Aldi ID policy

Ciarah1504

Hi I am just wondering if anyone has any views on this.

Myself and my boyfriend went to out local aldi last night to purchase alcohol, when we approached the Till the girl asked us to I'd which was no problem I had my driver licence with me and I was paying.

She then stated to me that she could not serve me alcohol till she seen I'd from my boyfriend too incase i am giving alcohol to a underage person. Now I'm 21 and he is 20.

I worked in a shop for 5 years and have studied business law the past 2 years

Am I not right when I say if I buy alcohol and give it to a underage person it is my that will be charged for it not the store?

Also is it not my right to buy alcohol if I want to as a 21 year old adult?

I also read each of the policy's on the wall over the alcohol section and no where does it state the policy they said they have, and each policy on the wall states "the individual"

Anyone any views on this? Thanks

galwayjohn89

Its pretty standard in most shops. Happened to mew multiple times in Ireland, America, Canada and Germany.

You know for next time both have ID or just queue up seperately.

sidcon

Ciarah1504 wrote: »

Hi I am just wondering if anyone has any views on this.

Myself and my boyfriend went to out local aldi last night to purchase alcohol, when we approached the Till the girl asked us to I'd which was no problem I had my driver licence with me and I was paying.

She then stated to me that she could not serve me alcohol till she seen I'd from my boyfriend too incase i am giving alcohol to a underage person. Now I'm 21 and he is 20.

I worked in a shop for 5 years and have studied business law the past 2 years

Am I not right when I say if I buy alcohol and give it to a underage person it is my that will be charged for it not the store?

Also is it not my right to buy alcohol if I want to as a 21 year old adult?

I also read each of the policy's on the wall over the alcohol section and no where does it state the policy they said they have, and each policy on the wall states "the individual"

Anyone any views on this? Thanks

Most retailers have signed up to this and it's a case of second party sales which the till operator was correct in applying the procedure. While its a voluntary code, nearly all retailers follow it rather than been forced to do it by law.
http://www.rrai.ie/_fileupload/Training%2520Manuals/RRAI_Training_Manual%2520(2).pdf

foggy_lad

The law was changed so retail staff must refuse if they can reasonably suspect that alcohol may be offered to soneone underage. The staff did nothing wrong anyway as they are under no obligation to sell you anything at all.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

What Aldi did is absolutely spot on and in line with best practice,

Cheshire Cat

Dunnes, Lidl and Tesco do that, too. If I have my very tall 17 year old son with me I send him ahead to wait past the tills to avoid this.
I think it's a good idea. Too many just-about legals are buying for their underage friends.

It has only ever happened to me in Aldi when I lived in Ireland and I just told them where to stick it. I'm all for protecting teens from underage drinking, but the one on the checkout in this instance was being a total jobsworth. I didn't look anywhere near 18 and neither did my ex (he had his driver's licence showing that he was 24), we had one bottle of wine in a trolley stuffed with food, others in the queue told her she was being ridiculous but that made her even more adamant not to serve us. She kept saying she had the right to deny us without proof of age. Fine, but we had the right to refuse to shop there again. They lost a year's worth of custom from us (used to buy nearly everything there) because of an idiot with no common sense. I've worked in supermarkets and bars myself and I've never, ever had an issue with just using my brain and common sense. There's a clear difference between a couple in their twenties buying one bottle of wine with the weekly shop and a couple of teenage girls just buying crates of booze.

The idea of sending your teenage kids ahead of you so the checkout girl doesn't think you're trying to ply them with booze is ludicrous to me and would be ludicrous just about anywhere else in the world. If I'd stood behind my boyfriend and not talked to him, it would have been fine, but because we happened to know each other, I needed ID? It's ridiculous. Maybe I've been outside Ireland too long.

hardCopy

Lucca Fierce Sunglasses wrote: »

It has only ever happened to me in Aldi when I lived in Ireland and I just told them where to stick it. I'm all for protecting teens from underage drinking, but the one on the checkout in this instance was being a total jobsworth. I didn't look anywhere near 18 and neither did my ex (he had his driver's licence showing that he was 24), we had one bottle of wine in a trolley stuffed with food, others in the queue told her she was being ridiculous but that made her even more adamant not to serve us. She kept saying she had the right to deny us without proof of age. Fine, but we had the right to refuse to shop there again. They lost a year's worth of custom from us (used to buy nearly everything there) because of an idiot with no common sense. I've worked in supermarkets and bars myself and I've never, ever had an issue with just using my brain and common sense. There's a clear difference between a couple in their twenties buying one bottle of wine with the weekly shop and a couple of teenage girls just buying crates of booze.

