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AIBU?

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Original poster

Asked for ID

158 replies

untiednations · 15/08/2020 23:27

I am 34, I went to the supermarket today buying a top up shop incl a bottle of gin. Cashier asked me for ID. I didn’t have any on me but I am a regular in the shop and I went to school with the cashier on the neighbouring checkout and we had been chatting while waiting (his checkout was vacant). After I mentioned this (and school friend confirmed) I expected my cashier to back down as it was obviously a mistake. She refused. Claimed it was against the law to serve someone after you’ve asked for ID if they can’t produce it. I was absolutely gobsmacked. Why do people just invent laws to suit themselves and save face?

I used to run a pub so I know very well the risks of serving someone underage but this was clearly just a misunderstanding followed by total jobsworth behaviour.

OP posts:
bobbiester · 16/08/2020 13:07

Once you have hit the 'I.D. button on a till you cannot proceed with a sale until you input the d.o.b. It's not a case of the cashier can change her mind it's the fact that you have asked and you have to follow it through.

Maybe a company procedure - but not a legal requirement. There is no legal requirement to keep a record of d.o.b.

Jaxhog · 16/08/2020 13:09

It will be pretty clear that a 34 yr old regular shopper is not U18

How do you know? Perhaps the Op looks young for her age. Last time I got asked, I was 36!

stoploss · 16/08/2020 13:09

This really isn't worth getting upset about.

Take id with you next time, the carrier was doing her job.

GlamGiraffe · 16/08/2020 13:14

I've never ever been asked for id and I've been buying wine for dinner since I was about 15. I never realised you weren't supposed to at that time, I just used to bring it home
I must look ancient. How depressing 🙁

goodwinter · 16/08/2020 13:19

Some people really love to shit on cashiers, don't they? They're not jobsworths, or short sighted, or making up laws, or deserving of your shitty attitudes. They rely on their job to keep a roof over their heads, and in my experience they'll have had the fear of god hammered into them re: alcohol sales over and over again. Personal fine and job loss - that's what it could mean for them. It's not worth it to keep a rude customer from kicking off, and it's incredibly selfish to put them in that position.

You can choose to stand there and get arsey with someone who is literally just trying to do the right thing, or you can carry ID with you when you're going out to buy alcohol.

JackPaul · 16/08/2020 13:19

Was it co op? Because they always ID me there and im in my 30s.

CherryCocktails · 16/08/2020 13:21

"If we are found to be breaking the rule we face a £60 fine.
We have regular mystery shoppers in store and the licensing body and the police use plants who look younger than 25 at times too.

The manager who holds the license for that day will also face charges and if it happens regularly the store can lose its liquor license.

I am not risking that for anyone."

The program with using plants who "look" under 25 is they might not look under 25 to everyone. Someone might look 22 to one person and 28 to another.

The law has gotten silly because the likelihood of someone who is 34 looking 24 who then gets asked for ID in case they are actually 17 is silly. A bit of common sense should apply and if it is a mystery shopper who is 24 and you didn't ask them for ID you can say you thought they looked 26....

CherryCocktails · 16/08/2020 13:22

Problem not program

itsgettingweird · 16/08/2020 13:30

I don't drink. Was buying some nice Ales for my dad as he finished his chemo.

Was only topping up milk and bread etc so went through self service.

Asked for ID. My ds 15 laughed and said "mums nearly 40" cashier said he needed ID from us both. I had my licence but ds is a child so doesn't carry it!

Told it's because I could be buying it for ds.

Ds replied "I'm 15. I'm not buying it. It's for my grandad and mum who is paying has proved her age" (he's autistic so is always very truthful when it comes to rules)

But no! I couldn't buy it with my ds there.
So he took the shopping down to the car and I went back around!

I've often wondered what law that was or if cashier was just being a PITA!

itsgettingweird · 16/08/2020 13:31

Any other time I would have walked and I wouldn't have brought their alcohol but I didn't want my dad to miss out

bg21 · 16/08/2020 13:32

YABU she is totally right, she asked , you couldn't provide so she cant sell it to you .

Willow2017 · 16/08/2020 13:33

Maybe a company procedure - but not a legal requirement. There is no legal requirement to keep a record of d.o.b.

It's the way every supermarket operates. It doesn't matter what you or joe public thinks about it it's a condition of employment. It's how they keep themselves legally safe within the law.
We dont 'keep a record of someone's name and the d.o.b.' ffs nobody said they did. It's entered into the till and the till recognises the person's age and allows the sale to go forward. No legal age d.o.b. NO sale its that simple.

The till records are checked of course for sales and discrepancies, other things and no doubt they note down how often people are challenged for compliance. But there is no customers name so it's just random d.o.b's recorded by each individual checkout operator.

Its a fact of life regarding buying restricted items. We don't make the rules but we have to follow them.

Shinyletsbebadguys · 16/08/2020 13:37

@Jaxhog

It will be pretty clear that a 34 yr old regular shopper is not U18

How do you know? Perhaps the Op looks young for her age. Last time I got asked, I was 36!

