Tesco alcohol policy

El Guapo!

What's the deal with Tesco and their alcohol policy?!
I fancied a few bottles of Tiger beer out the back garden in the sun so I drove to tesco to get some a few minutes ago.
I got a little bit of shopping while I was there and the woman behind the counter scanned it all in and then asked me for I.D for the drink. I haven't been asked for I.D in a long time and said that I had none on me. She then said, "Well, our policy is age 25!" I said "Ok that's grand 'cause I'm 26". She wasn't too pleased and still insisted on I.D.
I ran to the car to get my licence but I hadn't got it. Ran back in and explained that I forgot it but she wouldn't give me the bottles.
Now, its no big deal because its Tescos loss and I just went around the corner and gave my money to Molloys instead. But what's the story with that policy?! It's ridiculous. I'd understand if I looked young but I don't. The legal age for drinking is 18. I clearly don't look 17. I haven't looked 17 since I was 12.







In before "cool story bro".

Steve O

UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Tiger beer?

Peasant!

Duff

Lidl is worse. They'd ask Gandalf for I.D in there.

Dave0301

Similar thing happened to me in a Sainsbury in England. In after work one day, buying a few bits for dinner and 4 bottles of beer. No I.D. so no beer, I wouldn't mind but I was wearing a full suit and doing food shopping!

I guess that's all the rage amongst those unruly youngsters these days.

ameee

Im 27 and still get asked for id. I don't think its over 25 just if they think you look under 25 they have to ask for id. Its not a big deal and probably not worth them losing there job over to trust what you are saying just bring id next time most people would always have id don them

belcampprisoner

they shut down one dunnes for a week for selling underage alcohol,


http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/dunnes-sold-alcohol-to-underage-girl-in-sting-operation-29074954.html

IM0

its very simple really, dont buy beer in tescos

errlloyd

That is not the worst part about Tesco's alcohol policy. If you are with anyone underage or without ID they won't serve you. I went in with my brother a couple of weeks, he is 25 I am 21. I had no ID, so they wouldn't let him buy booze.

They said it was store policy for all customers regardless, I was like "Do you stop parents from buying alcohol when they're with their kids".

somefeen

Was in buying a few beers with the girlfriend the other day. I was buying it and she was just waiting. Wouldn't serve me because herself didn't have ID.
The **** is that about?

errlloyd

belcampprisoner wrote: »

they shut down one dunnes for a week for selling underage alcohol,


http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/dunnes-sold-alcohol-to-underage-girl-in-sting-operation-29074954.html

How is the 15 year old girl quoted at the top of the article turning 17 next month?

IM0

errlloyd wrote: »

They said it was store policy for all customers regardless, I was like "Do you stop parents from buying alcohol when they're with their kids".

what was the answer?

garv123

Could have made a fuss and asked for manager if you wanted to Im sure you would have gotten it..
They also don't accept drivers licences..Passport and age card only.

MiseryMary

El Guapo! wrote: »

What's the deal with Tesco and their alcohol policy?!
I fancied a few bottles of Tiger beer out the back garden in the sun so I drove to tesco to get some a few minutes ago.
I got a little bit of shopping while I was there and the woman behind the counter scanned it all in and then asked me for I.D for the drink. I haven't been asked for I.D in a long time and said that I had none on me. She then said, "Well, our policy is age 25!" I said "Ok that's grand 'cause I'm 26". She wasn't too pleased and still insisted on I.D.
I ran to the car to get my licence but I hadn't got it. Ran back in and explained that I forgot it but she wouldn't give me the bottles.
Now, its no big deal because its Tescos loss and I just went around the corner and gave my money to Molloys instead. But what's the story with that policy?! It's ridiculous. I'd understand if I looked young but I don't. The legal age for drinking is 18. I clearly don't look 17. I haven't looked 17 since I was 12.







In before "cool story bro".

