There once were three kegs...

[McDegga]

I happen to have three full size kegs (1/2 bbl's of commercial swill) left over from July 4th of last year that are just collecting dust. What do you think I should do with them? I currently have 7 Corny's that I am using form my brews.

Any and all help/suggestions will be appreciated!
-E

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

Send one to me so I can use it as a kettle.

 

[Jaysus]

Return them to a distributor so that the brewery can get it's cooperage back.

 

[McKBrew]

The right thing to do is turn them back in. If anyone wants to disagree with this, there is a thread in the debate forum.

 

[McDegga]

I would have no problem turning them in, but I did leave a $50- deposit for EACH of them as well. The mitigating factor here, is that since I waited so long, the beverage store I got the full kegs from refuses to return my deposit (really!) so, if I return them I'm out $150- worth of deposits and that seems really crazy.

Any continued thoughts?

Oh, and as an added bonus, I just read the thread you referred to, McKBrew, and the difference here is that I lugged the three heavy as all get out kegs back to the store I (Bought, borrowed, stole, call it what you will) along with my original receipt, and they still wouldn't take them back. They said too much time had passed, and they had already hammered my credit card for the full deposit of $50- EACH not just the 'hold charge'.
I understand theft, and I understand ethics. My degree is in Philosophy and we can debate this for as long as you like, but I respectfully refuse to be called a thief for the fact that I believe that I own these kegs for $150- and I attempted in good faith to return them. Add to that the fact that the owner of the store refused to take them back (They are in the same exact condition they were in when I received them having been stored in my garage for the entire time).

Do you still feel that this falls under the spectre of 'thieving bastard'?
$100 follow up question...If so, who is the thief, me or the owner of the store more interested in my $150- than his property?

 

[BoxofRain]

I would have no problem turning them in, but I did leave a $50- deposit for EACH of them as well. The mitigating factor here, is that since I waited so long, the beverage store I got the full kegs from refuses to return my deposit (really!) so, if I return them I'm out $150- worth of deposits and that seems really crazy.

Any continued thoughts?

Oh, and as an added bonus, I just read the thread you referred to, McKBrew, and the difference here is that I lugged the three heavy as all get out kegs back to the store I (Bought, borrowed, stole, call it what you will) along with my original receipt, and they still wouldn't take them back. They said too much time had passed, and they had already hammered my credit card for the full deposit of $50- EACH not just the 'hold charge'.
I understand theft, and I understand ethics. My degree is in Philosophy and we can debate this for as long as you like, but I respectfully refuse to be called a thief for the fact that I believe that I own these kegs for $150- and I attempted in good faith to return them. Add to that the fact that the owner of the store refused to take them back (They are in the same exact condition they were in when I received them having been stored in my garage for the entire time).

Do you still feel that this falls under the spectre of 'thieving bastard'?
$100 follow up question...If so, who is the thief, me or the owner of the store more interested in my $150- than his property?

Do they have a written policy regarding the returns of kegs? If not, I would let Judge Judy decide just on principle alone.

Back on topic: make a sculpture.

 

[McDegga]

Nope, no written policy, but my time is wort way too much to bother with a lawsuit...

 

[BoxofRain]

Nope, no written policy, but my time is wort way too much to bother with a lawsuit...

Principle! Stick it to the man! Rent an inflatable rat then!

 

[Fusorfodder]

If you have some way to do so, contact the brewery and explain the situation. I have no idea how you would go about doing this, but technically they still do own the kegs. They simply have written them off at this point. They may arrange to have some or all of a deposit returned for them or may give them to you at this point. They should have some interest in the return of them so I imagine they would try to be somewhat helpful.

 

[tedski]

If you feel you own these three kegs then build yourself a nice system. I'm not here to debate who owns these kegs, I'm just posting to let you know what I would do with three kegs that I felt I rightfully owned. I know I'd be pricing out angle iron right about now if I were you

 

[bad coffee]

Somewhere on those kegs it will tell you who owns them. Call those places and tell them you'd like to return them, but want your $150 back. Explain to them the situation.

Here in NYC most places have a 7 day return and a $150 deposit (each keg. FU very much city of nyc $75 per keg deposit on top of brewery deposit.)

once you call the breweries who actually own the kegs, and they say 'you can keep them,' Then you can send me two. I'll make keggles out of them and send one back to you.

