Age verification lunacy
Discussion
This morning my razor broke, so off I toddle to Amazon to buy a new one.
At the checkout I was asked to provide: a selfie, and photos of my driving licence front and rear. Then on checkout I had to authorise the transaction on my banking app - all from an account I've had for 20+ years and a card that's been attached to the account for many, many purchases along with credit cards in my name.
Why the f
k could they possibly think I'm under 18 (I wish!)
Corporate arse covering gone mad I tell ya!
s.
At the checkout I was asked to provide: a selfie, and photos of my driving licence front and rear. Then on checkout I had to authorise the transaction on my banking app - all from an account I've had for 20+ years and a card that's been attached to the account for many, many purchases along with credit cards in my name.
Why the f
k could they possibly think I'm under 18 (I wish!)Corporate arse covering gone mad I tell ya!
s. I mentioned on the other age verification thread, some months ago I tried to buy a meat cleaver on Amazon. It asked me to register a credit card for payment to prove I was over 18. Strangely enough, it didn't give me any option of using photo ID - just provide a credit card or don't buy! Like the OP, I've had an Amazon account for more than 18 years, in fact I was a marketplace seller on there in the days when they pretty much only sold books and music.
I think we got the cleaver on Vinted in the end, they didn't seem to care about anyone's age.
I think we got the cleaver on Vinted in the end, they didn't seem to care about anyone's age.
Granadier said:
I mentioned on the other age verification thread, some months ago I tried to buy a meat cleaver on Amazon. It asked me to register a credit card for payment to prove I was over 18. Strangely enough, it didn't give me any option of using photo ID - just provide a credit card or don't buy! Like the OP, I've had an Amazon account for more than 18 years, in fact I was a marketplace seller on there in the days when they pretty much only sold books and music.
I think we got the cleaver on Vinted in the end, they didn't seem to care about anyone's age.
This has stopped me buying sharp stuff on eBay a few times, I don't have a credit card and a debit card is no good apparently. But i have had an eBay account for over 20 years, you would have thought they could have worked out I was over 18.I think we got the cleaver on Vinted in the end, they didn't seem to care about anyone's age.
Had similar issues with Amazon, wanted to buy a new block of knives for the kitchen, tried to go through the age verification system numerous times and kept failing so I gave up in the end and bought elsewhere.
My Amazon purchasing generally has dropped off a lot recently, used to be my go to but not anymore.
My Amazon purchasing generally has dropped off a lot recently, used to be my go to but not anymore.
My kid and his mates all spoof the facial recognition age verification crap by sucking their cheeks in and looking at the camera slightly off centre. It makes it look like they've got heavier jaw lines and the software then believes their claims to be 15 years old when they are in fact about 11. And that makes a fair difference to the crap they can access on line ... if only they could control the urge to share news of their great victory with their parents.
Thing is......
Many of the items mentioned are often used by a minority cohort of younger people to do harm to other younger - and often older - people. It's therefore necessary to impose restrictions that limit their ability to get hold of such things.
On a case by case basis, those restrictions may seem tiresome, burdensome or ridiculous but you have to recognise that retail today is not loads of Ronnie Barkers in brown warehouse coats rummaging around in boxes to find items for customers who they know by name or how can apply common sense to determine their suitability to buy something.
Retail is highly automated and works at a massive scale and speed. So systems that check these things have to hit an acceptable balance between effect and efficiency. So whilst something may prevent some 16 year old scrote from buying a meat cleaver on Amazon, the trade off is a bit of faff for someone who has genuine need for one.
That faff you have to go through may actually result in saving some poor kid's life. It may even save yours. No way knowing of course but that's the intent.
Bottom line is that there's much to get angry about but proving your age to buy something that younger people shouldn't isn't one of them.
Many of the items mentioned are often used by a minority cohort of younger people to do harm to other younger - and often older - people. It's therefore necessary to impose restrictions that limit their ability to get hold of such things.
On a case by case basis, those restrictions may seem tiresome, burdensome or ridiculous but you have to recognise that retail today is not loads of Ronnie Barkers in brown warehouse coats rummaging around in boxes to find items for customers who they know by name or how can apply common sense to determine their suitability to buy something.
Retail is highly automated and works at a massive scale and speed. So systems that check these things have to hit an acceptable balance between effect and efficiency. So whilst something may prevent some 16 year old scrote from buying a meat cleaver on Amazon, the trade off is a bit of faff for someone who has genuine need for one.
