Co-op asking for ID

achtunglady

furrypolka wrote:

Not for the person making the sale - they are subject to an £80 on the spot fine (and possible loss of job) but they won't be personally fined more than that or be imprisoned. The licensee can be prosecuted, but not the seller.

I think you may have that wrong as I have just spoken to someone who's sister is a trading standards officer and she said that the store can get out of being fined if they can show that the person selling the item was trained on restricted products, and the seller still gets the fine.

She also said, you can refuse a sale if you believe that it is being bought for a minor, we often used to get kids trying to buy games marked up as suitable for over 18's, while clearly not 18, then they would go to an adult and give them the money to buy the item for them.

furrypolka

achtunglady wrote:

I think you may have that wrong as I have just spoken to someone who's sister is a trading standards officer and she said that the store can get out of being fined if they can show that the person selling the item was trained on restricted products, and the seller still gets the fine.

She also said, you can refuse a sale if you believe that it is being bought for a minor, we often used to get kids trying to buy games marked up as suitable for over 18's, while clearly not 18, then they would go to an adult and give them the money to buy the item for them.

Yes, the store won't be prosecuted if they can show a due diligence defence, i.e. that they have fully trained their staff and have evidence to show this.

However this doesn't mean the seller will be prosecuted instead

As stated, their fine would be dished out on the spot by the police (if a police officer is present) and would be for £80. The licensee, if they do not have a due diligence defence, could be liable to pay a lot more.

I actually work in this field and help to run responsible retailers schemes, so deal with this sort of thing on a regular basis.

You're absolutely right that the same rules apply if the under age products are suspected to be purchased for a minor.

snails's_pace

my sister has just completed a weeks training course to work for a national petrol station. i have seen the literature on age related sales and it clearly states that once all staff have been trained, and they go on to sell age related products to under age customers, then they are personally liable , including (worse case scenario), a 5 grand fine and or imprisonment. maybe it varies from company to company then.
whatever the policies, i am happy to provide id when asked, i am 31 and obviously don't look 16/18/21
if the customer is of age,then there should be no problem in producing id. i think it is easier for staff to make a habit of asking all customers if they are of age and ask for id when they wish to purchase these products,rather than run the risk of letting one slip through the net, that one that got away could be the one they get caught out on. i think it shows staff are doing there job properly when they challenge customers, although i had a bit of a giggle when i read about the 70 year old war veteran that got asked by morrisons, for id. now that would've made my day had it happened to me at that age :T

li'l_p

Interesting post... I'm 27 but look about 15 (according to some). Now, it is a compliment on one hand and it is a pain on the other. Like other's on here I have been asked for ID when doing the weekly shop which amongst other things contained a bottle of wine. ...Like I was planning on meeting my friend's whilst lugging my weekly shop around the locak park swigging from a bottle of wine!!!! I think not.

I have become used to it now and even get my driving licence out ready for when they ask. I appreciate they are only doing their job and I would only do the same if I worked there. For me sometimes it's the way they go about asking and they can be quite off-hand in their manner, when there's absolutely no need.

The best one was when we had some charity guy knock on our front door a few months ago. I answered the door and he asked "Is your Mum or Dad in?"... :rotfl: I just stood there trying not to laugh and said "Err, no, I don;t live wih them anymore". The poor chap was awful embarrassed.

snails's_pace

lucky old (or young) you lol..:rotfl:

Curious_George_2

cpu wrote:

Lol...I do that too (much to the disgust of my son).

I usually say....'go on..ask me' and when the poor checkout peeps look completely confused, I tell them I'm offended that they didn't ask if I was over 18. They then look even more confused (as it's well obvious I'm over 18) and they smile at me nervously.

I hate to tell you this but that smile is more likely a "oh god... not another original one" smile.
trust me.

Frankly the Co-op are a nightmare, In my store we had a button installed on each till and every time that ANYBODY purchases an age related product the staff have to say a little speech and the customer has to push this button.
If they dont push, we cant serve them.
I had to make an 82 year old push that damn button to buy a potato peeler.

dvds in newspapers, scissors, glue, AIR FRESHENER (i kid you not) alcohol, lottery, fags and just about everything else.... and you not only have to provide ID if you look under 21 but you have to push the button.

And speaking of the 21 rule, so many staff have been scared stiff by the constant training, test purchases and management pressure that they ID anyone they think is under 30.... just incase.

furrypolka

snails's_pace wrote:

my sister has just completed a weeks training course to work for a national petrol station. i have seen the literature on age related sales and it clearly states that once all staff have been trained, and they go on to sell age related products to under age customers, then they are personally liable , including (worse case scenario), a 5 grand fine and or imprisonment. maybe it varies from company to company then.

It's not a company policy, it's actually the legislation. There would be no way a person would be prosecuted as an individual. It's probably just scare tactics.

changkra

andyrules wrote:

you should worry. the plumber referred to oh as my 'dad'. :eek: Maybe it was something to do with the fact that at the time he was in a large hole digging down to the sewage pipe and up to his armpits in brown stuff! Had to laugh, though.:rotfl:

My next door neighbour and his friends thought my son was my partner for months after he moved in, until they heard his say mum:rolleyes: :eek: . I was absolutely gob smacked. If he goes shopping with me or anything else now i always say to him make sure you call me mum as it is so embarrassing and well yuk.:eek:

gyzmo

furrypolka wrote:

It's not a company policy, it's actually the legislation. There would be no way a person would be prosecuted as an individual. It's probably just scare tactics.

Individuals can be prosecuted, but the aim of legislation is to look at the controlling mind behind such misdemeanours. It is therefore usual for the manager / director etc to be prosecuted as opposed to the poor old person behind the till, who knowledge of the law is subject to the mercy of what their boss tells them.

incidently, there was an article in a paper the otehr day about a rather overly diligent employee who asked an 82 year gentleman old for ID when buying age retricted products.
Apparently, they poor chap, on being asked to produce ID, said

"I'm over 80 - will that do?".

Curious_George_2

gyzmo wrote:

incidently, there was an article in a paper the otehr day about a rather overly diligent employee who asked an 82 year gentleman old for ID when buying age retricted products.

They have probably been told by management to do it,
Im not joking...its getting ridiculous,

everytime someone buys a packet of fags for example the staff at my shop have to say "could you please push the red and green button to confirm you are legally old enough to purchase tobacco" wether the customer is 24 or 94

and we have been threatened with suspension if we dont say it right everytime!