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Original poster

Waitrose age ID check is bugging me

381 replies

Mothership4two · 14/09/2023 05:43

I was is a smallish busy Waitrose (not my usual shop) with DS (25) and I bought 6 bottles of (not cheap) wine, a box of chocolates and a handful of day to day food items. At the till I put the items on the belt and bagged them while DS stood waiting by the end. The cashier didn't put the wine through and asked my son for ID. I was a bit confused and told her that this was MY shopping (I'm in my 50s and sadly do not need ID). She ignored me and asked for his ID again. When I repeated it was my shopping she said it was company policy - other than that she was pretty uncommunicative. So DS went out to the car to fetch his ID and there was a bit of grumbling from the couple waiting behind who then went off to find another till. DS came back and she put it through without a word.

I wasn't grumpy with her, I was just neutral, paid and left. It was irritating but we weren't particularly outraged and had a laugh about it in the car. DS said he hasn't been asked for ID in years (he looks his age) and that no "youngster" would be spending £70+ on wine for a party. We thought it was odd though.

I know there are much bigger things going on in the World to worry about, but it has bugged me since then. I know the cashier isn't a mindreader but it was pretty obvious it was my shopping and very obvious that DS is an adult. And also what happens if you go around with your 16 year old child or younger and happen to buy alcohol, would Waitrose then refuse to let you buy it? I'm sure that happens in supermarkets up and down the country all the time - buying alcohol when parents are shopping with their children. I understand that supermarkets have to have a policy for not selling alcohol to childen via others but it was patently obvious that was not happening. The whole thing doesn't make sense.

AIBU and has anyone else been put in a similar postion?

OP posts:
Zonder · 14/09/2023 07:59

I was buying two bottles of wine, two wine gift bags and two thank you cards but I had my 17 year old with me. They wouldn't sell the wine to me because he wasn't over 18.

They said they would get into trouble because I could be buying it for him. I pointed out the gift bags and cards and explained we were on our way to give thank you gifts and cards to a couple of people but of course it didn't change anything.

The crazy thing about this is that I can buy wine, take it home and then give it to my 17 year old. That's perfectly legal.

Rocket1982 · 14/09/2023 08:07

It is a nuts policy as it makes no material difference to the situation whether the teenager is with you at the checkout or skulking nearby. Waitrose will lose customers if they don't trust parents. They have no grounds for reasonable suspicion that the underage person is going to consume the alcohol.

Wolvesart · 14/09/2023 08:09

Slight segue here, but isn’t it weird that some ID is paper and not an app. Passport I get but driver’s license would seem to be one that should be an app.

I haven’t had this yet when shopping with DC but I’m guessing it will be useful to know as we have a mini Waitrose near us.

TooOldForThisNonsense · 14/09/2023 08:13

I don’t buy alcohol very often (don’t drink) but if I was getting some eg for husband, as a gift I’d get my teens to wait in the car or make themselves scarce at the checkout in case this happened as I have heard of it before

Mine are 14 and 17 so wouldn’t have ID.

MammaTo · 14/09/2023 08:15

I’ve been refused service as I had my younger sister who was under 18 with me. It’s soo annoying but not a lot you can do as it’s the law.

TooOldForThisNonsense · 14/09/2023 08:15

It is also a stupid policy because the (rare) times I’ve bought my son a pack of beer eg to take to a party I’ve just left him at home.

TooOldForThisNonsense · 14/09/2023 08:16

MammaTo · 14/09/2023 08:15

I’ve been refused service as I had my younger sister who was under 18 with me. It’s soo annoying but not a lot you can do as it’s the law.

Is it the law that you can’t buy alcohol if you have an under 18 with you? I’m not sure it is.

User19543785 · 14/09/2023 08:17

This is not limited to Waitrose, it is all shops

User19543785 · 14/09/2023 08:18

DS and I had this in the Ikea food shop, can't remember what I was try to buy but fortunately DS had his ID

User19543785 · 14/09/2023 08:20

Rocket1982 · 14/09/2023 08:07

It is a nuts policy as it makes no material difference to the situation whether the teenager is with you at the checkout or skulking nearby. Waitrose will lose customers if they don't trust parents. They have no grounds for reasonable suspicion that the underage person is going to consume the alcohol.

They won't lose any more customers than any other supermarket as it is the same everywhere

EdithStourton · 14/09/2023 08:21

I've had similar in the local co-op. DD, then aged about 20, had no ID, so I said I'd put her bottle of wine through with my shopping. But it's for her, said the cashier and refused to ring it up.

I could see her point, but it was bloody annoying.

