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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Challenge 25 in supermarkets

154 replies

KissMyFatArse · 13/05/2015 14:09

After school run nipped into well known supermarket for groceries needed for dinner and a couple of bottles of prosecco.

Will admit I was dressed casually and with no makeup but was asked for ID at checkout. After a rummage in bag I realised I didn't have my drivers license.

Manager called over and they both admitted that I was clearly over 18 but unsure if over 25, im 32!

If they can agree I'm above the legal age(and then some!) then why refuse to serve customers?

Aibu to assume if they're happy I'm well above 18 but unsure how close (or over!) 25 I am then they should still be able to serve you as the legal age is 18?.

Surely some common sense needs to applied.

OP posts:
EatShitDerek · 13/05/2015 14:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nabootique · 13/05/2015 14:11

I think it has got a bit mad, but I choose to be flattered when it incredibly rarely happens to me Grin

Theycallmemellowjello · 13/05/2015 14:12

Yes, the rule for the store is looking over 25. Stupid rule but not for the workers to apply common sense.

Signlake · 13/05/2015 14:14

As an adult I was once asked to show ID whilst purchasing a PG rated dvd in our local supermarket

Gileswithachainsaw · 13/05/2015 14:15

If you knew the constant testing both internally and externally you'd have some sympathy. trust me.

A think 25 fail is big deal. staff loose their jobs over it

Original poster
KissMyFatArse · 13/05/2015 14:16

I have to admit I was so annoyed I ended up leaving my shopping.

I used to work in a supermarket many years ago and we could always use our own discretion, this is just becoming ridiculous now.

OP posts:
LongDistanceLove · 13/05/2015 14:16

If you look under 25 or the person serving thinks you look under 25 they can ask you to prove that you're over 18. Once they have asked they can't serve you unless you have provided Id.

It is silly but the ramifications for the assistant and store is such that they can't and won't serve unless ID is provided.

LomaLinda77 · 13/05/2015 14:18

I don't blame you for being annoyed, but of course the employees can't be blamed for it.
It's ridiculous when people are not legally ALLOWED to use their common sense Grin

HoneyDragon · 13/05/2015 14:19

It's an eminently sensible way of protecting staff from breaking the law.

Going without necessary groceries for the sake of a bottle of wine seems a bit of an over reaction tbh.

bobs123 · 13/05/2015 14:21

I think the OP should be flattered! I know it's a pain but looking at it from another perspective...DD works on a pub and recently one of the other barmaids served someone without challenging them as she thought they looked 25. Well it was only a police check and the customer was 17! Barmaid got fined as did the pub. DD IDs anyone who looks remotely 25 now.

HopOnTheMonnerBus · 13/05/2015 14:24

Where I work not only do we have test purchases from the local council, we also have our company regularly testing us to check we are using challenge 25.

I failed a company test purchase once by serving a 24 year old I thought was 25+ Apparently according to the company she was "clearly under 25"
I should've been sent home with no pay until I'd completed more training but luckily the manager was on holiday and as I was the only key holder there that day they had to let me stay. I couldn't serve another customer with alcohol until I'd completed the training though which was very awkward when we were busy.

Honestly it's so much easier to ask everyone for ID than it is to worry about how you'll be dealt with if you get it wrong.

FernGullysWoollyPully · 13/05/2015 14:25

I was asked to show ID in the supermarket while trying to purchase children's nurofen Hmm I don't even carry a purse (just a bank card most of the time) let alone any ID. They refused point blank to sell it to me, so dh (who did have his license on him) said that he would get it. The check out girl said she would only do that if he made a promise not to give it to me!!

Wasn't as bad as the time I was refused Stilton because I was pregnant! I made them get the manager that time!

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 13/05/2015 14:26

Ohhhh, I hate this! Every bloody time I'm in a certain Tesco with a friend or my sister, we get this. We're all 31, ffs, and we do not look fucking 17! Furthermore, I never get it with DH, and DSis never gets it with her boyfriend. Perhaps DH and BF look over 25, but DSis and I look the same age no matter who we are with, so we should either always be IDed or never. And the Tesco person always goes all sanctimonious and says they could be prosecuted if they got it wrong. Well, granted, but in this case you couldn't, because I am fucking 31 and I just want to be able to buy wine for a girly night in without being harassed!

