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At first I thought she was just another whiner but the clerk used bad judgment.
What?
Staff at supermarket giant Tesco refused to sell wine to a mother - in case she gave it to her 14-year-old daughter.
Fraud investigator Karen Dumelow, 46, and her daughter Emily were at the check-out when a cashier said she could not serve her in case the wine was given to the youngster.
She had been about to pay for two bottles of white wine at the Portsmouth store while doing her weekly shopping with her daughter.
Mrs Dumelow said she spoke to three senior members of staff who agreed with the cashier who had wanted to see identification for the teenager.
But because Emily was unable to do so Mrs Dumelow was told she could not buy the wine.
She said today: 'The checkout assistant asked Emily for ID and I just told her that obviously she didn't have any because she is only 14 years old.
'I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was crazy. Do you have to leave your children at home if you want to buy alcohol now?
She was then forced to put aside the wine, pay for the rest of the shopping and then send off her daughter to the car before she could pay for the alcohol separately at the same till.
'I was paying for the shopping, not her, how extreme can something get?" Mrs Dumelow told the Portsmouth News. 'I would never purchase alcohol for an under-age person.
The supermarket giant tries to stop adults buying alcohol for minors as part of its efforts to curb under-age drinking.
Mrs Dumelow, from Milton near Portsmouth, said today: 'The part that incensed me the most was that literally one minute later I bought the wine from the same till - it was unbelievable.
'All I had to do was send my daughter to the car and all of a sudden everything was OK.'
Emily said she was embarrassed by the incident in the crowded store, adding: 'I don't understand why they wanted ID for me because the wine wasn't for me and I wasn't paying.'
Her mother has sent Tesco a written complaint.
Mrs Dumelow, a fraud investigator, said: 'In my job I have to be squeaky clean and that's how I am outside the office too.
'I would never try and buy my daughter or any other under-age person alcohol and I find it extremely distressing to have been treated this way.
'I have sent Tesco a two-page letter explaining how angry I am. And I have shown them that my till receipts prove how crazy the whole thing was.'
Tesco today apologised for the incident and the embarrassment it caused.
'We work hard to prevent under-age sales, including proxy sales where adults purchase alcohol for under-18s. However in this instance we got it wrong and sincerely apologise.'
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At first I thought she was just another whiner but the clerk used bad judgment.
Thats ed up ...
I'd of taken my business elsewhere
Yep. When it comes down to it, it's pretty much up to the cashier to decide.
When you go through TABC training, they tell you the obvious things to look out for. Minors that obviously don't seem to belong with their 'parents', or when people are exchanging money right before they pay. The clerk has the right to refuse sale to any person if they are su ious, and are technically obliged to check ID for any persons who handles the alcohol or money for the sale.
That being said, the responsibility is on the cashier, and it's not freakin' hard to tell when a Mom is at the store with her kid. When I worked for HEB through high school, you probably encountered the situation on a daily basis. Talk about getting blown out of proportion.
+1
I used to work at the costco liquor store and teens with parents happened all the time......But still, every now and then there was some parent who was letting the teen pick and choose things, in which case we would refuse sale...
I had to purchase beer one time for a family thing and my 13 year old cousin came with me. The dude wouldn't sell me the beer because he saw me walk in with her. Complete bull . If you're gonna buy alcohol for somebody, it's more likely they'd still be in the car.. or not even on the premises. It's bull . Most people aren't re ed enough to buy alcohol for a minor in plain view with cameras everywhere.
I went through TABC too and I remember them saying to refuse sale if you see the minor either handling the beer or if they help to pay for the transaction. Not if they're in the damn vicinity. While it is true you can refuse service to whomever you choose... It's complete bull when it's at a gas station and they're the only cashier.
I think people just don't understand the rules and panic when a certain situation arises... so they just play it safe cuz they're re ed and refuse sale.
