Discount Tire just lost my business

Okay, so how do you read the date codes on tires then?
Whenever I have bought new tires, I have never seen the dates that the tires were actually manufactured written down on the invoice.
If they are so anal about dates, this should be done. It seems that whatever is to their advantage they go with. I bet they sell tires that are over a year old and don't say anything.
I also bet that they would try to cover their asses and say that they were stored properly, so they are within full right of selling them as new.
What about this point?