Refused Sourz in Asda

[Quickandeasy]

I don’t regard myself as an unintelligent person but am struggling to understand the logic. I was in Asda earlier with my son and his gf (both 18) and noticed the Sourz on offer so put it in my basket.

I was then told that I couldn’t buy this as I was with two people who may be underage. Gf had her ID but my son had left his at home so therefore couldn’t prove he was 18. I was told as we were all together the possibility is I would share it with minors.

Surely based on this logic if a family with children (of any age under 18) wanted to buy alcohol they would be refused as they are with children who they could share it with?

Does this actually happen to others, in which case are you supposed to leave your children outside the shop or get them to hide in an aisle if you want to buy alcohol?

You weren't being judged, the cashier probably doesn't give a shit whether it was for you or the teenagers. They were just doing their job.

It definitely is a thing in Ireland, it's happened to me a couple of times in Lidl/Aldi. I had my early twenties sister with me, and she didn't have her ID. Absolute insanity, I still get the rage thinking about it!

You can't legally buy alcohol on behalf of someone underage, whether they are your child or not.

My brother who is 5 years younger than me was once told he couldn't buy cider because I was with him and didn't have Id . I was well over 25 but they didn't believe me.

It is illegal for them to sell it to someone underage or possibly underage without ID.

However even if under 18 it is ENTIRELY legal for him to drink at home with his parents.

As long as he is not buying it they have zero say in what OP chooses to do with it.

I bought alcohol in M&S today when I was with my teenage daughter and the cashier asked if the alcohol was for me. Thankfully she let me buy it as I was running for a train and had no time to go elsewhere.

Well yeah they could refuse to serve you.

But your facetious comment proves your childish attitude to the situation. The shop assistant was doing their job and complying with the law, what's unreasonable about that?

Nostalgic for the days my mum used to discuss with the cashier how she was buying Lambrini for teenage me not her as she was so embarrassed

You are correct, but the law is pretty clear if somewhat contradictory:

If you’re under 18, it’s against the law:

for someone to sell you alcohol
to buy or try to buy alcohol
for an adult to buy or try to buy alcohol for you
to drink alcohol in licensed premises (such as a pub or restaurant)

Yes it happens and is annoying. I got around buying alcohol with/for my 17 year old son by getting him to leave the shop before we got anywhere near the check outs. That way they only saw me alone shopping. I think it only happens when the child with you is a teenager in case you give it to them (like I did!). Any child clearly not old enough to be at risk of drinking (primary aged) didnt impact me buying any booze.

I have the funniest example of this. Whilst shopping in Tesco, my partner and I did a shopping trolley shop and I added a bottle of wine to it.

Upon checkout, my partner was ID’d. He is 36, full beard, obviously his age, and I was also 36. Perhaps might look younger for my age, but nowhere near 25, not least 18!

They refused to sell the wine because I didn’t have ID. I even showed my grey hair to try to prove my age! They said the same reasons that my partner could end up giving the wine to me who couldn’t prove I was over 18.

Partner complained and asked for the supervisor, so I walked out of the shop. Partner explained reasonably what had happened and was allowed to purchase wine. Common sense was all that was needed!

I used to be a bar supervisor and one shift we ran out of prosecco and had a group who had pre-ordered some. Manager sent me and colleague to the local supermarket to buy some. I was wearing my work uniform (as was colleague) and just hadn't entered my mind I'd need ID (was 26 at the time and looked it). We were refused service which was very embarrassing.

Sadly it's just one of those things.

That is their policy and I am not against it. I thought this was starting to become common knowledge. Next time ensure you split from them at the till if they do not have ID.

Papers!

Just one of many ways Ireland is less ridiculous than the UK.

16 year olds can buy beer and wine in Germany.

