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

[MrsSchadenfreude]

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."

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

I laughed so hard then asked the bemused queue if I looked 25 or 18. I did politely ask the poor woman on the till who by this time looked like something was going to rupture quite how this policy would stop teens drinking and if she was concerned that they may try drugs if they couldn't source alcohol

I'm sure the staff are devastated you wont be back.

But I don't understand what this policy is hoping to achieve, apart from not selling alcohol to anyone shopping with a teenager. Because if they are old enough, chances are they will have ID. And if they aren't, they won't....so....I just don't get it? You can't buy wine in the family shop if you bring your children shopping with you?

a trolley full of shopping to deal with

Is that all you’ve got?
I can assure you we deal with much worse!
That always makes me laugh when l see that on here.
It’s a fucking supermarket!
It is no big deal to put your stuff back.

Having worked for Tesco I have had to do this, it's ridiculous - but cashier is just following company procedure, complain to head office

Brizzle it's not just the stores that are fined either, its the member of staff who sold it, they are personally responsible for paying said fine out their pockets

I was in a supermarket when it was very obvious that a man was buying for some underage kids. I saw them pay him afterwards. So it does happen.

So if I went for my weekly shop with a teenager who had ID which showed they were under 18 I couldn't buy alcohol. Because quite clearly I would be some wicked person who was intending to ply them with said alcohol.

At what age does this become an issue? Presumably if you have a 4 year old with you it would not apply. What if my child is 11 but looks older.

It's not the fault of the shop workers, it's just another example of the nanny state bringing in legislation without thinking through the unintended consequences.

@thestarrynightsky

Possibly - want a "face off" ? 😂😂

Don't there have to be indicators that the adult is buying for a child before a sale can be refused? It's ridiculous to just refuse a sale because a teenage is there with an adult.

I do understand from the cashiers point of view, they have the fear of god put into them they will be personally be fined if they accidentally sell alcohol to a minor, so why would they risk it. There are some who take it so literally they don’t use common sense. I have been asked for ID for a big shop with husband and 2 kids with me, she didn’t ask dh though, she made a big song and dance about asking me. I did think surely if she thinks I’m a minor, should she not be ringing the police for my paedo husband. It wasn’t a big deal though I just showed her my driving license to prove I’m in my 30’s

It’s daft, everyone knows that if someone is buying for an underager, then the underager will be lurking outside in the shadows. Not standing with you at the checkout!

This sounds mad. I've never been refused it yet but very often my 13 year old dd comes shopping with me to help and quite likely might put my bottle of wine into the conveyer thing out of the trolley, along with lots of other shopping. I usually have my toddler with me too. If I couldn't buy my bottle of wine I'd have thought they were joking until I read this.

I think common sense has gone out of the window! I can see maybe not selling to a 20 year old lad with a 17 year old lad in tow. But to refuse a mother a bottle of wine because her teenager is with her is just very very pathetic

I’ve also been refused alcohol (aged 37, with ID) because I was pregnant, and might drink it myself.

It was actually for a party, but if I wanted to drink 12 bottles of wine and a crate of beer plus various mixers all to myself, it is perfectly legal for me to do so even while heavily pregnant. Not particularly advisable, but perfectly legal.

That was Tesco as well. Some cashiers just enjoy the power trip if you ask me.

some cashiers enjoy the power trip

Yep that’ll be it!

It must be because they are not selling to a teenager, they are selling to a PARENT. Pathetic. Hate jobsworths.

It is no big deal to put your stuff back

Well if there are enough staff to put my shopping back i wonder why there aren't enough staff to operate the tills (six people deep at the ONE till out of five open when I popped out for milk yesterday).

IF I buy alcohol for someone underage then the person selling me the alcohol has NOT broken any law, in that case the person BUYING the alcohol has broken the law so it is u reasonable to stop some e buying alcohol unless they have given a clear indication that it is a fake purchase.

If the supermarket delivery man is greeted by my DD when the shop contains alcohol he can (and has) asked to see her ID. When my DS answered the door and the delivery man said "how old are you mate?" he said too young and called for me, the delivery driver didn't say to me "oh I can't give you your wine because it might be for that lad who is clearly carrying the bags into the kitchen for you" because that would be ridiculous and NOT THE LAW.

DH and I once did a weekly shop, we were about 30 at the time. They asked for I'd, DH showed his, I didn't have mine. I then went to pay and they refused. DH got his credit card out but as they thought the shop was for me, they wouldn't let him. We had to leave without the alcohol!

I can understand the supermarket workers having to follow guidelines / company policy, fair enough, especially when jobs / large fines aren’t at stake, who can blame them?
But clearly, it is crackers not to sell a bottle of wine to a 45 year old woman doing the weekly shop just because the teenager is in tow.
I can only conclude that the law is an ass.

Like a poster already mentioned. If a teen is looking too, helping to get it down. Maybe loading it on the belt. All things that will raise suspicion

Yes a child helping their parents do the household shop..... very suspicious behaviour 🙄 My DS just brought me a glass of wine from the kitchen.... but he wasnt home when it was delivered on Thursday Afternoon so that's okay....

So when do I have to start making my ds sit outside in the car when I go shopping? 15? 13? 12?
I totally support IDing people buying alcohol but not allowing people to buy alcohol in the presence of a minor is really crazy and I’m sure not going to make any difference to underage drinking stats.

Trading Standards conduct test purchases. They will send in people to test if cashiers ask for ID. It's not cashiers who should apply common sense it is the people who make, and implement, the laws. No point arguing with the cashier who is just trying to do their job. Have a thought for them and don't try and persuade them to break rules that could cost them their job.

I got ID-ed in a supermarket in the Lake District. I was 51. Utterly bizarre.

I said 'Really??' Assistant looked suitably embarrassed. I was with people in their 30s who were buying a four pack of lager and I was buying a bottle of wine.

And making your teens wait outside while you do the shop is suspicious behaviour in itself because now you're behaving like the groups of teens that hide round the corner while they send in the one member of the group who is over 18 and has ID.

Genuine question though, if it is legal to give an over five alcohol in private homes (which it is) how would you buy that alcohol, if it's breaking the law to buy it if you intend to let them have some?

Can you only give your child alcohol (which could be a perfectly civilised glass of beer or wine for 16/17 YOs with dinner on special occasions, I'm not talking about getting primary school DCs pissed) if you don't plan to, or if you only allow them alcohol that was given to you?

Or if you go in the shop by yourself, buy your groceries including a bottle of wine for the whole family for Sunday lunch, shouldn't the shop interogate you as to your intentions with the wine? After all, by their logic, you 'might' have teens at home that you 'might' be intending to give alcohol to, and that would be illegal wouldn't it?

I’ve also been refused alcohol (aged 37, with ID) because I was pregnant, and might drink it myself.
Now this does annoy me. I'm not advocating women drink during pregnancy, but it's not illegal to buy alcohol while pregnant, so surely refusing a sale on those grounds is actually discrimination?