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Refused wine due to helpful son, 11
A HONEYBOURNE woman has blasted Tesco for treating her like a criminal' during a recent shopping trip with her son.
Julie Church-Sparling was in the Evesham supermarket last week with her 11-year-old son James who regularly helps with her shopping. After finishing her shopping, Mrs Sparling went to a self-service till where she and her son began scanning the items.
A member of staff then approach-ed Mrs Church-Sparling to point out that James had scanned a bottle of wine and as a result she would not be allowed to buy the item due to his age.
She then asked to buy the wine in a separate transaction but was told this would not be allowed either and that she would have to come back on the following day.
Prison service administrator Mrs Church-Sparling said: "My son often comes along to help me shop and this problem wouldn't have arisen had I gone to a served till.
"I am very offended that they even suggested that I would buy alcohol for a minor.
"I was inconvenienced to a significant degree, having to visit another shop to buy the wine for the evening simply for the crime of using self-service tills and being privileged to have a helpful son.
"I will keep shopping at Tesco as I prefer it but I feel extremely uncomfortable when I am in there."
Manager of Evesham Tesco Kevin Wright said: "Company policy is Think 21' and if the cashier suspects that alcohol is being sold or could be given to a minor then they would stop the transaction.
"When the decision has been made then we cannot go back and allow the sale, even if it is a separate transaction as who is to say that the alcohol would not be given to the minor?"
11:54am Thursday 8th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: stu, royston vasey on 7:03am Sat 10 May 08
Jobsworth, don't you just love them. This member of staff could well be headhunted and end up working for this nanny state government. Sounds perfect for the job.
Jobsworth, don't you just love them. This member of staff could well be headhunted and end up working for this nanny state government. Sounds perfect for the job.
Posted by: lyn5671, evesham on 6:34pm Sat 10 May 08
what the customer has got to realise is the member of staff is authorising the person who has scanned the alcohol and if they are not 18 or over then the sale will be refused, at least it shows that they are doing their job, jobsworth they are not!!
what the customer has got to realise is the member of staff is authorising the person who has scanned the alcohol and if they are not 18 or over then the sale will be refused, at least it shows that they are doing their job, jobsworth they are not!!
Posted by: stu, royston vasey on 6:50am Sun 11 May 08
Indeed they are as they offered to buy the wine in a seperate transaction and was refused.
Indeed they are as they offered to buy the wine in a seperate transaction and was refused.
Posted by: mrlittleton, South Littleton on 8:23pm Tue 13 May 08
I used to do my weekly family shop at Tesco's in Evesham and had been on two occasions refused the alcohol in my trolly due to being accompanied by my teenage stepson (I am 30 years old, he 15). I have spoken to the shift manager and written to Tesco customer services but received only similar responses to that of Mrs Sparling. Whilst I understand the difficulties of policing the sale of alcohol I do feel Tesco Evesham is getting things very wrong. I, like Mrs Sparling, take offence to the accusation I would supply alcohol to a minor but would understand and agree with the decision if the circumstance of the sale were so obviously not built around a family shop. I think the manager of the store is correct to back the decision of his staff with this difficult decision BUT I also believe the manager should invest in further training for his staff as they are clearly getting it wrong. Common sense has gone out the window. My stepson and I responded by leaving our trolley at the till and went to Morrisons to redo our shop where a similar trolley was about £10 cheaper than Tesco and that included the wine too. We'll be sticking with them now.
I used to do my weekly family shop at Tesco's in Evesham and had been on two occasions refused the alcohol in my trolly due to being accompanied by my teenage stepson (I am 30 years old, he 15). I have spoken to the shift manager and written to Tesco customer services but received only similar responses to that of Mrs Sparling. Whilst I understand the difficulties of policing the sale of alcohol I do feel Tesco Evesham is getting things very wrong. I, like Mrs Sparling, take offence to the accusation I would supply alcohol to a minor but would understand and agree with the decision if the circumstance of the sale were so obviously not built around a family shop. I think the manager of the store is correct to back the decision of his staff with this difficult decision BUT I also believe the manager should invest in further training for his staff as they are clearly getting it wrong. Common sense has gone out the window. My stepson and I responded by leaving our trolley at the till and went to Morrisons to redo our shop where a similar trolley was about £10 cheaper than Tesco and that included the wine too. We'll be sticking with them now.
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