To think challenge 25 has gone too far?

[wanderingwillows]

I am 34 and semi-regularly get ID’d. It happens often enough such that if I’m buying wine etc I always bring my ID with me.
I appreciate that perhaps I might look in my 20s at a stretch, I refuse to believe that anyone could think I am 17 and therefore not legal to buy booze. But the response will always be “but it’s challenge 25”

AIBU to think it’s completely ridiculous to refuse someone sale of alcohol even when it’s blatantly obvious they’re not 17 (or younger)?

I was first married at 18 1/2 and had a baby and running my own home. A wedding ring doesn't prove anything nor does a tattoo or ten.

Staff have to follow the challenge 25 policy even if the purchaser looks over 18 - parent companies very often send mystery shoppers in to see if the policies are being followed, if the staff fail they can face disciplinary proceedings. Its simply not worth their job to not do it.

But what is the substance behind that? A mystery shopper who looks over 18 buys alcohol? What’s the problem? Isn’t that exactly what they want to happen in order to keep sales and customer services optimum?

what is the point, they’re saying someone over 18 should’ve been asked for ID? On what basis? Surely whether they look over 25 is a judgement call

I'm 41 and have been ID'd, on separate occasions, for alcohol, dinner knives and alcohol free beer in the last 6 months. I take it as a compliment now 😁

Tesco refused to sell my 22-year-old daughter a bottle of energy drink. She did not have her ID. Fair enough.
They then refused to sell it to me (59) and i got a lecture on being complicit with my daughter (by a 20-year-old)
I thought she was joking but she would not budge.

I've been asked more than once in my 40's. It's very rare that I buy alcohol, well wine, but both occasions happened in the supermarket.

But she didnt know did she.

She 'thought' she was 19 or 20.

Thought doesnt save their jobs if they get it wrong, hence why they ask.

but she was right?! Surely what matters is that they make the right judgement , because it’s always a judgement.

I've been IDed for paracetamol in my mid-40s. The cashier seemed confused by the presence of my 12yo who is taller than me and looked us up and down a few times.

I was once refused service for alcohol at 37 as I hadn't got my driving licence on me due to doing DBS checks earlier that week. At least I've had it on me on the few checks I've had in my 40s. The Red Bull didn't involve older children/ teens as a complication either so was either entirely on my own merits or the eyesight of the cashier

DD was IDed for a video game a couple of years ago in Asda. She was 21 at the time. The age rating on the game was THREE! 🤨

I got asked for ID this week to buy Calpol for my toddler. So I’d need to be 16 and I was buying it at the petrol station where they just saw me top up. I had to go back to my car to get my driving licence lol

I was id in my early 40s . i was with my son who was 18 and had id on him, but i did not so they wouldnt serve us. I was a bit pissed off and did a one woman boycot of waitrose for a few months. Now aged 47 i havent been asked in a while....sad times..

I’d rather that than the lightning speed they hit the ‘clearly over 25’ button at my local shop 😔 They could at least pretend to think about it.

One of my daughters is 33 and couldn’t buy a lottery ticket because she couldn’t show her id. She does look young for her age but not that young. Bloody rediculas.

47, proudly asked the other day. I had to check if he was serious. "I'm nearly 50" I had to say! I think he needed glasses! Still, feels like worse things have happened 😂