Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is ridiculous? B and M

151 replies

Icedlatte97 · 04/07/2023 23:55

I popped into B+M and did some shopping, including a little hand sanitiser that had a key ring thing on it to put on my car keys as I like to have one on me. It was clearly marketed as a children’s one with a motif on it.

I got to the check out and as the cashier scanned the hand sanitiser she said ‘I will need to see some ID for this, you have to be 16 to buy this’. I smiled and said I don’t have any on me but I’m 26’. I didn’t see it in a rude way or anything like that. She looked at me with her eyebrow raised and said ‘are you really’ and then smirked at me, it was like she didn’t believe me. Then she told me she can not sell it to me without ID. Aibu to think this is ridiculous? I have never been asked for ID for hand sanitiser before and thought it was condescending the way she spoke to me

OP posts:
IBetGordonRamsayDoesntHaveTheseProblems · 04/07/2023 23:56

YANBU hand sanitizer isn't an age restricted product, and she was rude.

Original poster
Icedlatte97 · 04/07/2023 23:59

Didn’t say it in a rude way*that meant to say.

I thought that. I have never heard of hand sanitiser being age restricted and never had a problem buying it in B and M before. Just made me feel a bit embarrassed to be honest!

OP posts:
UsingChangeofName · 05/07/2023 00:01

I think a lot of the age restricted products are ridiculous in being flagged up as age restricted products BUT that isn't the fault of a cashier on minimum wage who has to follow the rules and would get sacked for selling an age restricted product to someone who can't prove their age.

The "smirked at me" is rather subjective, in order to garner you sympathy I presume.

Once they have challenged you, obviously they can't then just believe someone who says they are old enough, they do have to see ID.

It's frustrating, but if you are lucky enough to look U25, then carry ID, as most people under about 35 do all the time, anyway.

WonderfulUsername · 05/07/2023 00:01

I just did a really quick Google and some of B&Ms hand sanitisers are indeed age restricted.

WandaWonder · 05/07/2023 00:03

I believe people drink it due to the alcohol content

Original poster
Icedlatte97 · 05/07/2023 00:03

I do usually carry ID but I have bought hand sanitiser from B and M before and never been asked. I also don’t understand why the one I bought is marketed at children if it’s age restricted

OP posts:
Jas5mum · 05/07/2023 00:05

Thats silly
On my 34th birthday we were staying in a premier inn so went down to get some drinks. Husband was paying so I didn't take my purse. She asked me for ID I kind of laughed and said really!? Its in the room. I just got an appletise and thought she needs her eyes tested. Only time I've been asked.
Tbh B&M staff aren't always the friendliest anyway(not saying that's right but its my experience)

Original poster
Icedlatte97 · 05/07/2023 00:06

It was one of these type of ones

To think this is ridiculous? B and M
OP posts:
DeltaAlphaDelta79 · 05/07/2023 00:37

I got asked for ID for some syrup to make cocktails with. I was 40 at the time, with a full beard, and the syrup had no alcohol in it. Because it was on the shelf in the alcohol section, it still had an age restriction on it.

usenamehshs · 05/07/2023 00:59

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

takealettermsjones · 05/07/2023 01:13

I was ID'd at 28 for Pritt stick. 🙄

Just carry ID with your debit card/phone/however you pay for stuff.

Mumtothreegirlies · 05/07/2023 01:21

Maybe they had additional needs and therefore take everything In their job literally.. I’m 36 and still occasionally get ID for alcohol but most shops will use logic for other items like glue and scissors etc. I have to say though it is really hard to tell how old a person is sometimes and years ago when I worked in retail I’d often ID people for alcohol and cigarettes and they’d be in their 30’s. On this occasion I’d put it down to be a bit of a jobs worth and take it as a compliment.

Wingedharpy · 05/07/2023 01:47

I know nothing about retail but, could it be something with the way her till was set up? ie. she couldn't complete the sale to the tills "satisfaction" until she could confirm she'd seen some ID?

2boysandagirltoo · 05/07/2023 02:11

I used to be a manager at B and M

It's age restricted because of the alcohol

MichelleScarn · 05/07/2023 02:16

Wingedharpy · 05/07/2023 01:47

I know nothing about retail but, could it be something with the way her till was set up? ie. she couldn't complete the sale to the tills "satisfaction" until she could confirm she'd seen some ID?

Likely this!

frazzledasarock · 05/07/2023 02:23

DeltaAlphaDelta79 · 05/07/2023 00:37

I got asked for ID for some syrup to make cocktails with. I was 40 at the time, with a full beard, and the syrup had no alcohol in it. Because it was on the shelf in the alcohol section, it still had an age restriction on it.

DH gets ID’ed for alcohol free beer. I’ve always thought it odd. It specifically says 0%

user1492757084 · 05/07/2023 03:21

Hand sanitizer is very high in alcohol.

Onautopilot1 · 05/07/2023 05:15

Frazzledasarock, Alcohol free beer and wine produced in factories that also make alcoholic drinks are always flagged age restricted. Probably to cover accidental mis packaging.

PuttingDownRoots · 05/07/2023 05:45

I got IDed once for a birthday candle. I think the assistant found it as amusing as me...

BarbaraofSeville · 05/07/2023 05:48

I was IDd in my late 30s for a trowel. I do look young for my age but that's ridiculous.

I, and likely no-one who's nearly 40, looks like they're under 25, especially as I was wrong on an industrial site at the time so dressed accordingly.

So their judgement was so off that they believed that a teenage girl was so desperate to buy gardening equipment she was willing to put on steelies, overalls and high vis and roll in the mud so she could pass as an adult worker to fool the staff in the shopping centre opposite a brownfield site into selling it to her.

Jaffapaffa · 05/07/2023 06:03

I was ID in Lidl recently when buying beer.

I'm 53!

BiscuitsandPuffin · 05/07/2023 06:04

That's totally bizarre that they would require this to be age restricted, the alcohol in hand sanitiser is methanol which is unsafe to drink (can kill you in small-ish amounts) and the alcohol in alcoholic drinks is ethanol which is drinkable (doesn't cause blindness etc).
They're different compounds.
Having said that, I can understand them being concerned about people drinking non-food substances but by that logic the car oil and deicer should also be age restricted.

PuddlesPityParty · 05/07/2023 06:06

They have to be sure 🤷‍♀️ if you’re a secret shopper and they get it wrong they could be fired. You can find it ridiculous but at the end of the day it’s the stores policy, not the person working at the tills policy and they have to do their job.

Their “smirk” was probably a sympathetic smile. You’ve worded it as that to make her sound rude and get more support, but actually it makes you come off worse.

sashh · 05/07/2023 06:07

The worst one I heard was someone trying to buy a DVD of a children's TV show. It had an age on it so they were asked for ID. The age on the DVD was something ridiculous like 5.

hengelian · 05/07/2023 06:12

Icedlatte97 · 05/07/2023 00:03

I do usually carry ID but I have bought hand sanitiser from B and M before and never been asked. I also don’t understand why the one I bought is marketed at children if it’s age restricted

There are things that are marketed at children that are age restricted and meant to be used with adult supervision. You can't buy Calpol if you are under 16, for example. Also certain glue sticks and school scissors.

I'm not saying I agree with hand sanitiser being age restricted, but just because something is ultimately meant for children to use doesn't mean they should be allowed to buy it without an adult.