To think challenge 25 rules can be silly.

The part I find silly is a parent with a child (any age from baby to 17) being refused a sale because 'it could be for them'.
I just don't get it, if really they were buying for the underaged child they will just go to the next store and ask the child to wait somewhere while they pay. What am I missing??

My friend was refused a box of lemsips because she didn't have ID on her. She was 26!

@PattyPan

Paracetamol isn’t age restricted by law. It’s store policy, so some may say 16 and over, but operate challenge 25.

www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/childrens-health/what-age-can-children-buy-over-the-counter-otc-medicines/

@TerribleLizard maybe because it has paracetamol in? I know that for paracetamol tablets you have to be 16

In these cases it's staff following rules they haven't created, don't blame staff.

If it's a group then we have to ID everyone. Person buying it could then be sharing the alcohol so we have a duty to not sell alcohol in those circumstances.

Yes, it's only one person buying it. But that person could then be sharing it with someone underage. Same with if we suspect the person of legal age is buying for someone underage.

I saw a lady getting ID'd today for buying alcohol with her teenage daughter.
The lady was refused as her teenage daughter had no ID
My friend was refused because her DH didn’t have ID (she did) and she insisted on seeing a manager who told the cashier to carry on with the sale. On what basis are they refusing to serve if the person buying it has ID....

I’m mid 30s, and get asked for ID all the time. I definitely don’t think I look 24, I’m just short. I wouldn’t bother trying to buy alcohol without ID, but I have been caught out with calpol. It’s not an age restricted product, so I had no idea the shop would have included it in challenge 25. The people on the tills 100% believed it was against the law to sell it to me without ID, so the training they received must have gone wrong somewhere. I don’t know why shops don’t make their policies more prominent - they have challenge 25 signage around the alcohol but not the painkillers.

Stores can have whatever policy they fancy, but if everyone adds in different products to challenge 25, it becomes confusing, as different stores have different policies. Challenge 25 is only really to do with alcohol, but individual retailers have added other products to it, which I think dilutes the message a bit.

At 35 I’d rather not show ID to prove I’m over 18 to buy a product that isn’t age restricted, because someone can’t tell if they think I look 24. But if a retailer is going to make me do that, they definitely shouldn’t let their staff believe it’s the law, rather than their own preference.

Everyone should provide ID it's so cringe being ID'd at co op when i'm in my 30s. I can feel the customers behind me smirking and judging. Sometimes the shops assistants would come and say why are you IDing her. Fuck off.

I agree. I sometimes get id'd, not always though. My DP on the other hand who is 30, gets asked for id every time without fail, he has even been asked for id for a lottery ticket.

Maybe other supermarket have stricter training guidance, but where I am we're given extensive training on Challenge 25. If it's clearly a parent with an older child we don't need to ID the young adult/teenager.

What I find really great are the people who have their ID ready because they know they'll get challenged, I love those customers as it makes the whole process a lot less stressful.

Maybe if you are buying alcohol you should just provide ID end of none of this pick who you ask etc. And its the person paying for it that is ID'd and not the family members with them or if we got used to it send child away whilst paying and that then removes the issue but yes that one of I am not selling it to you as you have teenagers with you business is crazy - surely if you are buying for them you wouldn't have them near you in case etc - but also blow me alcohol at home is an entirely different matter for age etc. Its once again annoying law abiding citizens for those few that buy on behalf of those badgering them outside a supermarket and I am not convinced that is still an issue and if it is then it would be more helpful for staff outside to move those kids along etc

I can't even count the number of people in the queue who used to make it their business to double check I'd not served someone underage because they had decided they didn't look 18. Usually older women who call everyone under 40 'a baby'.

And yes, being shouted at regularly by someone you ID because they think they look older than someone you just served ahead of them without challenging, very tiring.

I take my driving licence with me everywhere so it doesn't really bother me although I'd be unimpressed if I had a teen child with me and was refused a sale because they didnt have ID.

The ID everyone is to show consistency and in case anyone in the queue is watching and to stop arguments of "Well you didn't ID him so why are you IDing me?"

Plus it shouldn't be beyond the capability of a functioning adult to judge the reliability of the information they're using to make their decision.

When people are saying that they know someone is over 18, it's usually on very reliable evidence, eg the cashier is 22 and they were in the same year at school, or they're a close friend or relation and will have had multiple birthdays in their time knowing each other. Or someone passed their driving test more than a year ago. Not 'we were in the pub together a couple of times'.

I got asked for ID last week to buy Christmas Crackers which I had no idea were an age restricted product. I'm 40 by the way and had my 14, 11 and 8 year old kids with me who thought it hilarious that the cashier thought I was under 25 and couldn't wait to tell their dad when we got home. After I produced my license she still kept going on about how I looked under 25 and she can't believe I'm 40.

I work in a supermarket and agree some of the rules are getting ridiculous.

But we do have to ID entire groups if buying at the same time, we are personally fined if we don't. If it's clearly a parent and child then you don't need to ID the young adult. Plus there is the potential of buying for someone else where we can get fined too, which is especially unfair as it's impossible to tell.

We had a customer inform us about someone who was buying cigarettes for underage teenagers and had to refuse service to that person.

The rules are annoying, but we don't have a choice but to be strict.

Although I should point out, staff are not allowed to ask you to remove your mask for ID purposes.

My work colleague took in a parcel. They needed ID to prove she was over 18, she’s 62 and looks 62. She had no ID and the delivery guy was arguing with her. She made up a date of birth 1982.
Just no common sense.

Totally agree. The rules seemed designed for morons with no common sense. It would be a bloody pain not to be able to take a teenager to do the big weekly shop because you can't buy wine.

Once I had a test purchase on the games machines in the pub I worked at. Got called into the office to ask why I didn't ID him. Asked them to pull up the CCTV and showed them, there was absolutely no way he was young enough to need Id-ing, he was closer to 30. Obviously I wasn't going to ID him, and nor would anyone else have! Luckily enough, everyone agreed with me and the regional manager had it overturned (he was actually 27 as it turned out and we implemented Challenge 21) but it was extremely frustrating to be put in that position.

Yabu. Why should the cashier pay a fine just because some adult dickhead buys alcohol for the underage?
It does happen you know!
Why should someone on minimum wage be liable??

@PattyPan

That's because Challenge 25 applies to all age restricted products, so they have to ID if you look under 25 and want to buy an age restricted product.

Some of the situations I had to manage as a shop worker:

"I know they're 18" yes you might but the 22 year old in the queue behind them might not.

"I know they're 18" I've been to the pub with them, but they used a fake ID to get in.

"I know they're 18" I went to school with them but they were a few months below me.

Challenge 25 is to protect the workers. Just carry ID with you if you wish to purchase age restricted items I can't see the issue, honestly.

If a staff member misinterprets the (honestly vague and difficult to interpret) rules they are asked to implement and refuses the same, I'll just go in later with ID, or sans teenager.

The staff need a framework. If it's just "ID whoever you think is under 18" it leaves room for error and misunderstanding.