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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To get really frustrated by the Think 25 rule

439 replies

Cloeycat · 05/12/2016 10:53

Not so much having to be ID'd but the fact that if I am with my partner and don't have my wallet (I'm over 25 and also obviously pregnant) that he is not able to purchase alcohol for himself unless I hide or pretend not to be with him.

I don't always carry my ID with me, especially if we are just popping to our local supermarket for something for dinner and he is paying but it is so frustrating that I then have to wait outside the door in the cold like a naughty 16yr old so that he can buy himself a beer or bottle of wine.

Does this rule apply to parents buying alcohol if they are accompanied by children who are under 18? Or is it just when it is two adults trying to legally buy alcohol that a problem arises?

OP posts:

Ifailed · 06/12/2016 09:20

Clearly there are two schools of thought represented here. Those who've worked in retail and had to take customer anger whilst being watched and monitored by management; and those with no idea what it's like to run a checkout & take affront at having to show ID.

There have been some obvious mistakes mentioned, but little understanding of the pressure that staff are put under. We can only hope that the people in the second camp are perfect in every way in their jobs.

SaucyJack · 06/12/2016 09:21

"So.... yes! Age appropriate groups can be used and nobody is exempt from the law,72 or otherwise. Why would they be?"

What law are you talking about?

UK law states that you need to be 18 or over to purchase alcohol. Most stores also now have a policy that if you appear to be under-25 then you also need to show ID.

That's it.

A 72 year old would not be breaking any laws by purchasing alcohol without proof of age.

Basicbrown · 06/12/2016 09:22

I disagree Ifailed. I have every sympathy for the people on the tills just doing their jobs, they aren't the ones who make the rules. But neither are the customers, so really both groups are in the same boat as far as I can see.

PowerScreech · 06/12/2016 09:26

I worked in a supermarket earlier this year and the Think25 rule only applies to the person buying the restricted product unless it is suspected of being a proxy sale- bought for someone under age. Ask what their policy is, it used to be the case that everyone in the party was asked to produce I.D. but that changed.

DeadMorose · 06/12/2016 09:27

I had a thought: why aren't delivery drivers required to ID people? I mean, they are delivering alcohol too.
Once my 11 yo DS accepted the food delivery which had bleach, beer and paracetamol in it, because I was in the bedroom breastfeeding my DD to sleep. Logically thinking they shouldn't have given it to him, but they did.
Can someone explain me what's the difference?

NotStoppedAllDay · 06/12/2016 09:29

If asked for ID they have to provide.... 72 year old maybe a bit extreme,but I've had a lady in full burka clothing with head to toe covering

Id was required. She was fine. But my 20 year old colleague might not be able to tell if it was the person under the clothing with the matching ID. We are all different in our decision making. Lady was mid 50's but we have to be sure

looby2803 · 06/12/2016 09:30

I got refused in Tesco not long ago cause I had my 18 month old sons with me and even tho I had ID they didn't! I was livid

NotStoppedAllDay · 06/12/2016 09:30

Until you are faced with these decisions you will have no idea how difficult it actually is to assess age precisely

Tho of course, we'll get plenty saying it's easy or 'not that difficult'

Thundercake · 06/12/2016 09:31

But surely if the sales person got 'caught' not IDing someone they could just say they thought the person looked over 25. Isn't that completely subjective? If they sell booze to a 24 year old without IDing and get in trouble then they should just say I thought the customer was 26.

Mondrian · 06/12/2016 09:31

Does anyone know of a single instance where an employee of a supermarket chain has been fined, lost their job & got a criminal record for selling alcohol to a marginal underage individual?

Do police really send in an undercover U18 to trick the employee into selling them alcohol?

To me it looks like they just do it cause it's easy & cheap to implement so that they can say "here we are doing something" and not really tackling more important issues such as drugs which is probably easier to buy for an underage teenager than alcohol.

NotStoppedAllDay · 06/12/2016 09:35

Retail workers are the first to be blamed when things go wrong

Spray paints
Knives
Drain cleaner
Axes
De Icer
White spirit

Do you want a vengeful gang of young kids/teens with free access to buying these items on a whim?

With a bit of added alcohol to fuel them along?
As well as a lighter to go with their post school cigarettes?

pattimayonnaise · 06/12/2016 09:37

Ugh I hate this. When I was pregnant I was refused a bottle of white spirit. I was also buying paint, a step ladder and brushes and my husband had ID. It's absolutely ridiculous, sometimes common sense is totally missing.

NotStoppedAllDay · 06/12/2016 09:39

mondrian yes. The police use our local police cadets.
One of the young lads on our checkouts was 'tested' by his cadet mate

Trading standards send them in covertly, the police do it and publish their findings! They don't name the actual shops but say how many establishments have been caught out. Trading standards do prosecute, the police do it as a campaign type thing

NotStoppedAllDay · 06/12/2016 09:41

patti where is the 'common sense' missing from?

The 'think 21' doesn't mean they have to be 21!!! Or 25!

Basicbrown · 06/12/2016 09:41

Do you want a vengeful gang of young kids/teens with free access to buying these items on a whim?

But surely common sense can be used? Furthermore, just because they all had ID to prove they'd turned 18 last week I'm not sure that makes all well.

Basicbrown · 06/12/2016 09:41

LOL at notstopped. You clearly lack it yourself.

NotStoppedAllDay · 06/12/2016 09:42

basic well if they are of the correct age then there's not much to be done if they then go on to comit crime

It's how it is

NotStoppedAllDay · 06/12/2016 09:42

How so?

Basicbrown · 06/12/2016 09:44

NotStoppedAllDay · 06/12/2016 09:45

Didn't think you'd be able to explain

DeleteOrDecay · 06/12/2016 09:46

I got refused in Tesco not long ago cause I had my 18 month old sons with me and even tho I had ID they didn't! I was livid

Really? Somehow I find that hard to believe.

Threads like this make me SO GLAD I no longer work in retail. It really is shit.

Basicbrown · 06/12/2016 09:50

Didn't think you'd be able to explain

Hahahaha you really are something aren't you? But you are right about that, if you cannot see the utter ridiculousness of your posts, particularly the one about over 18s committing crimes then there is no point at all in trying to explain it, because you will never get what I am on about.

pattimayonnaise · 06/12/2016 09:50

I don't even understand the question. Even with think 25 (which I get is different to the law), if at least one person is over 25, the other person probably is and they're buying all the items needed to decorate a room, it's fairly obvious they're decorating a room and not buying multiple items to cover up a white spirit sniffing session....

NotStoppedAllDay · 06/12/2016 09:52

Oh dear

Basicbrown · 06/12/2016 09:54

Oh dear indeed

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