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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

... to be furious at B&Q?

48 replies

Southfields · 15/06/2018 21:37

I ordered and paid for something costing £5 via their Click and Collect facility. The shop is 25 miles away, but my DP works nearby, so he went, taking an email from me to him, upon which was attached the email from B&Q to me with the order confirmation, and the order number.

They refused to let him take the item because his driver's licence is old and has no photo on it. Why they need a photo, when what he looks like in a photo (or in person) does not prove any connection with me, the purchaser, is beyond me. We have different surnames so his proof that he is connected to me was the email.

So he got out a fiver and said, "OK, I'll buy the item cash." They refused. They said it was the only one in stock, and it is reserved -- for me! So he said, "well, cancel the order", and they said that they could not do so on his authority. They could not phone me as they didn't have my number, and they would not take my number from him as they could not verify it was really me.

I am astonished at the fuss made about a £5 item, especially as only yesterday, a tradesman collected £180 worth of materials I'd ordered and paid for online from another chain of DIY stores and all he had was my name scribbled on the back of a fag packet.

I appreciate that B&Q should not hand over paid for goods to anyone who only has the customer's name, but an email showing the order number, forwarded to the person standing in front of them, cannot be fraudulent. They have CCTV in their shops and who would risk hacking into someone's email and being filmed stealing just to get £5 worth of goods?

AIBU? And does this amount to age discrimination by B&Q, as driving licences with photos did not exist when DP got his licence?

OP posts:

AnnieAnoniMouser · 15/06/2018 21:41

What a bunch of muppets. Jesus wept.

AChickenCalledKorma · 15/06/2018 21:44

Well their terms and conditions do say that you need either the payment card or photo ID, as well as the order confirmation. Why didn't your DP buy it if he was going to collect?

Bowiesequins · 15/06/2018 21:45

It would have been easier to reserve it in his name.

Original poster

Southfields · 15/06/2018 21:47

Korma: 1. because i habitually buy things online and automatically pay by c/c or paypal without even thinking about it. 2. because it's my house and it's much easier and simpler for me to get him to collect anything for me if it's already paid for. We've done this kind of thing at Homebase, Argos, and other chains and never once had this problem.

OP posts:

BarbarianMum · 15/06/2018 21:48

YABU just to ignore their terms and conditions and expect them to dk likewise.

Original poster

Southfields · 15/06/2018 21:48

... also Screwfix, Toolstation, .... (he works near a big, out of town retail park!)

OP posts:

drivingmisspotty · 15/06/2018 21:51

It is annoying but tbh I always feel sorry for staff non the front line like that. Sure, you hope you can get someone who is flexible and will use common sense but they probably have it drummed into them that if they make a mistake they will be liable or get a disciplinary or something.

checkoutchick22 · 15/06/2018 21:52

I'm afraid yabu....
The future is shopping online, the result is photo id...

The same for potentially voting, hospital appointments, no discrimination, just evolution...

Would you be mad to not have received your item due to them not asking for id?

BigPinkBall · 15/06/2018 21:53

And does this amount to age discrimination by B&Q, as driving licences with photos did not exist when DP got his licence?

🤣 photocard driving licences have been available for at least 15 years and cost about £20 so if he wanted to use his driving licence as ID he’s had plenty of opportunity to upgrade it!

ILikeMyChickenFried · 15/06/2018 21:57

YANBU. I had a similar issue in John Lewis. I don't hold photo ID in my married name but i do use the name for my credit card. They wouldnt let me have my click and collect item despite holding the card used for payment.

callmeadoctor · 15/06/2018 22:02

We had a funny situation at a well known gardening shop. My Dh bought something but didn't have the shops privilege card (which is in my name and at home). The shop assistant asked for our postcode so that she could put a note of our buys on the card, it then came up with my name so the assistant said that it couldn't be put on the card! I told my DH that he should have told them that he was changing into a woman and so his name was the female that was on the card!. (He said that he will do that next time and see what they say!)

nottinghillgrey · 15/06/2018 22:02

It's been 20 years for photocard licenses. If the OPDH license was before that, he could have changed it for free.

bobstersmum · 15/06/2018 22:06

Yanbu op. Sounds like he unfortunately was served by a right jobsworth.

rslsys · 15/06/2018 22:08

Same shit with Waitrose when collecting a JL order paid for with PayPal.
Almost have to provide blood sample and all Grandparents present to actually be allowed to collect the item!

somersetsoul · 15/06/2018 22:13

They can't be seen to do it for anyone regardless of cost. Sackable offence so not worth the risk. Plus with GDPR now in that's effected a lot of data protection. That order would have had your invoice in it, they can't now share anyone's personal info.

