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AIBU?

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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:
Switcher · 05/07/2023 22:50

It's kind of funny though

LT1982 · 05/07/2023 23:00

This!

NolongerMom · 05/07/2023 23:01

If u didn't have ID on u, u can always show a tattoo or ur credit card as proof of age as you have to be over 18 for both of those.

LT1982 · 05/07/2023 23:02

YABU as she was literally doing her job and she doesn't make the rules

Mrsdht · 06/07/2023 00:33

We are in NYC on holiday. My partner was I'D'd for 3 cans of bud light yesterday. Company policy apparently.

He's 55 🤣🤣

MissGroves · 06/07/2023 00:45

Yes because by law they are acceptable forms of proof of age…. 🙄

MissGroves · 06/07/2023 00:46

MissGroves · 06/07/2023 00:45

Yes because by law they are acceptable forms of proof of age…. 🙄

That was for @NolongerMom s comment…

Gowlett · 06/07/2023 00:52

Computer says no…

BoldandBright · 06/07/2023 00:59

I’m 27 and got ID’d for a packet of razors in superdrug recently. I hadn’t any on me and hadn’t thought twice, it did feel ridiculous though as I was buying other things and also had the buggy with my 8 month old in, I obviously wasn’t going on a slashing spree!

Doingtheboxerbeat · 06/07/2023 01:06

This thread reads like "I forgot my passport and they wouldn't let me onto the plane" 🙄.

Anothnamechang · 06/07/2023 01:10

I was asked for id in B&M when buying car screen wash. She explained it was because of alcohol in it, maybe the same rules for the sanitizer?

JackRosenberg · 06/07/2023 01:25

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.

Yes I was ID'd a couple of years ago for a bottle of tonic water, same logic I think.

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 06/07/2023 01:36

I once bought a ripping knife/saw with huge jagged teeth on it from B&Q - used the self-service till - and it didn't ask me for any ID whatsoever. I'd bought it for cutting loft insulation, but you could very easily kill somebody (or yourself) with it.

On the other hand, I don't get the being asked for ID for alcohol-free wine. I wonder what their thought processes are? "Yes, we need to be ever vigilant to make sure that U18s don't buy any drinks with alcohol in them, therefore we must do everything in our power to make sure that they can't buy this drink... that contains the same amount of alcohol as a can of Pepsi". Word on the street is that trendy young teenagers are desperate to impress their mates by being seen drinking soft drinks!

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 06/07/2023 01:51

hot2trotter · 05/07/2023 21:31

Shop assistant only doing her job. Or would you rather her be personally fined and potentially lose her job? Because that is what happens if they are caught out by a mystery shopper.

She couldn't be in this case though — mystery shoppers specifically aren't allowed to lie. Once she'd said her age there was no chance she could be testing their application of Think 25.

It would be very serious if a mystery shopper below 18 was sold to, a telling off and further training if they were under 25 (because the cashier should have thought they looked under 25).

A mystery shopper over 25s is no good for testing Think 25, because by definition you can't get into trouble for identifying somebody over 25 as over 25 and selling to them (obviously they could still be used for test purchases buying for others etc).

allhailthebrain · 06/07/2023 03:17

When I was 17 I worked in WHSmith, on the way into work for my shift I stopped to buy some tip ex. My colleague knew I was 17 and couldn’t sell it to me - which hadn’t occurred to me because I used it all the time, just had never been the one to buy it.

What amused me was because obviously she was right and I would have done the same thing, it being restricted due to solvent abuse. But I had just filled my car with petrol on the way there, and that’s fine 😆

That day I confirmed what people had told me - solvent free tip ex is rubbish!

Luckyduc · 06/07/2023 06:37

It's It's challenge 25 product and it automatically comes up on her screen when the sanitizer is scanned....she can't bypass this. Its not the cashiers fault, she is following rules.
She has to look at you and decide if you look 25 or over, not if you look 16. You are only just over 25 so she's probably right with what she thought to ask for I.d. however it seems that you dont get her sense of humour either.
Customers should stop moaning and carry I.d, its not hard. There's a huge massive list that ulster would need to ask I.d for including nail varnish remover so just keep your driving licence on you.