Yep DP gets asked quite regularly for ID and he is 37 , he just shows ID and makes haste to come home and tell me cackling because I haven't been ID'd since I was about 21.

OP honestly you are being horrible about this , it was her job , its irrelevant whose dogs sisters aunts hairdresser you knew in the shop.
Shop staff have it hard enough at the moment think why you feel it's ok to be so high and mighty about this? Is this honestly the nest you've got to feel indignant about?

Willow2017 · 16/08/2020 13:42

The law has gotten silly because the likelihood of someone who is 34 looking 24 who then gets asked for ID in case they are actually 17 is silly. A bit of common sense should apply and if it is a mystery shopper who is 24 and you didn't ask them for ID you can say you thought they looked 26.

Maybe but it's challenge 25 not challenge 17. We just abide by the rules to keep our jobs. Maybe randoms in a supermarket might consider that once in a while?

99% of cashiers will not challenge you just because you have kids because they use thier common sense.
But a colleague refused a sale to an obvious underage girl who was talking about going to her friends 16th birthday party that pm to her mother. Her mother was next in queue and said "I will get it for you with my shopping" guess what no she didn't!
We might use common sense but we aren't bloody stupid!

DeeTractor · 16/08/2020 13:53

Why do people love to bang on about "maybe company procedure but not the law" as though that makes a difference? If the company procedure is Think 25, those are the rules staff need to follow. If the procedure is Think 65, those the rules that need to be followed.

Sparklesocks · 16/08/2020 13:58

I think it’s quite embarrassing for a person in their 30s to have such a big tantrum about this that they made a thread about it 😬

itsgettingweird · 16/08/2020 14:10

When I grew up it was very normal to be asked for ID aged about 17 18-21.

Made sense because it's late college and uni age and people are tending to be mixed aged regroups and look similar.

I wasn't asked for ID from 22-27.

I was actually 25 when challenge 25 started and I had a 1yo.

Suddenly from 27-30 I was asked a lot and assume that's because it was the thing at the time. I always had a with me and knew it was obvious even if I looked younger I didn't have him when I was 12!

Recently it's all started again. Between 36-39 I've been asked for all kinds of random stuff including a kitchen knife!

It's pretty obvious I'm not under 25 and definitely not under 18.

I actually often feel for the people working in the shops who appear to have been frightened so much they are afraid to realise that someone who looks like they could be their mum is older than 25!

Biscuitsdisappear · 16/08/2020 14:13

If its in the job description that they must ask for ID then that's what they have to do. You always have the option of not shopping there again.

CherryCocktails · 16/08/2020 14:13

Oddly though I was with my dd (who is 13 but taller than me with a full adult looking body.) The lady came over to verify my gin purchase and said to me "are you paying?" to which I said yes. She then went over to take the security thing off the bottle whilst I paid. On her return she didn't bat an eyelid as she handed the bottle to my dd! I wonder if she thought she was old enough? We were both wearing masks and the woman did look harassed dealing with other customers self service red lights flashing.. still odd though?

MulticolourMophead · 16/08/2020 14:17

I think we should just go and ID everyone regardless. In the US, everyone knows they need ID, or no sale. That would cut out all the whingers who keep trying to push the checkout operators into breaking the rules and risking their job.

People like the OP need to realise that no checkout operator is going to risk their job for you.

BritWifeinUSA · 16/08/2020 15:12

I assume you walked or took a bus the shop? If you drive and had no ID on you where was your driving license?

Here the rule is you have to show ID for every purchase of alcohol, even if the cashier is your own mother. My husband is 54 and has to show his. I’m 46 and have to show mine, it’s really not that difficult to show your drivers license which we carry with us at all times anyway (it’s unlawful here to drive without your license on you).

Shinyletsbebadguys · 16/08/2020 15:38

@BritWifeinUSA

I assume you walked or took a bus the shop? If you drive and had no ID on you where was your driving license?

Here the rule is you have to show ID for every purchase of alcohol, even if the cashier is your own mother. My husband is 54 and has to show his. I’m 46 and have to show mine, it’s really not that difficult to show your drivers license which we carry with us at all times anyway (it’s unlawful here to drive without your license on you).

You don't have to have in legally with you in the UK if OP is there, although its strongly recommended. You just have to be able to produce within a certain time frame that covers the day of the stop an in date driving licence (you are usually given 5 to 14 days I believe)
Giraffey1 · 16/08/2020 15:39

I’m just jealous as no one has ever asked me for my ID!

MulticolourMophead · 16/08/2020 15:42

I know that we don't have to carry our licences in the UK, but we should, and certainly we should whenever we are driving.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 16/08/2020 15:46

I assume you walked or took a bus the shop? If you drive and had no ID on you where was your driving license? *

We don’t have to carry our licences in the UK. I do actually have mine in my purse (not that I have my purse with all the time) but it is not a photo card licence so most places won’t accept it as ID.