filling someone elses keg

[billk]

I've never ran into this problem in four years and now I've had it happen twice this week. Two separate customers have brought in their "own" sanke sixtles to be filled, one had the label from another brewery on it and I flat out refused him. The other however has no identification at all on it (I know this is as simple as removing a sticker or in some cases just the neck ring) and I'm not sure how to question this guy without calling him out as a possible liar and thief.

I'm assuming this is not a common practice in our industry as it pretty much insures that the original brewery will never get it's keg back. I just wanted to get some other brewers perspective before I call this guy back.

Thanks,

Bill

[Ted Briggs]

What about confiscating them!

[billk]

[What about confiscating them!]

I thought about that, but what if it turns out to really be his keg? It seems that if every brewery refused to fill any keg but their own it makes the keg worthless (excluding the scrapyard :mad: ) to the individual for anything but returning it for their initial deposit.

[GlacierBrewing]

When we have people wanting us to fill their "personal" keg, we tell them that we can only fill our kegs due to the potential liability of the cleanliness of the keg; i.e. if their keg isn't total clean, our beer goes in it, makes them sick, they lawyer-up, etc. Fall back on the liability issue. As far as confiscating them, I've always felt that I'm not the law. I've always offered to buy the keg from them.
my two cents.....
Dave

[frigatebay]

Don't have an answer but hey it might have been mine. I had my brand dist in PA for a year or so and only got back 20% of my kegs. REALLY SUCKED. Wholesaler said it wasn't his fault. Wanted his deposit back in the few he returned.

[frigatebay]

On the same note. Another local brewer by me routinely fills other brewers kegs. I once found several of mine there. Claimed they didnt' realize. Considering they had stickers and big red letters on them don't know how they couldn't.

[billk]

I just talked to the bartender that took the keg and apparently the guy told him that supposedly other breweries have done it under the premise of "we're in the business of selling beer not containers".

[jarviw]

perhaps instead of simply turning the customers down, we can spend 5 minutes explaining and educating the real issue with keg loss to the brewery!?

obviously the customers coming to get the kegs filled like our beer, but they failed to realized the extreme cost of the kegs for the breweries! We don't want our kegs stolen, just like other brewers don't want to lose their kegs!

....I like to think people are capable of being good.

[Beersmith]

We also refuse to fill kegs that customers bring in from other breweries. Not only is it the right thing to do, but I also believe its the law. I would be real careful about "confiscating" unless you are sure the keg is stolen and you personally know the rightful owner. Some customers do own their kegs. Because we don't like having our 1/6 bbls tied up in someone's kegerator for long periods of time, we advise customers that have kegerators to buy their own keg(s) from Sabco and we then clean and fill them with the beer of their choice.

[nwcw2001]

When we have people wanting us to fill their "personal" keg, we tell them that we can only fill our kegs due to the potential liability of the cleanliness of the keg; i.e. if their keg isn't total clean, our beer goes in it, makes them sick, they lawyer-up, etc. Fall back on the liability issue. As far as confiscating them, I've always felt that I'm not the law. I've always offered to buy the keg from them.
my two cents.....
Dave

What about confiscating them!

Here's something that's crazy enough to work. How about a combination of the two? The customer obviously likes your beer, give them the liability line but tell him/her that you can EXCHANGE the keg with one of your own and return the keg to the rightful brewery. That way your beer goes out and your conscience is clear and the brewery gets back their keg. If the keg doesn't have any markings, then your integrate it into rotation.

Just a thought,

John

[GlacierBrewing]

"Here's something that's crazy enough to work. How about a combination of the two? The customer obviously likes your beer, give them the liability line but tell him/her that you can EXCHANGE the keg with one of your own and return the keg to the rightful brewery. That way your beer goes out and your conscience is clear and the brewery gets back their keg. If the keg doesn't have any markings, then your integrate it into rotation."


I've thought about that, but came to the conclusion that if these individuals are willing to "steal" another brewery's kegs and have me fill them, why wouldn't they steal mine and have another brewery fill them? My point is I'm trying to break that cycle.

[REV]

If you swap it out for one of your own and your worried about it coming home...CASH DEPOSIT!

I generally just take a credit card imprint and only run it if they fail to return my equipment after I've contacted them. But if the guy seems a little shifty, like this guy, nothing gets people back with your stuff faster than $150 cash :)

[Ted Briggs]

I generally just take a credit card imprint and only run it if they fail to return my equipment after I've contacted them.

WE also take a deposit for in-house keg sales. $150 for keg and tap.

[billk]

If he was just buying a keg I would definitely charge enough of a deposit to insure I got my keg back, but I'm not sure I could swap the keg and charge the guy a deposit on top of it.