Okay, everyone saw this video, right? The one that proved that small and large beers at Qwest Field hold the same amount of liquid, even though the large is $1.25 more? KOMO got a response from Qwest Field’s vendor management:
“We received a copy of the YouTube video showing the quantity of liquid served in the 16 oz. beer cup is the same quantity that fits into the 20 oz. beer cup. This is the first time we have been alerted to this fact. Upon our internal investigation this afternoon, we discovered the cups that are marked 16 oz. hold 20 oz. of liquid. Fans who purchased a 16 oz. beer actually received 20 oz. of beer for the 16 oz. price. Fans that purchased the 20 oz. beer received the amount they purchased.
“We are working with Levy Restaurants to follow up with the cup vendor about the measurement and to determine how long this has been occurring at Qwest Field. We are determined to find a solution as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we will serve domestic beer in the 20 oz. cup at tomorrow’s playoff game to ensure all fans receive the amount they purchase, and we will charge the 16 oz. price.”
Sorry, but this is bullshit. It’s a bullshit response, and it’s bullshit that sports fans will just roll over and take it. Why is the Washington State Liquor Control Board not doing its job? Oh, right. They’re too busy watching gay porn.
Way to go, snitches.
So its a total rip off…but I don’t think it actually violates liquor laws, does it?
They fuck you in the drive-thru.
I’m not sure what else you expect as a response from Qwest Field – offer to refund $1.25 to every one who can prove they bought a higher priced “20 oz” beer since…some random date, possibly the beginning of time?
OTOH, I do think the WSLCB should be prepping some nice fines for the consumer fraud.
This is all about the factory produced pilsner aka “domestic beer”, right? The good craft beer has always been sold in just the taller (20 oz. only) cups, right?
So it turns out that Levy ran out of proper 16 oz cups, started using some short fat 20 oz cups, and handing out bonus “domestic beer”? And someone complained not that they were getting too much of this particular product, but that were getting ripped off when they bought the standard tall more expensive 20 oz cup?
Football. That’s really all there is to say about this.
“Football. That’s really all there is to say about this. “
#5, FTW
@4, no. retroactively charge everyone who bought 16 and got 20.
sheesh, are you the reason we’re in a recession? 😉
If I’m not mistaken, there are no “small” or “large” beers sold at Qwest Field. The cup shapes simply differentiate between shitty beer and good beer.
What, exactly is your complaint about Qwest’s “bullshit” response? People have essentially been getting free beer and for the playoff the stadium is charging the lower price for the larger volume.
Seems awfully pessimistic to take this as a cause for OUTRAGE rather than a beer error in your favor.
I don’t get how this is a “bullshit” response. It’s a stupid situation, and I can see being mad at Qwest field, and even getting a dig in at the bullshit WSLCB. But what would have been a non-bullshit response? I don’t see how they could have handled it better than 1) admitting the problem, 2) explaining how it happened, 3) promising to follow up to learn when it started, and 4) pouring the larger size at the smaller price in the interim. That seems like a pretty pro response to me.
Some independent testing seems to be in order.
@5, I love you. Either this post is a weird attempt at humor, or Paul needs to lay off his OUTRAGE button a sec.
I think Paul’s OUTRAGE button ought to be just about worn out by now. He gets pissed about something six tines a day.
Liquor Control should be disbanded and the money should go into Gregoire’s tunnel. (Pun intended)
@2, I think it actually does violate liquor laws, in that a retailer is required by law to serve the customer what they ordered without substitution, unless the substitution is agreed upon by the customer.
A rationale in this instance would be that a customer might be trying to control their alcohol consumption, and the extra 4 ounces might get them inadvertantly drunk.
I enjoy Paul’s posts quite a bit, and really appreciate his calling this to our attention, but also gotta chime in w/ the folks who’ve wondered what he would’ve expected by way of an appropriate response. It seems the only way this could be characterized as unmitigated “bullshit” would be if the amount held by each cup was, in fact, 16 ounces, thus resulting in overcharges (and based on just kinda looking at them, I’d guess they were 20. Though also wouldn’t be completely shocked to hear they measured at 16. Maybe he was expecting more resolute clarification on that front?)
And to those folks suggesting that football fans are all a bunch of un-literate tards & saw this coming cause football fans is stupidest, I’d just like to point out that it’s a lovely pedestal you stand upon and I can only wish I was as smart-tacular and dignified as you.
@5, @8 are wrong. “Domestic” beer — Bud, Bud Light, etc. — is sold in small or large cups. “Premium” beer — Sierra Nevada, Alaskan Amber, etc. — is sold only in the smaller, 16 oz cup. The larger domestic costs the same as the smaller premium; the smaller domestic costs less.
I wonder if I’ve been getting 20 oz. of beer in my supposedly 16 oz. premium cup all this time?
Regardless, I rather doubt this story. These vendors know exactly how many cups they’re getting out of each keg; they live for margins. That’s that corporate vending is all about. If they’d been giving away 25% extra beer they’d know about it.
I wonder if the guy who made the video is smart enough to measure it with a known measure?
Following @17, I was also wondering if we could just get some independent verification of those measurements — maybe from someone other than Qwest Field…
@ 18, maybe the guys who made that video kept the cups? (Doubtful, but measuring from that into a quart-sized measuring cup would settle this matter once and for all.)
Post #187 in the reasons why Paul Constant is an idiot and should STFU.
Ha ha!! I don’t think it’s bullshit. I think it’s brilliant!
Face it, you’re being ripped off when you buy beer in venue like Qwest Field no matter how many ounces you are, or think you are, buying.
If this had happened at a Seattle music venue (or god forbid, a bar with gay people in it!) the result would be a heavy fine and possibly the loss of their license. Nothing is going to happen here because it’s not financially worth it for the LCB to take on anyone who has the money to properly defend themselves in court. The business model of the LCB is more or less lifted from when you had to buy your booze through organized crime. They prey on the small businesses that can’t afford the legal expense.
I noticed this at a sounders game last year… if only I’d posted it on YouTube – I’d be famous!!
I want to see the liquid from one of the 16oz cups measured.
Do not go to sports games, just want to see if they are fibbing on that. That cup did not look that big.
I think the OUTRAGE should be paying $10 for merely 20oz of 5%-alcohol domestic beer in the first place. $10! Are people insane? Egregious.