But this is when common sense needs to be used. Something that has sadly been replaced with 'guidelines'.
Sainsbury's wouldn't sell me a beer...
- Thread starter sammo62
- Start date
But this is when common sense needs to be used. Something that has sadly been replaced with 'guidelines'.
I used to work in a videogame store, and was warned by my manager not to sell GTA San Andres, when it came out, to anybody in the store with somebody younger, as it would be my responsibility. Considering the potential punishment, I decided it wasn't worth the risk. Frankly, any supermarket attendant with half a brain cell (not many) wouldn't risk it either, although Gilly is right. Either the attendant or the OP should have got the manager over. That way the responsibility would have been out of the attendant's hands, and the OP would have got his beer.
Haahaaa, I don't know of any 31 years old that look like teenagers.
Anyway, there was that story about a year ago when an old granpa was refused alcohol too as he didn't have any ID to show.
I had quite a long argument over the stupidity of the whole thing with our region's training manager about this yesterday, moreso over the following point:
Test purchases now are conducted by someone 18, 19 or 20 years old. If you fail to ID this person, you could be sacked. My point was you have not broken the law. A 20 year old can easily look 5+ years older than they are, however you're doing no wrong by serving them. She came back with "the police want to see you asking someone for ID" to which I replied "valid point, but if I don't, tell me what laws I'm breaking, as they're over 18, the legal age to purchase alcohol". It ran for a long time, but I maintain I'm correct, despite being told I'm not.
In response to the OP - it does depend on the shop. Once in Tesco's, buying alcohol ONLY with my sister (17 at the time) with me, I was asked if it was for her, replied it wasn't and was sold the alcohol. In my shop, that proably wouldn't happen, but it's all about common sense. As a licence holder, I could get in serious trouble if someone makes one little error. For the amount I get paid, I don't fancy getting a criminal record, being fined, losing my job as well as my licence and a potential prison sentence because someone didn't utter 5 simple little words
Test purchases now are conducted by someone 18, 19 or 20 years old. If you fail to ID this person, you could be sacked. My point was you have not broken the law. A 20 year old can easily look 5+ years older than they are, however you're doing no wrong by serving them. She came back with "the police want to see you asking someone for ID" to which I replied "valid point, but if I don't, tell me what laws I'm breaking, as they're over 18, the legal age to purchase alcohol". It ran for a long time, but I maintain I'm correct, despite being told I'm not.
In response to the OP - it does depend on the shop. Once in Tesco's, buying alcohol ONLY with my sister (17 at the time) with me, I was asked if it was for her, replied it wasn't and was sold the alcohol. In my shop, that proably wouldn't happen, but it's all about common sense. As a licence holder, I could get in serious trouble if someone makes one little error. For the amount I get paid, I don't fancy getting a criminal record, being fined, losing my job as well as my licence and a potential prison sentence because someone didn't utter 5 simple little words
Last edited:
I bet you load his pram with it as well.
Soldato
- Joined
- 14 Jul 2005
- Posts
- 17,613
- Location
- Bristol
No, the manager will back up their member of staff. It's perfectly reasonable for the person on the till to assume that the older person is buying it for the younger one. It may well not have been the case in the OP but so much of the time it is and as has been stated, they don't want a fine, criminal record or anything like that linked to them.
Whilst it is annoying, I'm with the person on the till with this one, just doing their job and covering them selves.
It's the whole challenge 21/25 thing though, and it's frankly ridiculous. Why don't they just up the age limit to 25 to buy alcohol.
That's true and you are right, it's not illegal BUT if you sold alcohol to customers who looked 20 again and again and again, it wouldn't be long untill one of them turned out to be 15.
Soldato
- Joined
- 14 Jul 2005
- Posts
- 17,613
- Location
- Bristol
Because that's a little far, 21 I can understand, same as in America, works over there.
It'd still allow for the challenge 25 to not be changed too. I think the fact people on the till are encouraged to ask for ID if someone is 7 years over the legal age to buy alcohol is a bit silly though. I know people can look older, but when I was working in a shop I never served people too young and only IDed ones that I was unsure about. It's easy to tell if someone is over 18 and if you are unsure, ID them.
Associate
- Joined
- 6 Dec 2002
- Posts
- 2,379
- Location
- Leeds
No because the parent is the legal guardian of the child, the older brother is not.
I guess it is the law rather than Sainsbury's I have a problem with.
Surely it should be changed so the liability is only on the shop to sell alcohol to someone over 18. Once that transaction has occurred, the giving of alcohol to minors by said 18+ year old should be a separate offence.
Surely it should be changed so the liability is only on the shop to sell alcohol to someone over 18. Once that transaction has occurred, the giving of alcohol to minors by said 18+ year old should be a separate offence.
Soldato
- Joined
- 15 Feb 2003
- Posts
- 10,209
- Location
- Europe
That's true they aren't. The contract is between the purchaser and the store not anyone else
Yeah I think this was also what annoyed me. If I had wanted to buy beer for someone underage, I certainly wouldn't have brought them to the till with me.
Also - it was Tangle Foot- how many kids would drink that? It's clearly an old man's beer.
Soldato
- Joined
- 14 Jul 2005
- Posts
- 17,613
- Location
- Bristol
Wrong.
They are meant to check when the deliver it (well, Tesco, Sainsburys etc. all the supermarket deliveries are meant to ask), I have been IDed at my front door before.