Every company will now be the same to avoid massive fines.

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 15/06/2018 22:17

You wouldn't believe what people do for £5 worth of goods. I work there and you wouldn't believe some of the stories if I told you.

It is total shit but we have to do it. Another one is joint accounts. If you buy something and the other person returns it, we can't accept it as it has to be the same card. Even though it's the same account the system doesn't recognise it and bounces it back. All we can do is override it for credit if you have ID. Please don't shout at the staff though, it's the bane of our lives too. I weep inside when I find myself covering returns desk and my patience has usually run out by around 10ish. That's when the ruder ones start getting a taste of their own medicine.

Andylion · 15/06/2018 22:19

Why they need a photo, when what he looks like in a photo (or in person) does not prove any connection with me, the purchaser, is beyond me. We have different surnames so his proof that he is connected to me was the email.

They need photo ID to see that the person named in the email is the person standing before them.

We require this at the library I work at. You can write a letter giving someone permission to use your card but that person needs photo ID to prove that they are that person.

Chocadoodledoo · 15/06/2018 22:20

Same with next BUT depends on who you get, the first couple of times hubby was refused to collect my order unless he had my driving license with him. This time....he wasn’t even asked for his OWN ID even though it was ordered by me in MY name! And he did have my driving license with him as he always takes it for the stuff I order now.

greenlanes · 15/06/2018 22:22

BigPinkBall Fri 15-Jun-18 21:53:25

And does this amount to age discrimination by B&Q, as driving licences with photos did not exist when DP got his licence?

🤣 photocard driving licences have been available for at least 15 years and cost about £20 so if he wanted to use his driving licence as ID he’s had plenty of opportunity to upgrade it!

This was a good question. i also have a paper licence. Why should I have to change that licence which doesnt expire until I am 70 so many years away, pay £20 for a photo licence which then expires every few years. And I would have to pay every time to renew. What a ridiculous expectation. Do you have shares in the company that makes photo licences?

Butteredparsn1ps · 15/06/2018 22:22

DH & I both had paper licences, and were reluctant to pay for a new versions. We’ve both given in in the last year, after a number of instances similar to the OP, and do you know what? it makes c&c (and other aspects of modern life) so much easier.

Yes, it is annoying, but there is an easy solution, DH needs a photo licence.

BigPinkBall · 15/06/2018 22:29

@greenlanes it doesn’t expire every few years, it’s once a decade. I don’t think that £20 every 10 years is all that extravagant.

If you want to use it for ID then you need to get a photocard licence. If you want to keep your paper licence that’s up to you, but you won’t be able to use it for ID, that’s your choice.

Meandyouandyouandme · 15/06/2018 22:39

I think it is free to renew your photo card licence if you allow them to use your photo from your passport.

Original poster

Southfields · 15/06/2018 22:41

So, you are split between YABU and YANBU.

Seems rude not to respond to direct questions, so here goes:

my DP never applied for a photo driving licence years back because it never occurred to him that one day in the future he'd have to show it as ID just to pick something up at a shop for a girlfriend.

if B&Q would be hit with massive fines and be opening themselves to all this legal stuff and fraud etc why is it he has been able to collect stuff from several different other chain retailers without any problem?

OP posts:

RibenaMonsoon · 15/06/2018 22:44

It's frustrating but paper driving licenses are much more easily forged. If someone had come in pretending to be you or your DP and picked the item up and B&Q hadn't done the proper checks and given your item to them you would be just as pissed off.

They are following company policy and adhering to the legalities necessary to protect your data and your purchase. It seems like overkill but there are serious repercussions (not to mention massive fines) for companies that don't do the required data protection checks. Especially with the new legislation that came in in May.

Understand why you are pissed off though. The whole thing sounds like a ball ache, especially with your travel time. Just thought id take some time to explain why companies are so anal about these things in the hope it will make you feel better

Original poster

Southfields · 15/06/2018 22:52

Thanks Ribena and everyone, of course for taking the time to reply.

I remain bewildered why my builder was allowed to collect nearly £200 worth of stuff on my behalf whilst showing no ID and not even having an email or an order number or anything.

What we'll do in future is, he'll pay cash and I'll pay him back. Until they outlaw cash.

OP posts:

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