Dear Editor, How is that most retailers will put on sale any perishable goods nearing their ‘Best by date’ while others continue to sell the product at top price.

For instance, the T.E.M Store chain recently put on sale a beer product that had passed its ‘best by’ date. This is good and responsible retailing.

On the other hand, the wholesaler that supplied the beer product, The Bond Store, refuses to do the same even though it’s now over a month past the ‘Best by date’!

Where is the sleeping Consumer Affairs division?

‘Stop rip offs’

(Name and address supplied)

Reply – There’s a big difference between best before dates (BBD) and expiry dates especially when it comes to alcohol as it is not a perishable good. We have in the past had sales or items that had gone past its BBD.

We are aware of this incident and who the customer is who has written this letter. That customer came into the store and pointed out to our staff that one of our beers had gone past its best before date. The staff on duty then immediately collected the Beer in question and removed it from sale. When you have so many different products on sale sometimes we don’t quite get our stock control 100% right. We are working on that as a team.

The customer demanded a discount on the past BBD beer however we chose to remove it from sale all together.

I cannot see how our actions constitute ripping someone off.

Kia Manuia,

Patricia A. Barton

The Bond Store