Karma DOES exist! Plus, my brain to mouth filter failed....

[Miss_Stress]

So, last week I was on the till and a young lad came through my line with some age-restricted items. I asked for his ID, he didn't have any (surprise, surprise ) so I told him I couldn't sell him the items. He was nice enough about it, but his father was not.

Father: FINE I WILL BUY THEM!

Me: I can't allow you to buy them for him because he is underage.

Father: THIS IS RIDICULOUS! YOU ARE STUPID, HE ISN'T GOING TO CAUSE ANY DAMAGE WITH THEM! WHAT ARE YOU, THICK OR SOMETHING?

I'm not proud of the next part, but bear in mind I had had this all day. I was tired, fed up and hungry.

Me: No, what is ridiculous is you having a tantrum because your son isn't old enough to buy the damned things!

Father:

Me: So, that will be £X.XX please.

He paid and stormed off. Now, this is the best part....

HE ONLY LEFT THE STUFF HE'D BOUGHT BEHIND!

He hadn't come back to claim it an hour before closing, so I reshelved it what a shame, eh?

[ditchdj]

Self-induced karma, a variant of Darwinitis.

[EvilEmpryss]

I'm not sure I understand what the problem was in allowing the father to buy the merchandise... especially if it really was his father and not just some random adult in the store that the boy was trying to get to buy the item for him. Unless it was alcohol, tobacco, or firearms, the age restrictions are generally there just to keep minors from buying things without parental approval. If it was a video game -- or porn or firearms or R-rated movies or medication -- and the father choose to buy it for his son to use it at home that's not the store's business.

I admit that I'm probably missing something here (I don't know which country you're in and I don't know exactly what the kid was trying to buy), so I'm open to hearing details that would change my opinion.

ETA: Oh, and the dad was still a major jerk for his reaction!

[Marmalady]

In the UK it's as much an offence to sell age restricted things to an adult knowing that they're buying it for a minor as it is to sell it directly to the minor. It doesn't matter if they're the parent or not.
If an adult comes to my till and buys some alcohol, and they just happen to have their child with them, that's not a problem. If however they're buying some other goods and the child brings up something like an alcopop and says 'can I have this?' then I can't sell it. What makes the difference is that I now know that it's intended for the child.

Edit: I agree that if a parent privately decides it's OK to let , say, a teenager have a glass of wine at home then it's not the store's business.
But as soon as they tell us (or let us find out) that they're going to do that, legally it then becomes our business.

[fireheart]

In the UK it's as much an offence to sell age restricted things to an adult knowing that they're buying it for a minor as it is to sell it directly to the minor. It doesn't matter if they're the parent or not.
.

It's the same law in Australia.

[EvilEmpryss]

In the US there are minor differences: Some things are illegal to sell to minors, though minors can use them with the supervision or permission of an adult. PG-13 and R-rated movies and video games are the perfect example. If a 10 year-old tries to buy a ticket to an R-rated or PG-13 movie, the theater is not supposed to sell the ticket. But if the 10 year-old shows up with an adult (it doesn't even have to be a parent or legal guardian) then the theater can sell them tickets and let them in. Same with video games, medicine, guns, bullets, and a whole list of other age-restricted merchandise. To the best of my knowledge, only alcohol and tobacco are restricted in use as well as sale to individuals over a certain age.

Since I couldn't tell what the OP's customers were buying, I can't be certain that it wasn't alcohol. If it was, then I certainly agree that the OP shouldn't sell it to the father. Since the CSR *did* sell it to the father, I can't believe that it was either alcohol or tobacco (the OP would be in serious legal trouble for selling either knowing that it was going to be given to the minor). That means that so long as there was an adult present (and the boy's father, which is even better), then it was none of the OP's business if the father was going to give the item to his son. The law was satisfied by the presence of an adult to make the purchase.

[SuperRTL]

It's against the law for people under the age of 18 to use or possess instruments of graffiti without adult supervision in parts of the state. I had to ID to open the spray paint and paint pens at my store. Now, if a mom came in with her daughter and they were buying the spray paint for a project, like repainting the frame of a mirror for her room, I'd remind them of the law and let them go on their way. Same with certain glues. I'd also remind them to use them in a well ventilated area.

However, if the 18 year old friend came in with a bunch of under 18's, I'd remind them of the law, make sure they knew why the law was in effect and ask them to smile for the camera. The cheers and sorority girls would smile and wave and then move on with their projects. A lot of the scuzzy guys would swear at me, drop the cans and book it out of the store. What's funny is, in the old store, the cameras were just for show.

[Miss_Stress]

In the UK it's as much an offence to sell age restricted things to an adult knowing that they're buying it for a minor as it is to sell it directly to the minor. It doesn't matter if they're the parent or not.

Precisely. It's still a £5000 fine (maximum) and the possibility of imprisonment, plus the loss of my job. I'm not risking that for any parent, especially not one who seemed determined to belittle me and be a nasty swine. The law's the law, I can't change that, and I just wish more customers would realise that sometimes

[Racket_Man]

In the US there are minor differences: Some things are illegal to sell to minors, though minors can use them with the supervision or permission of an adult. PG-13 and R-rated movies and video games are the perfect example. If a 10 year-old tries to buy a ticket to an R-rated or PG-13 movie, the theater is not supposed to sell the ticket. But if the 10 year-old shows up with an adult (it doesn't even have to be a parent or legal guardian) then the theater can sell them tickets and let them in. Same with video games, medicine, guns, bullets, and a whole list of other age-restricted merchandise. To the best of my knowledge, only alcohol and tobacco are restricted in use as well as sale to individuals over a certain age.

Since I couldn't tell what the OP's customers were buying, I can't be certain that it wasn't alcohol. If it was, then I certainly agree that the OP shouldn't sell it to the father. Since the CSR *did* sell it to the father, I can't believe that it was either alcohol or tobacco (the OP would be in serious legal trouble for selling either knowing that it was going to be given to the minor). That means that so long as there was an adult present (and the boy's father, which is even better), then it was none of the OP's business if the father was going to give the item to his son. The law was satisfied by the presence of an adult to make the purchase.

what the OP is describing is by the letter of the law in most places a "straw" sale. I had this kind of thing happen sooo many times at the gas station where tobacco and/or booze/beer was being bought (or attempted to be bought). and realistically speaking the same can be applied (your mileage may vary by state) to ANY other age restricted product.

with the tobacco or booze here is the typical scene

kid comes in and want to buy a pack of smokes. WHOOOPS no ID. said kid then blatantly and obviously walks out to a car parked right in front of the door and in plain sight of ME the clerk. another person from the car walks right in and wants to buy a pack of the SAME smokes the no ID kid wanted. NOW techniquely this is a different person so I should be able to sell the new person the smokes. NOPE no can do according to the rules and laws.

here is why. you would be knowingly selling an age restricted product to a person who will then (with a high confidence rating) turn around and give it to or allowed the first person to comsume said product. NOW the first person may or MAY NOT be of correct age to buy said product and you have literally sold an age restricted product knowing that an under age person will be using it.

AND if the transaction is a sting being done by the local/county/state/Fed authorities you CAN AND WILL get fined (both YOU AND the company), you get FIRED, You personally are now facing possible jail time (depending on the age restricted product) and the retail establishment will loose its license to legally sell that product.

What the Father in the OP SHOULD have done (esp if he KNEW it was an age restricted product no matter what the product) is just purchased it and kept his mouth shut.

[tropicsgoddess]

Serves that SC right!