Buying Prime in Asda

[primecrime]

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.

This.

She did you a favour. Your DC's friend's parents likely wouldn't be too pleased if you gave their DC a high-caffeine energy drink, or that you lied to the ASDA lady to try to buy it even after she'd told you you couldn't buy it for children.

Good! It’s full of shit and terribly (or amazingly) marketed.

shop staff are getting so much grief for just doing the right thing

While I agree she didn't use the best tone no doubt she is probably just sick of parents juts like you OP, buying energy drinks for children. Take some personal responsibility and check what you are buying your DC.

I'd have been very cross if my child was with you and you'd bought them an energy drink

This. Does your son's friends parents know that:

A. You tell blatant lies in front of them
B. You try to buy them energy drinks that are restricted to those of an age much higher than theirs?
C. You cause a scene with their child in local supermarkets, behaving appallingly to their staff?

I would be highly unimpressed if I was this child's parent and got wind of any of this.

Feel free to get a job dealing with the general public. Most of whom are complete twats in general when shopping. For min wage.

Wonder how many adults are unaware how much caffeine they are allowing their children to consume

Yeah?

And the manager would have backed up their employee. In the end, you still wouldn't have been sold Prime Energy drinks as it was a proxy sale for underage children. 🤷‍♂️

I had this in tesco years back with a DVD. It was a 12 and they refused to sell it to me because I had a child under 12 with me, and I might let the watch it. Worlds gone mad...although in this case she probably did you a favour as you'd have had caffeine filled loopy kids by now 😂

It's a good job she knows more than you what potentially your kids are putting in their body's.

The Cans are caffeine high.

Instead of whinging you should have thanked her.

I do not understand the popularity of this drink, people are mugs for buying it.

100% agree with the Asda colleague and I bet she didnt start off with an arsey attitude but matched your attitude to her!. This is why I would never work in retail or hospitality again.
Furthermore, why are people even buying these shit drinks for kids - or themselves.
You should be thanking her for saving your kid, and their friend, from a caffeine overdose.

Parent of the year 🙄

What are you teaching your child? The shop worker explained that they aren't for children, that she heard your children talking about them being for them, so she took them. She couldn't have made that explanation clearer.

What annoyed you, was having to depend your parenting of allowing 12 year olds to have a very unhealthy, addictive "drink".

You were absolutely in the wrong. And no, you can't then pretend theyre for you. In the same way that shops can't sell alcohol to adults they know are going to give it to the kids outside the door.

Grow up and parent your child properly. Don't be running after shop workers embarrassing yourself because you want your not even teenager yet to have an awful product.

I'm clearly the only one who thought the thread was going to be about Amazon Prime now being available in Asda 😂

I've never heard of prime drink before and had to google it. Why would you want to give children energy drinks?

Another shit example of parenting.

You should be teaching your children to be honest, not lying in front of them. Don't drag your kids up, have some standards.

When I first clicked yes I did lol.

They keep the strong Prime behind the cigarette kiosk at my ASDA. Teens kept trying to steal them.

I think energy drinks should be banned outright.

I've never not been allowed to buy the cans even though my son is with me. In one shop a sales assistant did say to the (presumably trainee) assistant serving me that they have to check if the buyer is over 16 before selling them, which was clearly to make the point to me. Just don't make it obvious it's for the kids.

The Asda lady was rude and shouldn't have treated you that way at all.

However, an 11 year old recently died drinking one of those prime energy drinks.

So the staff member may well have saved one of your children from a horrible experience.

She did wrong, but was essentially right.

Hopefully you know now not to ever buy your kids these drinks! The bottles are fine, stick with those.

They're allowed to stop the sale. Especially as she overheard you say they were dcs

I was in BM once. Picked up some alcohol which waw actually for a friend . Ds 16 was with me. I had loads of shopping. But because he was with me they wouldn't sell it. 'in case it was for him'

Or just don't buy it for the kids?

Wow this thread is bananas! Prime energy doesn't contain sugar, like some have claimed, but it does contain caffeine, equivalent to two cups of coffee. Caffeine is not proven safe for children under 12, but that doesn't mean it will definitely harm or even kill them (remember many products kids consume including chocolate contain caffeine too). Teens are different and their tolerance to caffeine is better known. Drinking a couple of cans of Prime Energy isn't a good idea for anyone, particularly a child or teen, but in my experience it's having the drink, or the can for their collection and 'trades' rather than actually drinking it that matters to them.
I'd suggest doing some research and making your own choices for your children. I bet some of you who are outraged at this will be happy to buy alcohol for your underage kids and their friends for parties before they're 18, which is far more of an issue for many reasons.

As for the shop assistant, yes she was rude, but she was just doing her job. Just leave it and go elsewhere.

Think 25 doesnt count with energy drinks. It can’t be classed as a proxy sale as the under 16 is only guidance and not law as with alcohol, cigarettes etc. I would have challenged her. I work in a supermarket and this has come through in our training

She isn’t allowed to do this.