I'm 33 and just before xmas I went last minute shopping to get some wrapping paper and bucks fizz. Marks and Spencer wouldn't sell it to me, which I was midly annoyed but a bit flattered about, then I went to sainsburys and they wouldn't sell it to me either which was just annoying. It's easier to get class A drugs round here than a bottle of midly alcoholic pop!
I never have this problem when I have the kids with me they obviously give me an air of respectability that I don have otherwise:D
I love the notion that they can think "ooh, I think you are 23 so I am going to demand ID from you to buy the Cert 18 DVD you are legally entitled to buy". How entirely ridiculous.
I'm 32 and got refused on six cans of Kronenberg. Only got my way after kicking up a fuss and demanding management come to the till to justify the refusal. Even if they believe I could be 25, I'm clearly not 18 you dumb pricks. To be fair though, the law that ensures those at the till are liable to prosecution is an ass.
I love the notion that they can think "ooh, I think you are 23 so I am going to demand ID from you to buy the Cert 18 DVD you are legally entitled to buy". How entirely ridiculous.
I find it's only in the big stores where they run the risk of mystery shoppers where they seem to be unable to use common sense.
I love the notion that they can think "ooh, I think you are 23 so I am going to demand ID from you to buy the Cert 18 DVD you are legally entitled to buy". How entirely ridiculous.
Doesn't the Challenge 25 thing only relate to alcohol purchases?
Challenge25 was originally for alcohol and is a volountary scheme ( though some councils try and make it sound like a law ) but many retailers now use it across the board whereas the law actually states that a person serving/selling should ask for ID or refuse a sale if they believe you are or you appear to be below the age that you should be to purchase the product.
The problem caused by many retailers is they will admit a person looks over 18 but as they are not sure if they are 25 they will not sell to them without ID, the law only asks them to be sure you are 18 or over to buy alcohol or to show they either took reasonable steps to make sure or that they could not be expected to believe by your appearance that you were under 18.
Then you get the whole farcical scenario of badly trained staff and managers asking 50 year olds for ID and adults for ID to purchase Disney films wrongly included in ID category products. To my mind if they dont know how to interpret the law they should not be allowed to make such sales.
Perhaps the day the authorities start prosecuting underage drinkers (if they really do care ) instead of just those who sell to them (many innocently) people may not get so angry about all of this.
I'm 32 and got refused on six cans of Kronenberg. Only got my way after kicking up a fuss and demanding management come to the till to justify the refusal. Even if they believe I could be 25, I'm clearly not 18 you dumb pricks. To be fair though, the law that ensures those at the till are liable to prosecution is an ass.
I agree with you completely. It's a ridiculous state of affairs. The biggest part of it is, in my opinion, that people on the tills don't even understand what they are meant to be doing. There's definitely a belief that the challenge 25 is actually 'the law'
As far as I've been able to tell with PoS systems, Challenge25 is used as a catch-all for age restricted products.
When a restricted product is scanned, regardless of the age restriction, the cashier is presented two options:
1 is "The customer is clearly over 25" (no further action)
2 is "I have asked for ID", and it then prompts for the correct date of birth, based on the age restriction (i.e. this day, 12/15/18 years ago), or it just presents an "Customer's ID shows Date of Birth before X date.
25 is the age chosen to be "reasonably" sure that the person is over the highest age restriction (18). The vast majority of people who look 25 are over 18.
As far as I've been able to tell with PoS systems, Challenge25 is used as a catch-all for age restricted products.
When a restricted product is scanned, regardless of the age restriction, the cashier is presented two options:
1 is "The customer is clearly over 25" (no further action)
2 is "I have asked for ID", and it then prompts for the correct date of birth, based on the age restriction (i.e. this day, 12/15/18 years ago), or it just presents an "Customer's ID shows Date of Birth before X date.
25 is the age chosen to be "reasonably" sure that the person is over the highest age restriction (18). The vast majority of people who look 25 are over 18.
But some people very much look their age, for example, they can easily be placed in, say, their early twenties. This is where inflexible "Think 25" type rules are a nonsense - knowing that someone is clearly 20 - 25 and therefore legally permitted to buy alcohol products, but having to ID them, is bonkers.
I'm 15 years old and I tried to buy The Hurt Locker on DVD today in Sainsburys. I was asked for ID as I was told I don't look 25. The DVD is rated 15 so why wouldn't they sell it to me? Apparently you need ID to buy any age restricted products if you look under 25.
I am the only one who thinks that Sainsburys should use the BBFC's classifications for DVDs, the legal drinking age (18) for alcohol, etc, instead of making their own?
I can remember the good old days when you get everything at 15.
These days everything is too fascist and controlling.
They will be counting the times you use the lavatory next.
