daughter was asked to leave homebase because she's under 18?

[whatisgoingonitw]

My daughter and her friend (both 15) went shopping yesterday and nipped into Homebase as my daughter wanted a plant and her friend wanted a heated blanket. They were approached by a member of staff who said “what age are you both you don’t look old enough to be in here” they replied 15. The member of staff asked them to leave as you need to be 18 to shop. My daughter is very straight forward and says how it is, she told the member of staff no as that is not true. The girls continued to walk around the store and they were followed by this lady who works there. They got to the till and paid with no issues the employee at the till didn’t mention age. My daughter told me this when she got home and explained the employee was rude and followed them around the store as well as giving them “dirty looks” I rung the store today to speak to a manager as that customer service is not okay. He told me you do infact need to be with an adult 18+ to shop. Is this serious? I can’t find anything on the website.

I don’t mean about buying stuff for a flat/house, more that you can’t have a mortgage/rent contract until you’re 18. And most probably wouldn’t get one as you’d have no credit history. I don’t mean you personally but in general.

My name was on the rent book with my then husbands. How do kids coming out of care at 16 rent anywhere?

What a jobs worth, I work in retail and some of the people I work with seem to have a real dislike of teenagers.. Good on your daughter for sticking up for herself.

Ugh. I cannot believe anyone would say this in 2024.

This is weird, I had a flat at 17 (England) and paid all bills, so you definitely can enter into a contract. I remember also buying light shades from Homebase and they didn’t kick me out!

I did point out that she’s nice, polite, academic

This made me laugh, like these places should only ban the thick under 18s, not the smart ones 😁

Your daughter was right to stand up for herself. People can be nasty to teenagers for no reason other than the fact they’re young. We don’t put up with it for any other group of people. Not sure why it’s always acceptable to be a bit rude/nasty to teens but if they stand up for themself they’re the problem.

I am bitter about this though, living alone at 17 also meant I dealt with a lot of crap from older people for a long time.

Your daughter sounds amazing! Love her confidence and ability to challenge!

If someone is running around a shop causing a problem they can be asked to leave, as can someone behaving suspiciously.
To stereotype young people who are behaving normally and making a legitimate purchase is discrimination in my book.
I have complained about ageism directed at older people on here several times (old biddy type posts) and I also dislike prejudice against young people.
I can understand not letting large numbers into a small shop e.g. pie shop at lunchtime but I think a blanket policy of no unaccompanied under 16s in a shop is discriminatory and I don't think OPs child was wrong to challenge it as long as it was done politely.

I have no idea. My friend used to work in that kind of area, maybe the council acts as their guarantor? I’ve rented places myself and no agent/LL would accept under 18s and you definitely can’t get a mortgage under 18.

Did find the attached picture on the gov website.

I have never seen a note on the door of any shop anywhere in the UK that children below the age of 18 are only allowed in if they are supervised.
Fair enough that a shop can have such a rule but then it should be advertised with huge letters on a huge poster right by the entrance.
Not the: "You broke a rule we never told you existed so now I get to punish you! Haha!".

But you could say that with a supermarket

So it is unlikely, that doesn't mean it can't happen.

I disagree she was a paying customer who felt accused of being a shoplifter

Good on your daughter for querying it, i've never heard of being 18 to need to shop in Homebase! Is it the same in B&Q or Jewsons i wonder?

Fair enough if they were buying products with an age restriction, but they werent. The likes of Tesco sell age restricted alcohol and 15 year olds can still go in there unaccompanied.. doesnt make sense

I've heard of Care leaver's having this issue. Some do leave at 16. Not all can get into supported living. The one we had in our town closed a couple of years ago. When the contract ended with the housing association and wasn't renewed. Not sure what has been done with the building come to think of it.

Whereas you just seem judgmental and rude.

There's a big difference between an unsupervised 10 year old and a perfectly well-behaved 15 year old.

But then so do supermarkets and they cope with under 18s?

B&Q put a policy in place post-COVID of no unaccompanied under-16s and it was retained in most stores. The Range has had a similar policy (adopted on a store by store basis) since 2018. Manager at Homebase has clearly confirmed they have a similar policy. OP's DD had the right to question the policy but was clearly overconfident in assuming she was right that the employee was making it up. I'd neither be castigating her as rude nor being her unabashed cheerleader.

On the under-18s signing contracts - they can sign a contract, any can, but it is usually unenforceable unless and until ratified when they're 18 so not usually a good idea to try and contract with a minor. The exception is if it's a "contract for necessaries" - things like rent, employment etc.

Wow, your daughter sounds great! Good on her for standing up for herself. And good on you for raising a strong woman.

Why did they implement this policy, do you know? What does Covid have to do with anything? Yet another excuse to curtail our freedoms, absolute nonsense.

She sounds like a young woman who has learnt not to let idiots walk all over her. Well done to the young woman for standing up for herself.

Because they can. And it suits them. And neither they nor the rest of the world, except for you, gives a shit.

People should care that our freedoms were curtailed and people behaved like sheep for two years. It is very concerning.

I hate the way teenagers are treated in the uk. People’s comments suggest that posters genuinely think that Homebase must have huge problems caused by 16 year old girls running amok in their shops.