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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:
Jem123456789 · 14/09/2023 17:13

Yep, it happens in all supermarkets (or should do because it’s the law). I’ve two sons aged 21 and 19 and we always get asked for ID if I’m buying alcohol. They always have ID on them so never been an issue. It is ridiculous though I agree but not the cashiers fault although she could have explained the reasonings behind it. Nightmare if your kids are younger than 18 though as you’d have to send them away from the till!

ButterCrackers · 14/09/2023 17:17

Put a complaint in. It was your shopping so it was nothing to do with your ds. If he had left the queue and gone out of the shop would they still have demanded his ID? What if he was sat in the car? Or waiting? What about people with kids/babies?

Motheroffourdragons · 14/09/2023 17:20

This reply has been deleted

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ on behalf of the poster.

DemBonesDemBones · 14/09/2023 17:20

@withlotsoflove yes, aren't they.

I work in a supermarket because life gave me disabled children and I have to work around my husband because they can't be cared for by anyone other than us. All this happened after I'd got a masters degree and had an up until then very successful career...but you know what? Even before that I wouldn't take my petty anger out on checkout staff (or, indeed, anyone.)

We all have to sign a sheet at the beginning of EVERY shift to say we understand challenge 25 and the consequences we face for not following it. Ginger's annoyance at the rules doesn't trump my need not to get a criminal record and lose my low paying job that fits around my family.

I was surprised at the number of arseholes I served in the first couple of months. Now I just expect it.

Thebeachut · 14/09/2023 17:26

And my final thing is certainly in Tesco the people manning the self checkouts have a central control where they can approve age related products without you having to wait for them to come over. So why not use it?

We don't use those anymore. Only in the small tesco express are they used

Thebeachut · 14/09/2023 17:26

I work on self service. It's always been turned off and I've never been taught or told to use it so have to go over to everyone individually

Motheroffourdragons · 14/09/2023 17:28

This reply has been deleted

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ on behalf of the poster.

Lorrymum · 14/09/2023 17:32

We were in the US and were refused alcohol without ID. Im 65 and DH 70!

slobro · 14/09/2023 17:33

I was asked for ID recently. I explained I was 43. The lady put her glasses on and retracted her request. So they don't always follow through!

enchantedsquirrelwood · 14/09/2023 17:33

There are lots of threads on here about this - it is really annoying and they seem to manage fine without such silly rules in other countries, although I guess they have stricter rules generally about alcohol in the Nordic countries.

I remember having a laugh with DH when I was in a Lidl in Germany and there were two teenage girls in front of us buying cigarettes, one didn't have ID, but the other did, so the guy sold it to them. No worries about proxy sales there! And you could get cigarettes at the till. It was only in 2017.

KnickerlessParsons · 14/09/2023 17:33

I'll repeat a paracetamol story I have previously posted:

DD, then early 20s, looked younger, tried to buy some paracetamol in a supermarket. No ID on her so wasn't allowed to buy it.

DH was waiting in the car so went back in with DD to buy it for her. Not allowed because the shop staff suspected he was going to give it to DD. Not even when he pointed out that she was the one with the headache, and the instructions state the dose for over 12s, so clearly ok for her to take it.
The shop wouldn't budge though so they bought some in Boots next door (who incidentally will sell you a lot more than the one packet supermarkets will sell you).

MsFogi · 14/09/2023 17:34

It's such a ridiculous policy - whenever I go to any supermarket to buy booze for DCs to take to parties I send them off well out of sight when I go to the checkout. It really doesn't stop anyone buying alcohol for minors and only pisses people off who are doing their own shopping with young people.

enchantedsquirrelwood · 14/09/2023 17:34

Lorrymum · 14/09/2023 17:32

We were in the US and were refused alcohol without ID. Im 65 and DH 70!

To be honest a policy of asking everyone would probably be better. At least you'd know you needed it.

enchantedsquirrelwood · 14/09/2023 17:35

KnickerlessParsons · 14/09/2023 17:33

I'll repeat a paracetamol story I have previously posted:

DD, then early 20s, looked younger, tried to buy some paracetamol in a supermarket. No ID on her so wasn't allowed to buy it.

