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Original poster

Refused Sourz in Asda

142 replies

Quickandeasy · 27/07/2023 18:40

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?

OP posts:
AvengedQuince · 27/07/2023 21:03

KinderCat · 27/07/2023 20:40

@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...

That's absurd, surely it doesn't apply to dvds? DS was buying a 12 rated dvd in a supermarket at 11, I forgot all about it as he had been watching 12s since he was 8, the self service machine prompted the staff to ask for ID so he was declined. They had zero problem with me buying it instead.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 27/07/2023 21:06

AvengedQuince · 27/07/2023 21:03

That's absurd, surely it doesn't apply to dvds? DS was buying a 12 rated dvd in a supermarket at 11, I forgot all about it as he had been watching 12s since he was 8, the self service machine prompted the staff to ask for ID so he was declined. They had zero problem with me buying it instead.

Show quote history

Just reminded me of wanting to buy The Godfather trilogy from Woolworths. I wasn't old enough so the lad that worked there put it behind the till for my mum to buy later that day 🤣

AdoraBell · 27/07/2023 21:08

They might think adults are buying booze for teenagers under 18. I would have returned with them to buy it.

OhwhyOY · 27/07/2023 21:13

I was once refused alcohol in tesco aged c.25 because there were some students in the queue in front of me (group of 5, 4 21 year olds and one who didn't have ID but was clearly also 21) and I 'could have been with them'. The little old lady in rhe queue berween us buying wine was served. I told them that by that logic they couldn't serve anyone in the shop as anyone could be with them, including the little old lady. Madness and age discrimination. One quick look at the CCTV would have demonstrated I wasn't linked to them at all.

DadwithPhD · 27/07/2023 21:15

As someone who uses to work in a supermarket I know this may sound rediculous but the staff are persoanlly responsible if they serve someone underage or someone who they believe is buying it for a minor. They can get fined, loose their job and the shop can also get fined and looaw their alcohol licence.

Takacupokindnessyet · 27/07/2023 21:18

This hasn't happened to me yet but I'm waiting for the day, particularly as my teenagers will take over at the self service as they consider me too slow.

Hazelnuttella · 27/07/2023 21:22

I’m intrigued about how you drink your sourz… with a mixer? In a cut glass tumbler over ice?

Honestly I’ve never met someone over the age of 16 who would touch sourz. Maybe I need to revisit it!

CrappyJob · 27/07/2023 21:29

I work in one of the biggest UK supermarket chains.

Yanbu.

Our training specifically says that if someone is shopping with what appears to be their (teenage or otherwise) children and we haven't heard of seem anything to suggest that it's being bought specifically for then we allow the sale. After all the law is that children can be given alcohol from the age of 5 at home.

SemperIdem · 27/07/2023 21:32

When I was very heavily pregnant, my husband was refused his selection of real ale because I might be underage 🤨

Find me a teenage girl who drinks real ale, under any circumstances!

I was 26 at the time.

namechange1986 · 27/07/2023 21:33

Not really relevant, but what do you mix the Sourz with?

I've only ever had it as a shot.

CrappyJob · 27/07/2023 21:33

SemperIdem · 27/07/2023 21:32

When I was very heavily pregnant, my husband was refused his selection of real ale because I might be underage 🤨

Find me a teenage girl who drinks real ale, under any circumstances!

I was 26 at the time.

If you were 26, that's pretty fair. You may well have looked under 25, which is what we have to check for.

Rainraingoawaynow · 27/07/2023 21:51

whomoon · 27/07/2023 20:26

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!

They shouldn't of served once asked for id.
We are taught once asked we have to follow through with it
I'm a cashier and it's when someone has no wrinkles I find it hard to judge. 🤣

SemperIdem · 27/07/2023 21:52

CrappyJob · 27/07/2023 21:33

If you were 26, that's pretty fair. You may well have looked under 25, which is what we have to check for.

Show quote history

I do logically know that, having worked in retail for years. It has just always seemed like a poor call, as much as I justified it to my husband (a fair bit older then me) at the time, I have always thought “what the absolute fuck” about it.

catsmother · 27/07/2023 22:01

I also fell foul of this around four years ago when shopping with my then 15 year old daughter in Morrisons.