I work in a supermarket. The training we have is if u have reason to believe its for a minor. Like if u see a teenage lad choosing the alcohol, then passing it to his mum etc. Use your judgement. I have never refused someone because they have a minor with them, as never had reason to believe that.
I did ask a young lady for ID a few weeks ago though. As it's think 25. And I'd have said she was 19 at the very most. She said it was in her car and she would bring it back in. I thought of course you will.
She bought her driving licence in, and was born in 1984!
It's so hard to judge nowadays. And you can lose your job, or even be prosecuted for it. We have Serve Legal come in regular to test us.

It does happen and is a bit silly in my opinion because it's just as easy to give these things to a minor who isn't with you as one who is. I think shops should ensure the person buying is of age, but not be expected to police what happens after the purchase. I leave my DS15 outside when I buy wine and then meet up with him about thirty seconds after I've bought it, which is why I think shops trying to police this is silly. (I don't give him the wine though!)

Yes, happened to me when buying a bottle of wine accompanied by my children, all under 13. It’s bloody annoying. They should use their common sense.

Another time, I was buying shopping plus a bottle of wine and I was asked my age. I smiled politely and said I was flattered because I was 38 - and the rude checkout lady refused to serve me! I asked to speak to the manager and while I was waiting the same checkout lady served a teen who looked 15 or 16 and was buying a big pack of cheap lager. No questions about age, no requests for ID. So when the manager turned up, I pointed that out and the checkout lady tried to make excuses (“he was a tall lad”). Going outside, I saw said teen sharing out the cans with his mates, all of whom were a similar age - between 14-16 I’d say.

I've never seen this happen with a parent and a toddler. But definitely with parent and a teenager. Or just 2 young people where other doesn't have an Id even if they don't have any restricted items.

@Quickandeasy Asda are really keen on this. Both my parents still recall taking my younger sibling in there before he was 18 and picking up a DVD (they are old school) that was on offer just. They refused on the basis he was underage which, like you, baffled my parents as to what you are meant to do if you want to buy anything but have a child with you. I get the challenge 25 thing and ID idea but it does create a question for me about how this may work for a single parent shopping with a child or teen...

I was refused years ago in Tesco. I would have been about 20 (with ID) and I was with my 11 year old sister. I think I was buying a bottle of champagne for a wedding, so not something typically you'd buy if you were buying for a teen etc.

They genuinely expected me to buy the rest of my full shop and just leave the champagne. I left it all and went to Sainsbury's.

Another time, when I worked in a shop, they went through a phase of making the staff ask for ID of people they knew were over 18, it was a very local shop and it was people they'd gone to school with etc. The staff started IDing everybody.

Then again, I worked at Sainsbury's when I was 16. Over 20 years ago. Someone I used to work with kept IDing me. This was relatively recently, within the last 2 years. One of the very few times I've complained about customer service. He was just deliberately being an arse.

I understand what people are saying about challenge 25 and that you could be buying it for a minor. But that doesn’t make sense, because you’re just as likely to be buying it for a minor who is at home than for one who is with you.

Anyone know what would happen if the ‘questionable teenager’ accompanying the parent with alcohol in their basket had a disability? Would the teenager still be questioned for ID? I have a disabled early teen and the reality is I couldn’t easily trust him to go wait elsewhere while I paid for my basket. The thought of 4+ years forcibly teetotal is a bit much on top of everything else!

Wasn't there a MN thread a while back about a woman who did a weekly food shop in tesco with her baby (yes, baby) and the checkout staff wouldn't let her have the bottle of wine that she had included in her shopping, because she had a baby with her. It was either MN or a newspaper article. I think she said she walked out and left all of the shopping.

I think its all completely ridiculous. I used to work in a supermarket so understand that the staff have been scared shitless with threats of fines, sacking and prison so they have to do it...they are victims of this lunacy as well. As someone said above, its legal for parents to give children over 5 alcohol in their own homes anyway so the logic just isn't there. I find it very annoying when I'm ID'd in the company of my BF, who is actually older than me but looks much younger than his age. It feels very controlling and 'nanny state' like. YANBU