MaggieBsBoat · 14/09/2023 08:21

I got ID‘d once buying one of those single glass of wine bottles as I wanted some for cooking. I was 36!
In fairness the woman didn’t follow through on it and did sell. I was in running gear and just had my bank on me.

Snugglemonkey · 14/09/2023 08:23

MammaTo · 14/09/2023 08:15

I’ve been refused service as I had my younger sister who was under 18 with me. It’s soo annoying but not a lot you can do as it’s the law.

It is not the law though, that is why it is so annoying.

Alstroemeria123 · 14/09/2023 08:26

Waitrose is definitely weird about ID. I’ve been asked several times recently and I’m in my 40s and look my age. Always seems to be the older staff rather than the younger ones.

Thebeachut · 14/09/2023 08:26

*I've had similar in the local co-op. DD, then aged about 20, had no ID, so I said I'd put her bottle of wine through with my shopping. But it's for her, said the cashier and refused to ring it up.

I could see her point, but it was bloody annoying*

In this situation I'd refuse sale as you've then said it's for her and being under 25 she needs id.

However in op situation I wouldn't refuse sale unless I heard a conversation about how it's for the younger man or been given reason to believe it is .
I serve to adults with teenage/young adult children all the time
Would always ask two young people coming to my till together though even if one person was buying it
It's surprisingly easy for 17 year olds to look older to. I've asked someone for id before and they looked about 25. They was 18 years old the day before

ŁadnaPogoda · 14/09/2023 08:28

You can buy the alcohol, take it home and legally serve it to your five year old if you feel so inclined. I had this in Tesco when DD was with me. She was 15. We had one bottle of nice wine for dinner. The cashier refused to sell it to me, so I just left the shopping on the conveyor. There is no common sense - I had ID. DD just happened to be with me. The manager even told me that they couldn’t sell me the wine as I had someone under age with me. I boycott that supermarket and get my wine delivered now. That was the final straw actually, as I had a voucher for money off cheese and the cashier said I couldn’t use it for Gruyere - “It’s not cheese, look, it says it’s Gruyere.” And she wouldn’t back down, even after the woman behind me and the man on the next till told her that Gruyere was, indeed, cheese.

Thebeachut · 14/09/2023 08:32

It does make me laugh though everyone saying use common sense
But it's someone's job if they get it wrong .
I will never risk my job over someone's nice bottle of wine

smilesup · 14/09/2023 08:35

My teens never shop with me normally so didn't realise this was a thing. Last week I did shop with DS1 who is 18 and coincidentally was buying him a bottle of vodka. No one asked us!

MrsMitford3 · 14/09/2023 08:37

Well I am now most offended that I didn't get asked for ID in Waitrose yesterday!!

IamnotSethRogan · 14/09/2023 08:41

Yeah I told really know where the lines are with this policy. Like would they refuse to sell you the wine if you had a 10 year old son that was with you? Or would they just accept it's your shopping?

Thebeachut · 14/09/2023 08:42

Yeah I told really know where the lines are with this policy. Like would they refuse to sell you the wine if you had a 10 year old son that was with you? Or would they just accept it's your shopping

They shouldn't be stopping you in this situation

MammaTo · 14/09/2023 08:43

TooOldForThisNonsense · 14/09/2023 08:16

Is it the law that you can’t buy alcohol if you have an under 18 with you? I’m not sure it is.

Show quote history

The member of staff said he was concerned I was buying it for her and that’s why he refused service, sister was 16/17 at the time. I’m not sure on the legalities of it all but that was his reasoning.

allthehops · 14/09/2023 08:43

I've had this before at co op, so annoying. My dd who was with me hadn't got any ID on her and I held the queue up whilst arguing the toss with the assistant, who caved eventually when the manager got involved.

As I told her, even if I was buying the wine and my dd was going to drink some of it at home, that would be fine as they don't have to be 18 to do that. I even offered to send my dd outside, and she said "but I've seen her now". It was ridiculous.

I get that they need to be careful and not sell to under 18s, but if every shopper who took a teen with them to help with the shopping was subject to this nonsense they'd have very long queues.

underneaththeash · 14/09/2023 08:44

It's not the law at all.

The licensing act 2003 states
"A person commits an offence if he SELLS alcohol to an individual aged under 18."

And the legal definition of sell is
"contract by which the seller transfers or agrees to transfer the property in goods to the buyer for a money consideration"

Therefore is a child isn't paying then they're not being sold the alcohol.

MammaTo · 14/09/2023 08:44

Snugglemonkey · 14/09/2023 08:23

It is not the law though, that is why it is so annoying.

Show quote history

The shop assistant said he thought I was supplying it for my sister, she was 16/17 at the time and I was 23 so it probably looked quite suspicious - but that was his reason he said.

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