Comments on: Refused booze for being Australian

By: Megane

Megane — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:55:00 +0000

Re: Refused ID because of where you are from.

I also went to my local Waitrose to pourchase cigarettes. On the first occasion, I was asked for my ID which I happily gave ( I have a valid EU photographic ID as I am a French national). The manager was asked to check it at the till and asked my to confirm my age (25!) as I do not have a French accent and did not believe I was French (after 4 years in England the accent wears off). Happy with the details provided, I paid and went out.

Second time, in the same Waitrose, I was again asked for my ID which I provided. I was told that they do not accept this kind of ID as company’s policy. I was of course surprised as it is the same ID used before and accepted in all the other shops, nightclubs, banks, airports, insurance company etc.

Waitrose refused to serve me and advised that I should have a UK driver’s licence or UK ID – which not being a UK citizen is irrelevant. Waitrose then advised me to fill in a leaflet about getting a UK citizen card and come back once I had done this.

I was most annoyed by this situation as I felt like a criminal especially with a queue of customers behind me. I do not wish this situation on anybody else !

By: Raquel

Raquel — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:54:27 +0000

Hi! I totally understand you as I was refused a can of beer at Waitrose last week, I have been living in the UK for one year and being a member of the EU I do not need to have one issued. I do not take any offence being asked my ID ( I am 28 years old) , but the question is if my ID is accepted to get into the UK and also in other supermarkets, why not at Waitrose? I found it a little bit discriminatory and I am not qoing to buy at a place where they have such policies.

By: DEE

DEE — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 09:55:17 +0000

No, our local branch of waitrose has under 21 at their til point. Last night a customer infront of me was challenged re the challenge 25 rule, I had not heard of this.He was 28 , had no Id on him, but it said at the til under 21 would be asked for ID. The manager was saying it was the challenge 25 rule. Well for customers sake and for staff could waitrose sort this out so the info at the til does actually match your policy. This may help everyone.

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:33:50 +0000

The funny thing about the defence “How are we supposed to know the driver’s licence of every country?” is that how are they supposed to know what passports of each country look like… Simply ridiculous.

By: Taryn

Taryn — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:16:04 +0000

I would just like to say, they might have told you that you would need to present your passport as proof of age…Only I just got home from attempting to buy a bottle of wine. I am 26 years old and South African, I was just told that Waitrose do not accept FOREIGN passports as proof of age, which I find utterly ridiculous, so no foreign people can buy alcohol from Waitrose? Not only that, but the woman who served me had a massive change in demeanour once realising I was foreign, which I did not appreciate. Waitrose training their staff to be xenophobic? Looks that way to me.

Taryn

By: Derek

Derek — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:36:39 +0000

If one goes to Australia. They will not let you into a club/pub or allow you to buy booze unless you have an 18+ card, Australian drivers license or passport.

It works the same way in Australia so stop complaining when it works like that here too!

By: Anon

Anon — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:32:29 +0000

I’m Australian as well 27 years old living in the UK and get asked for ID all the time, yes it is a pain to be asked for such crucial documentation but they must ask as the fines towards the retailer are large if their Cashiers get it wrong.

There is a sign at Waitrose above the till if you didn’t read it though it says anyone who looks under the age of 25 may be asked for ID. They do warn their customers, cannot fault them on that.

By: Meg

Meg — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:59:30 +0000

It is not just the grumpy brits, when I was in Australia several bottle shops and cigarette counters in supermarkets refused to sell alcohol or cigarettes as my British Drivers licence was not acceptable. Passport or no service works both ways.

By: PDFG

PDFG — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:00:58 +0000

Actually the government ‘THINK 21′ campaign designed to protect the retailer and consumer doesn’t include any Driving License as an approved piece of ID be that UK or otherwide. A passport, birth certificate or card showing the ‘PASS’ logo are the only forms acceptable. You can’t blame the retailer as if you get it wrong both the cashier and the company can be fined and the cashier would probably face disciplinary or even dismissal.
If you are lucky enough to not look 18, then surely it must be your responsibility to provide the correct ID and not assume that someone else will carry the can for you.

By: frankiesoup

frankiesoup — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:29:02 +0000

I promise, it isn’t just because you’re Australian.

I am British through and through, 24 years old and married. I have a UK driving licence and passport and habitually carry both (I lived in Denmark for two years where you can be fined as a foreigner for not producing your passport on request). Last time I was at Tesco I was asked for ID so I handed my passport over. On looking at it for a moment the woman behind the till announced that it was “no good” because it didn’t specify the century in which I’d been born. That the passport said ‘June 85′ wasn’t enough for her. She wanted it to say ’1985′. I pointed out that were I born in 1885, I’d be more than old enough to buy the miniature bottle of whiskey I needed for my pasta dish, and that had I been born in 2085, I would need to have come in a Tardis. Laughing still – because I try to have a sense of humour about these things, and have worked behind the counter selling alcohol before – I told her that I hadn’t come in my time-travelling phone box but had taken the car instead and handed over my driving licence.

She called the manager, saying that I was being unreasonably and ‘objectionable’. I pointed out that whether she accepted the passport or not, that the driving licence should be sufficient. I also said, in the calmest voice that I could muster, that I understood where she was coming from and that having been in the unpleasant position of having to ask for ID before, was just trying to make light of the situation.

I’m now banned from that branch of Tesco. Just as well I now live next door to a farm shop then