At the end of the day, too many people take the mick, so I can't see the problem.. You have to remember that Sainsburys can get in to a lot of trouble, even if one underaged person gets past the tests
I agree with you completely. It's a ridiculous state of affairs. The biggest part of it is, in my opinion, that people on the tills don't even understand what they are meant to be doing. There's definitely a belief that the challenge 25 is actually 'the law'
The stores are showing people videos saying you be dragged down the police station and arrested if you mess this up. 25 is the age the stores want and the people on the tills have little choice about this.
This thread comes up frequently, but nothings going to change, indeed I can actually see the big 4 becoming stricter about this than they are now. Challenge 30 anyone?
The stores are showing people videos saying you be dragged down the police station and arrested if you mess this up. 25 is the age the stores want and the people on the tills have little choice about this.
This thread comes up frequently, but nothings going to change, indeed I can actually see the big 4 becoming stricter about this than they are now. Challenge 30 anyone?
I'm not asked for ID in other places like HMV, so why should I be in Sainsburys?
Just because your local HMV are lax with their ID'ing procedures doesn't mean that everywhere else is, nor should they be. The people at Sainsbury's don't know how old you are, so why wouldn't they ID you? The lesson you can learn here is to always carry a form of ID if you plan to buy an age restricted product.
When i was 18 i'd still get ID'd for an 18 rated DVD occasionally, it's down to the consumer to prove they're old enough to buy it. If you'd had ID you would have been able to buy the DVD, the challenge 25 scheme means you have to prove your age for the product you're about to buy, you don't have to be 25 to buy a 15 rated DVD, once you prove you were 15 they would have sold it to you.
But some people very much look their age, for example, they can easily be placed in, say, their early twenties. This is where inflexible "Think 25" type rules are a nonsense - knowing that someone is clearly 20 - 25 and therefore legally permitted to buy alcohol products, but having to ID them, is bonkers.
How do you know that somebody is clearly 20-25 without seeing their ID?
I know people who could have easily passed for early 20s when they were about 17. There are plenty of people who look older than they are!
I'll never understand why people are so above having to present ID when asked for it, and after reading this I'm still none the wiser. You get asked to prove your age, you hand over a bit of card and it's sorted. Why even give it a second thought?
I'll never understand why people are so above having to present ID when asked for it, and after reading this I'm still none the wiser. You get asked to prove your age, you hand over a bit of card and it's sorted. Why even give it a second thought?
Because i don't usually carry my drivers licence or passport with me when I go round the supermarket, and most people over 25 haven't needed to for at least 5 years. So it's coming as a bit of a surprise to those of us in our late 20's early 30's to be asked for ID.
It's not being asked that bothers me, it's just I have come to stop expecting it and it's annoying when I don't have it with me and have to walk out of a shop like a teenager trying their luck.
Because i don't usually carry my drivers licence or passport with me when I go round the supermarket, and most people over 25 haven't needed to for at least 5 years. So it's coming as a bit of a surprise to those of us in our late 20's early 30's to be asked for ID.
It's not being asked that bothers me, it's just I have come to stop expecting it and it's annoying when I don't have it with me and have to walk out of a shop like a teenager trying their luck.
It's the fault of the government. They are the ones who make the law, yet they expect shop staff to be the ones responsible for policing it. If the staff do not do ask, they run the risk of a personal fine - for them, themselves - as well as a fine for the owner of the shop. And if the shop owners have a policy and the staff member does not adhere to it, aside from the actual fine from Trading Standards, they'll end up sacked for not following company policy.
At the end of the day, too many people take the mick, so I can't see the problem.. You have to remember that Sainsburys can get in to a lot of trouble, even if one underaged person gets past the tests
They can only get in to trouble with the law if that one person is clearly under 18 or appears to be under 18 and no checks have been made , if the person looks obviously over the age of 18 and the sales person has no reason to believe they are under 18 and no one could reasonably believe that the persons age would be in question then they legally cannot get in to trouble if the person turns out to be under 18.
It is Trading Standards and the local authority who are using threats about people being charged even if the person looks over 18 to scare retailers into complying with Challenge 25.
Common sense is no longer allowed to operate in many towns thanks to over zealous paperwork and rule mad officals.
If a sales person is in doubt (and there are times wehn they would be ) they should ask, if they are still in doubt then refuse even if they have been given ID , but if they are not then they should be allowed to exercise their common sense . Things such as staff refusing to sell alcohol to a person doing the family shop as they have their toddlers/children with them is just one of the signs that people do not know what the hell they are doing.
never been asked for id when buying anything in supermarket but once in tesco was buying a game for the xbox 360 that was an 18, the checkout girl who couldnt have been anymore than 17-18 herself asked the guy on the counter next to her if I looked old enough to buy it, he just laughed at her and said obviously.
i dont see the big deal with people being asked for id especially if they look young, should take it as a compliment
Comments
... and you don't even get to see anything!
I never have this problem when I have the kids with me they obviously give me an air of respectability that I don have otherwise:D
I find it's only in the big stores where they run the risk of mystery shoppers where they seem to be unable to use common sense.
There is no entitlement.