I know If you look 25 or under they will ask for ID regardless of anything if you haven't got ID on you( Guards ID ,Driving license, European Card) they will not sell it end of, their very strict with the rules over the stupid police sending in spies and they get fined BIG for it if caught. Its the same in pubs they can't sell drink to underage person.

bennyl10

errlloyd wrote: »

That is not the worst part about Tesco's alcohol policy. If you are with anyone underage or without ID they won't serve you. I went in with my brother a couple of weeks, he is 25 I am 21. I had no ID, so they wouldn't let him buy booze.

They said it was store policy for all customers regardless, I was like "Do you stop parents from buying alcohol when they're with their kids".

Yup was with my Brother(who's 6 might I add) I'm 19, had my ID, and they refused to serve me as I was with my brother..
I was livid..
Also the policy in Ireland is only the person actually making the purchase can be ID'd

ResearchWill

errlloyd wrote: »

How is the 15 year old girl quoted at the top of the article turning 17 next month?

Would take about a year or more for the case to be heard. So 15 at time of offence almost 17 at time of conviction.

errlloyd

IM0 wrote: »

what was the answer?

Classic "It's not our policy sir, we just enforce it, if you have a problem you have to take it up with head office"


I actually had a similar problem in a particular (and very well known) South Dublin pub a few years ago. Myself and some mates from the North went in for a pint. The barman told us we needed Garda ID. The lads from the North only had passports. He said he couldn't serve any of us unless we all had it.

The most annoying thing was it was the night before we started our exam study, and we just wanted a quiet pint to relax and take our minds off it. We weren't going to be loud or anything.

I was tempted to stand at the bar and watch him Garda ID every person who came in, but just decided to bring my business elsewhere.

My family would go there a lot, but I refuse now.

Tesco send in people to test the checkout staff, as do the police. The consequences are huge if they fail and yes, their job is more important than your custom. Those are the rules, if you don't like them then go somewhere else. The Check 25 policy is there to protect the staff (as telling peoples ages is hard) and protect under 18's from themselves.

ResearchWill

errlloyd wrote: »

Classic "It's not our policy sir, we just enforce it, if you have a problem you have to take it up with head office"


I actually had a similar problem in a particular (and very well known) South Dublin pub a few years ago. Myself and some mates from the North went in for a pint. The barman told us we needed Garda ID. The lads from the North only had passports. He said he couldn't serve any of us unless we all had it.

The most annoying thing was it was the night before we started our exam study, and we just wanted a quiet pint to relax and take our minds off it. We weren't going to be loud or anything.

I was tempted to stand at the bar and watch him Garda ID every person who came in, but just decided to bring my business elsewhere.

My family would go there a lot, but I refuse now.

Legally the only ID that can protect a publican from prosecution is Garda ID. So a publican is correct to refuse unless such ID is produced.

Mint Sauce

garv123 wrote: »

Could have made a fuss and asked for manager if you wanted to Im sure you would have gotten it..
They also don't accept drivers licences..Passport and age card only.

Who carries their passport everywhere considering the value of it, and who over the age of 20-21 applies for an age card.

I know the drivers licence can be easily faked, hopefully the new credit card style one will be widely accepted once more people have one.

errlloyd

ResearchWill wrote: »

Legally the only ID that can protect a publican from prosecution is Garda ID. So a publican is correct to refuse unless such ID is produced.

I don't dispute the law at all.

I only dispute the inconsistency with how it is applied.

Grayson

I got asked for ID two years ago. I wouldn't mind but I'm bald. When I let it grow I have grey fuzz there. And I'm in my mid-thirties.

(Actually to be honest I was a little bit flattered)

belcampprisoner

belcampprisoner wrote: »

they shut down one dunnes for a week for selling underage alcohol,


http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/dunnes-sold-alcohol-to-underage-girl-in-sting-operation-29074954.html

It's a pain in the ass getting asked for Id but shops simply cannot afford to take the risk. Also the person on the till can be prosecuted. She was probably fired immediately as well. There was only a €1500 fine but that is minuscule compared to a few days lost sales.
We get people whingeing all the time when a group comes in and one of them doesn't have id, as a result none of them get served. Cue tantrums etc. Most shops would rather lose your business than risk getting prosecuted and closed.