Flufferz · 06/07/2023 07:05

I was asked for ID in Sainsburys… the cashier says “have you got ID” puzzled I reply “what for?”, she replies “the Calpol”. I ask “how old do you have to be to buy baby Calpol?” She replies “16”. At which point I actually have tears and I am physically bent over laughing. She said that was the strangest reaction she had had to an ID check and asked what was so funny… I replied I’m 33 and that the 6 week old baby with me was closer to 16 than me. She sold me the calpol with out ID and I phoned both my mum and my sister on the way home still crying with laughter and quite pleased about it!

veryfluffyfluff · 06/07/2023 07:09

Flufferz · 06/07/2023 07:05

I was asked for ID in Sainsburys… the cashier says “have you got ID” puzzled I reply “what for?”, she replies “the Calpol”. I ask “how old do you have to be to buy baby Calpol?” She replies “16”. At which point I actually have tears and I am physically bent over laughing. She said that was the strangest reaction she had had to an ID check and asked what was so funny… I replied I’m 33 and that the 6 week old baby with me was closer to 16 than me. She sold me the calpol with out ID and I phoned both my mum and my sister on the way home still crying with laughter and quite pleased about it!

I mean you're forgiven because your hormones were settling down after having a baby presumably but that's a MASSIVE over reaction. The computer flags things with restrictions. They just ask on autopilot. She shouldn't have sold it to you without the ID after asking you for it and could lose her job if you were doing a random check.

veryfluffyfluff · 06/07/2023 07:09

Luckyduc · 06/07/2023 06:37

It's It's challenge 25 product and it automatically comes up on her screen when the sanitizer is scanned....she can't bypass this. Its not the cashiers fault, she is following rules.
She has to look at you and decide if you look 25 or over, not if you look 16. You are only just over 25 so she's probably right with what she thought to ask for I.d. however it seems that you dont get her sense of humour either.
Customers should stop moaning and carry I.d, its not hard. There's a huge massive list that ulster would need to ask I.d for including nail varnish remover so just keep your driving licence on you.

Yes I don't know what the massive fuss is.

DreamingofGinoclock · 06/07/2023 07:23

The self service till in Sainsbury's flagged non alcoholic gin as age restricted once when I was buying it ... however I didn't look young enough for the staff member to ID me 😭..she just put it straight through 😂

ForforkssakeBnM · 06/07/2023 07:51

I bought some forks from B&M the other day and they got their supervisor over to give them the all clear - I’m 42! The cashier explained that three different stores across the country have recently failed the Think 25 so they've put a Think 40 policy in place now. Crazy! But at least I still look under 40 😂

Flufferz · 06/07/2023 07:55

I’m not sure how it’s a “massive” over reaction to find if hilarious when someone thought I was more than half my age? I found it funny and complementary then and I still do now 8 months later. Whether she should have then sold it to me or not is certainly not my problem or the point of my post.

Tiredalwaystired · 06/07/2023 07:58

I imagine the poor cashier also thought it was ridiculous to ask but she was in the position of potentially losing her job if she didn’t comply so had no choice. You probably just made her feel crap for doing her job.

AffIt · 06/07/2023 07:59

It is getting a bit mad.

I was ID'd a few weeks ago buying wine.

I'm 44: on a (very) good day and in low light I could possibly pass for 8-10 years younger, but in no universe anywhere ever do I look like I'm in my late teens or early 20s.

Yes, I understand all the 'just doing their job' thing (I used to work in the wine trade and am very familiar with the law), but there has to be an element of common sense applied.

It's not even flattering any more, just irritating.

veryfluffyfluff · 06/07/2023 07:59

Flufferz · 06/07/2023 07:55

I’m not sure how it’s a “massive” over reaction to find if hilarious when someone thought I was more than half my age? I found it funny and complementary then and I still do now 8 months later. Whether she should have then sold it to me or not is certainly not my problem or the point of my post.

It is. You were bending over and crying with laughter and then later phoning people. They didn't think you were 16. They probably thought ah computer has flagged think 25 so I best ask for ID.