Challenge25 was originally for alcohol and is a volountary scheme ( though some councils try and make it sound like a law ) but many retailers now use it across the board whereas the law actually states that a person serving/selling should ask for ID or refuse a sale if they believe you are or you appear to be below the age that you should be to purchase the product.
The problem caused by many retailers is they will admit a person looks over 18 but as they are not sure if they are 25 they will not sell to them without ID, the law only asks them to be sure you are 18 or over to buy alcohol or to show they either took reasonable steps to make sure or that they could not be expected to believe by your appearance that you were under 18.
Then you get the whole farcical scenario of badly trained staff and managers asking 50 year olds for ID and adults for ID to purchase Disney films wrongly included in ID category products. To my mind if they dont know how to interpret the law they should not be allowed to make such sales.
Perhaps the day the authorities start prosecuting underage drinkers (if they really do care ) instead of just those who sell to them (many innocently) people may not get so angry about all of this.
I agree with you completely. It's a ridiculous state of affairs. The biggest part of it is, in my opinion, that people on the tills don't even understand what they are meant to be doing. There's definitely a belief that the challenge 25 is actually 'the law'
When a restricted product is scanned, regardless of the age restriction, the cashier is presented two options:
1 is "The customer is clearly over 25" (no further action)
2 is "I have asked for ID", and it then prompts for the correct date of birth, based on the age restriction (i.e. this day, 12/15/18 years ago), or it just presents an "Customer's ID shows Date of Birth before X date.
25 is the age chosen to be "reasonably" sure that the person is over the highest age restriction (18). The vast majority of people who look 25 are over 18.
Apologies - it is a 15 cert
But some people very much look their age, for example, they can easily be placed in, say, their early twenties. This is where inflexible "Think 25" type rules are a nonsense - knowing that someone is clearly 20 - 25 and therefore legally permitted to buy alcohol products, but having to ID them, is bonkers.
I can remember the good old days when you get everything at 15.
These days everything is too fascist and controlling.
They will be counting the times you use the lavatory next.
The stores are showing people videos saying you be dragged down the police station and arrested if you mess this up. 25 is the age the stores want and the people on the tills have little choice about this.
This thread comes up frequently, but nothings going to change, indeed I can actually see the big 4 becoming stricter about this than they are now. Challenge 30 anyone?
It is 40 in Walmart.
Just because your local HMV are lax with their ID'ing procedures doesn't mean that everywhere else is, nor should they be. The people at Sainsbury's don't know how old you are, so why wouldn't they ID you? The lesson you can learn here is to always carry a form of ID if you plan to buy an age restricted product.
When i was 18 i'd still get ID'd for an 18 rated DVD occasionally, it's down to the consumer to prove they're old enough to buy it. If you'd had ID you would have been able to buy the DVD, the challenge 25 scheme means you have to prove your age for the product you're about to buy, you don't have to be 25 to buy a 15 rated DVD, once you prove you were 15 they would have sold it to you.
How do you know that somebody is clearly 20-25 without seeing their ID?
I know people who could have easily passed for early 20s when they were about 17. There are plenty of people who look older than they are!
You're old enough to buy it. You tried to buy it. They won't let you buy it.
God Bless the Internet and it's metainfo protocols!
Perhaps the Daily Mail could do a piece on Government aid for piracy and black markets?
Should have taken ID. If a DVD is a 15 and you're 15.. expect to be asked for ID.
Because i don't usually carry my drivers licence or passport with me when I go round the supermarket, and most people over 25 haven't needed to for at least 5 years. So it's coming as a bit of a surprise to those of us in our late 20's early 30's to be asked for ID.
It's not being asked that bothers me, it's just I have come to stop expecting it and it's annoying when I don't have it with me and have to walk out of a shop like a teenager trying their luck.
It's the fault of the government. They are the ones who make the law, yet they expect shop staff to be the ones responsible for policing it. If the staff do not do ask, they run the risk of a personal fine - for them, themselves - as well as a fine for the owner of the shop. And if the shop owners have a policy and the staff member does not adhere to it, aside from the actual fine from Trading Standards, they'll end up sacked for not following company policy.
They can only get in to trouble with the law if that one person is clearly under 18 or appears to be under 18 and no checks have been made , if the person looks obviously over the age of 18 and the sales person has no reason to believe they are under 18 and no one could reasonably believe that the persons age would be in question then they legally cannot get in to trouble if the person turns out to be under 18.
It is Trading Standards and the local authority who are using threats about people being charged even if the person looks over 18 to scare retailers into complying with Challenge 25.
Common sense is no longer allowed to operate in many towns thanks to over zealous paperwork and rule mad officals.
If a sales person is in doubt (and there are times wehn they would be ) they should ask, if they are still in doubt then refuse even if they have been given ID , but if they are not then they should be allowed to exercise their common sense . Things such as staff refusing to sell alcohol to a person doing the family shop as they have their toddlers/children with them is just one of the signs that people do not know what the hell they are doing.
i dont see the big deal with people being asked for id especially if they look young, should take it as a compliment