The punishment for being caught out selling age restricted product is up to £5000 and/or 6 months in prison.
Local police are allowed to attempt to catch out staff / business owners by sending in under-aged kids.
You can't blame shop staff for not taking any risks. If the till tells them to check - they check.
I'm 35 years old and am ex pub-restaurant manager. I always still carry ID, because you never know if you'll be asked for it. I was refused entry to a night club 3 years ago, even though I owned a pub myself at the time.
I was asked for ID recently when buying sugar-free Red-bull in Co-op. Did think this was a tad excessive - I am 26!
Can understand the point of view of the cashiers though - they can be personally fined/imprisoned and Trading Standards are always doing spotchecks to try and catch them out.
I was asked for ID recently when buying sugar-free Red-bull in Co-op. Did think this was a tad excessive - I am 26!
Can understand the point of view of the cashiers though - they can be personally fined/imprisoned and Trading Standards are always doing spotchecks to try and catch them out.
There are no fines relating to the sales of Red Bull.
As I said, most likely their POS system had it INCORRECTLY flagged as age restricted
But common sense should be that the cashier look at the age on the game and use their judgement. Unfortunately the big supermarkets do not allow their staff to make a common sense judgement and enforce their rules to the letter. Poor staff members have to deal with the flack, not the managers setting the rules.
Just thought I'd chip in, I'm an A-Level student but I also work at Sainsbury's part time
When any type of age restricted product comes up, the screen flashes "THINK 25 - CHECK ID". It's been quite embarassing when I've had to ID 30 year olds!! XD
The reason why your Dad wasn't allowed to pay for it instead is because (although wrongly) you were ID'd, the store knew that your Dad was going to give it to you.
I completely understand what you're getting at though, if you had come up to my checkout, I wouldn't have ID'd you Guessing by your age, possibly I would have if it was rated 18, but not 7!!
I guess you just find some weird people working there
I got Id'd buying a nunchuck for my wii.... although the cashier laughed it off and sold it to me anyway without checking ID he just made me promise i wouldn't hit anyone with it!
The thing is though, It is illegal for the parent to buy alcohol or cigarettes with the intention of giving to underagers.
I worked in game last year and we were explicitly told it was a moral choice of the parent buying restricted aged games for minors. We had the duty to explain why the game was awarded that certificate but we couldn't stop the parent from buying the game. So it was clearly the cashier's incompetence in that situation.
my brother-in-law is 22 and he got asked for ID in his local tescos - fine, he didnt have any so was going to put the booze back but then the cashier as my husband if he could pay for it!! That shouldn't have been allowed!
Ouch . My nephew is 15 and wanted to buy a aged 15 game. Fair enough they turned him down because he had no id but they asked if he had a driving licence to prove his age!
Seriously, they are so stupid and take it OTT!
If he looks as if he could be 17 why is that stupid? :rolleyes:
But common sense should be that the cashier look at the age on the game and use their judgement. Unfortunately the big supermarkets do not allow their staff to make a common sense judgement and enforce their rules to the letter. Poor staff members have to deal with the flack, not the managers setting the rules.
As I said originally, the store probably has a policy of not allowing the 'common sense' route because it is also open to someone persuading the cashier that the till is mistaken when it isn't. Of course training the cashiers on which items are actually age restricted would avoid such problems.
Even when I do have my driving licence with me it's always potluck whether it'll be accepted or not, usually depending on how dense the checkout worker is. Always fun explaining that Northern Ireland IS in fact part of the UK, and not some place I've dreamed up to stick on a fake ID.
Ouch . My nephew is 15 and wanted to buy a aged 15 game. Fair enough they turned him down because he had no id but they asked if he had a driving licence to prove his age!
Seriously, they are so stupid and take it OTT!
If the screen tells them to check for ID, they check for ID. The fines are stringently enforced against till staff, so they act in kind.
I used to work in IKEA and our till would tell us to age-check people for buying cultery sets.
I just used the common sense approach - only if they were obviously very young, and not with parents, or if they were dressed like someone who goes on the Jeremy Kyle show.:p
The thing is though, It is illegal for the parent to buy alcohol or cigarettes with the intention of giving to underagers.
