Buying alcohol, when the person next to you has no ID
Discussion
Hello,
I don't normally post on Pistonheads, I'm more of a happy reader type that chuckles when most people are posting what I'm thinking...
However right now I'm quite annoyed.
A certain supermarket that begins with the letter T refused to sell me 2 crates of John Smiths and a lovely bottle of Glen Livet as the person I was with at the time (aged 23) had no ID.
The woman put the items through the checkout, asked if we both had ID (which I did, and I'm 27) and then afterwards called over her supervisor who must have been 18 to say "ooh what it is, is once we've asked, you both have to have it innit"
After about 2 minutes of arguing and politely pointing out that if I was in fact going to do as they suggested and potentially give it to my underage 23 year old friend minutes later in the car park that I would have most likely left them outside in the first place etc, they eventually agreed that all I need do is 'come back later' as in, 2 mintues later once I'd deposited my underage 23 year old friend in the car???
I mean WTF ??? seriously......... ? so that's what I did, took the rest of my stuff to the car, deposited my friend and went back in and bought the goods?????
I'm normally a calm person but I drove the entire way home thinking 'grrrrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrr'. Am I being unreasonable?
Anyway I got my Glen Livet, so I guess everything's OK!!
I don't normally post on Pistonheads, I'm more of a happy reader type that chuckles when most people are posting what I'm thinking...
However right now I'm quite annoyed.
A certain supermarket that begins with the letter T refused to sell me 2 crates of John Smiths and a lovely bottle of Glen Livet as the person I was with at the time (aged 23) had no ID.
The woman put the items through the checkout, asked if we both had ID (which I did, and I'm 27) and then afterwards called over her supervisor who must have been 18 to say "ooh what it is, is once we've asked, you both have to have it innit"
After about 2 minutes of arguing and politely pointing out that if I was in fact going to do as they suggested and potentially give it to my underage 23 year old friend minutes later in the car park that I would have most likely left them outside in the first place etc, they eventually agreed that all I need do is 'come back later' as in, 2 mintues later once I'd deposited my underage 23 year old friend in the car???
I mean WTF ??? seriously......... ? so that's what I did, took the rest of my stuff to the car, deposited my friend and went back in and bought the goods?????
I'm normally a calm person but I drove the entire way home thinking 'grrrrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrr'. Am I being unreasonable?
Anyway I got my Glen Livet, so I guess everything's OK!!
What has this got to do with general car chat mate?
But..I used to work in an off license. The reason that if you came back "later" 30 secs or whatever is that because you'd be on your own, you wouldn't be a test purchaser. Test purchasers are employed by the government to see if anywhere that sells alcohol are sticking to the law. If not they get fined. The staff and the company.
I see where you are coming from but also see the company and staff's side, I didn't want to get fined and I used to get abuse from customers. But I was just earning my crust.
I think some common sense would come in handy though. If you look 27 then you wouldn't be a test purchaser and you wouldn't be making them receive their fine!
But..I used to work in an off license. The reason that if you came back "later" 30 secs or whatever is that because you'd be on your own, you wouldn't be a test purchaser. Test purchasers are employed by the government to see if anywhere that sells alcohol are sticking to the law. If not they get fined. The staff and the company.
I see where you are coming from but also see the company and staff's side, I didn't want to get fined and I used to get abuse from customers. But I was just earning my crust.
I think some common sense would come in handy though. If you look 27 then you wouldn't be a test purchaser and you wouldn't be making them receive their fine!
Edited by Ry_B on Monday 22 June 23:29
You both need ID. It's not the law but it's assumed that you are buying it as a group, and you'll consume it as a group.
I will tell you why all the supermarkets do it, 3 proven sales of selling to anyone underage results in the alcohol license being revoked. Quite a few stores take over 100k a week just in the sale of alcohol, imagine the loss of turnover if you lose the licence and the loss of customers who decide they want to shop somewhere else because they can't buy bottles of plonk with their weekly shop.
Oh and it's going up to think 25 soon as well.