That faff you have to go through may actually result in saving some poor kid's life. It may even save yours. No way knowing of course but that's the intent.
Bottom line is that there's much to get angry about but proving your age to buy something that younger people shouldn't isn't one of them.
StevieBee said:
Thing is......
Many of the items mentioned are often used by a minority cohort of younger people to do harm to other younger - and often older - people. It's therefore necessary to impose restrictions that limit their ability to get hold of such things.
On a case by case basis, those restrictions may seem tiresome, burdensome or ridiculous but you have to recognise that retail today is not loads of Ronnie Barkers in brown warehouse coats rummaging around in boxes to find items for customers who they know by name or how can apply common sense to determine their suitability to buy something.
Retail is highly automated and works at a massive scale and speed. So systems that check these things have to hit an acceptable balance between effect and efficiency. So whilst something may prevent some 16 year old scrote from buying a meat cleaver on Amazon, the trade off is a bit of faff for someone who has genuine need for one.
That faff you have to go through may actually result in saving some poor kid's life. It may even save yours. No way knowing of course but that's the intent.
Bottom line is that there's much to get angry about but proving your age to buy something that younger people shouldn't isn't one of them.
Can't be much demand for fork handles in this day and age though. Certainly around our way allotments are falling intoMany of the items mentioned are often used by a minority cohort of younger people to do harm to other younger - and often older - people. It's therefore necessary to impose restrictions that limit their ability to get hold of such things.
On a case by case basis, those restrictions may seem tiresome, burdensome or ridiculous but you have to recognise that retail today is not loads of Ronnie Barkers in brown warehouse coats rummaging around in boxes to find items for customers who they know by name or how can apply common sense to determine their suitability to buy something.
Retail is highly automated and works at a massive scale and speed. So systems that check these things have to hit an acceptable balance between effect and efficiency. So whilst something may prevent some 16 year old scrote from buying a meat cleaver on Amazon, the trade off is a bit of faff for someone who has genuine need for one.
That faff you have to go through may actually result in saving some poor kid's life. It may even save yours. No way knowing of course but that's the intent.
Bottom line is that there's much to get angry about but proving your age to buy something that younger people shouldn't isn't one of them.
disuse with many available immediately compared to a few years ago.
Ganglandboss said:
the-norseman said:
I've been asked for ID by Amazon delivery drivers who have been delivering stuff like Knives etc but never when buying them on their site.
You have Amazon drivers who knock on your door? 
judas said:
This morning my razor broke, so off I toddle to Amazon to buy a new one.
At the checkout I was asked to provide: a selfie, and photos of my driving licence front and rear. Then on checkout I had to authorise the transaction on my banking app - all from an account I've had for 20+ years and a card that's been attached to the account for many, many purchases along with credit cards in my name.
Why the fk could they possibly think I'm under 18 (I wish!)
Corporate arse covering gone mad I tell ya!
s.
Presumably Amazon asked you for the selfie and driving licence, not the bank? They're not just asking for age verification but ID verification, making sure it's not someone else using your account.At the checkout I was asked to provide: a selfie, and photos of my driving licence front and rear. Then on checkout I had to authorise the transaction on my banking app - all from an account I've had for 20+ years and a card that's been attached to the account for many, many purchases along with credit cards in my name.
Why the f
k could they possibly think I'm under 18 (I wish!)Corporate arse covering gone mad I tell ya!
s. Your bank asked you to do two factor authentication via thier banking app to protect against online fraud, ie someone else having got hold of your bank account details. I've had my card skimmed before and used to buy car parts online in the US, where they don't seem to do the 2FA, so I had to get my card cancelled (while away from home in Italy), transactions refunded, and a new card sent out, which was a pain in the arse so I for one and very glad that my bank generally does 2FA and rather pissed off that there seems to be some loophole to get around it in the US.
Metric Max said:
Went into B&Q and got some caustic soda powder.
Cashier asked me if I was 18?
NoI replied, I'm 72, WTF?
Nice complement though!Cashier asked me if I was 18?
NoI replied, I'm 72, WTF?
I bought some brake cleaner from toolstation last year, and the chap behind the counter insisted that i provide a postcode for "verification purposes" which made zero sense. Wasn't walking out of there without the brake cleaner so i looked up the postcode of that toolstation. Read out the postcode to him, and then he reads out the address as the penny drops. Presumably the verification worked as he let me leave with the cans.
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