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Original poster

To be annoyed they wouldn’t sell the false nails to me?

207 replies

RhodaCamel · 15/02/2020 14:13

Dd (12) and I have just got back from a shopping trip.
We popped into B&M, I purchased a few bits and dd had chosen some body butter and a pack of false nails for herself. She was purchasing them with some pocket money so I made my purchases first and paid up and dd popped her bits in the conveyor belt so she could pay for these bits herself.
The lady at the till looked at dd then called over the manager. I was stood next to dd and asked what the problem was. The manager said she needed proof of ID to show if dd was over 14 (no label in false nails stating this). I said ‘She is 12, is it because there is glue in the pack?’, they said yes and I said I understood, no worries I’ll buy them. The manager came back with ‘No, I can not sell them to you as your daughter is standing with you and we know they are for her’, wtf!! I then said ‘Well, that’s ridiculous but ok. I’ll sent dd back to the car and I’ll go back round, pick up a new pack of nails and pay for them myself’.....’No, we won’t sell them to you today as we know they are for your dd’!!!!!!
WTAF?? I totally understand there must be rules, regulations and policies to safeguard vulnerable people etc but is this not taking it to a completely new level, FFS!!

OP posts:
IDontLikeOrange · 15/02/2020 14:15

It's called a proxy sale. They're not allowed to seek you the nails. Simple. They could lose their job if they don't follow policy. You are not more important than their job!

IDontLikeOrange · 15/02/2020 14:16

*sell

Whatelsecouldibecalled · 15/02/2020 14:16

Not quite false nails but I was in Tesco the other day with my mum. I’m 32 and she is 59. I was buying a bottle of wine for a friend for her birthday. Didn’t have my purse on me was using Apple Pay on my phone. Lady on till asked me for ID (guess I should be flattered) didn’t have any. She refused to serve me. My mum said put it with her at stuff and she would pay and the lady on the till said we couldn’t do that either. I think once they have refused to serve that’s it.

scousadelic · 15/02/2020 14:16

We had similar in Tesco buying alcohol when DD was with me. It was stuff for a party and I was buying it yet she got ID'd, luckily she was 18 and had proof with her
Having said that, it's irritating but I wouldn't want anyone to lose their job for bending rules for my convenience

TheQueef · 15/02/2020 14:17

As said, proxy it isn't personal.

lyralalala · 15/02/2020 14:18

Once they've asked for ID they can't sell to that person, or to anyone buying for that person, without seeing ID. She could have lost her job if you were a mystery shopper.

Herpesfreesince03 · 15/02/2020 14:20

I agree this is ridiculous. You were with your daughter and aware she was buying them, so she’s obviously being supervised with them. And false nails are hardly illegal for children anyway. Reminds me of when my dad was buying himself a bottle of port (and some shopping) in a supermarket. They wouldn’t sell him one because I was with him because I apparently looked under 18. I was over 30 at the time and had my daughter with me and it was clearly his shopping and his port. But why have common sense when you have RULES 🙄

Slith · 15/02/2020 14:20

Perfectly normal. Now the sales staff know that they are for your daughter they'd be breaking the law by selling them to you.

cidersupernova · 15/02/2020 14:20

I know the rules can be quite crazy for the workers... when I worked in retail we were told that you can actually get PERSONALLY fined if you’re caught selling age-restricted products to somebody underage (even unknowingly) for £1000s of pounds and that sometimes people are sent undercover. For someone on min wage I was terrified!

IAmDudley · 15/02/2020 14:21

I can see why you’re annoyed but, in the nicest way possible, your DD wanting false nails and you being annoyed doesn’t mean anything to the cashier who could lose their job for selling them to her/you.

Original poster
RhodaCamel · 15/02/2020 14:22

I certainly wouldn’t want anyone to lose their jobs and am not blaming the sales assistants but the face I couldn’t go back on my own and purchase a completely new pack, whilst on my own seems ridiculous, yet I could probably pop in later today and buy them without any hassle. Again, not blaming staff it’s the degree to how far these policies are going is what I am thinking are unreasonable.
And I do think if that is B&m’s policy then there should be a stick on the products like with knives etc. If there had been I would have added them to the bits I purchased.

OP posts:
lyralalala · 15/02/2020 14:23

@Herpesfreesince03 And false nails are hardly illegal for children anyway.

Selling glue to children is illegal

Herpesfreesince03 · 15/02/2020 14:23

It may not be the staffs fault but the company policy is certainly silly

Original poster
RhodaCamel · 15/02/2020 14:24

fact

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 15/02/2020 14:25

I also get why you're annoyed but I think uou it take a little breath you can see why they should apply the rules, and not break them so your kid can have false nails.

dementedpixie · 15/02/2020 14:27

I have never heard of an age restriction of age 14. Are they making stuff up to suit themselves?

Herpesfreesince03 · 15/02/2020 14:28

@lyralalala certain types of glue are illegal, yes. But the mother was buying them for the daughter, that’s not illegal. It’s down to a shops discretion whether they sell them to her or not, they are allowed to sell an adult a product that is clearly being bought for a child. There are false nail ranges that are sold for toddlers. It’s down to the shops discretion whether to use a bit of common sense or not

slashlover · 15/02/2020 14:29

Certain types of glue are age restricted and once it's reused then nobody is allowed to buy it on behalf of the child. Age restricted is treated the same whether it's glue, tobacco or alcohol.

lyralalala · 15/02/2020 14:33

@Herpesfreesince03 It's not down to their discretion. The person for whom the product was for was asked for ID and could not produce it. They cannot knowingly allow it to be bought for her knowing she is under age.

This is one of the biggest mystery shopping tests shops face.

Would they have remembered the OP in a busy shop had she gone back in? Who knows. Do they have to say "no we wouldn't sell you them"? Yes they do.

Icantfind · 15/02/2020 14:33

The proxy thing really confuses me. I do the weekly shop with at least one of my children (age 5 and 2). At what point will I have to be refused wine as I might be ‘buying it for the kids’?

Willow2017 · 15/02/2020 14:33

Its the law.
If a staff member knows you are buying something for a minor then they are not allowed to sell you it, full stop no excuses.
We have random mystery shoppers, and people from legal agencies checking up on us to ensure we are following the rules.

Selling something to you knowing it was for your child when you could be one of those (yes they do use children too) or the person in the queue next to you could be one is not going to happen. Just buy them yourself elsewhere today or remember that for next time.
We cant bend the rules just because it inconveniences you. The rules are there to safeguard kids, we dont make them. Dont take it out on the staff nor make it more awkward than it already is for them.

85notout · 15/02/2020 14:35

Why are you trying to buy false nails for a 12 year old child?

Willow2017 · 15/02/2020 14:35

But the mother was buying them for the daughter, that’s not illegal

Buying something with an age restriction for a minor under that age is illegal its not negotiable.

Stressedout10 · 15/02/2020 14:37

I think that they got it wrong as you have to be 16 to buy solvent based glue and I know that is what they give you in cheap packs of nails.
As previously explained if they allowed you to "proxy" buy the nails not only would they loose there job but could personally be fined thousands so yes you are being massively unreasonable

slashlover · 15/02/2020 14:38

It’s down to a shops discretion whether they sell them to her or not, they are allowed to sell an adult a product that is clearly being bought for a child.

It's called a proxy sale. Are you saying you'd be fine with a shop selling an adult alcohol/glue/tobacco knowing it's going to be given to your child?

There are false nail ranges that are sold for toddlers. It’s down to the shops discretion whether to use a bit of common sense or not

I'm going to assume the toddler nail ranges don't include glue. It is not the shops discretion whether they follow the law.

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