I worked in game last year and we were explicitly told it was a moral choice of the parent buying restricted aged games for minors. We had the duty to explain why the game was awarded that certificate but we couldn't stop the parent from buying the game. So it was clearly the cashier's incompetence in that situation.
I hope you meant it isn't, any parent or guardian can buy alcohol with the intention of giving it to their own children. It is simply illegal to sell alcohol to someone under the age of 18 or assisting under 18's gaining alcohol who you have no PR for. Which is why a child may drink in a pub, provided it is with a meal. In the family home it is perfectly allowed and any movement would conflict with Human Rights (unless there is deemed a risk to a child)
However seeing you mentioned the game example, I assume this is what you meant. Same applies with games, so long as you have the PR for that child then it is allowed. Although these parents then wonder why their children swear, abuse and so on. Idiots.
Comments
The Pegi ratings are just to show the general age range the title is suitable for, like board games do.
I long for the day someone asks me for ID... At my age, I'll take it as a bloody compliment!
Local police are allowed to attempt to catch out staff / business owners by sending in under-aged kids.
You can't blame shop staff for not taking any risks. If the till tells them to check - they check.
I'm 35 years old and am ex pub-restaurant manager. I always still carry ID, because you never know if you'll be asked for it. I was refused entry to a night club 3 years ago, even though I owned a pub myself at the time.
Can understand the point of view of the cashiers though - they can be personally fined/imprisoned and Trading Standards are always doing spotchecks to try and catch them out.
As I said, most likely their POS system had it INCORRECTLY flagged as age restricted
PEGI are content ratings they are just not legally inforceable.
There are no fines relating to the sales of Red Bull.
But common sense should be that the cashier look at the age on the game and use their judgement. Unfortunately the big supermarkets do not allow their staff to make a common sense judgement and enforce their rules to the letter. Poor staff members have to deal with the flack, not the managers setting the rules.
Just thought I'd chip in, I'm an A-Level student but I also work at Sainsbury's part time
When any type of age restricted product comes up, the screen flashes "THINK 25 - CHECK ID". It's been quite embarassing when I've had to ID 30 year olds!! XD
The reason why your Dad wasn't allowed to pay for it instead is because (although wrongly) you were ID'd, the store knew that your Dad was going to give it to you.
I completely understand what you're getting at though, if you had come up to my checkout, I wouldn't have ID'd you
I guess you just find some weird people working there
Hope I helped!
I worked in game last year and we were explicitly told it was a moral choice of the parent buying restricted aged games for minors. We had the duty to explain why the game was awarded that certificate but we couldn't stop the parent from buying the game. So it was clearly the cashier's incompetence in that situation.
As I said originally, the store probably has a policy of not allowing the 'common sense' route because it is also open to someone persuading the cashier that the till is mistaken when it isn't. Of course training the cashiers on which items are actually age restricted would avoid such problems.
If the screen tells them to check for ID, they check for ID. The fines are stringently enforced against till staff, so they act in kind.
I just used the common sense approach - only if they were obviously very young, and not with parents, or if they were dressed like someone who goes on the Jeremy Kyle show.:p
I feel the need to point out this play on words should be very much appreciated.
This made me lol
I'm 21 (probably don't look it at times) and I don't recall ever being asked my age when buying a game (mind you I buy them online now).
... although they will be later this year, once they fully take over from BBFC ratings.
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/6215.aspx/
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/39401/New-UK-age-ratings-legal-by-October
I hope you meant it isn't, any parent or guardian can buy alcohol with the intention of giving it to their own children. It is simply illegal to sell alcohol to someone under the age of 18 or assisting under 18's gaining alcohol who you have no PR for. Which is why a child may drink in a pub, provided it is with a meal. In the family home it is perfectly allowed and any movement would conflict with Human Rights (unless there is deemed a risk to a child)
However seeing you mentioned the game example, I assume this is what you meant. Same applies with games, so long as you have the PR for that child then it is allowed. Although these parents then wonder why their children swear, abuse and so on. Idiots.