Hank Scorpio

They've been at this for ages, I remember 8 years ago or so the only form of ID they'd accept was a national age card, not even a passport

jaffacakesyum

Jesus Christ...if you're buying alcohol, bring ID, it's pretty simple. They even have a handy thing called an Age Card now which you can keep in your wallet.

I very rarely get asked for ID either and have been caught out once or twice but wouldn't get annoyed about it because it's my own fault for not having ID on me at the time.

El Guapo!

The most annoying thing about it was this particular checkout lady has sold me alcohol on at least 20 different occasions and there was no bother those times.
As I said, it didn't bother me too much as I just spent my money elsewhere but it was just a pain in the hole having to make another stop on the way home.

El Guapo!

jaffacakesyum wrote: »

Jesus Christ...if you're buying alcohol, bring ID, it's pretty simple. They even have a handy thing called an Age Card now which you can keep in your wallet.

And up until what age should someone be expected to carry around I.D? 30? 40? 76?!
And why should I, who's 26, be expected to apply for and pay for an age card?

It's common sense. If someone looks 17, then ask them for I.D.
Don't make up some random age like 25 just because your idiot inbred staff can't tell if someone is clearly over the age of 18.
Ill gladly give my money to another place that uses a bit of common sense instead.

orestes

I got hit for ID buying beer a couple of years ago on Halloween while dressed up and wearing facepaint.

"What age are you? You have to be 18 to buy alcohol."

"I'm 26."

"Do you have ID? I can't really tell how old you are with all that stuff on."

"Sure, but if you can't even tell what age I look how do you plan on being able to tell if it's even my ID?"

"What?"

"Never mind. Here ya go"

*Looks at ID. Looks at me. Looks at ID. Looks at me.*

"Erm.........."

"You didn't think this through the whole way, did you?"

NuckingFacker

There's an element of "computer says No" to this as well. Depending on the humour of the bint person on the checkout you may or may not get asked for ID. If they're feeling snotty, ID it is. If they just got the ride and dinner was nice, away you go. Same goes for Barmen/women etc.

Corruptedmorals

They do go overboard but for good reason- the fine isn't really the issue, it's the huge loss of money when the shop shuts for a few days and the hassle of reapplying for a license. They put the age well over the legal age as a safety net, because people often do look younger than they are. And finally, the store enforces the policy quite simply- you sell alcohol underage as a cashier, and you're fired. Immediately. It's in the contract. You think badgering a sales assistant is going to make her risk her job? That is why they don't back down. Oh, and they'll probably have to retrain all of their staff on the alcohol policies.

shruikan2553

I'm 20 and only get asked for ID for nightclubs, lidl and tesco. Tesco wont take drivers licence or student ID so never buy from them. Went around 3 shops trying to gather stuff for a party and not one asked me for ID. I have a beard so maybe that helps.

numnumcake

Was in Tesco a few months back buying some groceries and a bottle of wine to have with a meal that night. I went to the self service checkout and the assistant came over to ask me for ID. I had my passport on me but it was a month out of date, I didn't think it would matter but she refused to serve me. I asked to see the manager but he came out with all that's our policy BS. I got an age card after that so it wouldn't happen again.

I'm only 19 so I carry it with me always but I can understand how it annoying it is if your 26 because your not going to even think to bring ID with you.

jaffacakesyum

El Guapo! wrote: »

And up until what age should someone be expected to carry around I.D? 30? 40? 76?!
And why should I, who's 26, be expected to apply for and pay for an age card?

It's common sense. If someone looks 17, then ask them for I.D.
Don't make up some random age like 25 just because your idiot inbred staff can't tell if someone is clearly over the age of 18.
Ill gladly give my money to another place that uses a bit of common sense instead.

