To think challenge 25 has gone too far?

I expect they are hoping to achieve avoiding their licence to sell alcohol, which can be revoked if they are caught selling to under 18s or not checking. Better safe than sorry if it is something that makes a difference to their profits. Many small shops run on tiny profit margins, being fined and losing a valuable income stream could make all the difference.

It's nothing new for me, as I have never ever been asked for ID to prove I'm old enough; although I was routinely questioned as to whether I was young enough for a half fare on the bus when I was still 3 or 4 years younger than the cut-off.

The best of all was when I was 21 and I showed my UK student ID to get the concessionary price at an attraction in mainland Europe. The woman in the kiosk read a (handwritten by the issuer) British 77 in the birthdate box as a European 11 and was looking suspiciously back and forth for a few seconds between the card and me, trying to decide if I really could be an extremely well-preserved 87-year-old. I don't know what I would have been trying to achieve, as an actual 87yo would have got the concessionary price anyway

I was refused buying an alcoholic drink the other day when out with my teenage daughter despite asking her what she wanted (a soft drink) and ordering it for her before attempting to order a drink for me. Just in case I was going to give it to her. Madness!

Would they accept a photo of your licence on your phone?

I was asked by a young lad in Iceland on a Tuesday whether I was over 60 (you get 10% off on a Tuesday) when I was 46. It didn't bother me in the slightest, as it's all just personal perspective, and everybody over 30 was probably really old to him.

In fact, he might well have been a man already into his second quarter-century of life, yet here I am - and especially considering that I have been his age, whereas he has never yet been mine - calling him 'a young lad', as though he was 6!

I get them wanting to make sure they strictly abide by the law, of course; but if they then add further restrictions of their own, what are they actually hoping to achieve - apart from fewer sales?

If they're so haughty and self-righteous about 'the wrong kind of adults' buying it, nobody is forcing them to sell booze to anybody - just take it off your shelves and replace it all with ginger pop and elderflower cordial, then you needn't worry your little heads about it at all. And I say this as somebody who is tee-total by choice!

Challenge 25 is to give a "safe buffer" so that the cashier isn't trying to work out if someone looks over 18 or not, as someone who is 15/16 can quite easily look over 18, but that same person won't look over 25. Its there to prevent accidental underage sales. Believe me, retail staff don't WANT to I.D you for kicks, they're doing it because it's their job, they've been trained to use this policy, and in a lot of businesses signed paperwork to agree they will use this framework for every restricted sale. If they are found to be not following the policy, they can lose their job. Yes, it's bloody annoying but it's there to prevent teenagers accidentally getting served restricted items. They aren't asking you to prove you're over 25, they're saying you look like you "could" be younger than 25, so they need to check you're over 18 so the sale is 100% legal and above board. Every business that adopts the challenge 25 policy is subject to spot checks and mystery shoppers. They will deliberately send people who are in their 20's to check the policy is being adhered to. A failed challenge 25 is not taken lightly, and means the premises is subject to more frequent checks, and potential fines. Yes it's not illegal to sell alcohol to someone between the ages of 18-25, but by not asking for id they are not following the policy that they've agreed to implement and the consequences of that are felt grossly by the entire premises, but mainly the cashier. No one wants groups of underage teens, getting drunk and causing trouble and that's exactly what the policy is there to prevent. Yes it's a ballache, no it's nothing personal. Just remember your I.D problem solved. And if you forget it, that's on you. Doesn't matter that you're "obviously over 18" that employees job is on the line if they don't follow the policy... The policy that absolutely has it's place and does a good job in protecting minors from underage drinking.

When they stop asking for ID and start pressing the "visibly over 25" button, you know you look old. 👵

At 34 I was the same as you - getting annoyed about needing my ID

then at 38 I used to take my licence and sometimes get asked for it, sometimes not

Now at 41 - I show my licence but I am never asked for it whilst the store staff press: “visibily over 25” multiple times, whilst I just wish they would ask for my ID

so it might not last long and make the most of it

I’m 38, I was with a relative buying alcohol for a gift (relative is 58) they wouldn’t sell my relative the alcohol, because they challenged me & I didn’t have any ID on me. They said I needed it just incase she was buying the alcohol for me 🥴

Thirty Eight.
Born late 80s. A few rogue grey hairs & evidence of crows feet sneaking up.
Old enough to be a Nan.
Not old enough to buy alcohol without ID though.

