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!

If she had asked me for ID, I’d have happily obliged. DD was helping - I’d asked her to start unloading the trolley while I looked for my vouchers.

Next time I’ll leave her behind or insist that she brings ID with her to nip across the road.

It is a ridiculous rule.

www.ias.org.uk/Alcohol-knowledge-centre/Underage-drinking/Factsheets/Why-has-underage-drinking-declined.aspx

Read this article from the institute of alcohol studies about their study into significant decrease in underage people drinking alcohol.

Supermarkets do not want to be seen to be encouraging underage drinking. Challenge 25 being used on those that purchase alcohol + anyone that accompanies them has made it significantly more difficult and inconvenient for underage persons to acquire alcohol.

In 2007 before challenge 25 was introduced 45% of supermarkets were found to be selling to underage people. In 2015 only 13% were caught selling to underage people...... Implementing challenge 25 really is a no brainer for supermarkets that want to be seen as a responsible retailer and keep their alcohol licenses.

My personal favourite was being ID'd when out with DH. He's 43. I have no idea how they could possibly conceive that he's under 18.

But apparently it's the rules.

I'm 48. I haven't been id'd for at least 20 years

If they suspect the alcohol is for your DD, they have to ask for ID, if she can't produce it, they have to refuse to serve you because they suspect the alcohol is for her.

But why would the cashier have suspected the alcohol was for my DD? Yes, she was with me going round the supermarket, but would probably have been on her phone most of that time. She certainly wouldn't have been perusing the wine aisle helping me choose a Sauvignon. I'm totally bemused as to why I was refused the sale. What could possibly have been "suspicious"?

Barbaraofseville
I've had that too, Dd carrying a box of beer because I have a disability which means I can't.
They used common sense when I told them but really?
She carries all the shopping, it doesn't mean it's all for her.

On the other side of the coin I know most of the delivery drivers now, and Dd can answer the door and sign for the shopping as they know I'm unwell.

kaytee why did I ID her if I could see she wasn't a teenager?

Well. At first I couldn't see.... her burkha meant I couldn't, and if she offered her ID I couldn't be 100% sure it was the same person

So I used some common sense and looked for further clues

That's all

@uokhunni 😂
Could this be us... 😅
Just taken a chill pill

DP is 39 and I am 29 but I look young for my age... he has been refused alcohol in case he was 'supplying' me.. the cashier thought he was my Dad!!

I look young but not that young. We were buying (amongst a nearly full weekly shop) a bottle of Chablis and some Lanson champagne!

Used to work on a checkout during uni, challenge 25 was the bane of my life. Here's the most common examples I saw and how I was trained to ID. Hopefully should help you all work out whether you're okay or not.

1. Mum + teenager buying a bottle of wine/crate of beer/bottle of gin along with a trolley of shopping. Fine, it's a big shop. Wouldn't ID.

1. Woman with three or four dolled up teenagers buying a multipack of smirnoff ice, blue WKD (always bloody blue!), sourz, while said dolled up teenagers are talking about the party they're going to. Would ID. Buying to give (this is the situation that happened when police tested our store!)

1. Homeless bloke who lingers outside the shop with teenagers hanging around him buying anything but cheap cider. Would refuse sale completely because 1. He's drunk, 2. It's a proxy sale, they've paid him to buy alcohol for him

1. Two teenagers come in and buy alcohol. One has ID saying they're 18, one doesn't, and they're buying anything that isn't a single bottle of ale or a mini bottle of wine. Refuse sale, most likely buying to share.

1. Teenage girl and her dad come in. Girl goes to the alcohol aisle and picks out sourz and WKD while her dad looks at beer. Dad and daughter come over and dad insists the sourz/WKD are for him and not daughter. I'd allow sale of the beer only.

@GetOutOfMYGarden That's using common sense though. For some reason lots of people in scenario 1 are being refused sale.

That sounds sensible, GetOut. We’d have come clearly into the first category. I’d hardly have been buying a bottle of Champagne for a teenager, or a bottle of Pomerol. We also had a raft of other normal shopping like cat food, Ham, cheese, bread, dishwasher stuff. But I think I’ll get my wine in Oddbins or Majestic next time, because I can’t be arsed with this faff.

@crazycatgal Most likely it's because people have been caught out on 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the store license has been threatened. Or because the store has been thick and not put enough over 18s on shift, and that means some of the under 18 cashiers have no supervision (under 18 cashiers cannot authorise alcohol sales). In that case they're asked to ID anyone who isn't clearly over 25 and buzz the team leader for approval.

I had this in Tesco with my mum when I was around 14, doing the Christmas food shop.

Absolutely ridiculous!

We had this two years ago. My husband and I were in Tesco buying a Christmas cake and a bottle of wine. They wouldn't serve him because I didn't have ID. We were 27.

The Challenge 25 thing is so silly. I'm 39 and was told last week I couldn't buy a bottle of wine. I don't look younger than 25!

At the age of 31 I was heavily pregnant and buying beef, shallots, carrots, pancetta and a bottle of red wine to make beef bourgignon. The lady at the till asked me for ID which i didn't have, I would have had to have my passport as I'd no driving licence at the time. I half laughed and said it's clearly for beef bourgignon, im in my 30's and heavily pregnant. Do you really think I could be 18. She deadpanned me and said 'I had a baby at 15'.

Had to leave without the key ingredient.

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

Interesting.

DS picked a decent Merlot for me last week. He wanted to get back and knows I take a long time choosing.

He's 12. He like J20 and Pepsi. But can choose a decent red.

Never had this. I tried to buy alcohol once in sainsburys and didn't have id so was refused. My mum was there aswell and I literally handed it to her and infront of the cashier and said "mum buy this for me" she was served with no problems.

It isn’t difficult to keep ID - so let that be a lesson learned.
Yes it is! Carrying a passport around all the time is a pain and not all teens have one.
Not all teens have a driving license either.
A lot of other ID cards aren't accepted in countless places.

Much easier to tell said teen to wander off somewhere else while the parent goes through the checkout. The staff on a till in a large supermarket cannot possibly notice who came in together.

When I worked the checkouts at Tesco, we were told that the checkout operators (us) could be prosecuted and fined personally for selling alcohol to underage people. The law had changed a while back to shift responsibility, apparently.

The fact that the store would lose its licence was far less motivating than being personally liable.

Not sure if that's the case in actuality, but no one really wanted to test it.

If you find Tesco staff extra jumpy, well there you go. I had to listen to the lecture during the hour that constituted my full training period.

I was ID'd for an energy drink at my local Spar. Was told i had to be 16 to buy (I was 26) refused the sale. My Girlfriend who was 22 and looks about 17/18 was sold the same drink the next day by the same worker without any questions asked. Think the worker might have had a bad day when I went in. I was in absolute shock.

@thestarrynightsky 😂😍😍😍

Went shopping with 19yo sis a few months ago (I’m 33) and they wouldn’t sell me alcohol as I didn’t have my ID, but as she had hers they sold it to her. She was so unimpressed when manager said she didn’t need to see her ID as she was believably over 25. Mega boost for my ego

The person who sells the alcohol can be personally fined, if the customer turns out to be underage.

The store can ‘fail’ think 25 three times and then lose their alcohol license.

This is the law. Staff are only doing their jobs.