Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To think checkout lady was being OTT about alcohol and child?

445 replies

Potkettlexx · 20/02/2020 15:02

In supermarket yesterday with DD 7. DD struggles at school so I let her help with shopping to get her used to the concept.

Bought some bread and small gift pack bottle baileys £5 for in-laws bday.

Got DD to scan the gift box and the bread and press the correct buttons etc... (dd Aldo has some sensory and coordination difficulties so again it helps this doing practical things)

DD wanted to pay with my card so I told her what buttons to press and gave her the card to tap on card reader. Dd didn’t really understand so I just gently took it from her and tapped my card myself.

Before I took over, dd was trying and the woman supervising the self service tills piled up ‘ohh you’ll have to be the one that pats with the card’ or something to that affect.

I was thinking.... for real?!

I get that they need to be very careful when selling alcohol....

I get that a 15 year old can look 18....

I get that an 18 year old could be potentially buying it for younger friends....

I get that they could be disciplined if they were willingly selling alcohol to under 18’s....

But for goodness sake, surely common sense would say she really didn’t need to say that under the circumstances.

After all, the reason the sale of alcohol is forbidden to under 18’s is incase they drink it and quite right.

That’s not the same as the this situation. It was clearly evident I was the one ‘buying it’ and giving my consent. Does she honestly think I was planning on giving it to my 7 year old?! 🙄

OP posts:
BrendasUmbrella · 20/02/2020 17:48

Unless the 7 year olds name was on the card, she wasn't paying for it.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 20/02/2020 17:49

Pot kettle. Aibu is the wrong place if you’re looking for everyone to nod along or get splinters in our arses from sitting on the fence.

LittleMissMe99 · 20/02/2020 17:49

I work in retail. Under no circumstances can they let your child press those buttons... because they are technically purchasing the item. The law is the law

RainbowAlicorn · 20/02/2020 17:49

Ok I haven't RTFT, children can not touch the alcohol or the money/card during the transaction because it sounds as serving underage. The supervisor could get fined, fired or a prison sentence for allowing your DD to do it.

BiBiBirdie · 20/02/2020 17:50

You think that's bad? At leads she didn't block you from buying because you had a child with you.
DD is 12 and I was buying a bottle of wine for DP and I to have with dinner. She is very clearly not old enough for booze.
OTT arse behind the till in Morrisons asked me was she my child. I said yes but asked why was she asking as I thought it a weird question. She then turns to DD and asks "is this lady buying this for you as you've asked her to". DD laughed and said no, shes my mum!
I then said, I had already told her she was my child after she asked. I said again, is there a problem here as I would like to get home before it pours down.
She refused to sell the wine. It was a nice bottle too, not a bottle of Lambrini or other such crap teens try and buy. I told her she was being utterly ridiculous, but she said she did not believe I was buying it for me. She threatened police and all sorts.
I went to customer service and asked to speak to someone higher up to be told she was indeed being ridiculous and it wasn't her place to suggest DD wasn't my child but due to sodding law I now couldn't purchase it.
Last time I will be using Morrisons.

Willow2017 · 20/02/2020 17:51

And for all those jollier than thou, a pp made a great point- if you’ve ever used your partners card/PIN number to get cash out then potentially you could get done for fraud if the bank found out!!

Thats got nothing at all to.do with your Op.
You were not yelled at.
Not refused the alcohol.
Just gently reminded you.had to pay for it.
Why all the angst?

If a mystery shopper reports you for not iding someone who looks younger than 25 you are in trouble with work for violating policy end of. If you are doing it with them they have no guarantee you are not doing it with everyone.
They have to keep everything above board always.

Is everyone being deliberately goady whenever this subject comes up?

lyralalala · 20/02/2020 17:54

I'd love to see some people on here walk into the local shop here. Everyone who buys alcohol, cigarettes or lottery tickets needs ID. Even my 80 year old neighbour

woodchuck99 · 20/02/2020 17:54

Wood I never said they had been prosecuted for serving over 18s but looking under 25. But you would fail a test purchase certainly.

The person making a test purchase wouldn't be someone you went to school with though or knew in any other capacity so fairly irrelevant. We are not talking about serving people you don't know who look under 25 is obviously you would have to ask them for ID.