The idea of sending your teenage kids ahead of you so the checkout girl doesn't think you're trying to ply them with booze is ludicrous to me and would be ludicrous just about anywhere else in the world. If I'd stood behind my boyfriend and not talked to him, it would have been fine, but because we happened to know each other, I needed ID? It's ridiculous. Maybe I've been outside Ireland too long.

It's happened to me in the States as well, it's not just an Irish thing.

Layinghen

Gosh I would love if someone asked me for id when buying booze. I keep telling them I have id and can produce it if they want. They smile kindly at me, must be the grey hair and the fact I remind them of their Mother (if not their Grandmother):(

Ciarah1504

Cheshire Cat wrote: »

Dunnes, Lidl and Tesco do that, too. If I have my very tall 17 year old son with me I send him ahead to wait past the tills to avoid this.
I think it's a good idea. Too many just-about legals are buying for their underage friends.

It never happens to me anywhere not dunnes tesco or lidl!!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Ciarah1504 wrote: »

It never happens to me anywhere not dunnes tesco or lidl!!

Well they should have. And if you PM me the locations I will personally raise the issue with them!

Tar.Aldarion

It's only ever happened to me in aldi, nowhere else, ever. Although tesco did a funny one one time and refused a friend of my Jack daniels bbq sauce as they had no id.

wmpdd3

Even the cops use this one, one person will be 19 and will have ID but their friend will have no ID.

I'm glad you found the supermarket courteous when they enforced the law. That makes all the difference.


'I worked in a shop for 5 years and have studied business law the past 2 years'


That's a bit worrying, have you received no training at all on the Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2008. ( the one that brought in the new opening times for off licences)

http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/bills28/bills/2008/3208/document1.htm

The RRAI was set up after this and their training would have covered all this. All staff where I work are trained on this before they even see a till.

Your employer should have informed you that if you break the law and are instrument in the sale of alcohol to a minor, you could end up with a criminal record.

kc90

This is fairly standard, happens in tesco too. They have a right to refuse, so just take it as a lesson learned, if you're with someone without id, don't go to the checkout together.

sandin

Threads with same question seem to appear every couple of weeks.

GET OVER IT.

A store can set its own policy on alcohol sales or sales of any other product once they implement the minimum conditions laid down by law.

If Aldi / tesco / dunnes want to only serve alcohol to over 50's - they can do so, once they apply the rules to all of their customers. If you don't like it, buy elsewhere.

If 2 people appear together - unles one is the legal guardian of the other, then it is seen as a joint purchase and both can be asked to produce ID.

In the USA they will ask for ID no matter what age you look - and if you can't produce it, tough luck, even if you are obviously 50+ (I can assure you, that unless you are exceptionnally drunk and from another planet, I would not pass for under 40, let alone under 30!)

Aglomerado

Layinghen wrote: »

Gosh I would love if someone asked me for id when buying booze. I keep telling them I have id and can produce it if they want. They smile kindly at me, must be the grey hair and the fact I remind them of their Mother (if not their Grandmother):(

I used to be flattered by Aldi staff asking me if I was over 18 when buying beer. But it's store policy (I once saw something flashing up on the till to prompt them to ask- something like DOB before (eg) 06/05/1995?) and they have to ask everyone.

They generally take my word for it when I say that I am over 18 and don't ask for ID. The grey hairs are proof enough!

GerardKeating

hardCopy wrote: »

It's happened to me in the States as well, it's not just an Irish thing.

My mother was refused Alchol in Florida once, because she did not have ID, she was in her early seventies at the time.

ResearchWill

Ciarah1504 wrote: »

Hi I am just wondering if anyone has any views on this.

Myself and my boyfriend went to out local aldi last night to purchase alcohol, when we approached the Till the girl asked us to I'd which was no problem I had my driver licence with me and I was paying.

