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

[Potkettlexx]

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?! 🙄

I suppose because she was tapping the card she was technically buying it. It's not as over-the-top as all the people who say they would refuse to sell alcohol to a parent if they were with their child. I find that seriously over-the-top and in reality just not workable.

Your goddaughter cannot use the line I was at school with them. They need to provide ID.

You may not agree with the law but it is the law and as such followed. And she was perfectly right to do so.

Do you get that by scanning the card she was buying it?

Slightly off thread - These people whose OH have their PIN numbers.... In these days of split relationships and divorce at 50%. What would happen if you split?

When the bank asks if anyone else has their PIN with some unauthorised spend. What on earth are you going to say? I saw a lady in a shop the other day take out her credit card AND a Post It with her PIN on!! I told her she really shouldnt do that but she said she couldnt remember it any other way!

Yabvvvu...honestly its the law. Of course your 7 year old is not going to drink it but shes not allowed to scan it. The casher has to legally do this!!!

My 8yo DD wanted to get me a bottle of gin for my birthday. I enlisted one of my friends to buy it for me (her). But I explained to DD2 that once DFriend had picked it up DD2 was to not say a bloody word about it being for (her) me - or they should refuse to sell it.

It's not that hard to understand. People lose jobs, retailers get fined. There's zero tolerance over this subject. I let DDs scan and 'pay' contactlessly for shopping but NEVER if there's an age restriction on a product.

I've been stopped buying alcohol until my dd (18) produces id despite the fact it was for me, she hates red wine! It's a bit annoying but it's the law, no exceptions.

It isn't the law that parents can't buy alcohol if they are doing a food shop with their children. I do it all the time.

That’s irrelevant to the fact the goddaughter knows for sure a person is over 18 (as she was at school with them) yet still asks for ID every time. That rule is absolutely ridiculous too. Makes no sense whatsoever
What part of "check ID of anyone who looks under 25" do you not understand? That's the policy. If they're over 18 then they show their ID.

We have these threads weekly
And other threads that can be translated to "wah wah wah! I don't think the rules/law apply to me and my DC. We're special don't you know"

@SoupDragon

ITS BLUDY RIDICULOUS when the person is known to be 18 or older!!!

As others have said, whether someone appears to look 25 is SUBJECTIVE!!! Ffs

She already showed common sense in that she didn't refuse the sale because your DD scanned the item. In many places she'd have got hauled over the coals for allowing that.

If she'd let your DD be the one to pay, your card or not, and you'd been a mystery shopper then she'd have lost her job and potentially been fined 5k

What you do at home isn't relevant. It's not illegal for parents to allow their child alcohol in the home. It is illegal for a shop to sell alcohol to a child - allowing a child to scan alcohol and pay using a card (regardless of whose card) is allowing a child to buy alcohol and is illegal.

Just love the entitlement in these threads where parents think their little darlings playing at shopping should outweigh the rights of shop staff to keep their jobs.

Selfish twats and no doubt teaching their kids the same shitty attitude.

Sigh. Give up guys. The OP isn’t getting it

Despite the 99% of people saying.

If this happened in my store, it would be reviewed by the company and/or Trading Standards and the Police (depending on if it was an internal compliance test or a TS one) via the CCTV

Our CCTV records picture but not sound so all the reviewers would see is a 7yr old scanning alcohol, the colleague authorising the sale and then the 7yr old paying. The fact that you were talking her through it or were clearly the one who was in control of the transaction would not be flagged up and the colleague would be fined and or prosecuted and probably lose their job.

If they could show that they approached at X point and you then paid then it could save them their job.

The law is the law. No exceptions

I also think a PP sums it up perfectly. Its not the act of drinking the alcohol that is the issue. Its the buying and handling of it - all of which your daughter was doing.

Of course you would claim it wasnt for her, she is only 7, yadda, yadda, yadda, but its the purchase that is the question here.

Do you want the shop to be fined? If you want the law changed then speak to your MP.

Why an earth would you expect someone to risk there job so your DD can play at shopping.

The cashier isn't psychic, she doesn't know you won't give it to your child does she? It's the bloody law. Get off your high horse. If the transaction had gone through when your daughter had the card she could have been fined. And lost her job.
I have seen plenty of 16/17yrolds that could pass for 23/24/25.

Plenty of people complain about the sale of alcohol, from other customers, colleagues and I've even known managers to "grass" up employees. The store can be held liable too but the onus is on the cashier.

It also doesn't matter if you know how old Someone is. Regardless of going to school with them or not. If they look under 25 the cashier has to Id them. It's the law. I have know people be sacked for not IDing a person because they knew them and knew how old they were so they didn't bother to ask. I have also known 2 people dragged through the fine system and one prosecuted after a test purchase was done. So no op its not ott. She probably has a family to feed, can't afford a 1k fine and wants to keep her job. You are so far past unreasonable it is untrue.
My dd also likes to help with the shopping but if I have age restricted items she gets told no you can help next time.

ITS BLUDY RIDICULOUS when the person is known to be 18 or older!!!

It's not

The policy of their employment is to ID everyone who looks under 25.

Therefore to prevent any issues (i,e staff members potentially letting 'almost' 18yos that they know) there is no leeway in that

Would you prefer someone put their employment in jeapordy just to suit you? That's what you are suggesting they do in that scenario. It won't be an acceptable defence if their employer spot checks the sale

My son once scanned a basket of shopping in M and S which included a bottle of beer (he was too quick and had done it before we noticed!) and the lady refused to put through the sale even though we were paying so I don’t think what happened to you is much different. My son also has special needs and likes scanning and “paying” but I just stick to doing it when not buying alcohol

@BookWitch

Well more fool you for sending your dd in to car so you could buy alcohol.

Why is there an automatic assumption that a parent buying alcohol (when accompanied by the 18-25 child) is doing it on behalf of their child?

It’s your card for god sake.... so yes silly you

Yes she was being ridiculous - however I’d have rolled my eyes and then thought no more about it. YABU for letting it bother you so much.

Although I think that technically their child scanning it in could be interpreted as her by even though it was someone's car that she was there. However, I'm not convinced by the assertions that the person would lose their job or they could be fined a lot of money if it went through. I doubt that this has ever happened. There seems to be too much extrapolation and lack of common sense with regard to this topic from some people.

It doesn’t matter how many pages of you saying ITS BLUDY RIDICULOUS you fill up, you were still in the wrong. It’s concerning that you just don't get it.

Melj - that is an excellent point regarding CCTV. It effectively shows:

1. A child handling alcohol
2. Same child putting it on the self scanner
3. Far far worse - child buying the alcohol!

Supervisor is called in the next day and asked to explain why she allowed this transaction to go through? Can she remember word for word, what she said, what you said, why it was just a 'game' for the child. Do you know how hard these cashiers and supervisors work all for NMW.

They then have to attend training course and confirm that they understand Restricted Age policies (to cover the store of course). You then want them to make an exception for you because after all its YOU!!

Woodchuck my 2 of my dps ex colleagues have been prosecuted for this very reason. It does happen. I have also seen 1 shop and 2 social clubs lose their license from doing such things as not IDing people they know.

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!!

Holier