Enko · 20/02/2020 17:59

@woodchuck99

People buy alcohol all the time without "proving" their age
VERY VERY sorry... I shall rephrase.

People who have been challenged 25 can not purchase their alcohol without proof of age.

As for your
The person making a test purchase wouldn't be someone you went to school
why not? People who do this are friends /family/ acquaintance to other people they are not a different species.

Wonkybanana · 20/02/2020 18:00

The person making a test purchase wouldn't be someone you went to school with though

Why not? They might work for Trading Standards.

justasking111 · 20/02/2020 18:01

Its the rules my DD 32 popped out the other evening for a bottle of wine no ID so she was refused. OH went to the shop for her they never asked for his ID how offensive Grin

My DS has worked in a pub/restaurant for a couple of years, once 18 he could serve behind the bar, he has to ask everyone including friends and family for ID.

What made me pull my hair out last year was when three members of the family had flu and I could only buy two paracetamol products at a time for them. Now I have stocked up.

deplorabelle · 20/02/2020 18:02

One of the original motivations behind licensing laws was to prevent young children being sent to pubs and taverns as runners to buy alcohol for adults. Seven year olds would have been sent on such errands and made very vulnerable as a result. The world has changed and children aren't as independent or exploited any more. But unless you maintain the laws there is nothing to stop eg a drunk adult sending a child to the shop or the bar.

As the child of alcoholics I'm very grateful for super strict licensing laws however daft you find them.

Willow2017 · 20/02/2020 18:02

On the cctv footage She is using the card. Thats all there is to it.

Its using any means to pay for restricted items that counts. The regulators dont give a fig why they were doing it.

Enko · 20/02/2020 18:05

test purchases some of you could benefit from reading this

DateNovice · 20/02/2020 18:08

You realise some people are employed to test this as their jobs?

woodchuck99 · 20/02/2020 18:09

why not? People who do this are friends /family/ acquaintance to other people they are not a different species.

Do you seriously think they would sending a member of your family to test whether you are ID accurately.Hmm

woodchuck99 · 20/02/2020 18:09

sending send in

MrsSnitchnose · 20/02/2020 18:10

So in summary, you're pissy because a shop assistant stopped a 7 year old buying alcohol 🙄

FlamingoAndJohn · 20/02/2020 18:12

So you’re telling me that if a cashier served a lady she went right through school with in same class and knows she’s over 18, thus didn’t ask fur ID... that they would prosecute her? Absolutely rubbish!!!!

Perhaps not prosecute, if she is indeed over 18, but she could lose her job.

What if the cashier in question is only 18 herself, she knows the person who is buying the alcohol and assumes that she too is 18, but she’s not, she’s only 17?

Konicek007 · 20/02/2020 18:12

I was in my local Sainsbury’s and I left my daughter to press the PIN in.( she is 8 and knew that she is allowed to do it as I was there with her fully in view)
The cashier said to me very abruptly and loud: this is the last time I left you do that.
I was so embarrassed as I did not know what she meant so I just left after we paid.
I went to the customer services desk and enquired and they confirmed that I can not let my child to use the card at all, even when I am with her.
So no- since that I don’t do that..

mnthrowaway202020 · 20/02/2020 18:13

The way OP writes is extremely annoying.

woodchuck99 · 20/02/2020 18:13

@Enko as the link says they send in an underage person not a person who is over 18 but looks under 25.

wishing4sun · 20/02/2020 18:13

It's not if another customer says something it's if they are having a secret shopper inspection, in which case they send different people in all ages parents with children etc. I have been on the other end of this and received a diciplinary for serving someone a game 16+ when they let there child use there card. I could have been personally fined.

Grumpelstilskin · 20/02/2020 18:13

Wow, OP you have a very entitled attitude to think your first world issues trump someone's job and that you are above rules however petty they may seem.

likeafishneedsabike · 20/02/2020 18:14

Interestingly my 10 year old does all the scanning himself (love taking him shopping) but refuses to tap the card because he says it’s mine and he doesn’t want to get in trouble with the shop. So quite apart from the alcohol issue, maybe we shouldn’t be teaching our DC to use our cards. I don’t use DH’s and he doesn’t use mine because using someone else’s bank card is considered a bit off, isn’t it? Maybe just us.

Swipe left for the next trending thread