Rant about buying Alcohol and ID...

[Kayteuk]

Okay yes I am going to rant because I have been super embarrassed today... Here it goes..

(You have to be 18 to purchase alcohol in the UK, and I have just had my 20th birthday)


I went to buy some alcohol as its dads birthday and were having a take away and everything.
I get to the checkout and provide my ID and the girl rudely states "That's not you" and I'm like "Yes it is!" never had a problem at this tesco before, I go there all the time and have never EVER been refused service. My passport and Drivers ID are the same photos, and I get past the TSA in US customs just fine every couple of months, hell I even get on base with it!

So then Checkout girl calls the manager who states "I have to back up my employees" and I am producing other legal photo ID (Student cards), my credit cards (You have to be 18 to have one) , THEIR loyalty card which has my age on, and I am also part of their phone service, which has my age verified.

Also the fact I used to work with them and my age is on the ex employee database which they can access. They wouldn't listen to me at all and just told me to get someone to bring my passport to them.

So I called my mum (because I wanted to prove I was over 18 to them...) and she drove 5 miles each way to get it to me, and they then said "Oh yeah it is you" What freaking douches.

And then they looked at my credit cards and said "Well we should of looked at those sooner", I'm like ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH I just showed you them to prove that's my ID!

So I have a complaint waiting on the entire check out staff for refusing to serve me, whats funny was there was 3 people I knew in the store who were over 18 themselves (Actually over 40...) and they work there, they also added that I was over 18 and they still were on this crusade against me.

I was almost in tears from humiliation because I hate people staring at me like I have done something wrong... Which most the people in the line behind me were...Not to mention there was Tampons in my shopping and some other products. It was just so stupid...

I realise they are cracking down on supplying alcohol underage, but come on, I had a good few ways of proving my age but they just inconvenience me.

I havent changed my hair since the passport photo, its all pulled back, exactly like I was wearing mine today, and I had no make up on today and during the photo...

I just needed to get that off my chest as I don't have anywhere else to rant to and this is a safe haven for me.

 

[TISH1124]

Was this the only place you could purchase at? because if not I would have just left and took my business elsewhere?

 

[Kayteuk]

This was the only place close to me, the other store is about 15 miles away...I live in the country

 

[HeavenLeiBlu]

^^^ Exactly... no way I'd waste that much of my time and energy AND give them my money.

 

[k.a.t]

Wow that's just bitchy of them to do that..
I would have refused to pay lol

 

[TISH1124]

I will drive the 15 miles before I give anyone my money that does not appreciate it....After all the waiting and frustration it would have been worth it to me and probably quicker in the long run...I would have not had my Mom come up...Hell no...screw that

 

[Kayteuk]

Well it just makes it easier for me now if I buy there again...I wouldent have to go through all that trouble and hopefully the complaint procedure leads to some vouchers...

I know they are trying to curb under 18 drinking and the laws have got so strict on supplying it here that the cashier is fined up to 200 pounds if they supply underage

 

[nunu]

That is just ridiculously stupid. Who do they think they are refusing many id's??
WTF?
Good job you complained.

 

[jetplanesex]

Sorry they've treated you poorly :[

There is this bar in mt town that is quite popular and EVERY time I go there they mull over my ID much longer than everyone else's. I'm 22! It's so frustrating.

 

[enigmaticpheo]

How ridiculous is that! What a bunch of dimwits. It's one thing to need to verify ID, alright, I understand. But to see ten other IDs from you, plus have verification from other employees, and to STILL request MORE is absolutely absurd. I would definitely have a lengthy chat with their customer service line. It's laudable to curb underage drinking, but not at the expense of decent customer service to those who are perfectly legal.

 

[xxManBeaterxx]

The girl was just being a plain ol pain in the ass. I'm sure they have a lot of young people come into the gas station who try to trick them often with fake ID cards, etc.. but she could of handled the matter way differently and been polite about it.

 

[Babylard]

thats really silly. if i were you i'd open the bottles and light the motherfuckers on fire~

burnnn baby burnnnnn

 

[vocaltest]

ughhhh tesco are the worst!!! and asda!!! granted, i don't get id'd but i have two ridiculous stories about them..

my good friends who are a couple, girl is 24, guy is 23. they did a big shop together (£150 worth), and leianne bought a couple of bottles of wine. get to the counter and she asks them for id. leianne has hers, dan doesn't... but.. dan is COVERED in tattoos... he has his hands/neck tattooed and they completely refused to serve them because dan doesn't have ID. so leianne said, fine, you deal with that. and they walked off leaving all their shopping at the checkout for them to deal with hahaha.

another one, a girl i work with went into asda with her mum, shes 17, and her mum was buying cigarettes for her dad, and they refused to serve her because jaz didn't have any id!! she wasn't even standing near her.

seriously, sometimes i think they're just having a bad day and they pick on people. i'd complain to the store manager about it, arseholes.

