to complain about over-zealous IDing?

[Tabbylady]

I'm in my 30s. I accept I look young for my age and carry my driving licence.

Yesterday afternoon I was in a supermarket picking up some bits for family tea and 2 bottles of beer (DH and I planning a wild evening!).

Cashier asked for my ID. I handed her my licence.

Cashier: Well this doesn't look like you
Me: Yeah I know, bit of a hairstyle change! (I had brown hair, now blonde)
Her: raises eyebrows keeps staring at ID
Me: Erm, do you want me to give you my details off it? It IS me!
Her: Well you could have just memorised that
Me: OK. All the cards in my purse have the same name on them. You can check the card I'm paying with so it all matches.
Her: Well that might not even be your purse
Me: Right. (voice getting slightly raised) So you're accusing me of stealing someone's purse so that I can illegally buy two bottles of beer??
Her: Well I have to ask if I'm suspicious!!
Me: Yes I understand that and I'm happy to give you ID, but you're saying you don't believe it's me and you don't believe the cards I'm using are mine. Surely you should now be phoning the police, or just the manager?

Her: Eh, no, but I can't serve you the beer

Appalled by this logic fail on her part, I walked out of the supermarket leaving the stuff there. I felt a bit bad about that, but she'd only scanned one thing before the beers.

I have no issue showing ID but I'm still pretty annoyed at basically being accused of being a thief! Would it be unreasonable to contact them and complain? I'm quite embarrassed at the thought of going in there again!

I had a rather grumpy sales assistant ask me for ID when I was buying a DVD. It was rated 12

Same happened to DS1, almost 20, and his girlfriend, 18, DS had his ID but his girlfriend didn't so they refused to sell them the DVD.

I always have to have my ID on me for such eventualities.

YANBU. I understand that they are expected to ask those who look under 25 for ID but they need to use some common sense. The aim is not to serve alcohol to under 18s, not under 25s. Therefore unless you look incredibly young for your age, she knew there was no danger that you were under 18 and so was being ridiculous and officious to make a fuss over your photo.

I still have a tendency to get IDed well into my thirties and it's reaching the farce stage of cashiers making comments in shock. I can see the humour in a furrowed brow puzzling over my early 80s birthdate when they're accustomed to dates from the late 90s, or "you're looking good" type comments. I wouldn't take being refused service and accused of false ID so well.

Fortunately I look pretty much the same as I did in 1994!

I did wonder what sort of a feckless fool I was being taken for when IDed for scissors at an unsubtle 7 months pregnant and accompanied by my toddler

So rude of her. I know the type.

I got IDed buying two bottles of Brewdog's Nanny State beer along with my weekly shop last weekend (I'm 27). And I had my son with me at the time.

Nanny State is alcohol free beer, so I don't even know why I needed to be IDed for it.

I get the whole "the assistant and the shop can get a fine" thing. I get that they have to be on the ball. I get that if they genuinely aren't sure of age, they have to check ID.

But

I genuinely believe some of them are just wankers on a massive power trip.

When I was in Asda once, a woman being served before me was with her daughter (approx 10yrs) and daughter was ID'd for a 15 rated film that the woman had included in the grocery shop.
Woman explained her daughter is a child and therefore has no ID, but even so the DVD was nothing to do with her.
They still refused to sell it to her because her daughter was with her and she might possibly be buying it for her
The woman explained it was actually a birthday present for a friend, and nothing to do with her daughter, but they still refused to sell it.
The woman walked away and left the whole conveyer belt full of groceries and I can't say I blamed her!

Me and the rest of the queue walked away to another till and left the tit to clear the shopping and have a long hard think about their stupid behaviour

Utter wanker of a shop assistant!

Surely the customer is the one who is paying for the items therefore the one who needs to have ID/be the correct age?!

A 18-20 odd year old with no ID trying to buy a shit load of strong alcohol, I get it 100%, tough shit if they have forgotten their ID, but a (obviously) middle aged woman chucking a DVD in with the grocery shop, fucking bizarre!!!

Surely the aim is to stop underage people accessing alcohol and dangerous items, and stopping underage people wanting inappropriate films. Not speculating what a (correctly aged and appropriately IDd) customer may or may not do with the items

I regularly take my 4 year old with me shopping for things that include alcohol. Should I be refused because she's under age?

I get think 25 but by God actually think will you! I would have been as pissed off as you OP. And I would have assumed I was being accused of nicking the purse.

calling a manager or complaining won't do anything

its her call

trading standards have been out in force over half terms usual, trying to catch cashiers out

I genuinely believe some of them are just wankers on a massive power trip.

I agree with this. There is a certain type of person (usually people with no real power or responsibility in their jobs) who seem to love the opportunity to throw their weight around. I am also often amazed by the treatment DD (late teens) gets compared with me.

calling a manager or complaining won't do anything

Whilst she may be able to justify asking for ID, I pretty sure her workplace won't appreciate the offensive way that she did it. This kind of thing will cause them to lose customers.

OP, you should have asked for a manager rather than flouncing out. If she was seriously insisting she wouldn't sell you the beer because she didn't believe your ID was real that is grounds for a complaint.

It really isn't. If staff are unsure if ID is genuine they are told to refuse the sale. It's in the rules as set out by the licensing/council/police.

*Her response with serious attitude while she handed back my driver's licence: "I have to challenge 25 and I don't think you look 25!!"

For a 12 rated DVD?!? I doubt it.*

She's absolutely right. ALL age related items are covered by the same rules. Including 22 year olds buying age 12 rated dvds.

She's absolutely right. ALL age related items are covered by the same rules. Including 22 year olds buying age 12 rated dvds

Somebody needs to rethink the rules then or we could be in the situation where anyone under 35 could be asked for ID to buy a 12 rated DVD. That is what happens when people blindly follow what they think are "rules" without applying their brains/using common sense.

they are set by trading standards and can be a prison sentence if age restricted products get through the net!!!

i thought mums net would be clued up on this aspect of the law?

i thought mums net would be clued up on this aspect of the law

You'd think! It's been in place long enough now. Been told that it's quite possibly being changed to 'Think 30'. 🙈

they are set by trading standards and can be a prison sentence if age restricted products get through the net!!!

There is not rule regarding IDing people who could possibly be under 25. Trading standards only recommend that if someone looks under 25 (i.e. if there is a good chance, not a 1 in a million chance) that they should be asked to show ID if it is an age restricted item so that the item is not sold to someone who is underage. If there is a good chance that someone could be over 30, common sense would dictate that there is no chance that they are only 12 years so a bit ridiculous to ask them for ID for a 12-rated DVD.