And what were 'we' (allegedly, as opposed to just me) attempting to buy?

Two bottles of non-alcoholic cider ! (for me, not her).

I initially thought the cashier was being over zealous but even when I asked to speak to a manager no amount of logical argument could sway them. The manager insisted that because it 'was like' alcohol, it would encourage children to try the real thing and therefore they couldn't let me have it.

I declined to buy the rest of my trolley and as we left I heard a distinct mutter of 'silly cow'. Given that, plus the whole illogical reasoning I actually wrote a complaint to head office but got a very half hearted response, not even an apology for the cow remark. Hmm

saraclara · 27/07/2023 22:03

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.

What are single parents supposed to do? If you have no choice but to bring your kids shopping with you, can you never buy wine?

whoamitojudge · 27/07/2023 22:07

CrappyJob · 27/07/2023 21:29

I work in one of the biggest UK supermarket chains.

Yanbu.

Our training specifically says that if someone is shopping with what appears to be their (teenage or otherwise) children and we haven't heard of seem anything to suggest that it's being bought specifically for then we allow the sale. After all the law is that children can be given alcohol from the age of 5 at home.

This…..
I work in a supermarket too and the only reason that you wouldn’t have been allowed to buy it is if a staff member had seen and heard a minor handing you money and asking for you to buy it.
This applies to alcohol, cigarettes etc and lottery tickets.
It’s called a proxy sale

ohsuzannah · 27/07/2023 22:29

I was once refused a bottle of wine with a dine in for 2 M&S meal because my dd was with me. She actually had her driving licence with her, they looked at it and said it wasn't her 😂 I mean, teenagers do change quite a lot between 17 and 19, but anyway, I didn't get my wine!

HunterHearstHelmsley · 27/07/2023 22:36

whoamitojudge · 27/07/2023 22:07

This…..
I work in a supermarket too and the only reason that you wouldn’t have been allowed to buy it is if a staff member had seen and heard a minor handing you money and asking for you to buy it.
This applies to alcohol, cigarettes etc and lottery tickets.
It’s called a proxy sale

Show quote history

I've worked for a supermarket within the last 3 years and this was not my experience.

AlfietheSchnauzer · 27/07/2023 22:51

Exasperatednow · 27/07/2023 19:33

Apparently you're not allowed to drink alcohol if you have teenagers in your home...this has happened to us on more than one occasion.

And the government say the don't like a 'nanny state'.

This absolutely incorrect and hilarious 😆 🤣🤣🤣

Howtosolveit · 27/07/2023 22:59

I clicked on this thread to understand why you were refused fizzy sweets 😬

CrappyJob · 28/07/2023 13:28

HunterHearstHelmsley · 27/07/2023 22:36

I've worked for a supermarket within the last 3 years and this was not my experience.

Show quote history

Your supermarket may well do things differently, but this is converted in the legal training that we have to do every year.

Brefugee · 28/07/2023 13:30

DadwithPhD · 27/07/2023 21:15

As someone who uses to work in a supermarket I know this may sound rediculous but the staff are persoanlly responsible if they serve someone underage or someone who they believe is buying it for a minor. They can get fined, loose their job and the shop can also get fined and looaw their alcohol licence.

yes we know that.

It is the utter batshittery of, say, refusing to sell a bottle of wine, along with an obvious trolley full of a family's weekly shop to someone with a toddler with them.

And as pp above, if that happened to me and i was expected to leave part of my shop? i would just walk away and go to another shop.

Sure, you have to be careful. But you don't have to be utterly batshit stupid.

Brefugee · 28/07/2023 13:31

Hazelnuttella · 27/07/2023 21:22

I’m intrigued about how you drink your sourz… with a mixer? In a cut glass tumbler over ice?

Honestly I’ve never met someone over the age of 16 who would touch sourz. Maybe I need to revisit it!

apple sourz in an appeltini. Divine

CrappyJob · 28/07/2023 13:31

Covered, not converted!

Frabbits · 28/07/2023 13:54

I mean, if you are buying sourz, of all things, and have a couple of teenagers with you, it's more than likely you are buying it for them. They are just following policy.