Online shopping won’t deliver to under 18 year old

[JustAnotherDayWorkingAtHome]

Does anyone know the reason for this. Completely my fault for not knowing this was a thing. Left 16 year old DD to be in for the grocery shopping and driver wouldn’t deliver it as she was under 18. I was an hour away from home. I rang customer services and they said they can’t override even though no age restricted goods. Very kindly the redelivered when I was home. I just wonder what the reason for this. Under 16 I can see maybe but a 16 year old could have walked into the store and bought all the goods I’d ordered. I

We got caught out by this when arranging a home delivery by Tesco for our DCs when we went away for a few days. One of the DC is 18 but because they were in the bathroom and not immediately available the very rude driver packed up and took the shopping away . We did complain and the shopping was redelivered. There were no age restricted items.

Actually alcohol free beer, or the type I buy at least, does get flagged as it has a very miniscule amount of alcohol in it. Same when buying crackers as it is deemed to be an explosive material I assume.

I read 'crackers' and initially thought of crackers you eat with cheese. Couldn't work out why they were deemed an explosive material! I have now realised you presumably meant Christmas crackers!

Not the same thing but I remember reading on here years ago that a MNer who looked very young for her age had to go and get her 18 year old son out of bed to come with his ID to take the shopping in because the OP couldn’t find her driving licence. Still makes me laugh

I did inded but this being MN, some smartarse would have said 'but it isn't Christmas!'

Even zero percent beer needs to be age checked at the self service tills, v annoying

I used to work for Tesco customer service. It's because the Ts and Cs state you must be over 18 to create an account and place and receive orders. So, the delivery drivers won't deliver to anyone under 18. It doesn't matter whether or not you order age restricted items. If someone under 18 is the only one at home, the driver won't (or shouldn't, apparently sometimes they do!) deliver, because the customer is breaking the Ts and Cs by not having someone over 18 accepting the delivery.

Omg that would have been epic. No more sneaky a sip out of the spirit cupboard and topping up with water 😂

I don't understand it - they must know if there are age restricted items or not (and even then they might only be 16+, not 18+) and everyone else delivers and doesn't care who opens the door to them to sign for a parcel!

The only exception I know to that is Amazon if they deliver alcohol they ask for ID so if nobody was home over 18 they wouldn't deliver either but that's it.

It’s always been like that

That isn't really an explanation though. All the online retailers will require you to be over 18 to open an account but they don't tell their couriers/Royal Mail that they can't deliver to under 18s - unless it's an age-restricted product. There has to be another reason.

And a 17 year old could do the weekly shop in-store as long as they don't buy alcohol or medicines (or crackers ;) )

Most supermarkets seem to say they won't deliver to under 18 but then some of them will anyway (fine in my opinion if no alcohol). Ocado have delivered to my 16 year old DS on a couple of occasions. He doesn't really look over 18 either.

Shops can ‘make up’ any policy they want. As long as it is legal of course. But they don’t have to deliver to a child if they don’t want to.

It’s because they want an adult to be at the property when they deliver. That way an adult has accepted the goods which means they have fulfilled their contract. A 16 year old isn’t an adult.

Yes but why don't they want to? That's the issue! Why do they care when all the other online retailers don't?

OK but again, why do the supermarkets care so much compared with Amazon say delivering a box of mixed items - could be sweets, books, eye masks - anything?

Amazon will ask for certain things to be signed for upon delivery and ID to be shown (I had to show my driving licence when buying something age restricted once).

I was living independently at 16 and I did get online shopping, so the rules must have changed. Lots of students in Scotland will be under 18 living away from home. So none for them can get online grocery deliveries?

But that would also mean you couldn't leave the shopping with any OTHER person than the one who ordered the shopping, so not a partner or a housemate because they are not part of the 'contract' either.

I would imagine it’s as basic as in it’s in their terms and conditions that an adult over the age of 18 can only sign for the delivery.

maybe other youngsters have got away with it before simply because the driver didn’t check.

As long as no alcohol, medication (eg paracetamol) or knives, I’ve never had this with Ocado. I have had it when there is a bottle of wine. Which is fair enough.

Presumably if there is a single age restricted item in with a load of other stuff then you'd have to show ID for the whole package. Although I think Amazon tend to package age restricted items separately.

Gosh, so if a 16-year-old was living independently, they couldn't order groceries online?

Until very recently, young people could legally marry at 16 in England and Wales. I think they still can in Scotland (?).

We seem to be infantalising young people nowadays. A 16-year-old should be deemed capable of taking receipt of a few groceries!

At 16/17, after leaving school a couple of my friends were living independently with their boyfriends or in a shared house with female friends - and one was married and had a baby (not that I think that was a good thing particularly, but it illustrates how young people seemed to grow up earlier in those days). The young mum didn't work, but the other girls all had jobs and were independent of their parents.

Oh for goodness sake it says in the opening post no alcohol restricted goods!

Thanks all. Must be the safe guarding thing…makes sense I guess to protect the drivers too. Just v annoying. Won’t get caught again.