Price Adjustments on Wine

Many decades ago, my wife’s parents moved from Pakistan to Canada, carrying in their pockets all the money they had ($900). Accordingly, my wife retains many of the values instilled upon her from her parents with respect to saving every dime possible. She looks for sales, uses coupons religiously, and she taught me about the concept of price adjustments (getting money back when you purchase something that later goes on sale for a lower cost).

So, if I bought a case of Bedrock from a well known retailer here in Portland last year for $449, and six months later they were selling it for $419, and today they are still selling it for $419, should I be able to bring back the entire case, still untouched, and receive a $30 credit, or would you all consider that inappropriate?

subscribed

this is gonna be epic.

Scott, do you think the people who bought 2000 Lafite @ $2500/bottle are entitled to a $1300 credit, now that the wine is selling at $1200/bottle?

and if the price goes up, are you giving them the additional money?

April 1 is still a few weeks away.

If you have Citi Price Rewind on your credit card, you could upload the receipts and give it a try. (You would be getting a price adjustment from the bank, not the vendor, however)

IIRC consumables were excluded, but who knows how fine wine would be categorized.

'nuff said.

[highfive.gif] [popcorn.gif]

Yes, totally inappropriate, in my opinion. Hard to believe it is an honest question.

It may turn on the reason for the price change. As an example, 1988 DRC was originally sold by many U.S. retailers at a certain (relatively high) price point. A short time later, the same wine was being offered by retailers for substantially less. The explanation given for the price decrease was that Lalou Bize-Leroy, the importer, was offering gray market DRC to the U.S. market and that mixed cases were being split up to allow the RC to be sold separately for a high price, thereby freeing up the other bottlings for sale in the U.S. for much lower prices. My personal experience was that the retailer from whom I bought the wine cut me a check to make up the difference. I didn’t threaten or cajole; I merely asked about the price change. I understand other retailers did this as well, I am sure to maintain customer good will.

In your situation, the reason for the price change may make a difference, and the retailer may, if the facts warrant it, want to maintain your good will by refunding the difference to you. But, for example, if the reason is that the distributor just lowered the price and this being passed on, allowing for the price decrease, a refund might not be considered warranted.

Airlines do this sort of thing – credits and refunds – all the time when fares decrease.

How much later was the cheaper wine available? The OP is talking about going back six months after the purchase.

Also, the OP’s wine was domestic, so there’s no issue of gray marketing or currency fluctuations.

Huh? They regularly sell off seats close to the date of departure at discounts. I’ve never heard of them giving credits to people who bought earlier. Is that if you have a lot of miles or a card with them or something?

You should try, happy wife = happy life

Do you buy summer clothes in the spring and then go back to the store and ask for the difference when they close out those same clothes at the end of the summer?

This isn’t “a price adjustment.” You’re asking for a guarantee that the price will never be sold at a lower price. I can see it if it’s a few days later and you’re a good customer, but six months?!

If your concerned about $2.50 on a good bottle of wine this might not be the right hobby

Only if the retailer has some kind of policy to that effect, as a few here and there do (I mean retailers generally, not aware of any wine ones).

I do get what you’re feeling, though. You buy a jacket for $150 and then a few days later see it for $75, even though it doesn’t really change anything for you, it’s still a bummer.

If I’m going to go spend $500 or the better part of a grand on 2015 German Riesling, I don’t think asking for $30 is an altogether unreasonable request.

If the price change happens in the time that you would reasonably make a return on the wine (say 30 days) then yes, you could ask for the adjustment. i.e.: you could just return the wine and re-purchase for the lower price. But even this is suspect, and could ruin a relationship with a good wine merchant.

Generally speaking if you wouldn’t be willing to go pay more for the wine when the price goes up, what rational do you have for paying less if the wine goes down?
Your entitled?
Your a good consumer?
You should be the only person to get the good end of a bargain?

You made a fair transaction and bought the wine at the price you agreed to pay on date ‘x’. Just because something in the market changes, do you deserve to pay a lower price on date ‘y’? Not a chance.

Drink the wine and move on with life.

Standard policy on Southwest. If you see your fare has been reduced, you “change” your flight to the exact same flight and get a credit for the difference which can be used up to a year from the original purchase.

hahahah.

I say take advantage of the reduction and purchase another case.

No.