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.

God no wonder our teens are infantalised and they turn into young adults who haven’t got a clue about everyday life, when society at large classes them as ‘too young’ at 16 and not to be trusted.

At that age I was given the task (which I’d asked if I could help with) of painting the house windows, up and down on ladders on a busy main road! I’m sure if I’d had to pop to B&Q for more paint it wouldn’t have been a problem, except B&Q didn’t exist then 😬

To be honest I think there are very few 16 year olds who would want to be in Homebase. A large number of products in there could be used to cause harm so I can totally understand why you wouldn’t want 16 year olds in there. They are usually also in out of town areas rather than the centre of town (where teenagers would be shopping together). Obviously, there will always be exceptions to that rule - your daughter wanting a plant is one. But they obviously have to look at the bigger picture.

I can imagine places like B&Q having rules like that because they have fork lift trucks being driven around the shop. I don't recall seeing FLTs in Homebase though.

The ‘strange adult’ in question is a Homebase worker. Their shop, their rules.

"Don't be daft. Rules are rules, and they're generally in place to keep people safe."

This is pathetic. It's okay to question and receive a proper explanation.

The shoplifting thing is ridiculous - some teens shoplift. So do some adults. It's not reasonable to ban a whole group of people because other people from the same demographic may have behaved badly!
It's not okay to treat nice children like shit, just because they are children. OP's dd is hardly an out of control mini criminal, out there raising hell either her plant and heated blanket!

Perhaps they don’t want groups of teenage boys hanging round aisles with knives, hammers etc. Im happy with that policy and have no doubt my own children will be sensible, responsible 16 year olds who could be trusted to shop in there. The rule is there to protect everyone from those who can’t be trusted.

Some kids took some paint from our local Wilko when it was still open went up to the multi storey attached to it and chucked paint at people walking down the ginnel. People have had tomato sauce and eggs as well. They have made the sides higher but kid's always find a way. Sadly the minority spoil it for the majority of kids.

I think teens are infantilised by a rights culture. “Waah, waah, waah, it’s not fair!”

I can't claim to know the rules of homebase, but I went to school with people who worked there when they were under 18. Would seem odd to refuse customers under 18 whilst allowing staff of the same age.

that’s ridiculous and wrong to exclude someone on age grounds alone. And it’s clearly not because of safety as there’s loads of little kids with parents bombing around.

They can in Scotland.

Your D D should have done what she was told. Sounds like she has a problem with authority.

You say like its a bad thing to stand up for yourself to an "authority"

Very silly to have a blanket policy to exclude under 18s (although it isn't clear if this was really store policy rather than some over-zealous staff member).

At 17 I was already at university and obviously shopping and living on my own. How bizarre to think that any store would have had issues with me being on their premises...

Assuming that all teenagers are potential shoplifters and trouble-makers is really offensive.

How was the girl rude? I think it's assertive. They went in for a plant and whatever. And what's all this: "You've only heard half the story" nonsense? Some young people just want to get a few bits to make their rooms a bit nicer. They're not all miscreants. It's not a bleeding knocking shop. If it's an 18+ policy to shop there, it should be made clear.

You can buy knives in all supermarkets, places like John Lewis. B&M, Home Bargains, and Dunelm. They don't ban under 18 year olds.

I'd be fuming if a shop asked my 15 year old to leave for no reason.
She definitely should have been allowed to buy a houseplants a heated blanket- it's batshit they asked them to leave.
I witnessed my DDs being treated similarly in a department store. I'd sent them to choose a birthday card whilst I was browsing kitchenware dept just across the aisle.
They were on their way back to.me with the card when they were approached by a store detective asking what they were doing! Clearly he thought they were nicking it!!
It's actually terrible how shops treat young people. I bet there's a fair few middle aged shoplifters about!!
It's just prejudice.

FWIW OP, there’s a big difference in someone being able to stand up for themselves in a polite and diplomatic manner, rather than being rude and entitled about the situation. It sounds like your DD acts/acted in the latter way. It’s not something to be encouraged or proud of.

Some young people live independently before they're 18. But what does that have to do with shopping in Homebase at 16? It's like Mothercare having no one under 11 or over 50. Or people having to do a literacy test before entering a library. Give your head a wobble.

Curious as to what you thought sounded rude or entitled?

If she is the type who "tells it like it is", I think she's unlikely to have said "I think you are mistaken. Would you mind showing me your shop's policy". She was probably much more rude blunt outspoken forthright. . . Yes, we'll leave it at forthright.

Wayne Couzens and David Carrick were uniformed sworn police officers. Being staff is no guarantee that a person is safe to be obeyed.

"Their shop, their rules" is constrained by the law, including the Equality Act. "Right of admission reserved" ceases to apply when the staff member is discriminating ad hoc without good reason on the basis of a protected characteristic, such as age. A written policy, scrutinised by the legal department and created for objectively justifiable reasons that will stand up in court, is not the same as a staff member making it up as they go along.

As I already said, if the staff member was really in the right, she'd have summoned the manager.

All power to your daughter. All power to you that she can talk to you.

Not to mention ageist.

I read it as being directed at B&Q and not me as well, don't worry!

So you go to the airport and kick off when security asks to search you as they’re in a position of authority? You sound ridiculous