DH was waiting in the car so went back in with DD to buy it for her. Not allowed because the shop staff suspected he was going to give it to DD. Not even when he pointed out that she was the one with the headache, and the instructions state the dose for over 12s, so clearly ok for her to take it.
The shop wouldn't budge though so they bought some in Boots next door (who incidentally will sell you a lot more than the one packet supermarkets will sell you).

Yes this is hilariously stupid. I wonder what they do with Calpol?

Oakbeam · 14/09/2023 17:35

I'm 45 and I got ID'd buying wine in Waitrose I'd be flattered if it wasn't so ridiculous!

I got asked at age 46 in a Safeway.

I wasn’t that flattered. The store policy was to challenge anybody that might be 40 or under.

MsFogi · 14/09/2023 17:36

Now this would be a good move for supermarkets - ask middle aged women for ID occasionally. While I am queuing I always fantasise that there is a chance that I look so fabulous today that I might just be asked for my ID (anyone thinking I look younger than 45 would is certainly in need of an eye test).

Bonbonbonbonbons · 14/09/2023 17:36

Nope. Waitrose should only ask the actual purchaser and I know this for a fact.

Zodfa · 14/09/2023 17:38

The last Labour government had a thing for these kinds of overkill policies (never repealed by the Tories). Probably minimal effect on underage drinking; as if an adult really wants to buy alcohol for someone underage, it's really not that hard: just don't queue with them. But it made the government look like they were Doing Something. Today's young people are less into alcohol anyway, so it's no longer such a pressing issue. (Unless "Challenge 25" is what's put them off, which I doubt.)

enchantedsquirrelwood · 14/09/2023 17:38

We all have to sign a sheet at the beginning of EVERY shift to say we understand challenge 25 and the consequences we face for not following it. Ginger's annoyance at the rules doesn't trump my need not to get a criminal record and lose my low paying job that fits around my family

I am sure that you encounter many arseholes every day, but Think 25 is not a legal thing, and you will not get a criminal record if you sell a 24 year old alcohol.

TenderDandelions · 14/09/2023 17:43

Given the recent videos I saw on TikTok of Year 11's getting their GCSE results, I understand why stores have to ask. I was shocked that many of them were apparently 16 as there were some that would easily pass for over 20!

That said, the ID'ing when you have a minor with you is a bit silly. Where do they draw a line? Do they make a judgement on whether the "child" with you looks like they might drink it? Otherwise, do they refuse to sell you alcohol if you have a baby in a pram with you? Or a 10 year old??

Crikey, the amount of teens hanging around a shop that have asked me to buy them fags over the years, they're smarter than walking alongside an adult and pretending to be their child!

(And no, I never bought any fags for them - the answer was always "if you're not old enough to buy them you shouldn't be smoking them"!)

anniegun · 14/09/2023 17:44

Really unreasonable to object to a low wage cashier following company policy rather than risk being sacked. Write to Waitrose or your MP but don't huff and puff at the staff

Willmafrockfit · 14/09/2023 17:45

yes, just about to go to shop and dd is choosing her wine, i have reminded her to bring her ID

SuzeBr · 14/09/2023 17:57

Oh yes this happened with my husband, he has my 14 year old daughter with him. The cashier asked her for id and she was completely flummoxed. The cashier was then very rude to my daughter (this was Asda) . She put the sale through as I think she realised her mistake. Husband made a complaint to Asda about her rudeness and we never heard back. Hardly go there now due to the shocking customer service.

SuzeBr · 14/09/2023 17:59

It also happened when one of my daughters was buying glue on nails. Apparently the glue means you have to be over 16. My daughter has went to buy them but they couldn’t let me purchase them as that would be a proxy sale.

we didn’t make a fuss, just accepted it and walked out.

I think how they cashier approaches the subject matters a lot

PickoftheMix · 14/09/2023 18:02

Tornado70 · 14/09/2023 17:08

It’s simply their job: “Think 25”.
if there is any chance someone older is buying alcohol for someone younger, they have to challenge it.

That makes no sense. Just because someone happens to be with someone younger at the checkout, whether that's a 4, 10 or 15 year old, it's assumed the person must be buying it for the underage child to consume?

Under what scenario would it be considered that there's "no chance" the booze is for the under 18 year old who is with them?