She then stated to me that she could not serve me alcohol till she seen I'd from my boyfriend too incase i am giving alcohol to a underage person. Now I'm 21 and he is 20.

I worked in a shop for 5 years and have studied business law the past 2 years

Am I not right when I say if I buy alcohol and give it to a underage person it is my that will be charged for it not the store?

Also is it not my right to buy alcohol if I want to as a 21 year old adult?

I also read each of the policy's on the wall over the alcohol section and no where does it state the policy they said they have, and each policy on the wall states "the individual"

Anyone any views on this? Thanks

Section 31(1) (a) of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1988.

“The holder of any licence shall not –
(a) sell or deliver or permit any person to sell or deliver intoxicating liquor to a person under the age of 18 years,
(b) sell or deliver or permit any person to sell or deliver intoxicating liquor to any person for consumption on his licensed premises by a person under the age of 18 years,

(c) permit a person under the age of 18 years to consume intoxicating liquor on his licensed premises, or

(d) permit any person to supply a person under the age of 18 years with intoxicating liquor on his licensed premises.”

keithclancy

sandin wrote: »

Threads with same question seem to appear every couple of weeks.

GET OVER IT.

A store can set its own policy on alcohol sales or sales of any other product once they implement the minimum conditions laid down by law.

If Aldi / tesco / dunnes want to only serve alcohol to over 50's - they can do so, once they apply the rules to all of their customers. If you don't like it, buy elsewhere.

If 2 people appear together - unles one is the legal guardian of the other, then it is seen as a joint purchase and both can be asked to produce ID.

In the USA they will ask for ID no matter what age you look - and if you can't produce it, tough luck, even if you are obviously 50+ (I can assure you, that unless you are exceptionnally drunk and from another planet, I would not pass for under 40, let alone under 30!)

It would be better in this case if they asked everyone for ID rather than it being on the basis of what the person at the till thinks is the age of the person.

Its not being asked for ID that's the problem, its that its not a uniform experience across the board.

I do not carry my passport around with me as it is a valuable document and is supposed to be used to cross borders, not for inspection by a shop.

My Driving license is a driving license.

Ireland needs a National Identity card which can be used for Identification in your own country and other countries within the European Union.

It should not be a case of, "should I bring my passport with me to Tescos"

You either have to bring it or you don't, i.e. ask everyone for ID and not do it on the basis of whether you have grey hair and a few wrinkles.

Riskymove

GerardKeating wrote: »

My mother was refused Alchol in Florida once, because she did not have ID, she was in her early seventies at the time.

well the issue here is not that ID is required, it is the idea that just becuase there are underage people with you that you cannot be sold alcohol

taken to an extreme, an adult should not be sold alcohol if they have underage people with them. So for example, a family doing weekly shop should be not allowed buy alcohol and so on

the other issue I see with the OP is that the person with the OP was not a minor. While it is shop policy to sell only to 21 or whatever, that is not the law when it comes to "underage". So it should only be in the case of people under 18 that this "delivering to underage" should apply - Aldi have no right to refuse to sell someone alcohol on the basis they might give it to someone else over 18

wmpdd3

taken to an extreme, an adult should not be sold alcohol if they have underage people with them. So for example, a family doing weekly shop should be not allowed buy alcohol and so on

If they are the legal guardians of the under age persons with them then they dont need ID for them, just for themselves.

The day will come whenever person buying alcohol will need ID. Even with these measures, kids are still getting their drink. I would like to see ID necessary for entry to pubs and for sales in off licences.

wmpdd3

taken to an extreme, an adult should not be sold alcohol if they have underage people with them. So for example, a family doing weekly shop should be not allowed buy alcohol and so on

If they are the legal guardians of the under age persons with them then they dont need ID for them, just for themselves.

The day will come whenever person buying alcohol will need ID. Even with these measures, kids are still getting their drink. I would like to see ID necessary for entry to pubs and for sales in off licences.

foggy_lad

wmpdd3 wrote: »

If they are the legal guardians of the under age persons with them then they dont need ID for them, just for themselves.

