Was I wrong to refuse sale at work urgent advice needed

[LemonBlueberryX]

So this morning at work (I work in retail - but not a supermarket, think along the lines of b&m), someone came in and tried to buy an item. I was working on the till. When they came to the till I felt frozen on what to do as I didn’t feel comfortable selling this item in these circumstances (based on a stereotype of what this person looked like). I asked for ID (it’s a look25 item) hoping they wouldn’t have it so I could refuse sale but they did. After that I felt I had to make a choice and so I refused sale. Because of things that have happened in my area recently I felt that by allowing this sale I would be personally contributing to bad things.

They kicked off and asked for the manager who came over and asked me why I refused the sale and I just froze and couldn’t answer. Manager took over the till and served the person. The rest of my shift went on as normal but Managers just whatsapped me an hour ago asking me to come in at 10 tomorrow for a chat. I don’t work saturdays so not usually in. What do I say?

I dont really want this getting back to my manager so have tried to be vague about said item

Why didn't you just call your supervisor and ask them to make the call?

Then that is what you tell your manager, just be honest.

I hope you got paid for having to go in on your day off. That’s really not on imo.

Am I missing something? You refused to sell a legal item to a person of legal age to buy that item?

Ive bought a single kitchen knife before. When my previous one broke.

You asked for id and they provided it, so you really don't have a leg to stand on. It is your job to sell stuff, after all!

I don't know what you have been reading but the op literally says in her post on 22 May at 19.05 that she didn't serve him because 'he was an 18 year old boy'. She acknowledges herself that she was discriminatory.
The police do not make the law!

Well, to be fair, I'd be uncomfortable about selling a knife to a teenage boy as well, particularly a large kitchen knife. I don't suppose it was a little "kitchen devil" type knife?

Exactly. It's so bizarre that some posters are going "buy ONE knife?!! Like whooo the hell doesss thhaaaaat???!". Er, maybe anyone who needs one knife. Do they suppose if the young lad had tried to purchase a knife set, that the OPs fears would have been allayed? Maybe he needed to purchase some doilies as well

"Yes but the single pack of 3 suggests you are actually going to be cooking.
I have actually recebtly bought a single knife. However 1 it was not in a supermarket and 2 it was a specialist cooking ahop and 3 it was over £50 so unlikely someone would purchase with harm in mind."

Each line of this is pure Alan Partridge, careful he doesn't rip you off.

Delighted the OP wasn't in trouble for trying to do what they felt was the right thing, but how irritating to have been so unsettled for so long for no good reason. Perhaps the manager thought it would be great for your morale to come in and get the news after looking forward to the meeting for so long, ooops!

What fake ID?! 😄

Yes but the single pack of 3 suggests you are actually going to be cooking.

Who knew that, if you were planning to stab someone and didn’t want to get caught, all you had to do was buy more than one knife?

On the other hand, someone buying a knife in order to commmit crime won't go into a supermarket that is usually riddled with cameras, show his face and ID and ask for manager.

I bought a single knife numerous times. Usually because it was on discount or they are a brand I like that I don't gind often in supermarket (think devil's something). Who knew my middle age female ass saved me from being assumed a criminal.

Your instincts sound spot on to me OP. A teenager buying a single item which happens to be a knife just before bank holiday/half term would also concern me. It’s a fact that knife crime increases over holiday periods.

Not sure why you think teenagers gettng into drugs ad knife crime are particularly smart. There will be some that are clever, but most would just assume nobody would rry to trace a knife.

You would not believe how clever they are and what they do to not get caught. At 18, a criminal already knows the system and knows what to do not to get caught.

She said even from the first OP that he was a "stereotype"; she expanded on it that she recognised a type of person, commented on the aggression and smell of weed. Someone helpfully posted a police advice poster on this, I've explained to you the legal position. You can keep going on about the rights of young teeage boys to join knife fights, but you are wrong.

Aggression? In her OP she stated it was an18 year old male and she didn't serve him because she felt somethins is not right. The aggression part was added after. Regardless, is not right to treat somebody like that, if someone would brand me a criminal based on a hunch I would get aggravated too. Weed does not matter, many people do it recreationally. Weed smeel does not give police grounds to search a car or a person. Plus, she can't know for sure where it was the smell coming from. Also, this detail was not included in the OP. Unless he was showing signs he will do something stupid she discriminated, plain and simple.

why are you so in on this narrative?

Because I participate in a discussion on a forum. Why are you asking pointless questions?

She didn't "brand him a criminal", nor demand to search him. She simply said she wouldn't sell him a knife. Her manager did feel comfortable and therefore sold it. I'm curious why this topic has you so excited to be honest, is it that you think there aren't enough knives out on the streets these days, or is it because you just realise people judge you when you smell of weed?

Yes you were wrong.

As a shop worker you don't get to refuse someone a legal sale because you don't like the look of them.

I'm not as excited as you think I posted about 4 times on this thread 2 of wich were direct answers to you. Nobody judges me because I do not smoke weed. Knives on the streets? There are everywhere but unlikely to come from a suppermarket most of them are some kind of rambo knives or zombie knives that are used in crime, the old kitchen knife is in every household you can't stop selling kithcen knives because they are used in crime. I mean so is duct tape, zip ties, bleach, rope, crowbars, add to the list as you wish. My point is anything caan be used in crime. Customers should be served if they have an ID if it would happen to me I would be very pissed. That is all. Are you ok, though? Peace

From what the OP has said, he didn't politely ask "is there a manager I could speak to, please?"

When the person fails to produce a ticket or pay for one and gets mouthy the police get involved. Even in circumstances when you're letting someone off with a warning they kick off because they've no self control. A colleague once told someone "by the way, this ticket isn't technically valid here" and the bloke kicked off. Turned out that there was a warrant out for his arrest.

Another colleague had someone tell her to "fucking leave me alone" when she asked for a ticket. Police met the train at its destination, nicked him, ran his details and found that he was wanted for recall to prison.

I had someone recently who when I asked to see his ticket snapped "why did you come straight to me? Why aren't you asking them?" er - became they have been on this train since Manchester. He had a travel warrant from one of His Majesty's Young Offenders' Institutions - it's not hard to see how he ended up in there.

Had another one who told me that he was sixteen, so I politely informed him that he should be buying adult tickets - note here that I'm basically letting him off with a warning. He kicked off, claiming that he didn't like my attitude, blah blah blah... Anyway, his verbal abuse was reported to the police who traced him (turns out that he is actually 24 years old). However they won't be pursuing it as he is now serving a long stretch for something serious.

Yes, you've missed the advice issued by various police forces and reproduced several times in this thread which states that retailers should refuse sale if they suspect that the knife may be misused.