Was Waitrose being U?

[Settlethewreckage]

Just returned from Waitrose after having been refused a bottle of wine. DH (30) and I (27) wanted to celebrate our wedding anniversary by buying a fancy bottle of wine, so we went to Waitrose and picked one (along with some other stuff). At the till DH gets asked for ID, no problem. Cashier then asks me for mine, which I didn't have on me. So now we can't have this bottle of wine, because he can't confirm my age.

I'm angry. The manager said it made sense to ask us both as we 'look a similar age'. Yet they know DH is 30! To make matters worse, DH is now not able to buy alcohol at that store today and tomorrow because 'they know we are together'.

AIBU to think that this was ridiculous? Yes, I could have gone and fetched my ID from home, but by then I was already fuming, so I left the stuff and went to Sainsbury's.

It’s over the top but the thing is, if they’re wrong, the cashier personally can be fined (or they certainly could when I worked on checkouts). I imagine as soon as you said you didn’t have your ID they thought “shit, I know they are overage but now I’m going to have to stand my ground and look ridiculously over the top.” That’s what I always thought when I ID’d someone I knew I should ID but that I also basically knew was overage, and it turned out they didn’t have ID.

I am 31 and always get ID’d in Waitrose, they seem to be a more overzealous than other supermarkets in my experience. But they may have had fines/trouble for not being vigilant enough in the past so its possibly drilled into them to ask.

Well, that's especially stupid because there is no law about giving a child over 5 alcohol.

The law is stupid but it must be followed. It's similar to buying alcohol in a restaurant - must be with a meal, only certain types of alcohol and the adult must be the one to order and pay for it.

I agree that the checking ID at the till for everyone present is silly.

Since when does everyone have to show ID at the till? I have no problem at all with one person being asked, but as long as their ID proves they are old enough, that should be it.

So it's the same with medicine, baby formula and so on? You just need to pretend you don't know each other at the till and you are good. Bloody ridiculous system.

What's next? I'll have to hide my kids behind the till next time I buying a bottle of prosecco?

This is nothing more than peak mumsnet and everyone involved has happily played along to this totally real situation.

It's a blurred situation between everyone clapped and Einstein came over and offered consultation, and the OP and her OH being complete pissed up idiots being denied on reasonable grounds.

I would say obvious bait, but then again peak mumsnet is a thing.

I rarely buy alcohol so not really a problem for me, but I don't look my age so would definitely get ID'd. I don't drive and obviously don't carry my passport around so I'd struggle to prove my age!

It’s easy to say “ Challenge 25” but actually cashiers are only doing something illegal if someone turns out to be under18 or buying for a minor.
So I do think cashiers like to be a bit pedantic for the sake of it sometimes. Happy in the knowledge no one can challenge them.

But you don’t have to be 25 to buy alcohol, you have to be 18. A cashier in Tesco refused to sell me a bottle of wine because I was with DD, who is 20, and had ID “because she isn’t 25 and you might share the wine with her.”

It’s lack of training by the store and lack of clarity in their policy.

To clarify, I have zero problem with cashiers following the law and store policy- too much is at stake for them. But it's daft that the law (or policy? Not sure which) stops parents with clearly pre-teen children buying alcohol.

SheWoreBlueVelvet- the consequences for cashiers can be pretty bad if they unknowingly sell to minors, though. The onus is on them, not the store, if they fail.

Thing is even if the person is clearly over age and theyve been asked the cashier etc cannot sell them alcohol.

I was IDing people at a rugby match and a woman who was clearly in her 50s asked if I was going to ID her. I asked if she had any on her because if I genuinely asked her and she had none she wouldn't be allowed to the bar.

I got ID'd in Asda a few weeks ago when I was buying alcohol-free cider!

I'm 34 & had my baby with me. I don't look under 25 (sadly) and more than anything...it was alcohol free!

I know the law, I have a personal license myself from when I managed a pub but I think common sense should be applied too

I've argued with Waitrose over this too - I was buying a £30 bottle of wine, hardly the choice of a teenager, and I look bloody wrecked and broken. If I'd looked like this at 17 - or even 24 - I'd have been devastated!

