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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Shopping in a budget store for wine with a grown up child

156 replies

Jenny2710 · 04/08/2017 23:02

She is 24 Iam much older, verging on 60, big shop after a holiday, can't buy alcohol as she does not have id , my shop, my card, what is going on.? Has anyone else had had this? So confused? Annoyed!

OP posts:
Betsy86 · 04/08/2017 23:30

If the cashier believes you are buying the drinks for the teenagers they are allowed to i.d them or if a young group came in and had clearly piled all the drinks onto the only member with id they can also be reused the sale. Away from that kind of issue its the main person purchasing the age restricted item

crumbsinthecutlerydrawer · 04/08/2017 23:31

nokidshere maybe Tesco have recently brought in the daft policy then, I don't know as I don't work for them. Smile

It's not the policy in the supermarket I work for and certainly not the law.

GetOutOfMYGarden · 04/08/2017 23:33

When I worked on checkouts during uni I was told to do that. It's Challenge 25 rules and came in around 2011ish. If it was clear it was a mum with their child getting a bottle of wine with a big shop then I'd let it go. Proxy sales are a bit more obvious and security often comes over to warn you and your manager if they spot signs.

They may have been warned that they've got a mystery shopper coming in or they may have recently failed the Challenge 25 checks which is why they've gone hard with it.

blackteasplease · 04/08/2017 23:34

What if you are shopping with a baby in a sling? What if you are shopping with a person who looks over 25 but has no ID?

I shop online and they deliver alcohol with no ID from anyone. Kids (eldest is 8) and young looking au pairs (one at a time!) often there with me unpacking - if there's alcohol in the shopping this is never a problem.

Maryz · 04/08/2017 23:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Betsy86 · 04/08/2017 23:35

maryz even if you did wish to purchase alchopops and crisp as a paying adult over 25 they have no reason to stop you. Unless one of the teenagers is shouting out mum get me these im on the sesh tonight 😂😂 then cant provide i.d lol

nokidshere · 04/08/2017 23:37

But tonight I had 2 bottles of wine in my Tesco delivery, my 18yr old opened the door and dealt with the shopping and my 16 yr old helped him. Neither were challenged about their ages (must be 18 to accept deliveries) or the fact that there was alcohol in the shopping.

So what's the point?

NeedsAsockamnesty · 04/08/2017 23:38

What if you are shopping with a baby in a sling? What if you are shopping with a person who looks over 25 but has no ID?

If you are in the coop near my work you get refused

oeufdepaques · 04/08/2017 23:39

I had this once with my sister. We were getting in food for a meal and wanted to buy a couple of bottles of wine too. I think I was about 27 and she 25. I was paying and she didn't have her bag so no purse or id. They refused to sell us the alcohol even though I had my ID, in case I was going to give it her to her in the car park... I remember saying that if that were the case, and she was actually under 18, why the hell would I be presenting her at the till and not having her hide ourtide?! We were really pissed off.

I think it's a ridiculous policy. I live abroad and it would never happen here.

LovelyOtherDinosaur · 04/08/2017 23:39

It's not 'the law' but due to cashiers being personally liable for a fine and the possibility of the stores licence being affected it was/ is happening. I suppose the way some people look at it is you can't prove it's not for the young person ( not the babies - young teens but you know what I mean) so they don't take the chance. Probably varies from store to store and maybe place to place. It's a mental rule. As someone else said if you're buying drink for a youngster you're not going to take them Into the shop with you (not advocating buying alcohol for minors btw!)

From a while ago, but...
www.google.co.uk/amp/www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/take-note-supermarkets-we-already-have-laws-in-place-concerning-alcohol-and-children-8994995.html%3famp

Betsy86 · 04/08/2017 23:40

blackteasplease
Baby in a sling not a problem they clearly havent asked u to purchase them a bottle of wine maybe just driven u to it haha.
Friend under over 25 and no id fine unless the cashier has clear evidence you are buying it on there behalf.
Home deliverys the person signing for delivery needs to be of age to be able to accept the delivery if driver thinks you are not old enough they should ask for id. Not from everyone in the house just the person claiming responsibility for the order.

I am totally over invested in this thread bored friday night in my house haha xxx

WatchingFromTheWings · 04/08/2017 23:40

If you were at the checkout paying and dd was just with you then the shop is wrong

No they weren't. If cashier suspects other people in the party may be consuming the alcohol they have to ID them if they appear to be under 25.

Betsy86 · 04/08/2017 23:43

needsasockamnesty
Omg what a cheek that co op have got it all totally wrong. A baby in a sling and you get refused how bloody ridiculous. Take it to the daily fail haha

Temporaryanonymity · 04/08/2017 23:43

I am 42. The co-op wouldn't allow me to buy wine the other day because I didn't have ID. made my day!

MrsSchadenfreude · 04/08/2017 23:45

But you are allowed to drink alcohol at home over the age of something ridiculous like 5, so the policy is a bit daft!

WatchingFromTheWings · 04/08/2017 23:45

E.g you can't but a bottle of wine if your 10 yo kid is standing at the till with you. Crazy! It's all to do with you might be buying it for them etc.

Nonsense! Not true at all! I'm a supervisor with a major retailer selling alcohol regularly and 'Think 25' trained. You can sell alcohol to a parent with kids unless you think the alcohol is for the child. So I wouldn't ask for ID for someone with a 10yo but I would if parent was with an older teen (especially when I seen older teen selecting their drink from the fridge!).

Stressedoutandfedup · 04/08/2017 23:46

I buy wine regularly with my dcs and never get refused. What a ridiculous rule! I'm going to be nervous buying it next time!

Betsy86 · 04/08/2017 23:47

watchingfromthewings
Yes they have every right to id her if its clear the alcohol is also being purhased for her. Just for being there with her mum in general is not solid evidence the alcohol is going to be hers. Guess its down to each individual cashier to make the decision will be them in trouble for any mistakes. They have to judge each situation as they find it though i guess x

alpacasandwich · 04/08/2017 23:48

It's not Tesco policy (worked for them recently). It's just the practice of people who've been poorly trained or misinterpret the rules.

Betsy86 · 04/08/2017 23:49

Also yes as you say if you see them selecting the drink go ahead id them. Just asking for id for any teenage person in the group without solid reason to think its for there consumption just because mums got some pinot is ott...

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 04/08/2017 23:50

I shop in Tesco and Aldi with teen ds with no problems.

HashiAsLarry · 04/08/2017 23:51

I got asked for Id a couple of years ago, I was delighted as I'm nearing 40. Until I realised I didn't have my passport and needed to get my mum to buy my wine Blush

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 04/08/2017 23:52

Just being present is not enough for a reasonable suspicion of intent to supply. Any shop with this rule has applied an illogical and wrong solution to a problem that may exist but doesn't actually exist in almost all the scenarios demonstrated above.

These pseudo "rules" that exist outside of the law, demonstrate just how little we trust people to make decisions. And I mean the people working on the checkout, not the shoppers.

HashiAsLarry · 04/08/2017 23:52

Though I've never been refused alcohol even with young ds asking if the cocktail mix is for him Hmm

Itsnotwhatitseems · 04/08/2017 23:53

If I was a bored teen I would play "pretend I'm with this shopper to ruin their weekend and stop them buying alcohol with their weekly shop"..lol