I will tell you why all the supermarkets do it, 3 proven sales of selling to anyone underage results in the alcohol license being revoked. Quite a few stores take over 100k a week just in the sale of alcohol, imagine the loss of turnover if you lose the licence and the loss of customers who decide they want to shop somewhere else because they can't buy bottles of plonk with their weekly shop.
Oh and it's going up to think 25 soon as well.
Ry_B said:
What has this got to do with general car chat mate?
But..I used to work in an off license. The reason that if you came back "later" 30 secs or whatever is that because you'd be on your own, you wouldn't be a test purchaser. Test purchasers are employed by the government to see if anywhere that sells alcohol are sticking to the law. If not they get fined. The staff and the company.
I see where you are coming from but also see the company and staff's side, I didn't want to get fined and I used to get abuse from customers. But I was just earning my crust.
I think some common sense would come in handy though. If you look 27 then you wouldn't be a test purchaser and you wouldn't be making them receive their fine!
Sorry put it in wrong place, me angry and bad.But..I used to work in an off license. The reason that if you came back "later" 30 secs or whatever is that because you'd be on your own, you wouldn't be a test purchaser. Test purchasers are employed by the government to see if anywhere that sells alcohol are sticking to the law. If not they get fined. The staff and the company.
I see where you are coming from but also see the company and staff's side, I didn't want to get fined and I used to get abuse from customers. But I was just earning my crust.
I think some common sense would come in handy though. If you look 27 then you wouldn't be a test purchaser and you wouldn't be making them receive their fine!
Edited by Ry_B on Monday 22 June 23:29
It's just the fact she said "come back on your own in 2 minutes???" what the heck ???
LividSV said:
I have had many bust ups in Tesco regarding this. My favourite was being told i could not have a bottle of Whiskey, as they believed that i could not drink the whole bottle by myself and so others would be involved in the drinking...
It comes to something when the staff at Tesco are calling you a pussy. I remember helping my mother with the shopping back when I was about 14/15, and Sainsbury's wouldn't sell her alcohol even back then (under old licensing act) as she "was obviously buying for a minor". Ignoring the fact she had £100-worth of general family food, and the booze mainly consisted of fairly posh wine.
They kept it to one side for her, and she had to go out of the shop and back in without me to buy it.
They kept it to one side for her, and she had to go out of the shop and back in without me to buy it.
I f
king hate this too.
I was under the impression (although am sure I will be corrected!!) that the responsibility of the store stops at ensuring the person buying the alcohol is over the age limit?
Surely it can't be assumed that if a mother with their kid is buying a bottle of wine that she is going to feed it to the child just because they are together.
I mean FFS. Talk about a joke. It really pisses me off. Just for the record, I have no issues at all with being id'd or anything like that as they are just doing their job, but this, IMHO is a big step way too far!
Grrrrrrrrr
Cheers
The Moose
king hate this too.I was under the impression (although am sure I will be corrected!!) that the responsibility of the store stops at ensuring the person buying the alcohol is over the age limit?
Surely it can't be assumed that if a mother with their kid is buying a bottle of wine that she is going to feed it to the child just because they are together.
I mean FFS. Talk about a joke. It really pisses me off. Just for the record, I have no issues at all with being id'd or anything like that as they are just doing their job, but this, IMHO is a big step way too far!
Grrrrrrrrr
Cheers
The Moose
I had the same problem, only when I took my freind out to the car and went back they still refused. I was so pissed off that I took him 15 miles home and drove all the way back just to watch him shove his passport in her face. It was fantastic I have to say she looked completely gutted and one of her colleagues was looking over laughing. Tards at check outs are the last thing you need on a Friday evening.
I think we need a "Tesco Alcohol Policy Forum" 
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... Alcohol At Tesco
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... = p*ss boilers
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... Limit To Buy Alcohol.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... bonkers alcohol policy from Tesco
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... to tescos, got ID'ed
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... refuses to sell adult alchohol.....
Cheers,
FT.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... Alcohol At Tesco
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... = p*ss boilers
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... Limit To Buy Alcohol.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... bonkers alcohol policy from Tesco
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... to tescos, got ID'ed
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... refuses to sell adult alchohol.....
Cheers,
FT.
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