Tesco alcohol policy
Picture the scene: a group of three people go to Tesco in York on Saturday morning and buy, amongst other things, three bottles of wine. At the checkout – one of those do-it-yourself ones – the wine brings up the message that its sale needs authorising. Fair enough. Up comes this jaqui, and she says she’s going to have to ask how old each person is. They tell her; the youngest is mid-twenties, the oldest mid-thirties.
“Have you got any ID?” asks this jaqui.
No-one does. Only university cards, which are neither use nor ornament when it comes to buying alcohol from Tesco.
“It’s Tesco’s new policy,” she said, when questioned about why someone in their thirties is asked for ID. “If you look under 30, we have to ask for ID.”
“Where does it say that?” asks one of the group.
“There,” said the jaqui, pointing to a sign hidden round the corner from the check-out screen.
“But you’re wearing an if-you-look-under-21 badge,” said another group member.
“Oh,” says the jaqui. “The policy doesn’t start until next week,” she continues. “But we’re doing it this week.”
There was much mind-boggling at this point.
The group ask for the manager. A supervisor comes along. Same story.
“We can’t authorise the sale until you show us some ID.”
Eventually, the staff members are persuaded that all members of said group wouldn’t be holding university cards if they weren’t over 18, and the wine was purchased.
I’m going to start shopping at Asda. I’m not taking my passport to Tesco every time I want to buy some booze!
categories: Food and Drink, History and Current Affairs, Life and Stuff
tags: buying things, rants
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Don’t bother taking your passport either, tried to buy a bottle of wine today and they wouldn’t even accept that! Apparently I don’t look enough like my own photo!
1 said Disgruntled 18 year old (18th February 2008 at 6.11 pm GMT)
Hi, thanks for your comment! It’s ridiculous! (Tesco, not your comment!)
2 said Pandammonium (18th February 2008 at 11.40 pm GMT)
Quite right too! Fecking hate Tesco!
(Love the use of the word “jaqui”, presumably meaning a female Jackie?”
)
3 said FTM (21st February 2008 at 5.44 pm GMT)
You are correct in your presuming.
4 said Pandammonium (22nd February 2008 at 7.08 pm GMT)
They don’t even accept a EU national ID card!! It’s crazy, nobody has a passport in Europe, except British and Irish.
5 said Alberta (5th March 2008 at 10.50 am GMT)
Ah, such a thing won’t be on their list – we don’t have such things (yet)
6 said Pandammonium (5th March 2008 at 4.22 pm GMT)
I’m 30, girlfriend’s 30. Girlfriend buys wine and gets ID. She presents ID and is acknowledged as being old enough to buy the 6 bottles of wine. Then I get asked for ID because I’m standing next to her? Neither of us is served because I was not carrying my wallet with drivers licence. Apparently it’s the law? Not that I can see.
7 said Simon (8th April 2008 at 1.22 pm GMT)
As far I know, it’s not the law. It’s just Tesco being paranoid. Perhaps it’s to do with the three strikes and you’re out thing that They were thinking about introducing.
8 said Pandammonium (18th April 2008 at 12.43 pm GMT)