Fine, do. It's not my perogative. I just think it's stupid complaining about it - there's a policy in Tesco: If you look under 25, you will be asked to show ID. You're 26, not 60. The person at the till doesn't make up the rules so why are you complaining that somebody is just doing their job?

Maybe there's other policies in other places where you will only be asked if you look under 18 or 21 or whatever.

rxan90

Something like this happened to me in Aldi in Blessington. Went in with my 17 year old brother (I am 22), to try and buy two bottles of wine for my mam and her friend that evening and some other small things. The guy at the till refuses to serve me as my brother is with me and he doesn't have ID. I try to argue with him, what does it matter if he is with me, *I* am the one who is buying the drink, not him, but he wouldn't budge. So eventually I am so angry I just give up and say "Fine never mind", told them to keep everything and walked out. Then I had to bring in my 50 year old mother to buy what she wanted. Absolutely ridiculous attitude to have.

LOI Stats

It is an inconvenience when you are caught without ID.

It is far more than an inconvenience to an employee who is being tested by their employer to see if they are following company policy or not. It is even more serious to be caught by the guards selling to someone they have sent in themselves.

Once you hit a certain age, the age of younger people becomes harder and harder to guess, women especially, but it still applies to both. When I was first year in college, some people asked me if I was in final year or doing a masters. Around the same time, I was asked if I had done my Junior Cert yet.

I have no experience of it myself, but the guards could well pick someone that looks considerably older than what they are, which is fair enough to be honest. If they're not 18, they're not 18.

Feathers

Deleted User wrote: »

We get people whingeing all the time when a group comes in and one of them doesn't have id, as a result none of them get served. Cue tantrums etc. Most shops would rather lose your business than risk getting prosecuted and closed.

The shop can't get prosectued for it though because you don't sell alcohol to a group, you sell it to an individual — either the person buying it has ID or they don't, who they're with doesn't come into it legally.

P_1

Yeah I've never got the logic behind refusing someone the sale of alcohol just because someone who they are talking to doesn't have ID

rxan90

What the shop assistant said to me in my case (he also was the deputy manager or something) that he thought me and my brother were friends, not related and that he thought I was buying it for him ... again, if he applies this logic to my case, what's to stop him doing the same thing to anyone with anyone underage alongside them eg parents and small kids etc

El Guapo!

jaffacakesyum wrote: »

Fine, do. It's not my perogative. I just think it's stupid complaining about it - there's a policy in Tesco: If you look under 25, you will be asked to show ID. You're 26, not 60. The person at the till doesn't make up the rules so why are you complaining that somebody is just doing their job?

Maybe there's other policies in other places where you will only be asked if you look under 18 or 21 or whatever.

I've no problem with a shop covering their own arses and being extra careful, but it becomes a joke when I walk in getting some shopping and 6 bottles and sporting a beard and I get asked for I.D.
I wouldn't mind if I looked young but I really don't look 17!
Whatever about store policy, but you have to admit, a bit of common sense wouldn't go astray.

Feathers

rxan90 wrote: »

Then I had to bring in my 50 year old mother to buy what she wanted. Absolutely ridiculous attitude to have.

You should've brought in your 17 year old brother too & ask them why they're then letting your mam buy drink.

Not really sure why shops are so insistent on Age Cards though, it's not like the Gardaí are allowed to get kids produce fake ID. I remember reading something awhile ago on police operations in the States, will try to dig out a link — IIRC, off-licences that didn't care about selling to minors would just ask customers if they had ID; as soon as they said yes, they'd serve them (whether they had it or not), as anyone working for the police had to walk away if asked for some,

Feathers

Feathers wrote: »

The shop can't get prosectued for it though because you don't sell alcohol to a group, you sell it to an individual — either the person buying it has ID or they don't, who they're with doesn't come into it legally.

