To think Tesco make it up as they go along

[Devilishpyjamas]

Son just popped out to buy some AA batteries from the Tesco down the road.

They refused to serve him saying they’re ‘not allowed to sell batteries to children’. Eh? Since when?

Ds3 is nearly 14 and has bought AA batteries from there (unaccompanied) before.

I was next to a woman at the self service tills in Morrisons the other day who was asked for ID. She was a bit taken aback, she said something about being 25, showed her ID but she was buying alcohol free beers not low alcohol but 0%.

Even the posters themselves for “challenge 25” Instruct you to be prepared to show ID if you are under 25.

Not if you look under 25. Not if someone else thinks you might be under 25. Not if you are accompanied by someone under 25. Purely, and only, if you are in fact under 25.

I’m not under 25. When I was, it was challenge 21. When I was under 21 no one actually seemed to care much at all.

What is it you get about paracetamol Rolla?
There is no age restriction like there is for alcohol, tobacco or knives.

Tesco refused to sell me a newspaper a few years back because I 'may be under 16' - I am in my 20's!

They've refused to sell me batteries, painkillers, deodorant, bleach and mouthwash in the past. I didn't have ID and the manager told me they'd gladly sell it to me without ID if my face didn't make me look like a baby

I look pretty young, but not that young!

Under 16's can't buy eggs at my old address. Or mints and lemonade together!!

I thought you had to be over 16 to buy paracetamol.

It sounds to me like the supermarkets need to train their staff better.

I used to work on checkout in a supermarket in Scotland. Alcohol can't be sold before a certain time on Sundays, 12?, and products with alcohol in were blocked on the tills. It was an interesting conversation between me, my supervisor and the customer as we all tried to work out why the vanilla extract just would not scan! Couldn't override it either.

I once got IDed for an electric carving knife in Argos. Hold on a minute, just need to plug this in before I stab you...

An annoyance of mine is incorrect restrictions on some painkillers. The law is only for paracetamol but lots of shops apply it to ibuprofen too - so you can’t buy a box of each.

Even if paracetamol IS age restricted which it isn't DD had a headache. Why couldn't her father buy tablets to give her some, just because she was with him? She can pick up prescriptions for herself at the chemist in Sainsbury's with no ID.

@mrsfee - it’s changed now to 10am-10pm every day. I remember before going into John Lewis and the area with the alcohol gifts being cordoned off

Vanilla extract is mainly alcohol which is probably why it flags up.

I was refused paracetamol the other day, despite clearly being over 16 and over 25, heavily pregnant with DD(3) in tow. I had to wait for DH to finish work to bring me some painkillers!

We can't buy alcohol in Ireland until 12.30 on Sunday's too. I'm going to get a bottle of vanilla extract and see what happens!

It was strawberry Brothers I was buying in Asda. Going to go buy some next weekend and see what happens.

heratnumber7 I thought you had to be 16 and remember being told when I worked in an off licence / convenience store many moons ago that I should ID anyone I thought was under 18 asking for painkillers.

I can see the logic for painkillers as I would expect an adult to supervise / ensure a child was taking the correct dosage, monitoring interactions etc. Aren't you not supposed to give aspirin to kids ? Everyone in my family has an intolerance to aspirin so we never have it in the house but I'm sure I've heard that somewhere.

At least vanilla extract has alcohol in it. I was IDed buying grenadine...

Even if paracetamol IS age restricted which it isn't DD had a headache. Why couldn't her father buy tablets to give her some, just because she was with him? She can pick up prescriptions for herself at the chemist in Sainsbury's with no ID.

If this person isn't 'old enough' to buy paracetamol and her father's not allowed to buy it for her - how is she supposed to get it? (NB I know the ruling has no logic)

I wonder.

Say you're at the till with an expensive bottle of booze in hand getting the ID treatment but cannot produce any proof so the sale is refused, you then accidentally drop it and smash it.

Would they allow your non age proven self to pay for the breakage?

I can understand the vanilla extract or essence. I didn’t know at the time I bought some it contains alcohol.

I bought it because I was on a low carb diet and someone said I could use it as a low carb alternative to sugar.

I have a problem with alcohol in that a liqueur chocolate can make me drunk.

Imagine my surprise when I put a teaspoon in my coffee and instead of feeling energised with the caffeine the room started to spin and tilt.
I was supposed to pick up dd from the station but she had to get a cab as I couldn’t walk let alone see straight.

I was id’d once in Tesco for a lottery ticket. The queue behind me was having a great laugh. I am nearly 60 , look probably nearly 70 and the woman behind the counter kept insisting I look less than 25.

Vanilla extract is mainly alcohol which is probably why it flags up

Yes probably but seriously how many cases of pissed on vanilla has there ever been? Surely common sense needs to be applied somewhere.

As for teaspoons? Are they often used as a weapon 😂

I think the teaspoon thing must be that you look responsible enough not to lose them all within a week? 🤔

Laughing so much at this esp "then I used them to rob a bank"

When there is no queue at the checkout - yes it does happen once in a blue moon - I complain about age discrimination when I don't get asked for proof of age.

I offer to show them my bus pass.

To date all the check-out operators have taken it in the spirit it was meant.

It's the age-old problem (sorry!) - politicians think they need to be seen to be doing something about a problem that only exists in the minds of a tiny but vociferous minority.

That ends up inconveniencing the overwhelming majority of law abiding people but the under age feral youths still get their White Lightening, or whatever replaced it. Vanilla extract?

Of course preventing a law abiding adult buying teaspoons in rural Monmouthshire will eliminate the problem of knife crime in London.

I had no idea Vanilla Extract has alcohol in it until I read this thread! Every day is a school day

Are forks also under the age restricted items list.

I know why teaspoons are on the list

Jesse Eisenberg in American Ultra killed someone with a spoon so obviously they must be dangerous

I was staying with my parents once and went with my dad to the supermarket. He picked up some paracetamol as their bathroom cabinet was running low on them. I picked up some paracetamol as I was on my period and wanted to take some with me for the journey home.

All our stuff goes on the belt together. Cashier says that she cannot put through two packs in the same transaction.

No problem, I say. I take my paracetamol and a couple of other odds and ends, and put them separately on the conveyor belt.

No, that's not acceptable. She has seen that we are together now so cannot sell either pack to either of us

Meanwhile in the US, they sell bottles of paracetamol by the 1000 (literally)

I understand not selling alcohol to person A because they think that it is really for person B, but really? Middle aged woman and her elderly dad aren't allowed to buy painkillers because we shopped together, but if we pretended not to know each other it would be fine?

What's the restriction on vanilla BTW?