Judged by Waitrose

[Prioryfodder]

Waitrose would not let me buy alcohol because I was accompanied by my 15-year-old daughter. To explain, just before Christmas, I had bought a basket of groceries and two bottles of Malibu (actually destined for her older brothers Christmas stockings to make long island iced teas, but that's irrelevant IMO). She had briefly handled the bottles to put on the conveyor belt for me. We then waited some time for the cashier to clear. We were clearly together and frankly we are clearly mother and daughter. The cashier (rather smugly) said she would need ID from both of us to sell me the alcohol. I said I was 56 and she 15, but the alcohol was for me. She - and later her manager - asserted that we both had to be over 18, and to prove it. I asked if they would sell it to me if she left the shop. No. Would they sell it to me if she were 6-year-old? Yes, and I was ''not to be so silly'', said the cashier. My daughter feels she was judged as being an underaged drinker, and I feel judged to be a 'bad mother'. Vote: Yes, you are AIBU, you should never shop with your teenage child, you fool. YANBU, FFS at 56 you should be allowed to buy alcohol.
I am expecting a few cracks about buying Malibu and shopping at Waitrose. Please don't disappoint

It's like this in most supermarkets now.

It’s an absurd rule. Absolutely ridiculous. They know damn well you’re her mother!

I know this is apparently normal now, but it's utterly fucking insane.

They risk being sacked so sadly they have to insist on rules even they themselves find idiotic. Give them a break, they don't make the rules and they don't need to be stressed on things they have no control over.

Yeah. Daft, innit?
but the righteous crowd with their 'rules are rules' mantra will be along any second...

Waitrose sell Malibu? Really?

Try Mallyboo from Aldi, they'll sell it to anyone*

*I made the whole thing up. Please don't sue me Aldi.

Not sure why you expect cracks about either Malibu or Waitrose? Is it an indicator of something?

Anyway, YABVU to not have known that this is common practice.

Or maybe the staff should risk dismissal just in case a 15 year old should feel "judged"

Why are you putting Malibu in a Long Island iced tea?

/wilfully misses point of thread

Pretty standard in any supermarket. YABU

It's an actual offence for them to sell alcohol to under 18s so it makes sense some employees will be ultra careful rather than risk losing their jobs.

No one was judging you as a unfit mother or your daughter as an under age drinker 🤷🏽‍♀️

It's about the store rules and well you know it.

It’s ridiculous, but that’s what the people
who enforce the law, and send those secret shoppers around to test retailers, actually want. We used to leave DSS in the car park when he was under 18.

Thing is any adult can say she's the mother, it happens all the time.
A supermarket can lose its licence to sell alcohol if they are found to be supplying alcohol to a personunder 18, that's the bottom line and alcohol is a top seller at supermarkets.
They can't win really because there would be bloody uproar if an adult had bought alcohol on her behalf and then something really bad happened.
I don't drink and have to work in a supermarket and deal with this every single day, it's no fun for us either l can assure you, in fact it would be alot easier for staff if supermarkets didn't sell it, but can you imagine the fuss that would create as most of the country seems heavily dependant on it.

This happened to me when I was 25, and looking after my younger sister (13) for the day. I genuinely queried how young she'd have to be for it to have been allowed, as surely there's a logical limit to this. She looked about 11 at the time too!

Standard in most supermarkets.
I used to ask the teens to go off somewhere before I went to pay.

This.

Why are you putting Malibu in a Long Island iced tea?
/wilfully misses point of thread

Thats all I took from the post too haha

This is what has been occupying my brain too!

Unfortunately it's entirely at the cashier's discretion as it is the cashier that will get a personal fine and potentially lose their job if it is a test purchase.

It is really hard but a lot of cashiers will look at what is being purchased as well as the purchaser - if you were buying red wine with your weekly shop then they probably wouldn't think anything of it but if it's stuff like Malibu, Archers, alcopops etc in a big shop and an older looking teenager handles the bottles then many cashiers will offer it is for them and they have to ID everyone who is part of the purchase as otherwise it could be a proxy sale.

What does the rule say exactly? Is it specifically to discourage adults from buying alcohol for their teenage children?
If so, how would that work? You can give teenagers alcohol at home if you want, it's not illegal. You can buy some beer for them if they wait outside while you shop too.
In effect the law means you can't go shopping with an underage person if you want to buy alcohol. That can't be an actual intended consequence, can it?
(But apparently it's ok if said underage person is six? ) Bonkers.

It’s not just that supermarket. If they suspect they are for her they ID. It was probably combo of newly trained staff and Malibu.
I ask my teen to stand away while I pay if I’m buying alcohol usually favoured by teens eg cocktail cans.

I'm more shocked about the assistant telling you not to be so silly, the cheeky mare.

There is no Malibu in a Long Island iced tea, it’s vodka, tequila, rum, gin and triple sec.

I tried to buy sparklers from Waitrose just before Bonfire Night and the woman on the customer services desk genuinely looked at me like I had asked for ketamine.