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Original poster

To want to know why Tesco won't sell me alcohol when I'm with my teenage daughter

373 replies

MrsSchadenfreude · 10/12/2017 17:31

Given that it is perfectly legal for me to give her a glass of wine to drink at home (and has been since she was 5)? Was told in Tesco today that I couldn't buy wine as DD1 was with me. DD1 is 19 but had no ID on her, as we had just nipped out for a few bits. Cashier finally called a manager, who gave me the Spanish Inquisition, and finally said "OK, I trust that you aren't going to give any to your daughter." ConfusedHmm

It's not like I was buying WKD - I had a bottle of Champagne and one of an expensive Bordeaux!

OP posts:
daisypond · 10/12/2017 18:40

It's been a "rule" for years, and I thought it was standard supermarket policy, though I'm sure it depends who you get on the till. It's not just Tesco. I suspect it's easier to buy alcohol alongside your 5-year-old than alongside your 15-year-old.

MagicFajita · 10/12/2017 18:41

This happened to me with cigarettes years ago. My 15 year old son was with me and after I showed my id (I'm definitely over 25 or whatever it is now) the cashier asked if they were for him. Very strange I think.

Roomba · 10/12/2017 18:41

I do understand that they have to be extremely careful as they are fined personally. But how far do you take it?

Even if I went in with ID proving I am 41, I could be an underage boy dressed up as his Mum . So should everyone be prevented from buying alcohol, even with ID, just in case they aren't the person on the ID?

frogsoup · 10/12/2017 18:43

But this isn't selling to someone potentially under 18, it's selling to an adult. And yes, it may be fear, but common sense DOES go out of the window. How likely is it, for instance, that a pregnant 38yo with two older kids in tow, trying to buy a single small bottle of cooking cider amidst an 80 quid shop in Waitrose, is secretly 17? That was the last time I was IDd, and the cashier was really unpleasant about it. As I was ferreting around in my bag she sneered 'so you don't have ID then, hmm?', before I handed her my driving licence with my 1976 birthdate on it! No common sense, no kindness and not many brain cells either. If it's so dangerous, how come that was the only occasion in the last ten years that I've ever been IDd buying alcohol? Because most shop staff DO use common sense. One lad half asked once and I told him what year I left school, and laughed that he probably wasn't even born then. He grinned back, agreed, and sold me the bottle without asking anything more!

Spangles1963 · 10/12/2017 18:43

I've heard this quite a few times lately and I'm always Shock because I've bought wine on a few occasions in Tesco when I've had my under-age DGD with me and I've never been questioned. Admittededly,she does look a little older than her age (she's now 11) but she certainly doesn't look 18!

ihearttc · 10/12/2017 18:43

Not really related to alcohol but my DS who is 12 was refused a child fare on the train yesterday. He's tall and probably looks older than 12 but I had no way of proving that he's a child unless I carry a copy of his passport etc around with me. I could possibly understand it if he was on his own but he was with me and his 7 year old brother!

RunningOutOfCharge · 10/12/2017 18:45

mrsshadenfraude sorry no... loads of age restricted items where I work, was expanding foam iirc!!

ThisisaNC · 10/12/2017 18:46

Before Think 25 came in, a family member sold to an underage person twice. The fine was horrendous, and told a third time would result in prosecution, criminal record, permanent loss of license, massive fine and costs. Custodial sentence was given as a maybe.

JaneEyre70 · 10/12/2017 18:46

I've had it a few times, if I've had my teenage DDs with me. One of them didn't have ID once, and the cashier wouldn't serve me....even though I'm 47 and clearly look it Grin. She was convinced I was buying it for my daughter, and even though I got quite arsy with her, she said it was more than her job was worth.

SerPants · 10/12/2017 18:46

I wonder if there's been a particular crackdown recently?

I hadn't been ID'd in years, but in the last month or so I've been asked for ID three times in different shops. I'm 35 and greying.

user1474128210 · 10/12/2017 18:49

The supermarkets are very careful - I am 30 and I get Id virtually everytime I shop but I don’t look under 18 (I hope!) but I suppose should that be the case I could pretend I created a wonderful new anti wrinkle cream!