Last time, friend and I were buying food and drink for 5. I was at the self-service checkout, and I put through a bottle of wine and asked a nearby assistant to ok the purchase of alcohol. He said in a very rude manner that he wouldn't until we had put it all through. Ditto when I asked him to take the security tag off a bottle of Pimms. When we had scanned all our shopping, we couldn't find him. He eventually returned and only at that point did he ask for ID. I showed him mine but friend had left her purse in my car, so she had to go out to get it (I was paying). He could have bloody well said originally that he didn't believe we were over 25 so could we have ID ready, and she could have gone to get her purse while I scanned everything. Friend returned with ID and man had gone again, so we asked a female assistant if she would check our ID. At this point the man reappeared and came over announcing loudly that he needed to check the ID as he had asked her for it - no, you don't, anyone working here can check it and you are being an utter twat. He then took the ID and did that thing of holding it for ages and looking from her face to it and back again as if she had somehow managed to source a fake ID in the 10 minutes she'd been gone.

And I know, I know, we should know this by now and have ID ready, but he also didn't have to be quite so rude.

Original poster
KissMyFatArse · 13/05/2015 14:27

Thanks for replies. I admit leaving the shopping was in haste because I was so annoyed and as I now had to go elsewhere thought another shop should benefit from my business in full.

Which asda did without any Id request!

OP posts:
TwinkieTwinkle · 13/05/2015 14:30

I'm never challenged and I'm only 26 Sad be flattered OP.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 13/05/2015 14:31

We get lulled into a false sense of security by generally being allowed to buy alcohol in other supermarkets without showing ID.

Dr0pThePirate · 13/05/2015 14:33

It's not illegal to look under 25 when buying alcohol and it's not illegal to be under 25 to buy alcohol.

You have to be 18 and over to buy it. If the person selling it to you is happy in themselves that you're old enough then there shouldn't be any fuss.

Think 25 is to help the seller decide if they need to ID you. If they think you're 25, 30 , 35 but you don't have ID then it shouldn't be a problem. IDing someone is only appropriate if there are any concerns that selling the person alcohol would break the law i.e. they would be under 18.

You are not breaking any law by selling someone over 18 alcohol. You might get into trouble with your manager for not checking ID but the law is 18 and over. A lot of cashiers don't understand this though and confuse store policy with the law.

Morelikeguidelines · 13/05/2015 14:33

No, I"m never challenged either! Sad

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 13/05/2015 14:34

Is there a reason why 2 or 3 women buying 9 a few bottles of wine get IDed more than a woman on her own/with a man? Because this happens regularly - is it the volume of alcohol purchased or is it that a group of women seem more studenty and therefore possibly younger than 25?

bachsingingmum · 13/05/2015 14:37

DD1 (22 at the time) with her boyfriend (27 and very mature looking) tried to buy a bottle of Pimms at Morrisons last year. They had ID. They were refused because they had DD2 (16) with them. Who buys Pimms for a 16 year old???

MrsGentlyBenevolent · 13/05/2015 14:37

Posted this before, but the lack of common sense still annoys me. I was ID' for a lotto ticket a few months ago, last I checked it was still for over 16's. I am nearly double that in age (I graciously accept I may look under 25, but 100% over 18). The assistant almost didn't sell me one - no problem as such, but in the case I stood my ground as my ID was in another bag at home. Just asked if they seriously thought I was 15 or under, at which point they said 'well ok, I'll serve you this time'.

I have worked in shops, I have got it wrong before. It's a shit job trying to judge who's over 18. However, common sense sometimes goes out the window, and I hate being made to feel like a naughty school girl trying to play 'grown up'. It's not the worst thing in the world, but in that moment can be highly irritating and a waste of time.

Original poster
KissMyFatArse · 13/05/2015 14:38

Drop that is a really good point. This self imposed 'rule' the supermarkets have implemented has blurred the lines of what is law or just helpful policy.

OP posts:
Dr0pThePirate · 13/05/2015 14:39

Having said that if someone doesn't want to sell you alcohol without seeing your ID then that's completely up to them as it's their neck on the line if you do end up being under 18.

Gileswithachainsaw · 13/05/2015 14:42

The reason behind it is that so many people aged 16/27 look older. by raising the ID age to 21 or 25 it increases the chances of covering those who previously would have passed for 18.

BlacknWhitePanda · 13/05/2015 14:44

Talking of a scratch card, once while paying for petrol I had an extra pound so I asked for one.. They wanted to see id..

When it comes to alcohol I never get id'd when I'm with dp but always without fail by myself except when I was heavily pregnant (not for me -it was for Xmas).