Indiana excise officer April Tackett said there are several ways stores, bars and liquor stores can violate state laws regarding alcohol prices.
For instance, the idea of a “happy hour” at bars is against state law.
That’s where a bar offers a special on drinks for part of the day then sells that same drink for the rest of the day at a different price.
The only business allowed to offer drink specials or drink coupons are those with a hotel/motel permit.
Many grocery stores and pharmacies are now offering shopper cards that give discounts on selected products in the store.
If a store is offering a special on alcohol to those cardholders, by law, they have to offer the same special to non-cardholders.
Bars that offer drink specials based on gender are also in violation.
Tackett did say, however, excise officers don’t get involved with cover charges.
With recent New Year’s Eve celebrations, bars that offered a flat rate to get into their establishment and then gave patrons free drinks are also in violation.
Tackett said an exception would be if the establishment had a private party where tickets were sold.
Punch cards and “buy one, get one free” type promotions also aren’t allowed in Indiana.
Quantity sales, such as when a bar sells a bucket of beer, though is legal.
For those who feel that they’ve been a victim of price discrimination, they should call the area excise office based out of Columbia City at 260-244-4285.
