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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To leave my £80 of shopping for the checkout assistant to put away

453 replies

mummytopebs · 07/06/2009 18:51

Was in supermarket doing my shopping got to the till, had £80 worth of shopping in this was 4 cans of john smiths for dh. The drink was at the end of the shopping so everything had gone through, the checkout lady asked for id (I am 29 but do look young but not that young and god its 4 cans of beer with a full shop not some chavvy drink) I said i did not have any on me but i used to work in the said supermarket so said can you call my old manager who will verify my age. She tutted at me and called the line manager who i used to work for, she said yes she is definitly over age it was 6 years when i worked there and i was definitly over 18 then. The jobsworth sorry checkout lady still looked at me distastefully and the manager said it is up to the checkout lady though cos she originally akked for the id. I said can i have it then and she looked at me and went nah !!!!!!!! I said are you joking and hse said no i dont think you are over age!!!!!! So i said well i'll leave it then and she said ok and put the beer down and said thats £80.71p and i said no i will leave the lot - grabbed my dd and flounced out of the shop with an air of triumph.

I dont care if i had been shopping for an hour, i used to work in that supermarket and know she will have to put it all away ha ha ha

OP posts:
ruddynorah · 07/06/2009 21:04

no. the shop has no liability in accepting a card. you put your pin in. if it's nicked they must have got your pin from somewhere. not the shop's problem. it isn't the shop's problem if it's your card or not.

FabulousBakerGirl · 07/06/2009 21:04

She probably didn't want to serve you to save face.

ruddynorah · 07/06/2009 21:04

why should you? well you don't have to. you just might be refused an age restricted purchase.

ramalama · 07/06/2009 21:05

MollieO I know exactly what you mean re the handbag

I drove away from Sainsbo's on Friday night and left my handbag in the trolley!

Flew back round and luckily it was still there..I'm breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about it

SammyK · 07/06/2009 21:11

OP YANBU I would have doen the same

GumsNRoses, exact same thing happened to my BIL shopping with his teenage son, but this was in TESCO! How ridiculous!

Karam · 07/06/2009 21:16

On a side note, when my purse was stolen last year, the policeman who helped me told me never to keep my driving licence with me in my purse as it was just asking for trouble... the driving licence gives your name and address, which is often used fradulently for online shopping. So it is wise never to keep it in the same place. Thankfully I didn't have mine on me and they only used my card twice (getting petrol) before I stopped the card in about an hour from the card being stolen and me reporting it. I would now never carry photo id that contained my address, so would never keep my licence with me at all. Not worth it imho.

But back to the debate....

Fab Flounce!!

ramalama · 07/06/2009 21:18

Karam...that's a really good point...going to take my license out of my purse now!

fledtoscotland · 07/06/2009 21:18

YANBU and I would have loved to see her face and explain to her manager why all the shopping had to be put away

I was asked for ID at christmas. I'm all for the challenge 25 rule but i'm 35 and I know for certain I dont look that good with 2 under 2 When the assistant was shocked I dont carry ID I said that I've never carried my passport/driving license as I dont fancy the cost if I loose them.

Longtalljosie · 07/06/2009 21:19

Challenge 25 is one thing, but if the fact the store's manager knows for a fact she is 29 doesn't settle the matter, there's something very wrong. What would the licensing people do? You can only be prosecuted if you were in any danger of flouting the law. And the person in charge of the store knew she was eleven years overage. For heavens sake.

Oh - and you weren't being unreasonable. She totally deserved it, she was being malicious.

paisleyleaf · 07/06/2009 21:19

Good flouncing!

PurpleCrazyHorse · 07/06/2009 21:21

YANBU and I'd definitely follow your example next time I'm asked.

I'm 30 and both same age DH and I have been asked for ID (bottle of wine with a load of BBQ shopping etc), wearing wedding rings and paying on card. As far as I'm aware, it's not a legal requirement to carry ID and neither is the legal age for drinking 21/25. It really bugs me as we certainly don't look under 18. About time we took a stand

shockers · 07/06/2009 21:22

Brilliant..! but weren't you just a tiny bit pleased about looking too young? I would be but then I'm ancient!

ruddynorah · 07/06/2009 21:24

of course you don't have to carry id! but the shop also don't have to sell you alcohol, or anything else for that matter, if they don't want to. what exactly would you be taking a stand about?!

mummyhill · 07/06/2009 21:37

Sorry but YABU.

The current guidelines are to challenge anyone who appears to be under 25 or who appears to be buying alcohol for consumption by someone with them who appears to be under 25. These guidelines are now followed in pubs as well as other licensed premises such as supermarkets or off licences.

In a pub, supermarket or off licence once you have been asked for ID you have to produce a valid form of ID which is a passport, driving licence or portman proof of age card. Someone else's word that you are over 18 is not acceptable. If you worked in supermarket or behind a bar you should be aware of this.

If you cannot produce one of these forms of ID the person serving has to refuse to sell to you or they leave themselves open to an £80 on the spot fine, the company can be fined up to £5000 and lose their licence.

A police warrant card, forces id card or student union card is not acceptable as identification either.

There could of been a trading standards officer or a police officer behind you.

ruddynorah · 07/06/2009 21:45

mummyhill- i have have been trying to explain this, however..it seems if you're buying £80 of shopping/wear a wedding ring/are only buying one can/are paying with a credit card..you should be excempt

paisleyleaf · 07/06/2009 21:48

..........and been vouched for by manager

mummyhill · 07/06/2009 21:50

Well non of us are above the law and if you have worked in the industry you should know the licensing law and not try to flout it!

Worst one I ever had was I know you have called time but if I show you my warrant card will you serve me?

Er no but I will take your badge number and report you for impersonating a police officer cause you are off duty as well as trying to abuse your status. Soon shut him up and sent him packing!

Trikken · 07/06/2009 21:50

its not the point OP is over 25, she was asked for ID, she didnt have it, therfore cannot be served alcohol.Just because one person says you're over 18 means nothing. she could be lying, and therefore the cashier would take the rap. They have to cover their own back.

mummyhill · 07/06/2009 21:51

Exactly Trikken

scaryteacher · 07/06/2009 21:52

What I really don't understand, and please bear in mind that I have lived out of the UK for 3 years; is why you are challenged if you look under 25? I can understand u18, but I would be really ticked off to have to produce id all the time. You are legally allowed to drink at 18, so why challenge those who look under 25?

I am also concerned that when I come back to the UK this summer for a holiday and I go to buy a bottle of wine and my 13 yo is with me, that they wouldn't serve me in Tesco. Why is this? It wasn't that draconian when I moved abroad in 1993, and where I live now, there is no problem with ds standing in the checkout queue whilst I buy cider or wine or beer. Come to think of it, there isn't a drinking problem here, as alcohol is treated differently than in the UK.

scaryteacher · 07/06/2009 21:53

Sorry. that should have been 2006 when I moved abroad.

ramalama · 07/06/2009 21:53

Like I said earlier..the challenge 25 thing is a judgement call...the manager...not some other random shopper...vouched for the op...proving in this instance it was a bad judgement call...the assistant should have served her

how on earth could anybody be prosecuted for selling alcohol to someone who is 29 years of age?

ramalama · 07/06/2009 21:54

Trikken...why would the store manager lie about the op's age and risk being fined/sacked?

Trikken · 07/06/2009 21:55

To make it harder for under-age drinkers to buy alcohol, due to a vast increase in hospitalisation for the condition of alcohol poisoning.

ruddynorah · 07/06/2009 21:56

the manager said it was down to the assistant..again, applying challenge 25.