B

 

[BoxofRain]

Here in NYC most places have a 7 day return and a $150 deposit (each keg. FU very much city of nyc $75 per keg deposit on top of brewery deposit.)

]

B

Not to mention that you have to sign your life away before you even pay the deposit.

 

[tedski]

once you call the breweries who actually own the kegs, and they say 'you can keep them,' Then you can send me two. I'll make keggles out of them and send one back to you.

B

Now, there's a great idea!!

 

[eddie]

Sounds like you are the proud owner of three slightly used kegs to me. I'm pretty sure you could find a fellow brewer who might be willing to take them off your hands. Perhaps you can list them on Craigs List or eBay.

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

Sounds like you are the proud owner of three slightly used kegs to me. I'm pretty sure you could find a fellow brewer who might be willing to take them off your hands. Perhaps you can list them on Craigs List or eBay.

I concur; I can't say I've seen a store do that. Most places around here, long as it's a keg, you can trade it in for a nice new full keg minus deposit.

Don't crap in your back yard- I don't know if you still go to that distributor, but I doubt they would like you as a customer after you file a lawsuit against them. Sell them, make a keggle, make a grill, whatever! You tried multiple times and even 'finagled' a false return (I think that's what you were saying); If they're that adamant, you paid for them, they're yours.

 

[McDegga]

Where I live, we don't buy from distributors, beer is sold through stores regulated by the county. As an example, at least one of them is a Miller product. I could call Miller, though I didn't get the keg from Miller. Just playing devils advocate here for a moment, I'd like to get either my money back, or use the kegs for something. The altruistic 'Hey Mr. Brewery here's a keg you're not looking for. Please take it back and leave me empty handed. Thanks!' isn't waht I'm after.

I could be wrong (er) here, but the brewery would have sold the keg to the beer store holding the beer store accountable for the safe return of it's property. The fact that the beer store doesn't want it back puzzles me, but it seems that the brewery would have the gripe with the beer store owner and would like to and has probably already 'collected' from the beer store. What happens now? Am I wrong?

 

[McKBrew]

Whoa, WTF? I was just trying to direct the typical controversy regarding "keg ethics" to the appropriate location. Where in the hell did you get the impression that I was calling you a "thieving bastard?" Honestly, I could care less what you do with the kegs. If I were in your position and I had exhausted the same effort to turn the kegs in, I'd keep them too. You read way too much out of my response, and I'm not sure you read the post I was referring too. Not sure what a degree in philosophy has to do with anything, but whatever. Again, I never called you a thief or even insinuated as much. Enjoy your new keggles

Oh, and as an added bonus, I just read the thread you referred to, McKBrew, and the difference here is that I lugged the three heavy as all get out kegs back to the store I (Bought, borrowed, stole, call it what you will) along with my original receipt, and they still wouldn't take them back. They said too much time had passed, and they had already hammered my credit card for the full deposit of $50- EACH not just the 'hold charge'.
I understand theft, and I understand ethics. My degree is in Philosophy and we can debate this for as long as you like, but I respectfully refuse to be called a thief for the fact that I believe that I own these kegs for $150- and I attempted in good faith to return them. Add to that the fact that the owner of the store refused to take them back (They are in the same exact condition they were in when I received them having been stored in my garage for the entire time).

Do you still feel that this falls under the spectre of 'thieving bastard'?
$100 follow up question...If so, who is the thief, me or the owner of the store more interested in my $150- than his property?

 

[McDegga]

Suffice it to say that my post was waaaay misunderstood.
End of story. For those of you that PM'd me, I'll let you know what I do with them.
I sent a private PM apology to McKBrew because it was warranted.
Consider myself publicly flamed. I simply value the help and advice given on this board to let it go unsaid. I'm man enough to apologize when necessary.

My question regarding 'thieving bastard' was open, and not implying that I was called this by anyone. It was written after I read the thread that McKBrew directed me to... People had posted that having a keg without brewery consent is tantamount to stealing, and I simply was attempting to ask (evidently poorly) if what I am going through constituted theft or not. No insults meant or implied.

