last time I checked Beez Neez was a horrid tasting beer regardless of whether it was stored well or not h34r:
> 
> Had my best ever Beez Neez several years ago when it was a new product - long before they appeared to cut the amount of honey in the brew down to save a quid. At least that's what my tastebuds told me - pure speculation, but they haven't let me down yet.
> 
> ...



+1 Beez Neez aint the Dog's Bollocks it the Dogs @rsehole...A taste off with VB or West End would see West End or VB win. 

I'd take it back get them to replace it with something decent and tell Matilda Bay to get their shit together.


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## bcp (23/12/09)

pokolbinguy said:


> This is a cop out. From what I gather is the retailer has the responsibility to make sure the product they are supplying the consumer is ...well consumable...Woolie/coles etc don't grow the vegetables, cows, milk, etc etc but they are responsible for selling it to the consumer in good condition.
> 
> I say the response you got was just a cop out.
> 
> Pok



+1. "If goods do not meet a statutory condition or statutory warranty, it is a breach of the contract between buyer and seller. When this happens, consumers are entitled to a remedy from the seller."Warranties & refunds, a guide for consumers and business, ACCC


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## jbman (23/12/09)

It used to taste a lot better when it was made here in Perth. I complained to Matilda bay about the change in flavor when the moved the brew origin and they never bothered to reply to my concerns.

So I choose with my wallet, and I never buy Beez Neez again. I always tell friends this story hoping they to will chose not to buy this product as well.


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## shadowofdarkness (13/1/10)

Well simply put.... you reap what you sow. Support a multinational who only cares about shareholder and the bottom line by buying their product, then expect lousy treatment. You'd have been far better off by supporting a local, independent craft brewer, who i'm sure would have been happy to refund your product & then some! Sure you may pay a few extra cents, but isn't that worth it?


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## manticle (13/1/10)

While I think supporting independent business is great and prefer to do it as much as possible (for all reasons from product to ethos to service) it's a bit rich to suggest that buying a sixpack of commercial beer means you deserve it to be off and be given shit service from the retailer.


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