Morrisons refused to let DD pretend to pay for the shopping...

[AllTheseThingsThatIveDone]

Because my shopping included a bottle of wine.

Often pop to my local Morrisons for small top up shops. Popped there this morning to buy a few bits, including a bottle of wine. DD aged 3 likes to 'help' me at the self service checkout, scanning the shopping, and then at the end I lift her up and she uses my debit card to make the contactless payment, or puts the coins in etc.

Today as I was about to lift DD up to pay, the lady overseeing the checkouts rushed over to stop me and said DD wasn't allowed to pay for the shopping. She said it wasn't allowed as then the alcohol could actually be for her, or the debit card could actually be hers. When I pointed out that DD is only 3, and the debit card was mine, and it was clearly me really paying for the shopping she said it didn't matter

AIBU or is this completely bonkers? I could totally understand this if I had an older teenager with me but it feels like there is no common sense anymore

Haven't read the whole thread but having worked as a mystery shopper before and also having worked on premises which sell alcohol, you'd probably be surprised at the little things they'd pull you up on. Cashier was probably paranoid, may have had a previous poor experience with trading standards, may have been told off for doing this in the past by a manager, etc, etc. It's not the end of the world, the bill was paid, and if it were me I would've smiled, accepted it and used it as an opportunity to teach my child that some things (such as alcohol) is for grownups only. This is an extremely trivial thing to be worried about.

I'm a barmaid and if I let somebody under 18 purchase alcohol, I would lose my job. I understand it seems harmless but these rules are in place for a reason

Serious, yes. They could potentially confiscate your paid for shopping I believe, because the transaction could be deemed illegal. A refund to your account can easily be processed to cancel out the one you had insisted on making

Oh pull the other one. You seriously think the checkout assistant would chase me down and try and confiscate my shopping? Mmmkay.

Lots of good replies downthread about how it's not the 3 year old purchasing due to not being able to be part of the contract etc. Those continuing to insist the sales assistant would lose their job are talking crap.

The world has indeed - gone mad.

I mean, if you were actually going to provide this 3yo with said wine for dinner - you'd be doing it whether you or they swiped the contactless payment!

The other month Tesco refused to sell me the 4 normal sized bottles of specialist Ale for my dads birthday as my 13 yo ds was with me.

I don’t buy wine at the minute as I’m pregnant but my ds who is 3 loves helping pay. It’s ridiculous.

Lass YOU don’t understand that the 3 YO isn’t purchasing the booze. HTH

Lass YOU don’t understand that the 3 YO isn’t purchasing the booze. HTH

Wow! Really !!! Ooh thanks for enlightening me.

What you clearly fail to understand is that keeping it as an absolute blanket rule means there is no scope for the check out person making a mistake or being put on the spot or making a wrong decision.

It might seem ridiculous to the posters on here who think the world revolves around their children being cute but - tough.

In not one of the supposedly ridiculous examples posted on here has the sales person been at fault.

That’s just your opinion. Which is not actually particularly important, you know.

About as important as yours. The examples given as being "ridiculous" are in accordance with most shops practice on this issue.

Clearly the child is not purchasing the alcohol, but the person on the till isn't there to decide what is a reasonable interpretation of the law or what it's reasonable to allow or not.

If they see that someone clearly under the age of 18 is involved in purchasing alcohol then even if they're being over zealous they're right to stop it.

The person on the till is not a lawyer. They've been told not to allow anyone who they suspect is under 18 to purchase alcohol unless ID is provided to prove otherwise. This sales assistant did what he/she has been told to do by their employer.

As far as he/she is concerned they is a potential risk of being fined a great deal of money and probably losing their job. Why would they risk that for anyone.

Opinions are not important. Applying the law is more complex and seems well beyond you.

Definitely a 'First world ' issue.
Don't want to bring it down too much but there are parts of the world where 'children' of 9 and 10 are given AK47 riflers and urged to kill their parents or siblings, often while under the influence of drugs.

To all of you wondering about the validity of the card transaction, the contactless payment is only valid if it is done by the account holder. It is invalid if it is made in the account holders presence by another person , even if it obvious that the account holder is aware of the transaction and could be said to be overseeing it. It is in the terms and conditions you all receive with a new/replacement contactless card.

Hmm not entirely sure how that's relevant here 54321go.

In fact, what exactly is your point?

I take my ID everywhere now. I get asked for ID to buy lottery tickets which you need to be 16 for, I'm 24!
The other day a man came to the door and asked me if my mum or dad was home because he thought I was too young to live in my own house haha!
Sometimes I feel like older people look at me funny when they see me with my kids (1&2) because they think I'm a teenager. Hopefully when I'm pushing 40 it means I'll look the age I am just now though so I won't complain lol!

My DD is like you Amyddss. She used to get some really odd looks when she was pregnant with her first DC even those she was 28 at the time.

She's expecting her 3rd child now and still looks very young, although the weird looks have stop, which I suspect is because she now looks permanently knackered.