To think Tesco are being ridiculous with a prove you are over 18 for a food delivery

[Qantaqa]

Tesco delivery booked yesterday. Phone call to say van broken down. Do I want a slightly later delivery or cancel / rebook. I say later delivery is fine and think no more of it.

At the point the delivery arrives I am out. DS1(18) is in waiting for the delivery. DS phones to say driver cannot leave delivery as they have a think 25 policy and he doesn't have ID (he's awaiting arrival of his driving licence ). They wouldn't accept DS2 licence as he is only 17. Luckily mum turned up as DS1 was trying to find his Citizencard ID thing and obviously saved todays Sunday dinner the day.

I have looked and the Tesco website says:

All goods must be signed for on delivery by an adult aged 18 years or over.

Tesco follows a "Think 25" policy when delivering age-restricted items, so if the person receiving the goods looks under 25, proof of age will be requested. If proof is not available and there is no-one of that age at the address when delivery is being made, the goods will be retained by the driver.

1. Since Covid no-one signs for deliveries anymore, and
2. There were no age restricted items in the delivery - it was just a normal food shop.

I suspect someone will come along and say there is some reason that they need an over 18 to accept the delivery but if they have no-one signing anymore how can they prove (other than through tracking data on the van) that they have delivered and if that is the proof they are using then when does it matter if the person who takes the food is 18 or 16 or even younger?

Obviously if there was alcohol or a knife or a DVD of some sort that's different but it was literally fruit, veg, meat and bread and too much chocolate

I'll obviously make sure I am there in future until DSs ID comes through, but AIBU to think Tesco is BU?

You agreed to the t&c

Same happened to me. Delivery came, no age.restricted items and driver asked 17 (almost 18) year old if parent was home.

I was in bed with Covid and had to show my face at the top of the stairs or the delivery wasn't happening.

Someone isn't a jobsworth for doing their job. Take issue with the supermarkets who make these policies if you feel they're ridiculous, not a delivery driver following the rules they have to follow. Why should they risk their job because you don't read the terms and if you are aware think you don't have to bother?

If no alcohol in the order, then I agree that it's fine.

Why would they need to check? Why would the software not simply flag up “age check required” on the delivery info?

I once got asked for proof of age (I’m in my 70s) for razor clams

Really? That's not the case with all deliveries from supermarkets.
Both Waitrose and Ocado drivers know if it has an age restricted its,, as does Morrisons when done via Amazon. It tells them on their machine thing iirr - that's what they've told me anyway when I have had to organise dd to be in for the delivery in the past.

No age restricted items - no problem.
Age restricted items - ID shown if they aren't sure they're of age.

I'm surprised Tesco, a large supermarket doing 1000s of deliveries, doesn't have that similar alert for drivers.

I've had the same issue with sainsbury delivery. He said he couldn't leave it until I showed my ID even though there were no age restricted items.

This policy also covers the drivers for safeguarding. They should not be unaccompanied in the house with a minor and doing so could open the drivers and company up to all kinds of liability.

Most also allow you to have it left elsewhere, such as in your back garden or a secure porch, in the case of emergencies/issues. They just have to speak to you about it on the phone to arrange and to ensure you take full responsibility for it once left. Have had to do that twice in the past due to not being at hoe when the delivery was due because of unforeseen circumstances.

They are personally responsible if a mistake has been made

That is very easily solved though - just say doorstep delivery only.
I never have any food delivery person even offer to come and deliver within the house anyway. It's always to the doorstep.
So any potential safeguarding issue could be very easily solved.

But Tesco's policy is that all orders need to be signed for by someone over the age of 18. The contents of the delivery are totally irrelevant.

Their delivery policy has nothing to do with whether age-restricted items flag up on a screen somewhere. They probably do, but the driver is still required to ask for ID.

Nobody has pissed on my chips. I simply can't understand how you can keep going on about how nothing was age restricted when it is irrelevant. Had you bothered to read the T&Cs then you'd know. Tesco does not care that you think it is absolutely ridiculous, they have an absolutely reasonable policy in place to protect themselves and their drivers. For people who don't like the policy, there are Tesco stores dotted up and down the country to walk into.

We had a ridiculous one the other day with an Ocado order - there was a bottle of gin in it, DH & I were both at home and both had come to the door to take the bags in. I asked dc16 to help out, but the driver wouldn't let him take any bags in because there was alcohol in the order (he wasn't even allowed to carry in the bags that clearly didn't have the bottle of gin in there)! I would have totally understood this policy if we had asked dc to take the shopping in on his own (without the driver seeing one of us) or if we hadn't been there too, but as it was it seemed bizarre!!

Tesco drivers do have a similar alert.

Don't believe everything you read on here 😁

coffeecupsandwaxmelts

I was simply responding to a message that delivery drivers cannot see what is in an order. My experience is that most can and do have this flagged up.

Luckily there are many options other than Tesco for most people so they know who to avoid if it is likely to ever be an issue for them.

Delivery drivers can see what's in the order so that they can process a refund or tell you what the substitutions are if you forgot to read the email receipt.

I was upstairs getting changed and DD17 opened the door - I shouted down that I would be there in a minute but I had to come downstairs before he would unload the delivery.

It's been Tesco policy for years. DD is 19 and has to show her driving licence before they'll deliver if I'm not in.

I was chatting to the delivery guy a few years ago and he told me it was because they will take the crates to the kitchen if requested and they can't enter a property if there's no adult there. I guess it's a blanket policy to protect the drivers and under 18s.

I always sign for my deliveries again now. It started again about 6 months ago.

This happened to me with sainsburys, I’m 35, married, I wear a wedding ring. They asked if my parents were in then when I said no as it’s my house wouldn’t leave the shopping as my driving license had accidentally gone to work in DHs car with him. They took all the groceries away but did bring them back later

At 16 you can get married, live alone, have a child and vote but you can't order online from Tesco. Weird

I think part of the problem is that supermarket staff have it drilled into them about age restrictions and can face disproportionate penalties if they make a mistake. I'd like to see this addressed as it's unfair on them and leads to silly situations like the gin one above.

Well yeah you could have also been 17

You can only get married at 16 because that's the age of consent and some people are funny about unmarried mothers. I don't think it's recommended. I do wonder how people who leave home at 16 manage to cook without knives though..