Buying Alcohol at ASDA

Sharon87

MamaMoo wrote: »

Considering that any child aged 5 or over can legally drink alcohol at home it's a pretty idiotic rule to be enforcing...

That's what I was about to say, although I think the age may have changed now (or they were thinking about raising it)

I always used to go with my mum to do the food shop from about 16. She bought alcohol for me to drink at home, she was never refused to buy it. It's better for kids to drink with parents anyway, it makes it less appealing to sit out on the street and drink it if you can drink it in a nice warm living room!

I get not serving an 18 year old who has other people similar age who can't prove they're 18, but refusing a parent with their child is ridiculous as the parent is allowed by law to give alcohol to their kids in their own home.

hollydays

It seems to be about the individual cashier being respected when they make a descision . The store is backing their descision. Sometimes they may make a wrong call.

lukerichardson40

Well said... I did exactly that but in a Tesco around Christmas. Me and the Mrs did a big shop, £200+. In that was a bottle of vodka, a bottle of spiced rum and some beer.

We were busy packing everything, alcohol included, when a family friend of 17 who was also in the shop came to say hello and said he got off college early and was getting his lunch and could we give him a lift home which was no problem.

The lady on the till noticed him and called a manager over. The lady ID'd me and the Mrs (29 and 25) no problem... the 17 year old had no ID, but was not shopping with us, so no problem we thought.

The manager was VERY rude. Didnt even look at us, just said 'no ID, no alcohol' and walked off.

So we left all the shopping where it was and walked off, never to return.

Rant over.

janiebquick

I have a young-looking 19 year-old daughter who always manages not to be with me if I buy supermarket alcohol (which tbh, isn't often). Next time, I'm taking her passport with me just to get one over on the supermarket.

However, like many people I expect, this store policy just annoys me. It's just a part of the nanny state we can do without.

aileth

I once saw this in a Sainsburys, middle-aged woman with a girl no older than five. She had A LOT of shopping and had bought a single bottle of wine with it. Cashier refused to serve her and actually said to the woman 'you might give it to the girl.' Talk about match to a fuse, and I don't blame her. She left all her shopping there and left to almost everyone in the vicinity applauding her.

Cycrow

The one thing i hate about these kinds of policies is that the cashier is always in the wrong.

If they follow the store policy, then can end up with abuse from customers. If they dont, they could end up with the sack. Neither are very nice for the staff and they cant win wither way.

one reason im glad i no longer work in retail

Indie_Kid

Cycrow wrote: »

The one thing i hate about these kinds of policies is that the cashier is always in the wrong.

If they follow the store policy, then can end up with abuse from customers. If they dont, they could end up with the sack. Neither are very nice for the staff and they cant win wither way.

one reason im glad i no longer work in retail

Sometimes, a bit of common sense would help. Like one mentioned above where someone was with their 5 year old. How many parents are going to buy wine just for their 5 year old?

georgiesmum

Indie_Kid wrote: »

Sometimes, a bit of common sense would help. Like one mentioned above where someone was with their 5 year old. How many parents are going to buy wine just for their 5 year old?

AH, But common sense has gone right out of the window these days. And some supervisers and managers seem to have lost it all. It's a case of "a little power ". :mad:They have to show that they are in charge and have authority over everyone else. As smeone else said, "vote with your feet "

Cycrow

Indie_Kid wrote: »

Sometimes, a bit of common sense would help. Like one mentioned above where someone was with their 5 year old. How many parents are going to buy wine just for their 5 year old?

But if its against store policy, common sense doesn't matter.
by using common sense and serving someone when its against the policy could get them the sack.

The cashiers cant second guess the policy or managers because they can very easily get in trouble for doing it.

When i worked on supermarkets, i thought some of the policys were pretty stupid, but i had no choise but to follow them, as i didn't want to lose my job.

d12345

I used to work in Asda and my neighbour's daughter had her 18th birthday party, to which I wasn't invited but heard the noise so I knew her age.


She came to my till a few days later with some booze so I, knowing her and knowing her age, put it through without asking for proof of age.


The minute the transaction was completed I was pulled off the till and told to go to the office where I was lectured at length about the alcohol selling policy and that I was going to be suspended pending investigation.


Even although I told my supervisor that I knew how old she was I was told it did not matter as she did not look over 25 I was still suspended.


It ended up with the girl to coming into the store and explaining it all to the manager.


I was still suspended for a week and told that I should have declined to sell it to her because she was a friend of mine even although I was 58 at the time and I only knew her because she lived next door with her parents.


She and her parents never came near my till again and nor did anyone who knew me because of this.


After that everyone who came through my till with alcohol was asked for ID, even OAPs


No ID no sale.


That is why checkout assistants don't use common sense, it's not worth the hassle.