 

[vocaltest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TISH1127 Was this the only place you could purchase at? because if not I would have just left and took my business elsewhere?

Why should she have to go elsewhere? They're the one's being arses about it, she shouldn't have to great lengths just to prove her age.. I live in the country too and supermarkets/off licenses aren't every few miles, its a good treck in between each one. Saying that, I agree they don't deserve her money if they're being like that!!

 

[laraVENGEANCE]

tesco is absolutely ridiculous with id over here aswell.

 

[Mabelle]

Wow. Ive never heard of something like this happening here. Our law is if you look under 25, you're supposed to be carded. No ID, no alcohol or cigarettes.

That being said, i'm 23 and NEVER get carded. Like ever. I used to work at a gas station that sold cigarettes, and always carded (it was thousand dollar fine if you didnt). I Once carded a 40 yr old man. And i once found a fake ID.

But you had a ton of IDs.I dont get it!
I dont think this would happen in Canada cause we're all SO worried about being polite to each other. lol

 

[TISH1124]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vocaltest Why should she have to go elsewhere? They're the one's being arses about it, she shouldn't have to great lengths just to prove her age.. I live in the country too and supermarkets/off licenses aren't every few miles, its a good treck in between each one. Saying that, I agree they don't deserve her money if they're being like that!!

She doesn't I said I would have becasue I don't like giving my money to people who don't apprecate it ...And I was unaware when i asked initially that she lived in a small town where stores are few and far between in the states we have liquor stores on every block....So that was why I asked...Nothing more nothing less was meant by the question..I Never even heard of a Tescos ...

 

[X4biddenxLustX]

I'm not sure if it's actual law here in the U.S. or just the state of Pennsylvania where I live at. But at Walgreens where I work at we HAVE to card anyone who is buying tobacco products who look like their under the age of 40. Sorry but I find this ridiculous. It's not going to cut down on the cigarette use of minors. But yeah it's definitely store policy. We have to check the expiration date of their ID and then enter the DOB exactly how it looks on their ID into the computer.

But see if you've shown them like a million pieces of different forms of ID and use to work there and even had employees there say that you are over 18, I don't understand what their problem was! Seriously there assholes and not only wasted your time but their own time also. I'd definitely file a complaint cause this is ridiculous.

 

[vocaltest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TISH1127 She doesn't I said I would have becasue I don't like giving my money to people who don't apprecate it ...And I was unaware when i asked initially that she lived in a small town where stores are few and far between in the states we have liquor stores on every block....So that was why I asked...Nothing more nothing less was meant by the question..I Never even heard of a Tescos ...

No i know I wasn't being shitty or anything! Just meant it like why should she have to go out of her way/why should they inconvenience her like that

Tesco are like... the supermarket super power. They will take over the world one day I swear haha

Quote:

Originally Posted by X4biddenxLustX I'm not sure if it's actual law here in the U.S. or just the state of Pennsylvania where I live at. But at Walgreens where I work at we HAVE to card anyone who is buying tobacco products who look like their under the age of 40. Sorry but I find this ridiculous. It's not going to cut down on the cigarette use of minors. But yeah it's definitely store policy. We have to check the expiration date of their ID and then enter the DOB exactly how it looks on their ID into the computer. But see if you've shown them like a million pieces of different forms of ID and use to work there and even had employees there say that you are over 18, I don't understand what their problem was! Seriously there assholes and not only wasted your time but their own time also. I'd definitely file a complaint cause this is ridiculous.

UNDER THE AGE OF 40?!?! jeeeez that IS ridiculous!! I'd be so offended if I didn't get asked for ID for once hahaha. Whats the age for buying tobacco there?

 

[X4biddenxLustX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vocaltest No i know I wasn't being shitty or anything! Just meant it like why should she have to go out of her way/why should they inconvenience her like that Tesco are like... the supermarket super power. They will take over the world one day I swear haha UNDER THE AGE OF 40?!?! jeeeez that IS ridiculous!! I'd be so offended if I didn't get asked for ID for once hahaha. Whats the age for buying tobacco there?

LOL. I've only been working for a few days and I've actually had quite a few lady customers giggle and joke around how they don't mind at all being carded cause it makes them feel like teen again haha. I have to card EVERYONE that looks under 40 or I can get in trouble and so can the store. I've heard that sometimes they actually have people come in and try to buy cigarettes just to check if your carding or not. That scared the crap out of me lol. But I honestly don't even care anymore who is buying and smoking cigarettes as long as they aren't smoking it around me. Their choice. I just have to follow these guidelines so I don't get in trouble at work or with the law. And again this does nothing to stop the spread of underage smoking cause it's super easy to get smokes really. Now alcohol on the other hand needs to be consumed responsibly at ever age group IMO, I've heard too many horror stories about accidents and stuff.

Here it's 18 (19 in some areas) to buy tobacco products and 21 to buy and consume alcohol.