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AIBU?

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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:
Willow2017 · 15/02/2020 15:12

So I’m safe with toddlers, how about in 10 years when I’ve got a 15yo with me? Could/would that be questioned?
Not unless you are passing the bottle to them or mention that you are buying it for them.

I’m not saying he passes the wine / separate on the conveyor, but if it’s part of my shop?
No, if I did this I would refuse 75% of sales and be an idiot. We know parents are buying it for themselves as part of their shop. Once they are out the shop and home if they want to give their kids alcohol it isnt anything to do with us we arent mind readers.

BTW when a cashier refuses to let your child/teen take a bottle of alcohol off the slide at the end of the till to pack its not being awkward its the rules. Please dont put us in that position just handle it yourselves folks.

Willow2017 · 15/02/2020 15:15

The glue that comes with false nails is pretty grim and totally destroys the nail bed.

The one and only time I had false nails with glue they ate holes into my nails! Never again.

AcrossthePond55 · 15/02/2020 15:16

If something is illegal, it's illegal. Whether we think it's 'rational' or not is irrelevant. If you don't like the law work to get it changed.

I'm in the US and I've never seen someone being denied buying a restricted item simply because they've had a minor with them. That does seem odd. I've seen denying alcohol purchase when it was obvious that the minor(s) had given money to a random adult, though. There are HUGE penalties for that.

Unless the store has an honest belief that the purchaser is going to hand the item over to the minor to abuse I don't see why the adult shouldn't be able to purchase it.

belgianpringles · 15/02/2020 15:17

how about in 10 years when I’ve got a 15yo with me? Could/would that be questioned? Not unless you are passing the bottle to them or mention that you are buying it for them.

Waitrose wouldn't sell me wine when I had my teenage DD with me despite there having been no mention of it being for her or being given to her, that was a few years ago. Today I had my teenage sons with me when buying a bottle of white wine (for cooking), cider (ditto) and two bottles of beer (for me) and they didn't question it at all when they did the age check at the self scanner.

slashlover · 15/02/2020 15:17

So for example if a group on young people came to the till and only one was buying beer you would only ID that person, unless you had seen/heard another person from the group ask them to buy it for them.

I was trained to ID everyone in a group if they looked underage. It was to stop a load of 17 year olds from being bought alcohol by the first one to turn 18.

hula008 · 15/02/2020 15:19

So I’m safe with toddlers, how about in 10 years when I’ve got a 15yo with me? Could/would that be questioned?

If they have reason to believe you are purchasing the alcohol for your son then yes. Unfortunately due to the ambiguous nature of "reason to believe" and different people's perception of our actions, this can sometimes be misconstrued and misapplied by staff. It's absolutely not their fault and they are acting within the law.

Interestingly I can't find any information online that the sale of solvent products for their intended use should be subject to any proxy sale "checks". Ie you cannot buy solvents on behalf of a minor knowing they are going to use it for an unintended purpose, but it's not clear if you cannot buy it on behalf of a minor for its intended use as a solvent.

PlanDeRaccordement · 15/02/2020 15:20

YABU to allow your 12 yr old DD to have false nails.
I’m glad they refused to sell them to you.

PlanDeRaccordement · 15/02/2020 15:22

Goatingarden. What you said. Brilliantly put.

CustardySergeant · 15/02/2020 15:26

"I didn't know that refusing to serve coffee to under 16s was a thing until the other day."

I'm astonished to learn this. Not that you didn't know - nor did I - but that under 16s can't buy coffee! Why on earth not? Confused

Nam3Chang3Again · 15/02/2020 15:26

I would've just said nothing, gone around the store again and through a different till on your own a few minutes later. The only reason anybody notices a customer doing that is if they make themselves memorable/draw attention by making a fuss first time around.

RaveOnThisCrazyFeeling · 15/02/2020 15:26

I'd be so sad if my 12 year old wanted false nails and there's no way on earth I'd let her have them. I'd rather she has a childhood.

Bowerbird5 · 15/02/2020 15:28

I had this two days before DDs 18 th birthday. Someone was watching in the back and saw her lift them off the shelf. I have arthritis and a bad shoulder and they were higher than my shoulder. I bought a bottle of wine which I lifted and put in the trolley. I paid for all the shopping. It was pretty obvious it was for a party because of some of the other shopping. The woman came skuttling up to the till to say I wasn’t allowed to purchase it but ...I could buy the wine because I had put it in the trolley. Even though I explained why she had put it in the trolley and that it was her birthday party on the weekend we weren’t allowed to have it. I would have left the whole trolley in Tesco if I had more time. We took the rest and stopped at the Co op on the way home.

slashlover · 15/02/2020 15:29

I'm astonished to learn this. Not that you didn't know - nor did I - but that under 16s can't buy coffee! Why on earth not?

Probably due to the amount of caffeine in them, that's why energy drinks are over 16.

GetOffYourHighHorse · 15/02/2020 15:33

Totally understand the proxy rules if there are teens trying to buy booze, however this situation does seem overkill and a bit jobs worthish.
Did they suggest how long you would have to wait before buying nails from there or are you banned for life Grin

Whynosnowyet · 15/02/2020 15:34

I bought a '16' candle - the sparkler type - it had an age restriction on it. Wasn't ID ed sadly but what can you do with unlit bloody candle?

HollowTalk · 15/02/2020 15:36

This bank manager wasn't allowed to buy a PG DVD without ID - not sure what age you're meant to be for that!

slashlover · 15/02/2020 15:36

Totally understand the proxy rules if there are teens trying to buy booze, however this situation does seem overkill and a bit jobs worthish.
Did they suggest how long you would have to wait before buying nails from there or are you banned for life

They are both LEGALLY age restricted as age 18, why is alcohol understandable but glue not?

Aridane · 15/02/2020 15:37

YABU - try that argument when a child tries to buy fags and then the parent steps in to buy

slashlover · 15/02/2020 15:38

This bank manager wasn't allowed to buy a PG DVD without ID - not sure what age you're meant to be for that!

How is that relevant to a child trying to buy an age restricted item?

TeacupDrama · 15/02/2020 15:40

there is no legal rule about coffee it is a shop policy not a law
it is a law regarding alcohol tobacco glue etc

RedskyAtnight · 15/02/2020 15:40

I tried to buy a bottle of wine (as in it was the only thing I was buying) when I was DS when he was 13 and was refused (he was tall for his age though). But I'd happily bought wine as part of a bigger weekly shop when he'd been with me.

My 14 year old was recently refused admittance to a 12 film (along with her 13 year old friend). Neither of them had ID with them (DD has now learnt that lesson at least!). Though when the friend's mother confirmed verbally that the girls were both over 12, they were allowed in! But guessing the legislation around seeing films underage might be less stringent than for solvents/alcohol/cigarettes.

Soontobe60 · 15/02/2020 15:49

The fine for selling certain glue products to under 18s is £5000 and/or 6 months imprisonment. This includes knowingly selling them to an adult for use by a minor.

GetOffYourHighHorse · 15/02/2020 15:50

'I'd be so sad if my 12 year old wanted false nails and there's no way on earth I'd let her have them. I'd rather she has a childhood.'

Grin

(Or are you being serious?!)

Willow2017 · 15/02/2020 15:50

Totally understand the proxy rules if there are teens trying to buy booze, however this situation does seem overkill and a bit jobs worthish.

They are both covered under the same laws.
If abiding by the law and keeping my job are a source of amusement to people then carry on I dont give two.

WhoWants2Know · 15/02/2020 15:51

Lol, at the people getting sniffy at 12 year olds with false nails.