I failed a test on an underage sale at work,...but it wasn't fair-play!!! (sorry, longgg)

[mysonben]

Hi,
I work as a cashier in a bid superstore.
For a few months now we have had this new "think 25" scheme running.
Basically if we feel a customer looks like they could be under 25 years old we must ask for some ID, before doing the sale, if no ID is presented we must refuse the sale.

The police does regular "out of the blues" spot check on cashiers.
They will send in an underage teenager to the store to try to buy alcohol, cigarettes or dvds,... to see if we authorise the sale and break the law or not.

I have worked for my employer for nearly 6 years, and have always followed the rules, i often make a fool out of myself by asking for ID even if they look well over the 25 limit.

Well guess what, i had about 30 mins left out of my shift when my employers decided to do an 'in-house' test on me.
So they sent this girl to my checkout with an 18 classified dvd. The only thing is the girl in question works at my store, on checkouts, and she was even still wearing her work uniform too.
So when she gave me the dvd , i simply asked her casually "you are over 18 aren't you?", she replied "oh yaeh!", i looked at her again and asked again "you're sure yeah???" , she said "of course!".
Like a fool i trusted her, because she is a fellow cashier working at my store.
I though surely she won't lie she is a colleague,...she knows the rules herself.

Well, she suddenly called a supervisor over who said to me in front of customers and other cashiers "you failed an underage test!"
They left me, gobsmacked, feeling humiliated with no explanation for a further 25 mins.
Then when i was closing down my till, i called another supervisor informed me that this failure could be taken to the manager's office and i could face losing my place on tills.
I was livid!

What a dirty, dirty trick!
I really feel that these kind of stunts will put a bad atmosphere between staff.
As i tried to explain, should they have sent someone from another store or at the very least from another department other than checkouts, and not wearing their uniform i would have refused the sale.
I fell like they have been really unfair.

Sorry , it's so long.
Anyone knows where i stand on this?

Thanks.

[mysonben]

Ooops "big superstore"

[themoon66]

Is she over 18 then? Are you in a union?

[JodieO]

You should have asked to see her id

[themoon66]

If you work with her and know for sure she is over 18, then I would say you didn't need to ask for ID. Surely the 'under 25 in the looks dept' is for people who may be questionable because you don't know them.

I feel very angry on your behalf!

[mysonben]

No the girl in question is 17 i was told.

Not in union no.

I 'm biting my fingers now for trusting her words.

[JodieO]

So you didn't know her then. You definitely should have asked her for id, it doesn't matter whether she works there or not.

[MmeLindt]

That was sneaky, as you were put in a difficult position.

[mysonben]

I was a trusting fool.
My question is "do you think the test was done fairly?"
Me i feel it wasn't as the girl was a fellow cashier in my store.
They should have at least sent someone that i didn't know at all, like from another department or a different store.
I said to them "if you can 't trust your work colleagues not to pull a fast one like this on you, then so much for team spirit and morale"

[LaurieFairyCake]

I think your work are idiots for not telling other cashiers on the checkouts that there are under 18's working there.

Whenever I have bought an age restricted item in a shop from an underage checkout assistant they have always had to have a supervisor come over to sell me the item.

Surely you should all be told so you can help them?

[mysonben]

JodieO, No i didn't know her personnaly, i only spoke to her regarding till matters when we were bothe next to each other, and at the cafeteria. But that's it.

[TeamEdwardTango]

I think that was unfair and I think that girl has been very niave and tricked by management too. I doubt she realises that no member of staff will trust her or any other colleague now.

[mysonben]

Mme. Linlt, yes it was sneaky indeed.
Should it have been a proper police check with a total stranger i would have stood a fair chance, and wouldn't have taken her words to be the truth.

[Squishabelle]

What a stupid thing for the girl to agree to do this and even moreso the shop for making her. Talk about causing trouble between staff. What were they thinking?

[paisleyleaf]

You're right, that is sneaky
I bet you're kicking yourself.
Thing is, as a checkout girl, if she'd been a genuine customer, she would've been cool about you saying "you know I can't serve you without ID don't you"?

[paisleyleaf]

Oh, and that's awful that they humiliated you in front of customers - that's not on.

[LittleMissBliss]

So if this girl is 17 and working on the tills. Is she not allowed to sell DVDs rated 18 and alcohol?

I think they were really underhand. To be honest i would have done the same and trusted the fellow employee.

[fishie]

whenever i buy booze in a supermarket with an underage checkout person they hvae to call someone else over to ok it. so it seems very off that you don't know who is over/under age working there.

am not doubting you op, it sounds as though their whole procedure is dodgy if you don't know that underage people are operating tills.

[mysonben]

Fishie, yes that's how they do it , if the cashier is under 18 then they have to ask for permission to sell alcohol,...
The trouble is the store is big, we have 39 tills, and i work p/t.

I really should have insisted for ID. But i'm an idiot, i thought 'well she isn't gonna lie to me, because she works here, she knows the rules,...'
But still i feel the whole test was not done fairly.
Plus she giggled when the supervisor anounced that i'd just failed an underage test.
Cow!!!

[Squishabelle]

Stupid cow should have refused to do it. Shes really endeared herself to her colleagues now hasnt she!

[bibbitybobbityhat]

I think this was a really shitty exercise all round and I feel deeply sorry for you op. How dare they humiliate you like that? I am really cross on your behalf.

[bibbitybobbityhat]

I think this was a really shitty exercise all round and I feel deeply sorry for you op. How dare they humiliate you like that? I am really cross on your behalf.

[amtooyoungforthis]

I think the test was fair.

Just because you vaguely know her, doesn't mean you should let it pass, which it sounds like you did

Your management would want to know if you took the rules seriously, you proved you don't. If I was the manager, I would be wondering who else you would let off tbh

[mysonben]

I think i'm going to write down all the points that i feel are not right about it, and go to see the store manager about it.

They always go on about about their store values with stuff like :
Staff working as a team, treating each other well with respect, blah blah...

When it comes down to it they have shown me i can't trust my work colleagues at all, it's really everyone to their own in that place.

[MrsWeasley]

My DH who works in retail management (admittedly he hasnt been doing it long but has just covered this on one of his courses) has said that they are not allowed to use an under 18 year old to do an underage test.
The only people who are allowed to do this are trading standards/police.

[mysonben]

That's the thing i have never let anyone off the hook before in 6 years, i did it because i trusted her as a colleague.
Like i said should it have been a proper ploice check i wouldn't have failed it.

And to be honest, this in house test thing was unknown to me, and who in their right mind would knowningly lie to other staff whom they work with in a real life scenario.

I'm sure if they want to buy something they are not allowed to, then they wouldn't do it on their own doorstep would they.