Tesco Rejects Matric Cards

[not impressed]

Apparently a St Andrews matriculation/ID card is no longer an acceptable form of ID when buying alcohol. Not only that but they seem to be asking anyone who looks of student age far more often than they used to (I'm assuming - the pensioner in front of me didn't get ID'd so so much for a blanket policy).

No other shops or supermarkets are doing this and it means if you don't have the correct ID you might have to go to Somerfield or Safeways to get what you're after (in my case a bottle of Dooley's).

Tesco will accept driving licenses, a passport or a prove it card. I don't have a driving lisence, my passport has expired and even if it hadn't I don't tend to take it on shopping trips in my own country and I resent the idea of having to get a prove it card at the age of 21 - especially seeing as I never even get ID'd anywhere else!



But Tesco's faith in our university is marvelous - matric cards can't be accepted as they can be faked, a common habit you understand amongst fourth years who have been shopping there for years and spent a small fortune no doubt. Wonderful for town gown relationships I would think.

But all's well that ends well, plenty of my mate's 21st birthdays coming up and everyone is going to buy the supplies from Safeways.

[Greebo]

As far as I know they at least used to accept matric cards...maybe this new design is one they're not aware of and thus don't accept them as they think they're fakes....either that or they're being bastards.

[hr]http://www.greebo.org.uk - Loadsa drunken photos and suchlikes.

[amac]

[s]Greebo wrote on 21:22, 26th Sep 2004:
As far as I know they at least used to accept matric cards...maybe this new design is one they're not aware of and thus don't accept them as they think they're fakes....either that or they're being bastards.

They're being bastards. Apparently they have a sign on one of the doors saying that they no longer accept Matriculation cards. So you can use them as I.D. in a bank and pretty much anywhere else but not Tesco. Strange.

[Midget]

They never let me use my Matric card in the past no matter how hard i tried, had to use my driving licence (provisional), which they once refused because it was provisional -HOW FUCKING STUPID IS THAT, surely its better if I can't drive for heavens sake, and both drving licences are the same except for the colour, a provisional is no easier to fake than the driving license itself.

I realise now that I am going to be IDed for another 5 years and its fucking irritating.

[JP Patches]

The new matric cards were acceptable I.D. at Tesco as of this afternoon. The lady at the checkstand said that various authorities are making a big deal about cracking down on underage drinking and at Tesco if a checker is caught selling alcohol to an underaged individual, they are fined 1000 pounds and automatically sacked. She was under the impression that the new matric cards did not include the holder’s birthdate on them, but when the DOB was pointed out to her, she took the card.

[edited since the pound symbol I imported just showed up as a bunch of numbers]

[Guest]

[s]Greebo wrote on 21:22, 26th Sep 2004:
As far as I know they at least used to accept matric cards...maybe this new design is one they're not aware of and thus don't accept them as they think they're fakes....either that or they're being bastards.


Nah it happened with my old one and happened to others with their new one - guess they're just being gits :/

[Marco Biagi]

Maybe the union should get a guarantee that if the matric card isn't taken as valid ID the person should be automatically sacked? After all, they're only grunts, who cares about them - if they were really worthwhile they'd be at university and earning real money by working for some law firm afterwards and shitting on poor people!!!!!!


[hr]What's the point of curry if it doesn't make your mouth bleed?

[Setsuna]

Ive found that different staff have different opinions. In one particular off-license, they accepted my provisional license and matriculation card together; another time they checked my provisional license in a machine beside the till. However, a few days later, they decided that neither form was acceptable and that I could only use my passport to get served. Other times I have been id'ed just for accompanying a friend into the shop.

I understand that they have to do it, but I feel that not accepting my provisional license (when they have the means to check it) is a little far, and also quite humiliating when im almost 21.

And does anyone else think that the new matric cards like SO MUCH like fake id?!

[Midget]

Actually they shouldn't be allowed to demand passports.

The law says you must take care that your passport is kept in a safe place, (to stop people nicking it and using it for illegal immigration etc). And your back pocket is not a safe place.

[Steveo]

[s]Marco Biagi wrote on 22:32, 26th Sep 2004:
Maybe the union should get a guarantee that if the matric card isn't taken as valid ID the person should be automatically sacked? After all, they're only grunts, who cares about them - if they were really worthwhile they'd be at university and earning real money by working for some law firm afterwards and shitting on poor people!!!!!!