It wasn't JUST the cashier, it was 3 senior members tooMrs Dumelow said she spoke to three senior members of staff who agreed with the cashier...
It is not about buying alcohol that you might give to your own child but rather buying it for another minor for whom you are not the parent or guardian. They asked for ID for the girl so they would know she was her daughter and that she was not buying it for some teenager who asked her to. I really do not see the big uproar as it is intended to protect the kids. I can assure this same woman would be mad if the store sold alcohol to some adult her kid asked to buy it for her and they did not check to see if it was actually the mom.
I even remember a clerk telling me at a gas station that I could not let my son pick out which scratch off lottery ticket to buy where he (the clerk) could hear me. Only I could make the selection and purchase.
Yeah, they try to scare you with that about undercover TABC agents coming through as customers to test you.
Still, when I was behind the register, you had to do some pretty OBVIOUS to make me start asking for extra IDs. It's usually not that hard of a judgement call.
The fact that the managers and staff backed her up made me wonder though. But they shouldn't have turned around and sold it to her, if that was the case.
This line is not accurate. The store is not questioning her giving wine to her own child but rather seeking proof that this is actually her kid and not some minor for whom she is buying alcohol. Either that or the store saw something not told in the story-like maybe the daughter putting the wine bottles in the cart off the shelf.Staff at supermarket giant Tesco refused to sell wine to a mother - in case she gave it to her 14-year-old daughter.
Before I turned 21 and had an ID that said that I was 21, no one was able to buy alcohol when I went into the store with them. But then again, I live in MAssachusetts, which probably has the strictest alcohol laws in the country.
I was at a concert with my 38 year old ex boyfriend. He didn't look 38, but definatly didn't look *that* young. The sales guy refused to sell him a beer because he only had a State ID and not a liquer ID/drivers liscence. This happened again at a liquer store.
Sigh. I wish that the government would put their resources elsewhere, then denying 40 year olds beer.
Last edited by David Bowie; 03-03-2009 at 01:04 PM.
For the record, this is in the UK.
beer or a bottle, maybe, but wine?? What 14 yr old picks out wine for the party?
the day i can't buy wine with a 14 year old pretending to be my daughter is not a day i look forward to.
Thats pretty weak. Dumb rule. That will not prevent anyone from getting alcohol.
Talk about the thought police at work! So if I buy a watermelon and there is a black man with me it means the watermelon is for him? And how is asking a kid for an ID going to fix anything? Anyone who is old enough can just buy what they want and meet the person outside. How is any of this going to fix things?
Whats next a polygraph machine at the register? or a Bible to put your hand on?
"Do you swear to buy this wine only for yourself so help you God?"
you tree huggers crack me up!
It is legal for a parent to let their child drink in the home...
it is illegal to purchase alcohol for a minor.
I worked at a liquor store in college and the cops sent in an under age kid to try and buy from me. He looked about 12 years old and couldn't produce ID so I refused. Cops came in, told me I "passed" and left a do ent for my boss. My boss then gave me a $100 gift card to Old Chicago's and I proceeded to get wasted that night.
Good for the cops.
The other day at WalMart, along with a cart full of groceries, I bought an 18 pack of Miller Lite. Little ASF was putting the groceries in the cart as the lady filled up the bags and as she reached for the 18 pack, the cashier said "No honey, you can't touch that." For some reason, this pissed me off and I said "It's ok, she's my daughter" hoping the lady would press the issue, but she didn't. , the anti-alcohol idiots who run this country should die slow painful deaths.
You can't let a 14 year old help put an 18 pack on the counter but you can marry them and butt them all night while watching big love?
wheres the justice?
imo, put no age limit on buying alcohol.
I'm not saying there shouldn't be an age limit, but it damn sure shouldn't be 21. And common sense stupid like not letting a kid touch their parents beer in a store should be outlawed.
And don't get me started on ing dry counties. Anti-alcohol dip s piss me off.
alcohol has ruined the planet.
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