My boast (nothing stealth because I love these threads to share this) was I got ID’d in Waitrose for buying wine and I am 48.

I didn’t have any - so my 45 year old friend had to show her driving license to be able to buy it.

Everybody should save their grumbling for when some kid salesperson offers you the Senior Discount and you are years from qualifying for it.

I'm 33 and got ID'd in Tesco for a red bull last week. Ridiculous.

Ask 25 means you have to see id if you think they could be under 25. We can't sell to a 24 yo without id without inputting information incorrectly into the till as we have to confirm age bracket, under 18, 18-25, or over 25. Its a sackable offence to say over if they are not over 25. If you hit 18-25 you can't proceed without id.

Ha ha the temptation to say “I’ve almost been 25 TWICE” is overwhelming

It has got utterly ridiculous.

I'm the other side of 60 and was refused the purchase of some diamond coated drill bits the other day.

I ordered online in the end. Saved money too. I'd love to know what serious damage I could do with burrs designed to grind slowly though stone or glass.

Me too but as I’m in my 60’s it’s never going to happen 😭.

The train inspectors never ask to see my over 65 rail card either!

Honestly, some people look so much older than they are. I saw a poster of a missing girl and I would have said she was 16-18 years old. She was 12.

The fines are huge and I don't blame them for being cautious.

I can understand the frustration especially if I’ve happened to forget my ID, I’m 26 and still get ID’d for energy drinks, but it’s just not worth the risk for them and understandably so, what’s simply going without or coming back with ID for us could cause them fines or job loss if you happened to be U18 or they didn’t check everyone by the same standards and someone U18 slipped through.

I (mid thirties) was refused sale of a garden rake in B&M - I had just sent my license off for a change of address. It wasn't even sharp - the type with blunt spines that fan out!

Then you can’t buy wine.

Its simply not worth the risk for minimum wage employees to not ask. I’ve worked in retail and hospitality and been bollocked for not asking for ID, so if there is any doubt you should ask and then once you have you have to follow through.

I’m 34 and sometimes have been asked for id when I don’t have it, I simply tell them no worries because I know what it’s like.

I was asked for ID, early 50s, absolutely loved it.

Because it’s really chuffing annoying that I'm pushing 40 and I only ever have my phone on me, use Apple Pay for everything, when I used to go on a night out I’d always have my id, when I was teens and 20’s if I was going to the pub or getting drinks in for a party in a supermarket I’d always have my id.

I actually drink more in a “couple of glasses of wine on the sofa after work” way than I ever did when I was younger, so don’t think there’s anything suspicious or screaming underage about me getting ONE bottle of wine, especially when I’m getting other bits.

I’ll just pop in here on the way home….
“Do you have any id?”
”Ah”

It matters because not everyone of a ‘certain age’ ie., over 50, will have photo id. What if you don’t drive? Haven’t got a current passport? Then what do you do?

I got IDed buying a top up Co Op shop and the delivery driver couldn't hand it over because there was a bottle of wine. I didn’t have any valid ID. It was hugely embarrassing as it happened in the middle of the street where I’d gone out to collect it as my address is awkward to find.

Put me right off ordering from them again.

I need to cut back on the wine anyway but that isn’t the point. It was mortifying.

When alcohol free wine was just getting more of a thing (instead of schloer!), I got asked for ID for non alcoholic wine. I thought they were joking.
I pointed out it was AF, the lady just said, yes, but it's still wine. I was about 35 too.
They should have sold it to me. I know some supermarkets have their own daft policies, of which this is one. I didn't kick up a fuss though, as she thought she was doing the right thing I'm sure. But bloody hell.. I'll never forget it. The only time probably I forgot my ID!