God, I love shitting on the poor, in a non scat fettish sense.

[hr]
[s]What a beautiful world this will be .... what a glorious time to be free[/s]

[Prophet Tenebrae]

Asking for a passport as identification is a fucking joke. I agree with Marco, if they don't fire people who don't have degrees they'll never learn - LITERALLY!

[not chuffed]

[s]Setsuna wrote on 23:27, 26th Sep 2004:
And does anyone else think that the new matric cards like SO MUCH like fake id?!


I just can't believe that they didn't give us warning in advance and the opportunity to submit a new photo - one of my friends looks so little like his old picture from first year that everyone always has to examine it and his face for ages.

But oh no, they don't tell us so that we still have to pay to get a new one even though it would have been no trouble for them to have taken a new photo had they bothered to ask.

[munchingfoo]

The new government regulations were brought in to stop underage drinking.

From now on, anyone who appears to be under the age of 21 and not 18 will be I.D.ed. So if you are 'nearly' 21, or just look very young(lucky bastard) then you will be I.D.ed. I'm afraid we are going to have to live with it. I think it is a good idea really.

The annoying part is not accepting matric cards. I think this is because in general accross the uk matric cards are easy to fake. I think ours may lie in the harder to fake category as it is used to open doors and stuff. Perhaps someone from the union could speak to the tesco store manager to explain the matric card and then allow only St Andrews matrics in that store?

[The Dude]

It is weird you are all having this problem. I am only 18 and I have not had any problems in the last week. At least it isn't as bad as the US where you can't drink until you are 21 and, at least where I am from, the law says they have to card anyone who looks under 27. Anyways guys, just grow a beard.

[Cain]

[s]The Dude wrote on 09:20, 27th Sep 2004:
Anyways guys, just grow a beard.


yep, i've been mistaken for a fresher a lot more than when i was in first year since i shaved my beard off over the summer.

[hr]
It's now who you know, it's who who you know knows

[mossop]

I worked in Tesco over the summer and it's Tesco policy to only accept passport, driving licence and those stupid age card thingys. It's also tesco policy to ask anyone who looks under 21 for ID.

[blondie]

Yeah, any bars I've worked in have operated a driving license/passport-only ID proofing system. This goes for most places now, as part of the crackdown on underage drinking.
It is an absolute pain, though - I just don't carry my passport around (I'm ditzy at the best of times: I would certainly lose it) and my driving thingy photo was taken years ago and looks *nothing* like me. In the past I've had to wap out a plethora of cards: matric card for the photo, bank card to verify the name, and driving license to check the DOB. Which means there's undoubtedly a long queue of unamused people behind you waiting to get in/buy a drink.

[pim]

I found that arguing a lot with people in Tesco when they refused to accept my matric card worked quite well. Incidentally, I only started getting ID'd last year, when I was TWENTY TWO. It does get pretty embarrassing.

However, not as bad as being ID'd for a pair of scissors in Woolies on my 23rd birthday. *looks shamed*

[hr]L'enfer, c'est les autres (Jean-Paul Sartre, Huis Clos)

[Steveo]

[s]pim wrote on 10:14, 27th Sep 2004:
I found that arguing a lot with people in Tesco when they refused to accept my matric card worked quite well. Incidentally, I only started getting ID'd last year, when I was TWENTY TWO. It does get pretty embarrassing.

However, not as bad as being ID'd for a pair of scissors in Woolies on my 23rd birthday. *looks shamed*


Thats what you get for looking so young and innocent, but I'm on to you - i saw you looking at Mr DoR's penis.

The fake condom distribution one, though.

[hr]
[s]What a beautiful world this will be .... what a glorious time to be free[/s]

[Tweedle-Dum]

[s]Marco Biagi wrote on 22:32, 26th Sep 2004:
Maybe the union should get a guarantee that if the matric card isn't taken as valid ID the person should be automatically sacked? After all, they're only grunts, who cares about them - if they were really worthwhile they'd be at university and earning real money by working for some law firm afterwards and shitting on poor people!!!!!!


You must have been the best VPR ever

[hr]
Live by the sword, die by the arrow.