Why is it illegal to return unopened alcohol?

because there are laws that say you cannot sell alcoholic beverages without a license. When you return it to the store for refund or credit it is legally considered that you are selling it to Kroger, and therefore illegal.

Haha, that’s ridiculous. You need a vendor’s license to sell products yet you can return those items. Laws are odd.

IT is the liquor laws. Read @DrBill answer again. It is not a vendor license issue. The license laws in my state require a alcohol beverage license for a one time sale for a charity wine testing event, it has to be signed off by local law enforcement ( chief of police with a background check of requester ).

Liquor laws vary from state to state.

I just think it sucks that if you buy the wrong alcohol and walk right back in it’s illegal. It’s just dumb in my opinion.

They may think the same thing about you..“why didn’t she make sure she had what she wanted?”

I cannot return or exchange light bulbs at my local hardware store. Caveat emptor. (Spell check likes caveat empty.)

Probably for the same reason you can’t get a refund on ammunition. All sales are final.

It’s not about what I wanted. It’s about what someone wanted.

The vendor doesn’t know that and really doesn’t care.

Isn’t it better to return the unopened bottle to the store rather than giving it to minors? There are lots of error purchases, that want to return it to the store. It’s stupid to say you have to have a license to return the alcohol. The receipt should serve you as a license. My wife bought a bottle of cognac thinking was champagne, because on the bottle actually says champagne cognac and the bottle was boxed and sealed. When we opened the box then we saw its a cognac. Obviously they don’t accept returns why even bother. The law is very carefully forbidding returns but careless in thinking that people might further break the law and let the liquor get into the hands of minors. Obviously there’s a reason why you want to return it. But the law is obliging you to consume the beverage regardless you like it or not, or its to strong for you or simply it’s not your flavor. No you have to consume it or keep it until some minor gets hold of it. Because of the stupidity of the law makers people are oblige hold onto the alcohol they don’t want. $65 bottle. What if I was an ignorant of the law and gave it to the minors. The law in this case lectures the wolf to stay
away from the sheep rather than safeguarding the sheep from the wolf. You have to use the logic of the credibility in this sense

What an absurd law! What do people do if the bottle of wine they bought for dinner happens to be corked? Would the liquor store give a refund then?