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Original poster

Buying Prime in Asda

108 replies

primecrime · 02/07/2023 12:15

I was in Asda today with my 12 year old ds and his friend of the same age. They spotted cans of prime that they'd never had before and got all excited.

They chose two flavours and put them in the trolley talking excitedly about trying them later.

As we were near the till a check out lady said firmly to us, you can't buy those.

I asked why. She said because they are for children, I've heard them talking about drinking them.

I explained that I was buying them (aged 45) not them.

She said again, you can't buy them for children and pointed to the challenge 25 sign.

I said ok, I'll just buy them for me to drink all of them. She then reached over, grabbed them out of my trolley and marched off with them.

I followed her and asked why she was taking them. She said it was just her job and I was breaking the law.

I left without them, confused and perplexed.

I had no idea that Prime was restricted in this way. Does anyone know the rules about buying Prime? I felt like a criminal as well as a bad parent.

OP posts:
madeofcheeze · 02/07/2023 12:15

The ones which are high caffeine are age restricted. The normal ones are not.

Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 02/07/2023 12:19

You clearly had the energy Prime drinks which are not for children and are in cans. The prime hydration drinks which is basically coconut water are in bottles and safe for children.

Original poster
primecrime · 02/07/2023 12:20

Right! I didn't realise there was a difference. Thanks!

OP posts:
Bunce1 · 02/07/2023 12:20

Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 02/07/2023 12:19

You clearly had the energy Prime drinks which are not for children and are in cans. The prime hydration drinks which is basically coconut water are in bottles and safe for children.

Exactly this.

Did the Asda person not make this clear to you?

Original poster
primecrime · 02/07/2023 12:21

No. She just yelled at me that I couldn't have them as they weren't for children, grabbed them and stomped off

OP posts:
BadgerFacedCoo · 02/07/2023 12:23

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madeofcheeze · 02/07/2023 12:23

She's right though, they can't sell you them if they think you're going to give them to the DCs. As they heard them talking about it, then it was reasonable to suspect that.

Wildlyboring · 02/07/2023 12:24

She sounds very rude but right not to sell you energy drinks for 12 year olds. The bottles are okay I think, it's just the cans you should avoid.

Chocolateship · 02/07/2023 12:24

She should have explained but she wasn't unreasonable, the bottles are 'hydration' drinks whereas the cans are energy drinks with far too much caffeine for children in.

Original poster
primecrime · 02/07/2023 12:25

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How was that two stories? She said firmly the first time then when questioned got more aggressive.
Thanks for your helpful comment Hmm

OP posts:
35965a · 02/07/2023 12:28

The cans are an energy drink (not for under 18s). The bottles are a ‘hydration’ drink - mostly coconut water and flavourings so are OK

Bunce1 · 02/07/2023 12:29

Yeah the woman handled it in quite an aggressive manner and I wouldn’t have liked that. But I also think you were confrontational with her in response.

I would have asked- why are they not for children, can you explain I don’t understand.

sounds like you got angry back. But she didn’t handle it well from the get go.

BadgerFacedCoo · 02/07/2023 12:31

Your first telling she firmly told you you couldn't buy it as she knew you were giving it to children and pointed out their challenge 25 policy - before you started with the I'm a 40 year old woman about to tan 4 cans of prime it's for me.

You answered a PP is that she just yelled and took it. But she didn't, she told you they don't sell it to children. As you said in your OP.

You're very welcome.

Original poster
primecrime · 02/07/2023 12:31

I had no idea they were different. I was angry that she'd grabbed something from my trolley. It was embarrassing.

OP posts:
sweatynoob · 02/07/2023 12:32

The cans specially say something like ‘not suitable for under 16 year olds’ on them. The bottles are fine as they are just ‘hydration’ but the energy drinks aren’t suitable for under 16 year olds due to the high caffeine content.

Original poster
primecrime · 02/07/2023 12:33

BadgerFacedCoo · 02/07/2023 12:31

Your first telling she firmly told you you couldn't buy it as she knew you were giving it to children and pointed out their challenge 25 policy - before you started with the I'm a 40 year old woman about to tan 4 cans of prime it's for me.

You answered a PP is that she just yelled and took it. But she didn't, she told you they don't sell it to children. As you said in your OP.

You're very welcome.

Yes. Both of those things happened one after the other. They aren't two stories. Clearly your reading comprehension needs some work.

OP posts:
35965a · 02/07/2023 12:34

She could have told you more politely but she was probably sick to death of parents coming in and trying to buy their kids the cans.

StopStartStop · 02/07/2023 12:35

A neighbour of mine is collating examples of rudeness of Asda staff. There are so many...

BadgerFacedCoo · 02/07/2023 12:36

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Ahsoka2001 · 02/07/2023 12:39

Wow for this lady to work at ASDA she would've had to undergo a job interview in which she'd explain what great customer service is and how she'd help the brand make "perfect serves" (or whatever they're calling it) every time. Sounds like she's either forgotten her answers or wasn't entirely truthful...

TheFormidableMrsC · 02/07/2023 12:41

Her reaction was really unprofessional but I'm glad that they are being strict with it. It's utter poison. My son is obsessed with it (SEN hyper-fixation type obsession) and this has been very difficult to manage with the cans being so freely available. The bottled stuff is hard to get and when it is available, it's marked up to a tenner or more. The only place I've been able to get it at a standard price is a standalone Asda petrol station.

I can wait until this Prime nonsense dies a death.

Sometimesgood · 02/07/2023 12:41

Prime energy has 4 or 5 times more caffeine than a can of coke whereas prime hydration has none at all.

RandomBabysitting · 02/07/2023 12:43

The bottled stuff is hard to get and when it is available, it's marked up to a tenner or more.

They had a cage full of it the other day in my local Tesco. I think it was £2.50 a bottle.

Alargeoneplease89 · 02/07/2023 12:44

I would of just gone back and got some more

BoohooWoohoo · 02/07/2023 12:44

Shop staff can't sell energy drinks to under 16s or to someone who will supply them to an under 16. If you'd been trading standards and someone had sold them to you then they would be in trouble.