Chennai, August 9, 2026: Tamil Nadu’s newly launched Tasmac online liquor booking portal has come under criticism after buyers across the state complained that retail outlets refused to supply the liquor brands they had booked online, despite the portal showing the products as available in stock. The complaints have raised fresh concerns about the alleged nexus between Tasmac retail employees and liquor suppliers, with consumers claiming that certain brands were being pushed at the expense of customer choice.
The Tamil Nadu government recently introduced tasmac.tn.gov.in to allow customers to check real-time liquor stock, select brands online and reserve them before visiting Tasmac outlets. The initiative was projected as a major digital reform aimed at improving transparency, reducing uncertainty for buyers and modernising liquor retail operations in the state. However, within days of the rollout, multiple consumers reported that shop staff either claimed they were not trained to process online liquor orders or insisted that the booked brands were out of stock when customers arrived to collect them.
According to Tasmac officials, the portal generated orders worth approximately ₹7 lakh on Friday, the first day of operation, with Chennai accounting for around ₹3.5 lakh of the bookings. Officials also acknowledged that refunds of about ₹50,000 had to be processed after several outlets failed to supply liquor to customers who had placed confirmed online orders.
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One of the complainants, Jerome S from Mogappair, said he booked four pints of a specific beer brand through the Tasmac portal from shop No. 440 at Aminjikarai on Friday night. When he reached the outlet, staff informed him that the stock had already been exhausted. However, he claimed that the app continued to display 143 bottles available at around 9.30 pm. Jerome alleged that representatives of liquor suppliers appeared to be influencing which brands were sold, while Tasmac salesmen remained silent spectators. When he questioned one of the individuals about whether he was an authorised staff member, the person reportedly left the shop.
Tasmac officials clarified that the stock data displayed on the portal is updated with a delay of about 30 minutes. They maintained that once a customer successfully books a product and the stock is available at the time of booking, the bottles are supposed to be reserved exclusively for that buyer and cannot be sold to anyone else. Officials further stated that shops are expected to supply only the exact liquor brands booked online and not substitute them with alternative products.
Another buyer, V Sankar from Madipakkam, reported problems at shop No. 4125 in Sadasivam Nagar. He said the staff initially mocked him for using the online booking system and claimed that the beer varieties he had ordered were unavailable. Later, he was informed that the stock was “stuck somewhere”, and he eventually received only one of the two beer varieties he had booked, while being persuaded to accept a different brand as a substitute.
Similar issues were reported by Sudarshan N from Vandalur, who booked liquor worth ₹910 through the Tasmac website from shop No. 701 at Guindy. When he visited the outlet, he was allegedly told that the employees had not yet received training to handle online liquor sales. Sudarshan said he lodged a complaint through Tasmac’s official WhatsApp grievance number and was assured that the amount would be reimbursed.
The controversy has drawn the attention of the Tamil Nadu government. Prohibition and Excise Minister K. Vignesh confirmed that he had received complaints regarding the refusal of Tasmac salesmen to honour online liquor bookings. He stated that the implementation of the online liquor sale scheme would be reviewed with Tasmac management on Monday, after which appropriate instructions and corrective measures would be issued.
The complaints have put pressure on Tasmac to improve inventory synchronisation, staff training, order verification and accountability at retail outlets. What was intended to be a transparent digital liquor retail system in Tamil Nadu is now facing scrutiny over operational failures and allegations that supplier influence continues to affect brand availability even after the introduction of online booking facilities.
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