RunningOutOfCharge · 10/12/2017 18:51

We have the trading standards and police ( cadets usually) who come in to test us

Police usually just advise if we served anyone underage.... it's trading standards who can/do prosecute

BarbaraofSevillle · 10/12/2017 18:51

If shops won't sell alcohol to parents shopping with teenagers because they 'might' give the alcohol to said teen, that makes as much sense as if they refused service to anyone aged between about 30 and 50 shopping alone because a person within that age range could well be a parent of a teenager that they have hidden outside to prevent being accused of buying them alcohol.

user1474128210 · 10/12/2017 18:51

I should say it makes my dh very jealous (weird)

IloveJudgeJudy · 10/12/2017 18:51

As a PP said, the cashier is PERSONALLY responsible and could be fined up to £5000 and they would definitely lose their job if they were found to have served someone underage or an adult buying for someone underage. I don’t know about you, but I find it very hard to tell people’s ages; in the training for Think25 the staff are shown photos of various people and asked their age. It’s exceptionally difficult to decide.

Looneytune253 · 10/12/2017 18:52

Really? So I could never put alcohol in with my weekly shop if I have my children with me? Crazy rule?

PaddysMarket · 10/12/2017 18:52

I had this in Morrisons, I had my DD (17) with me and I was asked for id but I didn't have any so had to leave the beer which was actually for DH. I went back the following week for my weekly shop and purposely went back to the same checkout lady to see if I was asked for id again since I didn't have DD with me...I wasn't asked.

The following week I had DD with me again and went to a different checkout, I wasn't asked and she never gave DD a glance. The next week I was alone and got asked....I don't know whether to be pleased at being asked as I'm 37!

I don't even drink, the alcohol I was buying was for DH. Thankfully he's giving up too so no more "will I, won't i" need to fish out my driving licence.

NiceCardigan · 10/12/2017 18:56

I had it in Tesco when I had DS with me he was 17 at the time, if I was buying alcohol for a teen it wouldn’t have been a nice bottle of Chablis.

RunningOutOfCharge · 10/12/2017 18:56

Online shopping doesn't demand children aren't with you

Odd

Shockers · 10/12/2017 18:57

I bought a bag of kindling in Booths the other day at the self service till. I had DD (18) and her friend (19) with me. The till asked for assistant approval and the assistant gave us all a very thorough once over before approving the sale.

We live in a rural town surrounded by woodland; if we wanted to start a fire (which, incidentally was exactly what we wanted to do), we could easily get the wood for free (and often do).

Bonkers.

rslsys · 10/12/2017 18:58

Once has this in Sainsbury's when DD2 (who was 23 at the time) was helping me.
We had filled the belt from end to end with a mahoosive shop, two trollies worth.
Booze was halfway down, when it arrived at the checkout, DD2 was asked for ID which she didn't have with her. Discussion ensued, reason did not prevail so we walked out and left the staff to deal with the abandoned shopping.
Went to Tesco's and did the same shop with no problem!

Givemeonereason · 10/12/2017 18:59

Urgh they've done this to me before. I was in the queue buying some nappies and I started chatting to the lady in front of me about something. She was buying wine. They wouldn't serve her unless I provided ID as 'we were clearly together'

youredeadtomesteven · 10/12/2017 19:01

The staff are trained to do this as the sale could be illegal by proxy. You could be buying any alcohol and have your obviously underage daughter with you, and they are trained to guess/assume you are buying it for her.

If they sold it to you and she had some of it, they would be partly liable because they didn't refuse or at least question the sale.

MargaretCavendish · 10/12/2017 19:02

Before Think 25 came in, a family member sold to an underage person twice. The fine was horrendous, and told a third time would result in prosecution, criminal record, permanent loss of license, massive fine and costs. Custodial sentence was given as a maybe.

Yes, but that's the penalty for selling directly to someone underage, not for facilitating proxy selling for which, as far as I can tell, there isn't an actual specified penalty for the shop, as opposed to the person actually doing the buying.

shouldnthavesaid · 10/12/2017 19:02

I got refused a meal in Wetherspoons once (no alcohol) as couldn't prove I was 18. Place was full of children but they wouldn't let me buy chips oddly.

Three nights ago Aldi refused me vanilla cream as it had a tiny bit of alcohol flavouring. Cashier said they get it all the time with mince pies, cream, red wine sauce, etc.

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