To Whom It May Concern,
I would like to make a formal letter of complaint. Yesterday I went to buy a bottle of wine (Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon) at Waitrose at the Goldsworth Park Centre in Woking and was asked for ID.
I proceeded to show the staff member my Australian driver’s license but was told that they do not accept that form of identification. A staff member said Waitrose only take British drivers’ licenses, which is something I do not own. I was told I would then have to prove my age by producing my passport.
I found this both impractical and unreasonable. Firstly, due to the fact that I live in central London, I do not plan to own a car whilst living in the UK and therefore will never apply for a UK driver’s license. Secondly, I do not want to carry around my passport as if it is stolen or lost it will be both expensive and a hassle to replace. Thirdly, I was humiliated and embarrassed at the shop register as those waiting behind me may have assumed I was under age and therefore acting out against the law.
I am 22 years of age and never before have I been refused alcohol on the basis that my driver’s license is Australian and I find your policy not only unacceptable but ridiculous seeing as Australia is part of the Commonwealth.
Not only did this implement a problem into my Sunday afternoon, but my friend had to then go out of her way to drive me to an off-license where my ID was accepted.
Perhaps Waitrose should spend more time confiscating liquor off wealthy 64-year-old alcoholics rather than discriminating against someone because they come from a different country.
No wonder tourists think the British are a bunch of grumps when those visiting the UK can’t even by a bottle of wine whilst on holiday!
Regards,
I have to say, Carmen, I realy do feel your pain. All they seem to do over here is try and make life difficult for you! It’s like they’ve forgotten the meaning and concept of FUN. A law abiding adult with a bottle of wine shouldn’t have to worry which side of the world they were born on- or what side of the road they drive on…
I think it is a bit unfair to expect shops to recognise all forms of ID from all countries in the world. Most local councils will provide some kind of ID card for proving your age. I suggest you get one.
TSO – Waitrose recommended I buy a British identity card, but for £30 I don’t think I will. Instead, I’ll just stop shopping at Waitrose. Problem solved!
The fact is that even uk-based driving licences are easy enough to forge these days, let alone those from other countries. The shop worker was completely correct in refusing to serve if they could not verify your age due to the heavy penalties imposed to the worker rather than the company.
London itself has many Australian visitors and it does surprise me that this is a policy as there should be a process of training to allow workers to understand the in built security marks that the Australian and other licences have and thus treat them the same as UK ones.
However, you are lucky enough to look young for your age and as a visitor will be unaware of the problems that the UK and its citizens face because of underage drinkers, the think 25 rule now in place by ALL careful shop owners is there for a reason and I know like others I am thankful that this is reducing the amount of teen trouble that happens all over this country because of the mis-selling of alcohol. Therefore, I would say to you that if you wish to drink in this country and to avoid further problems such as this reoccurring in the future to either invest in a UK based ID card which although they are around £30 will save further embarrassment in the future or carry your passport, If you really don’t want to invest in one than further problems even with different retailers will be frankly your own fault.
Saying that, I am 30 and still get asked for ID for cigarettes in the uk and of course alcohol and I always get asked in the states if going to a bar or nightclub… I’m always flattered… never offended, it’s a blessing and in years to come will miss that sort of attention! I would suggest you take the same opinion, swallow your pride and realise if this is the biggest thing you have to worry about in this crazy world…. You’re either blind or a very lucky man indeed!
Dear Chris,
It seems as though you’ve been a little busy bee and commenting on everyone’s articles today.
As I mentioned in my above comment, I realise that an identity card costs £30 but I have decided not to purchase one. The reason being is that I have been living in the UK for a year now and Waitrose is the only place I’ve ever been refused a purchase. I have to produce my card, on average, about 3 times a week and it has always been accepted, bar Waitrose. Unless you own a Waitrose I don’t see how it can affect you what I choose.
As I am under 25 I often get questioned about my age and it has never been a problem. I don’t take offence, and indeed it is a compliment I suppose. It’s only when it’s clear that I’m legally allowed to buy alcohol but am still refused. Then I find it an annoyance.
With the identity card, it isn’t about swallowing my pride but rather saving £30… and in the process avoiding Waitrose.
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.
Yes, was quite busy last night replying to a lot of posts but I guess thats what these types of forums are for, to pass bordom. and of course it does not effect me who you choose as your store provider and as with most large supermarkets, I doubt they will be concerned either.
The reason I say that is, I used to be a complaints manager for Vodafone (boy do they get a lot of complaints!) but it was something the public would say in 95% of the correspondance mentioned….. I will never use you again and I’m off to orange…. I must say it never effected how that correspondance was dealt with and can with certainty speculate your complaint will be handled in the same way due to tammount of complaints they get all saying the same thing.
As was mentioned before, stores cannot train their staff on all forms of ID from all over the world.. or every driving licence, from every country that is why waitrose I guess didn’t accept yours.. as an oddity, passports are only valid if they are within 6 months of the expiry date.. if it’s 5 months and 30 days.. it’s not a valid form of ID. Also don’t forget it is upto the sales assistant and not the store to accept proof of your age, if she/he was not happy with your licence because she has never seen one before or for whatever reason she can say no, even if it’s because its a tuesday or doesn’t like the cut of your jibb… it’s her call and I’m kinda with that, you may find if you go back with a different assistant they will be more than happy with your licence but your annoyance seems misplaced to me but still like the sales assistant.. it’s your call and the shop will certainly understand that.
Still in Britain there are plenty of stores to choose from to do your shopping, but through the course of your life if you refuse to shop in each shop because of one small problem.. it’s not going to be long before you run out of places to shop
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 😀
You can be fined EU wide, incl in the UK, for not carrying your passport around, its not exclusive to DK.
Every shop should have a list of approved IDs to present a customer when this occurs. It is NOT
good enough that the person behind the counter is decision maker.
I d get well pissed off if this shit happened to me. I have no sense of humor when idiots get in the way.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Hi
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
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.
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.
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 !
I’ve had the same experience with Waitrose. I’m Australian, living in England. I have an Australian drivers licence which I use as my form of ID. I’ve used my licence for ID at my local waitrose at least once a week since I’ve lived here and never had an issue until today. I was refused tobacco on grounds my licence wasn’t accepted there… I highly doubt that 18 year old girl knows what all the passports in the world look like so how is she going to tell if one of those is fake? It’s ridiculous. I can drive here with my licence but not buy tobacco at waitrose. Nice logic.
Same experience on saturday…I am 28!!! I gave them my Spanish ID, which is the document I use to travel around Europe and get in the UK and they told me it was not a valid ID!!!! I tried to explain them how could it be possible that I could come to the UK and move around Europe but it was not valid to buy alcohol!!!!!!! Not buying in Waitrose again, the most embarrassing situation in a long time…
Absolutely terrible. I USED to shop quite frequently at the Brent Cross store but have recently been followed around the store by the less than bright security guard. When I did complain, the manager basically called me a thief. When I complained to their head office, I was told it was my fault for going into the store and making eye contact (as opposed to looking away or down at the ground). Shocking customer service from an otherwise well respected brand.
Re Waitrose SR1-13764357
I complained to Waitrose on 31/8/13 about their non-payment, about £300, of charity money. I received back on 3/9/13 a reply from an Andrew Hall, of Waitrose Customer Sales and Support, saying that he would pass it on to the (Barbican) branch management and let me know. After 10 weeks I’ve heard no more.
I could not find any complaints section on the Waitrose Website but found this one.