Doesn't matter, this happened last week. A bunch of lads came in, one of them looked fairly young and had no id. He couldn't prove he was over 18, and the rest of the lads might have bought drink for him. Selling alcohol to someone you think might be buying drink for someone who might be underage is against store policy.
Like I said before the store would rather lose the business than risk selling to someone who might be underage. The person on the till is legally responsible. If you sell drink to a minor you will be immediately fired. The gards will prosecute you if they catch you selling to minors.

Feathers

Feathers wrote: »

Not really sure why shops are so insistent on Age Cards though,

They are obliged to accept them because its issued by the Gardai. Driving licences are no longer accepted because they are easily faked.
Passports and the Garda id are the only forms of id accepted where I work.

bennyl10

Deleted User wrote: »

Doesn't matter, this happened last week. A bunch of lads came in, one of them looked fairly young and had no id. He couldn't prove he was over 18, and the rest of the lads might have bought drink for him. Selling alcohol to someone you think might be buying drink for someone who might be underage is against store policy.
Like I said before the store would rather lose the business than risk selling to someone who might be underage. The person on the till is legally responsible. If you sell drink to a minor you will be immediately fired. The gards will prosecute you if they catch you selling to minors.

BUT THATS NOT THE LAW HERE!
the law here is the purson purchasing the alcohol can be ID'd and if Tesco ID an accompanying person they can be prosecuted for it. Tesco in Arthurs Quay in Limerick have had to issue apologies for it in the past.

You're not selling to a minor, and you're CCTV can prove this. You are not liable once you ID the person who gives the money

Galwayguy35

Some people seem to take it very personally when asked, there was a young fella in front of me one evening in the off license who was asked and he nearly went mad.

Now to me he looked about 20 but the cashier was only doing his job.

I've never heard of anyone over 30 being asked though.

thunderdog

Dave0301 wrote: »

Similar thing happened to me in a Sainsbury in England. In after work one day, buying a few bits for dinner and 4 bottles of beer. No I.D. so no beer, I wouldn't mind but I was wearing a full suit and doing food shopping!

I guess that's all the rage amongst those unruly youngsters these days.

The suit and buying food method has been tried and tested

Polka_Dot

Had an odd experience in a pub last night. A good few of us went up to the bar at the same time to order drinks. The barman went off to fetch them and only after he'd pulled the pints/taken the lid off bottles/etc did he ask us for ID. We're all 18/19 so we had it to hand and none of us had a problem being served, but I found it very strange! It wasn't that it just occurred to him after either as we sort of ordered 2 at a time.

Cody Pomeray

Deleted User wrote: »

Doesn't matter, this happened last week. A bunch of lads came in, one of them looked fairly young and had no id. He couldn't prove he was over 18, and the rest of the lads might have bought drink for him. Selling alcohol to someone you think might be buying drink for someone who might be underage is against store policy.
Like I said before the store would rather lose the business than risk selling to someone who might be underage. The person on the till is legally responsible. If you sell drink to a minor you will be immediately fired. The gards will prosecute you if they catch you selling to minors.

That's a pretty dumb policy if it's true.

A minor is legally entitled to consume alcohol if granted the permission of a parent or guardian. The law declares he just isn't entitled to purchase it.

Does the store quiz parents on this when they're filling their Christmas trollies?

What a strange thing for a shop to do, to take patriarchal moral decisions over an adult's purchases....

stefan idiot jones

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Some people seem to take it very personally when asked, there was a young fella in front of me one evening in the off license who was asked and he nearly went mad.

Now to me he looked about 20 but the cashier was only doing his job.

I've never heard of anyone over 30 being asked though.

I'm in my forties (and look it), and yes, never been asked.

Reventon93

irish-stew wrote: »

I know the drivers licence can be easily faked, hopefully the new credit card style one will be widely accepted once more people have one.

I used it successfully in super valu lately

bennyl10

bennyl10 wrote: »

BUT THATS NOT THE LAW HERE!

It's company policy, I'm not going to risk my job over it.

Son Of A Vidic

Steve O wrote: »

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Man with three testicles found in Tesco?