ID'd for non-alcoholic drink?

Tea-a-Maria

Hi all,had an interesting situation came up yesterday,and I thought I'd get a few legal views on it.

I was in a supermarket yesterday and brought a bottle of grenadine up to the till.Grenadine is a non-alcoholic syrup which is used in cocktails and the like.I should mention that I picked it up in the drinks aisle.The cashier looked at the bottle,then asked me for ID.Since I had it on me and didn't want to cause a fuss,I duly obliged.

I wonder though,if I had pointed out that the drink was non-alcoholic and refused to provide ID,could she have refused to sell it to me?

daltonmd

Tea-a-Maria wrote: »

Hi all,had an interesting situation came up yesterday,and I thought I'd get a few legal views on it.

I was in a supermarket yesterday and brought a bottle of grenadine up to the till.Grenadine is a non-alcoholic syrup which is used in cocktails and the like.I should mention that I picked it up in the drinks aisle.The cashier looked at the bottle,then asked me for ID.Since I had it on me and didn't want to cause a fuss,I duly obliged.

I wonder though,if I had pointed out that the drink was non-alcoholic and refused to provide ID,could she have refused to sell it to me?

Yes I think she could have, if you were under age. There was a case regarding Lidl a couple of years ago where they were found to be in breach of (from the website) the:

"MEAS Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks because it could encourage “irresponsible or immoderate consumption” and “have a particular appeal to under 18’s”.

It pertained to a cocktail shaker.
In your case grenadine is an ingredient that is associated with alcohol cocktails.

frag420

daltonmd wrote: »

Yes I think she could have, if you were under age. There was a case regarding Lidl a couple of years ago where they were found to be in breach of (from the website) the:

"MEAS Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks because it could encourage “irresponsible or immoderate consumption” and “have a particular appeal to under 18’s”.

It pertained to a cocktail shaker.
In your case grenadine is an ingredient that is associated with alcohol cocktails.

So are lemons, orange juice, sugar, cranberrie juice, olives etc etc etc................

daltonmd

frag420 wrote: »

So are lemons, orange juice, sugar, cranberrie juice, olives etc etc etc................

Which are not sold in the off licence. Anyway, check out the MEAS website.

frag420

OP was in a supermarket................

coylemj

As long as they don't discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, membership of the travelling community etc., they can implement any policy they choose.

If they decided tomorrow to refuse to sell bananas to people with ginger hair, there's nothing you can do about it.

kkumk

I was once refused plastic cups in an off licence because I didn't have ID... was weird...

daltonmd

frag420 wrote: »

OP was in a supermarket................

The OP - " picked it up in the drinks aisle". As I said there are certain "rules" that retailers have, it could easily have been down to the person on the till not realising it was non alcohlic, but because it was in the drinks isle she probably assumed it was.

I know shop keepers who won't sell matches or lighters to minors - it's not against the law but they see them as "tobacco" products.

Personally I'd rather see overcarding done than not done.

MrsMcSteamy

In relation to the matches and lighters, I work in a retail outlet and any information material we get relating to sale of cigs to minors, all state that tobacco related products, eg skins, filter tips, matches and lighters must not be sold to minors.

daltonmd

MrsMcSteamy wrote: »

In relation to the matches and lighters, I work in a retail outlet and any information material we get relating to sale of cigs to minors, all state that tobacco related products, eg skins, filter tips, matches and lighters must not be sold to minors.

That is the retailers policy - but believe it or not matches and lighters are not covered under the act.

"1 A ‘tobacco product’ means any product consisting, in whole or in part, of tobacco, that is intended to be smoked, and any cigarette paper, tube or filter manufactured for use in smoking of tobacco. (Public Health (Tobacco) Act, 2002 as amended)."

For reasons which I can't go into I discovered this. While responsible retailers include them in their guidlelines, it is not an actual offence. What is against the law is to sell "novelty lighters", lighters that are attractive to children and lighters that are not child friendly (it is illegal to sell these to anyone)- but the sale of a lighter/matches to a minor is not an offence.

Del2005

daltonmd wrote: »

The OP - " picked it up in the drinks aisle". As I said there are certain "rules" that retailers have, it could easily have been down to the person on the till not realising it was non alcohlic, but because it was in the drinks isle she probably assumed it was.

It could also be how the item is entered into the system. Since it's part of the "off licence" section who ever entered it into the shops scanning system may have added a check for ID to it. Usually when buying alcohol in supermarkets there's a different noise for booze as opposed to other items, the till operator then has to either enter the age from ID or select person looks over 35(this is in Lidl)

On a slightly related note I was in a supermarket in the UK and they had eggs on a similar check system, the till operator had to inspect each box to make sure none where cracked before they could scan the next item.

daltonmd

Del2005 wrote: »

It could also be how the item is entered into the system. Since it's part of the "off licence" section who ever entered it into the shops scanning system may have added a check for ID to it. Usually when buying alcohol in supermarkets there's a different noise for booze as opposed to other items, the till operator then has to either enter the age from ID or select person looks over 35(this is in Lidl)

On a slightly related note I was in a supermarket in the UK and they had eggs on a similar check system, the till operator had to inspect each box to make sure none where cracked before they could scan the next item.

Never noticed that!! That makes perfect sense.
I recall a story, it was either Lidl/ALdi where they have/had a policy that they do not serve uniformed customers such as Bus Drivers, Gardai - I don't know if they still have it.

JimsAlterEgo

most supermarkets wont see non alcholic beer outside licensed hours (and I mean the 0%ones not the ones with 0.5%), while they will see the shandys from the soft drinks aisle that have minimal alcohol in them

The_Minister

I had the Tesco machine go off when I tried to buy a spoon.

JimsAlterEgo

The_Minister wrote: »

I had the Tesco machine go off when I tried to buy a spoon.

maybe it was one of the sharp ones

The_Minister

JimsAlterEgo wrote: »

maybe it was one of the sharp ones

I assumed it was for heroin, but I could be wrong.

fasttalkerchat

daltonmd wrote: »

Never noticed that!! That makes perfect sense.
I recall a story, it was either Lidl/ALdi where they have/had a policy that they do not serve uniformed customers such as Bus Drivers, Gardai - I don't know if they still have it.

Yes that policy still exists. It is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone in certain uniforms. Police, army, fire, paramedics. In addition LIDL policy is not to serve anyone in school uniforms. While they may be 18 it looks bad for the company.

fasttalkerchat

The_Minister wrote: »

I assumed it was for heroin, but I could be wrong.

That comes up for knives. The spoon probably was under the same category as sharp knives.

fasttalkerchat

To answer the OPs question. The cashier was probably unsure if it had alcohol or not and ID'd you to be safe.

paraletic

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Yes that policy still exists. It is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone in certain uniforms. Police, army, fire, paramedics.

I have never heard that you can get refused alcohol in uniform! Is that a lidl policy or is it a law?
I Find it hard to believe its illegal, but I guess you must have seen it written somewhere.

Edit: I don't think many people would buy alcohol in uniform without throwing a jacket or top over their shirt.

jawn

The cashier probably would have sold it to you regardless. I guess we'll never know.........

The "refusing to sell" question is moot as they can in theory refuse to sell you anything. Basic offer and acceptance (and of course invitation to treat).