Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think 'age related' purchases in supermarkets are getting stupid

147 replies

Mrsdavidcaruso · 28/04/2014 16:25

Just been to Tesco did a huge shop using the scan and shop, one of my purchases signalled 'age related' and had to be cleared by an assistant.

It wasn't the garden fork I bought with the wickedly sharp prongs oh no it was the box of MATCHES that I bought.

madness

OP posts:
Mrsjayy · 28/04/2014 19:28

DD2 was refused lady razors in superdrug because she didn't have I D

WheresRyder · 28/04/2014 19:29

Was refused alcohol at a family meal because I didn't have id to prove I was over 25!! I'm 38 and was with my 16,12,8&4 year olds. It was a single glass of wine (we had caught the bus to the town centre).

Nocomet · 28/04/2014 19:30

I obvious have a don't you even think about saying anything face. I often buy alcohol with DDs (13&16) with me. Very often alcohol that DD1 and much more rarely DD2 is going drink with her meal once or twice that week.

I am an unrepentant bad parent Grin

Nocomet · 28/04/2014 19:33

DD1 hasn't been ID for razors, fortunately, she uses thousands and is always trying to get me to buy them.

I do stick some in the trolly now and again, but she is a bit daft.

RedRoom · 28/04/2014 19:33

Today, Sainsbury's had a sign next to the Gilette Venus saying I had to be 25 to buy it.

Ruushii · 28/04/2014 19:35

Did they say you have to be 25 to buy it? Or that people who look 25 and under may be asked to prove their age? Bit different.

CalamitouslyWrong · 28/04/2014 19:35

I don't really agree the acquiescent line that the cashier so only protecting themselves and that we should just put up with having to carry ID for the rest of our lives so we can buy matches and wine and other stuff we've been old enough to buy for longer than we were too young to buy that always seems to emerge on these type of threads. I totally understand that the cashiers are worried about ridiculous rules that would lose them their jobs, but I'm not sure that we should just accept it.

The problem is that the rules are increasingly ridiculous and I don't think they should go unchallenged. I don't think it's at all reasonable to have a situation where everyone under 40 needs to prove they're old enough to buy wine because the cashiers are too scared that they might just be 24 to leave them unchallenged (or even 29 since some shops have an even more silly challenge 30 policy these days; I saw a sign about this in bloody Debenhams, for example). The risk that someone under 18 might manage to buy a bottle of wine (or a teaspoon!) because they look 20 isn't so awful that we need to devise ever more irritating rules to ensure it never happens.

Cashiers should not be in fear for their jobs (and big fines) because they can't accurately judge people's age to the nearest 10 minutes either. That isn't helping anyone. Working in retail is stressful enough without all that nonsense.

It's not like any of this nonsense actually prevents underage kids getting hold of cider to drink down the park and annoy everyone.

Ruushii · 28/04/2014 19:36

It's not about preventing underage drinking for the shops. It's about holding into their alcohol licences. They won't risk that for anything!

SueDNim · 28/04/2014 19:38

I had to get my purchase of Despicable Me 2 authorised at a Tesco self service till by a member of staff checking I looked over 25. It's a U, I've no idea who they would refuse to sell it to. Sadly they didn't check my ID. I must look old.

ruby1234 · 28/04/2014 19:39

My DH was ID'd in America buying some cans of beer from the off-licence.

Apparently if you look under 40 they need to see some ID..... he is 51!

He was absolutely thrilled. Grin

Catsmamma · 28/04/2014 19:42

dh was going through the self serve till with dvds and the thing went off...sulky assistant eventually came over, practically shoulder bumped dh out of the way to poke the screen, I was malingering about not helping.

I spotted her pressing the CLEARLY OVER 25 and jeered unkindly at dh, as she had barely even looked at him in his 46 year old prime, and I think she thought I was a random person cos she looked at me in a very horrified fashion.

We use it now as a random insult..... with a Hmm look on our faces.

CalamitouslyWrong · 28/04/2014 19:43

It might be about that rushii, but that's still not something we as consumers should have to put up with. There is a problem with the current rules and systems and it shouldn't be like this. It's getting ever more silly.

We don't actually have to have a situation where you have to take your passport with you to buy a wide range of things that you are legally old enough to buy.

Being all resigned to it isn't actually a good thing.

PipkinsPal · 28/04/2014 19:45

Ten years ago I wanted to buy a stamp and a lottery ticket at the local Post Office and the cashier asked me how old I was. "36" I grinned and a couple of people behind me snorted. OK I was wearing shorts and a tee-shirt, no make-up and my hair was tied back in a pony tail but there is no-way someone can look 20 years younger than they really are.

tobysmum77 · 28/04/2014 19:59

its the caprofen that gets me. What if a 17 year old parent actually had to buy some? ??

tobysmum77 · 28/04/2014 19:59

calprofen Hmm

OnGoldenPond · 28/04/2014 20:06

I have never been asked for ID even when I was underage Sad

AGnu · 28/04/2014 20:07

I reserved a booster seat in Argos a few months ago. When I went in to pick it up the machine kept coming up with an error message & said I needed to go to a person. Apparently my child can't sit at the table unless I'm over 18! Hmm

Mrsjayy · 28/04/2014 20:09

I work with parents and one of our younger mums think she is 19 was refused calpol for her baby she had to get her mum to get it for her Shock as she had no ID on her her mum was with her luckily

tobysmum77 · 28/04/2014 20:10

exactly mrs j that is appalling.

Ruushii · 28/04/2014 20:14

I didn't say anything about being resigned to anything. I was just pointing out that the whole "it doesn't stop underage drinking anyway" thing isn't something the shops are bothered about because that's not why they are so strict about. It gets trotted out on these type of threads every time as "but why do they even bother" thing.

jeanmiguelfangio · 28/04/2014 20:19

I am id'd constantly for non alcoholic kopperburg. Its humiliating, like being id'd for lemonade. Shandy has more blooming alcohol in it, dont get id'd for that!! My husband has been refused it too, because I didnt have my id and he might have been buying it for me. Which he was.

CalamitouslyWrong · 28/04/2014 20:24

But the not stopping underage drinking point is totally relevant because it demonstrates that all the rules (including the ridiculously draconian penalties for cashiers and shops) don't actually achieve anything. Draconian, irritating and ineffective is like the perfect storm of rules and regulations.

Mrsjayy · 28/04/2014 20:27

tobysmum it is ridiculous now she says she goes to the chemist where they know her if she needs anything think it was a supermarket she said

londonrach · 28/04/2014 20:29

Nice lady in waitrose today pretended I wasn't old enough to buy my wine today....sadly she thought I was.

ClubName · 28/04/2014 20:41

Matches makes perfect sense to me but DS2 queued up to buy this Airfix model and they refused to sell it to him. It's marked as manufacturer's recommended age 8+ but and 8yo can't buy it because of the glue.