The day will come whenever person buying alcohol will need ID. Even with these measures, kids are still getting their drink. I would like to see ID necessary for entry to pubs and for sales in off licences.

so the kids dont need id but the parents will need proof that they are the legal guardians before they will be served.

bigbudda

keithclancy wrote: »

It would be better in this case if they asked everyone for ID rather than it being on the basis of what the person at the till thinks is the age of the person.

Its not being asked for ID that's the problem, its that its not a uniform experience across the board.



I do not carry my passport around with me as it is a valuable document and is supposed to be used to cross borders, not for inspection by a shop.

My Driving license is a driving license.

Ireland needs a National Identity card which can be used for Identification in your own country and other countries within the European Union.

It should not be a case of, "should I bring my passport with me to Tescos"

You either have to bring it or you don't, i.e. ask everyone for ID and not do it on the basis of whether you have grey hair and a few wrinkles.

The Garda Age Card costs about ten quid, fits in the wallet easy and is accepted by all retailers. In fact some only take the Age Card, I think Lidl or Dunnes is one them.

witnessmenow

GerardKeating wrote: »

My mother was refused Alchol in Florida once, because she did not have ID, she was in her early seventies at the time.

Wasn't as bad as this, but I was in Massachusetts with my Dad and my brother a good while back (I was about 12, my brother was 15, Dad about 35) we went out for dinner and he ordered a bottle of bud and was Ideed (how do you spell that!?)

EDIT: Actually also, in Canada I walked into a shop with my brother and he went up to the counter to buy a six pack (I was looking at something else in the shop, and the shop keeper insisted that I went up to be Ideed as well. I was 18 at the time (which was the legal age in Alberta) but the shopkeeper could tell my age from my ID. All their Ids state the date they turn 18 as well as the DOB so no maths involved. spent 5 minutes convincing this person I was 18 (she though i was 17) even though I had no interest in buying the beer.

keithclancy

bigbudda wrote: »

The Garda Age Card costs about ten quid, fits in the wallet easy and is accepted by all retailers. In fact some only take the Age Card, I think Lidl or Dunnes is one them.

You need an Irish Address to get it .. useless for me.

mtjm

The age card is €10, I decided to buy a new one as old one is over 12 years old, I an odd time get asked for ID, I'm 38 I carry it 99% of the time, I don't mind at all don't know why people moan some much just thankfully your not in america otherwise you'd probabley be banned from the shop by kicking up a fuss

keithclancy

mtjm wrote: »

The age card is €10, I decided to buy a new one as old one is over 12 years old, I an odd time get asked for ID, I'm 38 I carry it 99% of the time, I don't mind at all don't know why people moan some much just thankfully your not in america otherwise you'd probabley be banned from the shop by kicking up a fuss

Well for one, people without an Irish Address cannot get one, so I'm supposed to carry my Irish passport with me every time I go to visit Ireland ?

People that are not from Ireland and live in Ireland think its absolutely crazy that you have to buy a card for ten euros just to prove your age to purchase alcohol, which you may or may not need depending on the mood of the person behind the till when they already have an identification card that you can use as official identification for the Police/Government/Customs/Border Control throughout the European Union.

Age card is a Joke.

daRobot

Mikaela Defeated Wristwatch wrote: »

Well they should have. And if you PM me the locations I will personally raise the issue with them!

Keep fighting the good fight....

wmpdd3

keithclancy wrote: »

Well for one, people without an Irish Address cannot get one, so I'm supposed to carry my Irish passport with me every time I go to visit Ireland ?

People that are not from Ireland and live in Ireland think its absolutely crazy that you have to buy a card for ten euros just to prove your age to purchase alcohol, which you may or may not need depending on the mood of the person behind the till when they already have an identification card that you can use as official identification for the Police/Government/Customs/Border Control throughout the European Union.

Age card is a Joke.

Any ID card should do in my opinion. But we have examples of over 50 different cards in the office and every time we get a new one we have to delay you while we check the card's security features. Asking for an age card just keeps the queues shorter.

which you may or may not need depending on the mood of the person behind the till

Much easier to just ask everyone buying alcohol for ID, because your attitude is quite possibly widely held.

DarkJager

Stopped shopping in Aldi for this very reason, some pimply young fella asking me for ID when I look old enough to be his father. Ridiculous lack of common sense in their shops.