Buying alcohol with a teenager in tow.

[onewheeldave]

that may be true but if we suspect an adult is buying alcohol for a minor that is accompanying them then we reserve the right to refuse the sale. It's simply a case of using your common sense and if I see a parent buying a bottle of wine and a spirit for example and they had a minor with them I would be less suspicious, especially if it was with other shopping. If I had a customer accompanied by a minor and they were solely buying bottles of Smirnoff ice or WKD or something that would probably raise my suspicions and I would question it. If they simply said no it wasn't for the minor I would have to refuse the sale and my manager would back me up. Sorry, I know it's a pain for people but like I said before for me its simply not worth the risk. I need my job, I don't have ten grand plus to pay the fine and I don't want a criminal record.

 

If the teller has genuine reasons to suspect that an adult is buying booze for a minor (e.g. typically a youth waiting outside and asking incoming adults to buy them booze) then fair enough. Clearly in this case, that wasn't happening- simply having your child with you at the checkout is no reason for suspicion.

 

And, like I said before, no teller is going to get fined purely on the grounds that alcohol going through their till eventually winds up in the hands of a minor- there has to be some kind of genuine reason to suspect that the adult is going to pass it on.

[Olive]

but they all do it apparently, a bit of C+P

 

Examples of heavy-handed supermarkets stopping adults buying alcohol:

Sept 2013: Father-of-three Charles Brown, aged 50, was stopped from buying a bottle of whisky by a cashier at Morrisons, in Huddersfield, who asked him to prove he was over 18.

Aug 2013: A mother with a broken hand was left angry and embarrassed after being told she could not buy alcohol in a Leamington supermarket because her 17-year-old daughter was helping her pack.

July 2013: Staff at a Tesco in Taunton refused to allow a 43-year-old woman to buy drink for a barbecue because she was with her 17-year-old son.

June 2013: A 77-year-old man was stopped from buying a crate of lager from a Co-op in Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, because he had his 13-year-old grandson with him.

Dec 2012: A seriously ill teenager, aged 18, was stopped from buying Christmas gift sets containing alcohol at an Asda in Lowestoft. Staff stopped the purchase because the 18-year-old was with her sister, aged 17, who had lifted the items on to the conveyor belt at the till.

 

 

Thanks to nikki_red for link.

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2520495/Asda-stops-parents-buying-alcohol-children-Supermarket-bosses-staff-saying-better-cautious-risk-prosecution-selling-18s.html#ixzz2p9KF8IqM

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These examples illustrate why this policy is unworkable. It's asking staff to make a judgement on the personal lives of customers, what they might do once they leave the shop. It's a sledgehammer approach, whilst being at the same time a random judgement call. Fair enough if they want to id everyone buying drink - no id, no booze, whether you're 19 or 90. That's at least consistent (if OTT), and it would also stop an actual crime being committed, one which the shop is liable for. This policy is trying to protect the shop from proxy purchases, which the shop is not responsible in law for anyway.

[cgksheff]

Its Asdas policy

....

 

What, exactly, do you this ASDA's policy is with regard to proxy sales?

 

They do NOT have a policy to refuse the sale of alcohol to any adult that has a minor with them.

[Nagel]

I remember this case where a pub landlord was refused alcohol in his local Tesco because his teenage daughter was with him.

 

His teenage daughter who lives in a pub.

 

http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Gloucestershire-landlord-Tesco-drink-row/story-11908847-detail/story.html

[butterball]

I think the crux of the matter is it was a silly refusal and all it takes is for the cashier to exercise a little judgement and common sense. However, you can complain as much as you want about this and it won't get you anywhere with the supermarket, trading standards nor the police. It may simply get you a ban from the supermarket if you are aggressive towards the staff.

[999tigger]

I think the crux of the matter is it was a silly refusal and all it takes is for the cashier to exercise a little judgement and common sense. However, you can complain as much as you want about this and it won't get you anywhere with the supermarket, trading standards nor the police. It may simply get you a ban from the supermarket if you are aggressive towards the staff.

 

Why is it a silly refusal? The cashiers are allowed to exercise their judgment just as the store manager was allowed to exercise it as well. They err on the side of caution and that's their perogative to do so. I think the policy is a bit heavy handed, but you arent really going to change their minds.

[butterball]

Why is it a silly refusal? The cashiers are allowed to exercise their judgment just as the store manager was allowed to exercise it as well. They err on the side of caution and that's their perogative to do so. I think the policy is a bit heavy handed, but you arent really going to change their minds.

 

I'm a checkout cashier myself and like I said before I am very cautious because I have to be in order to keep my job, prevent myself from getting a fine and a criminal record but from what I gathered OP was simply doing his shopping and he had some beer in there didn't he? if I'd been serving him then no I wouldn't have questioned the fact he had his teenage daughter with him. If he was solely buying alcohol and had her with him it would probably raise my suspicions more. I really do think you need more proof though. If, for example, a colleague working on the wines and spirits aisle came and gave checkout staff a forewarning that an underage customer was picking out beverages they wanted for an above-age customer to buy then I think you are absolutely OBLIGED to challenge them about who they're buying the alcohol for but in cases like the OP's I do find it unnecessary. Obviously we aren't willing to risk our jobs etc but we also don't have to be stupid and pedantic about it.

[Nagel]

How many checkout staff have been taken to court for selling alcohol to adults?

 

How many have been taken to court for selling alcohol to under 18s? I know shopowners have been taken to court and convicted, but has it ever happened to checkout staff?

[Olive]

I'm a checkout cashier myself and like I said before I am very cautious because I have to be in order to keep my job, prevent myself from getting a fine and a criminal record but from what I gathered OP was simply doing his shopping and he had some beer in there didn't he? if I'd been serving him then no I wouldn't have questioned the fact he had his teenage daughter with him. If he was solely buying alcohol and had her with him it would probably raise my suspicions more. I really do think you need more proof though. If, for example, a colleague working on the wines and spirits aisle came and gave checkout staff a forewarning that an underage customer was picking out beverages they wanted for an above-age customer to buy then I think you are absolutely OBLIGED to challenge them about who they're buying the alcohol for but in cases like the OP's I do find it unnecessary. Obviously we aren't willing to risk our jobs etc but we also don't have to be stupid and pedantic about it.

 

Sounds like a wholly sensible approach to me Butterball. It's great that you've posted to put your side across.

 

I also think it just goes to highlight that this policy is very arbitrary, one person's judgement will be very different to another's. You're obviously using a lot of common sense, others clearly aren't.

 

I think your employers are totally right to take the hard line on selling to under 18s, as you and they would get into trouble if caught breaking the licencing laws. I think it's very unfair of them to ask you to make judgement on a customer's intentions, especially since you're not legally responsible to do this anyway.

[kidley]

Sounds like a wholly sensible approach to me Butterball. It's great that you've posted to put your side across.

 

I also think it just goes to highlight that this policy is very arbitrary, one person's judgement will be very different to another's. You're obviously using a lot of common sense, others clearly aren't.

 

I think your employers are totally right to take the hard line on selling to under 18s, as you and they would get into trouble if caught breaking the licencing laws. I think it's very unfair of them to ask you to make judgement on a customer's intentions, especially since you're not legally responsible to do this anyway.

 

My Bold

 

Olive i think you will find that they are legally res[ponsable, see link

 

C = P

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_licensing_laws_of_the_United_Kingdom

 

 

The age at which people are legally allowed to purchase alcohol is 18 in most circumstances. Adults purchasing alcohol on behalf of a person under 18 in a pub or from an off-licence are potentially liable to prosecution along with the vendor.