Buying Alcohol at ASDA

aileth

When I worked in retail dealing with booze, we had to ID the actual person buying it and our policy was to refuse if we had 'reasonable suspicion' that they were buying for someone else, for example you see the bloke talking to some yoofs outside and money exchanged, then he comes in and tries to buy a two litre bottle of white lightning. That's reasonable suspicion.

A mother doing the weekly/monthly shop with her five year old, buying one bottle of wine, what reasonable suspicion is there? Zero. It's simply over-cautious, and perhaps even over-zealous.

aileth

d12345 wrote: »

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.

But that's a different issue, that is simply to do with asking ID from the person buying the alcohol. The whole matter is to do with refusing to sell alcohol to someone who has legitimate ID, but happen to have their child of whatever age with them.

Azari

aileth wrote: »

But that's a different issue, that is simply to do with asking ID from the person buying the alcohol. The whole matter is to do with refusing to sell alcohol to someone who has legitimate ID, but happen to have their child of whatever age with them.

Yes, but it does show how cretinously stupid Asda's managers can be, which sheds some light on the apparently unreasonable behaviour of some of their staff.

Money-Saving-King

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth wrote: »

If I was refused service, (text removed by MSE Forum Team) would be picking the items up and putting the whole job lot back on the shelf,as he watched my backside leave the store.

If it's a Supermarket it wouldn't be the cashier who puts the stock back. It would just get wheeled out the way & someone else would do it.

hollydays

georgiesmum wrote: »

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 "

Again, as I understand it, it's the cashier who is legally making the sale, so the supervisor cannot override the descision as they are not the one selling the alcohol.
There are some dim people in the world and some work on checkouts.

sarahg1969

I got asked for ID for my 14yo daughter who was wearing her school uniform. When I asked why he was hoping her ID would prove, he didn't get what I was saying at all.

swingaloo

While I agree that the world has gone completely mad I would like to make one point.

I used to work for an off license chain and the 'Think 25' was taken very seriously. Even though the legal age was lower we had to ask for ID if we thought there was a possibility of the customer or anyone with them being under 25.

What a lot of people don't understand is that if a cashier does make an exception or mistake and it is a Trading Standards mystery shopper ( we had then at least once a month in our branch) it is not the shop or the manager who get fined, it is the actual cashier. I was probably over zealous but when there is a possibility of you getting a day in court and a £1000 fine it really makes you think twice.

I didn't see why I should run the risk of a fine doing a job for minimum pay.

Carrot007

I would probably walk out and leave everything myself if such a thing happened.

I would however tell the operator sorry. I know it's their call. But I either want to buy what I want or nothing.

However I am of such an age that this never happens anymore!

Though a couple of years ago in the tesco local they did ask for some reason. I looked at them and said "really?". And they looked at me and said sorry I thought you were someone else and let it through! Shows that they are reasonable and maybe there is some kid who is a young double of me out there!

hollydays

swingaloo wrote: »

While I agree that the world has gone completely mad I would like to make one point.

I used to work for an off license chain and the 'Think 25' was taken very seriously. Even though the legal age was lower we had to ask for ID if we thought there was a possibility of the customer or anyone with them being under 25.

What a lot of people don't understand is that if a cashier does make an exception or mistake and it is a Trading Standards mystery shopper ( we had then at least once a month in our branch) it is not the shop or the manager who get fined, it is the actual cashier. I was probably over zealous but when there is a possibility of you getting a day in court and a £1000 fine it really makes you think twice.



I didn't see why I should run the risk of a fine doing a job for minimum pay.

This is something that the whingers on here needed to read.

I know people who work in supermarkets and this is what they tell me.

real1314

When I go shopping with either of my kids, aged 18 and 16, if I'm buying any alcohol I just tell them to carry on looking round the shop whilst I go through the checkout.

I know all the laws about alcohol sale and consumption, but I also know that the checkout operator has little choice but to go through the procedures they are stuck with. They cannot use common sense, so I use mine to make life easier for both parties.

Those who want to spend an hour shopping only to walk away and leave it on a futile "point of principle" mustn't value their time much.