Flame away, and apologies to anyone ele who took it the wrong way.

I hope this clears it up.

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

People like to start ****. Mostly because they dont have three kegs.

 

[McKBrew]

We're cool. Sorry I jumped on your a$$ as well. We apparently misunderstood eachother. Once you have gotten to the point where you have exhausted every method to turn the kegs back in, you've done your part. I'd agree with your decision not to post the final disposition of the kegs here, because if you keep them in the end, someone will still give you $hit about it.

 

[bhs668]

I own a liquor store in MA. I know for a fact that the distributors who sell to the store where you buy want their kegs back. My Bud house sends a driver out twice a year to go to every store and bar they serve to do a keg survey, how many on hand, how many kegs do I have out. This so they can figure out if all there kegs can be accounted for.
Have you tried to return them to another store in the area? I will take back kegs from people who didn't purchase from me, because I give them the $30 I know I will credit for from the distributor once they are picked up so it doesn't cost me a thing.
I would also contact the distributor in you area. Tell them your dilema. They might direct you to a store that is kind enough to give you your money back, and the store will then get credit for the returned keg. The only issue here is that in MA it costs me $30 for a keg delivered to me. I charge the customer the same $30 deposit. If you have to bring it to another store, you may only get credit for what the store will get credited. So if the store where you purchased charged you $50 and they are only paying $30, then you could for example lose $20 a keg.

 

[McDegga]

BHS668, Thanks for chiming in, it's nice to have someone 'in the know'. Do you have any idea why the owner of the store might be acting this way? FWIW, I was dealing with the owner (to my knowledge) and frankly it's a pain in the butt... Is is really worth the trouble at this point, or should I just say the heck with it? None of them are in tremendously great shape, but in exactly the same condition they were in when I picked them up.
Just curious....

McKBrew, no harm no foul! Thanks for understanding.
-E

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

I guess the "right" this to do would be to try every store in the area. However I am way to lazy to do this.(ducks) IMO you brought them back with the receipt. He said, "I dont want them." Not your problem anymore.

 

[bhs668]

If he won't give you the money back he is just being an a$$ in my opinion. The only thing I can think of is that he may be being charged less than what he takes for a deposit from you the consumer. So as my example in MA, he pays $30 for the keg, charges you a $50 deposit and now he's made $60 on three kegs that he doesn't want to give up.
Nonetheless it's poor costumer relations if you ask me, and the brewery by all means wants that keg back.
It's easy enough to just call around to see if another store will take them. Also, the deposits on kegs have gone up quite a bit in the past year out here anyway. They went from my deposit cost of $10 to $25 and $30 in just the last year and a half or so. The reason being I charged the consumer the same $10 I was, all I want is my money back in case they don't return it, but apparently lots of kegs were being lost as the customer was bringing them to the scrap yard and getting more back for them. I don't know that that will be the case being you put down $50 a keg.

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

Kinda lame because I bought an old keg and it turned out to be the wrong type for my purpose. So I tried to take them back to a few places that rent out keg. None of them wanted it. Scrap yard didnt want it. So I gave it to a friend who thought he could do something with it.
Im guessing this is not an uncommon problem.

 

[McDegga]

Am I actually this dense? Is scrap metal worth this much money? I'm sure that he profited on the keg deposits, it's the only thing that makes sense. What do the big brew houses do with older kegs? Do they scrap them? Do they smelt 'em themselves? This seems like a whole lot of energy for what amounts to nothing...

 

[bhs668]

At only $10 (when that's all the deposit was) I gotta believe the keg is worth much more than that. How much? That I'm not to sure of.

 

[Gregredic]

Am I actually this dense? Is scrap metal worth this much money? I'm sure that he profited on the keg deposits, it's the only thing that makes sense. What do the big brew houses do with older kegs? Do they scrap them? Do they smelt 'em themselves? This seems like a whole lot of energy for what amounts to nothing...

You have done your fiduciary responsibilty of trying to return them...with a receipt even. Even though the amount of time you kept the kegs is out of line....there was no written return policy stating when the kegs needed to be returned. You have done everything that a "reasonble man" would do in this situation. At this point...it is just a burden on you...keep the kegs and let the thread drop.

Now that I have said that....please....everyone berate me.