It’s lack of training by the store and lack of clarity in their policy.

The policy with challenge 25 is that if you look under 25 then you will be asked for ID. If you can prove you are 18 then you will be served. Do you know how many 16 year olds can look 18? It is rare that they will look 25.

Challenge 25 has been a thing for YEARS.

Justanotherlurker

what are you on about? You do realise that MN is not real life, it's just an entertainment forum where you can also ask for a few tips on various subjects.

Ridiculous! They are only five bed after a test purchase, and the kids that do those look under 18 (and they are under 18) and they don't offer up fake ID!

Waitrose really are taking it too far to say your DH can't buy it today or tomorrow! What if you had kids with you? You'd never be able to buy it in case you gave them some!

So I’m 50 and have a ds age 10, are Waitrose likely to refuse to sell me wine in case I give it to ds?? How far are they prepared to take this?
Luckily I get my wine delivered by Majestic!

I'm 33 and was asked for ID in Tesco the other day for a can of red bull. I got over it pretty quickly.

Just being asked for ID is a nuisance at 30+ when you don’t drive and don’t have a passport. In my area they want £30 or more for various ID card things for over 25s.

My 12 year old is never asked for ID if he's with me when I'm buying cider. Is there a lower age limit for ID checks too? He would drink one if I let him!

Sorry! Only fined after a test purchase!

And yes the cashier is liable but if you get a kid under 18 asking for alcohol, they won't have any ID and there will be trading standards lurking to witness the sale. It's so obvious when it's taking place that only the foolhardy or stupid fail to ask for ID and unlawfully sell it.

I just googled and Challenge 21 was introduced in 2006 and Challenge 25 in 2009.

From Wiki

As of 2011, the four main supermarket chains (Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons), Marks & Spencer, The Co-operative, Bargain Booze and Waitrose all apply the Challenge 25 policy. Some have further rules, such as requiring ID from all members of a group in order to proceed with the sale (leading to adults well over 25 sometimes being refused service when shopping with a younger partner, friend or child). Furthermore, some supermarkets have trialled a policy of asking all alcohol purchasers for ID irrespective of apparent age, which has led to senior citizens as old as 86 being refused service.

In many of the large supermarket chains, including Marks & Spencer, The Co-operative and Waitrose, a shop assistant found selling alcohol to an underage person is liable to severe punishment by their employer, including possible dismissal, in addition to the standard legal penalties. In any of these companies, the 'Think 25' policy is drilled into all employees very stringently.

In recent years pubs and supermarkets have come under increasing pressure from the government to prevent the sale of alcohol to under 18s. Currently the law comes down much heavier on those selling the alcohol than those illegally buying it. The police regularly send young people who appear underage into pubs to try to purchase alcohol. Pubs, managers and staff members face fines for being caught. Repeat offenders face a risk of losing their licence. Pubs are responding by training their staff to ask people for proof of age if they can't immediately tell if a customer is old enough and as a way of encouraging vigilance are likely to sack staff members who get caught selling alcohol to underage people by the police.

@AnneElliot exactly. When I made that point I was told 'well, we assess on an individual basis and common sense is necessary'

No fuss at Sainsbury's. If I'd been on my own and didn't have ID, I would have 100% thought that I'd been a stupid idiot for leaving it at home, but this situation was different. The fact that the rules are different depending on your relationship really pisses me off. And no I am not being dramatic, the manager did say DH would not be able to buy alcohol because they know we are together.

So you have to be 18 or over to buy alcohol. Because it's quite difficult to accurately identify an 18 year old and shops were constantly being fined shops brought in "think 25" so that anyone who appears under 25 is id'd and that should mean noone under 18 is sold alcohol.

The problem is, because stores and trading standards now test "think 25" assistants err on the side of caution.

Asking for ID if teenagers are with you is to stop proxy sales.

None of this is the fault of the staff or the shops.

It's the punitive fines and criminal charges that means people won't risk it.