Post by mominatrix on Jul 28, 2014 17:47:30 GMT -5
At Walmart.
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Reader's Watchdog: Wal-Mart refuses to sell beer to dad shopping with daughter
Lee Rood, lrood@dmreg.com 8:03 a.m. CDT July 28, 2014
Jim Davis simply wanted to buy two six packs of Budweiser and some Smirnoff for his wife.
But when the 57-year-old from rural State Center reached the checkout counter at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Ames on July 13, with $80 in groceries and the alcohol, something odd happened. The clerk carded his 15-year-old daughter — not him.
Because the teen had no ID, the employee refused to sell to Davis.
It's part of Wal-Mart's recent efforts to experiment with new ways to thwart underage drinking, the store's customer service department told Davis in response to a complaint he made. The store has had a policy since 2003 requiring ID from all customers who appear under the age of 40.
"In order to ensure that alcoholic beverages and tobacco are not sold to minors, Walmart is testing point-of-sale age checks in some locations across the country," the customer service statement read. "By testing this, we hope to discover the best methods for ensuring that products are not sold illegally to minors. In addition, to comply with federal laws, stores may ask for the ID from individuals within a group other than the person making the purchase."
Davis said he was humiliated by the woman's actions and now will be shopping elsewhere. He isn't the only one complaining — consumers are expressing anger in online blogs at Wal-Mart's latest attempt at screening booze purchasers.
"If Walmart is so worried about underage drinking and smoking, why do they sell alcohol and tobacco to begin with?" Davis asked. "Are they going to do this with other potentially dangerous things they sell, like ammo?"
I called Wal-Mart's media department to ask why the company doesn't just stop selling alcohol and whether the chain is doing the same sort of checking with other products. Two spokespeople promised to answer my questions, then did not respond for two weeks or return subsequent messages.
Davis said he later got out his checkbook and realized he and his wife had spent $3,000 at that Supercenter so far this year.
"They just lost that much and, who knows, maybe others will do the same," he said.
Maybe I've been living too long with state-run liquor, but I can't muster even an iota of outrage over this. I also can't help but wonder if this would be newsworthy if the retailer were any other than Wal-Mart.
Post by maybebabiesrus on Jul 28, 2014 17:56:08 GMT -5
This happened to DH and I at a regional grocery store on vacation. He was buying chips and snacks for a get together with friends and picked up a 6 pack of beer and me a Coke.
I was in the RR and saw him in line but planned to go out to car until he called me over to ask if I thought we needed anything else. He was carded first, then I was a carded, but because my ID had expired while I was on vacation, she refused to sell us the beer. This, despite the fact that I was 32 when my ID expired. I had the temporary ID thing on my phone (not printed), but she still refused.
All this means is if you are buying booze for minors to have them loiter outside. This is stupid. And Irish, your experience in MA is stupid too. I kinda understand if you are at a bar and ordering two beers that the bartender would want to see two IDs. But seriously, this is pointless, ineffectual and alienating.
Post by shopgirl07 on Jul 28, 2014 17:58:41 GMT -5
Yeah, this is the norm. When my son was a teenager and we went to Trader Joe's, I always had him leave the store before I checked out if I was buying wine.
Considering that alcohol is one of the highest margin items in a grocery store, you would think that they would *not* want to alienate their customers by doing this. If that happened to me, it would be the last time I would even attempt to purchase anything alcoholic at that store.
Post by maybebabiesrus on Jul 28, 2014 18:01:10 GMT -5
And how old does your kid (or wife/husband) have to look to be considered an under-aged drinking threat? If you buy a bottle of wine with other groceries and 3-year old, are you going to be stopped? 8-year old? 12-year old?
This doesn't sound smart. This doesn't stop someone from buying alcohol without the youths and then walking it outside/around the corner/to their car/house and handing it off. Kids are very resourceful.
Maybe I've been living too long with state-run liquor, but I can't muster even an iota of outrage over this. I also can't help but wonder if this would be newsworthy if the retailer were any other than Wal-Mart.
Ha! I was about to say something similar happened to me last week at Freddie's. The cashier said, "I'm not supposed to, but I'll let it go this time."
So I called the OLCC to check because i don't want to happen again. The guy was very confused. "No....why would that be a rule?" When the OLCC doesn't think a rule makes sense, you know you're in trouble.
What gets me is when they card people who are obviously not under 21. I can understand if you look borderline, but my grandpa used to get carded and while he looked good for 80, he definitely did not look like he was 20.
And how old does your kid (or wife/husband) have to look to be considered an under-aged drinking threat? If you buy a bottle of wine with other groceries and 3-year old, are you going to be stopped? 8-year old? 12-year old?
This is where I am. I mean WalMart's main demographic IS moms of youngish kids. Who often shop WITH those kids. How does this even work? You're with your 3 year old and buy a bottle of wine- cool? But if you're with your surly teenager that wine is a no-go? THAT'S CRUEL.
Maybe I've been living too long with state-run liquor, but I can't muster even an iota of outrage over this. I also can't help but wonder if this would be newsworthy if the retailer were any other than Wal-Mart.
Ha! I was about to say something similar happened to me last week at Freddie's. The cashier said, "I'm not supposed to, but I'll let it go this time."
So I called the OLCC to check because i don't want to happen again. The guy was very confused. "No....why would that be a rule?" When the OLCC doesn't think a rule makes sense, you know you're in trouble.
I should clarify that I agree that it's stupid. I just don't think it's ZOMG WALMART IS TRAMPLING MY RIGHTS!!11!! newsworthy. If a business chooses to enact stupid rules in the (misplaced) hope that it helps them avoid getting nailed for selling to minors, whatevs. It's not like we don't already have 1,000,001 excuses to not shop at WM.
Totally unrelated, I hate-shop Freddy's (Kroger to the rest of you). I don't know if they're all like this, but the one closest to me is dirty, poorly-stocked, and populated by the surliest, least-helpful employees ever. I keep going back because nearby alternatives are worse. But I'd give up a kidney to have a TJs or something else within hailing distance.
Really!?! I love Freddy's! Seriously. Ours (Ballard) is pretty nice, actually. We also have a TJs and a Town and Country market within spitting distance so I'm stupidly spoiled.
Post by sillygoosegirl on Jul 28, 2014 18:38:22 GMT -5
I've had this problem when DH and I went to the grocery store together and I didn't bother to bring my wallet, since DH was going to be handling the driving, purchasing, etc. I've learned since that the law says everyone in the group who looks under a certain age should be carded and the purchase refused if any of them are under age. Which maybe makes sense if you have a gaggle of college students, but... my mom purchased beer lots of times when I was a kid or a teen at the grocery store with her. It seems pretty ridiculous that you should have to hire a baby sitter to get your groceries.
(I did get carded once at the grocery store with my mom, but that's because she have me her wallet and told me to check out while she went to the bathroom or something. She forgot there was beer in the cart. I was probably 13 or something, obviously had no business buying beer. That was super embarrassing for me. And then it was embarrassing for everyone else when my mom came back and I said, "She needs to see your ID." And the cashier said, "I don't need to see her ID." And my mom, who hadn't been carded in many years, didn't take it super well.)
Post by anastasia517 on Jul 28, 2014 18:47:48 GMT -5
Here it is slightly different because you can only buy alcohol at one of two places (LCBO for hard liquor and beer, the Beer Store for beer), but this sounds normal. DH & I have both been carded when we brought one bottle up to the cash. They aren't allowed to sell it at all if there is an underaged person carrying it or pushing the cart.
And how old does your kid (or wife/husband) have to look to be considered an under-aged drinking threat? If you buy a bottle of wine with other groceries and 3-year old, are you going to be stopped? 8-year old? 12-year old?
They started doing this at a local grocery store here and refused to sell to anyone with underage kids - this happened to a friend who was there with her 5 year old right when they started it. She was pissed. People lost their shit. And they lost a good chunk of business at least for a while.
Post by Dumbledork on Jul 28, 2014 18:53:38 GMT -5
We were denied when we tried to purchase a cart full of alcohol for our reception back in small town Iowa in '07. Our MOH and BM were with us and two of us were still a couple months under 21. A manager stopped us in the middle of an aisle, asked if we were all 21 and then told us that if we didn't all have the ID to prove it, we wouldn't be allowed to purchase. So we left and purchased elsewhere.
That said the kid is usually with me when I'm there now in NC and I've never had a problem buying beer.
And how old does your kid (or wife/husband) have to look to be considered an under-aged drinking threat? If you buy a bottle of wine with other groceries and 3-year old, are you going to be stopped? 8-year old? 12-year old?
They started doing this at a local grocery store here and refused to sell to anyone with underage kids - this happened to a friend who was there with her 5 year old right when they started it. She was pissed. People lost their shit. And they lost a good chunk of business at least for a while.
Ames is a college town. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.
Probably although I do not recall the Walmart selling booze when I lived in Ames! We never got carded when someone in our group was buying liquor--The Keg Shop, Hy-Vee and the little liquor store next to the old Target didn't care who was with you when you checked out. We used to do friday night beer runs to Hy-Vee and 3-4 of us would go in and carry cases of beer up to the register and then our one friend who was 21 would pay. They must be cracking down now.
Ames is a college town. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.
Probably although I do not recall the Walmart selling booze when I lived in Ames! We never got carded when someone in our group was buying liquor--The Keg Shop, Hy-Vee and the little liquor store next to the old Target didn't care who was with you when you checked out. We used to do friday night beer runs to Hy-Vee and 3-4 of us would go in and carry cases of beer up to the register and then our one friend who was 21 would pay. They must be cracking down now.
DH went to college in Iowa City and said there was sort off a crack down during his time there. As such, he STILL asks me if I have my id every time we go into a liquor store.
Post by penguingrrl on Jul 28, 2014 19:09:57 GMT -5
I think the funny part is that I can't imagine that the teen who is shopping with their dad is the one they need to worry about getting the alcohol and getting in trouble with it. It's the kid hanging out in their car around the corner who paid off a 22 year old that you need to worry about (not that I have any experience...).
I love the west coast so much. You can buy booze - any variety - in virtually any market on any day of the week at any time of day. Even with a kid in tow. **maybe not Oregon though?**
I wonder if our rates of alcohol related deaths are any different than in states with blue laws?
Not at Wal Mart, but this happened to a friend of mine (in his early 50s) when his 20 yo daughter was with him in the liquor store. Grocery stores don't sell beer here. Seems ridiculous to me.