Hi Honeys
When was the last time you were asked for ID? Honestly, I never think about it unless I'm at work. Working in retail, as I do, we sell lots of age restricted products, everything from tobacco and alcohol to DVDs and games, so naturally I'm often required to ask customers, should they be lucky enough to look under the age of 25, for ID.
Outside of work though, well, let's just say it's been a while since I was asked to prove my age 😃
Of course age isn't the only reason we might now be asked for ID. Identity theft is a genuine concern for all of us unfortunately, and in today's world, everyone we interact with must be sure that it is, in fact, us they are dealing with and not an impostor.
The idea that we have to prove who we are has always felt odd to me honeys. I mean, I'm me, right? I know I'm me, I recognise the face in the mirror, shouldn't that be enough?
Why not grab a cuppa and maybe a cookie and we'll have a closer look at when, and why, photographic proof of your identity (and age) might be needed in an average day and what you can use to prove that you are positively you and that you're old enough to buy that computer game...
Welcome back honeys, sitting comfortably? Do you have your cuppa? Cool, me too ☕ so let's get started with proof of age shall we? 😊
Challenge 25 And what It Means
Most shops in the UK now require any customer who is blessed to appear to be under the age of 25 to provide an acceptable form of photographic proof of identity to prove they are over the legal age (currently 18) to buy age restricted products.
Initially, these checks were intended to curb the potential purchase of alcohol by minors, and of course this is still the intention but the policy now also covers a wide range of non alcoholic products too.
"Why Challenge 25 (or indeed 21) and not Challenge 18?" I hear you ask. Well, as someone who works in retail, trying to judge whether a customer is old enough to make that purchase, based purely on appearance, is actually more difficult than you'd think.
By asking for photo ID from younger customers, and from those lucky enough to retain their youthful appearance, it's hoped there will be far fewer incidents of under age drinking.
Which Products Are Age Restricted And Why?
Many products are restricted in order to minimise any risk of harm to either those who buy them, those who use them or even to the wider public in general in case they are misused.
So, what kinds of products are we talking about dear ones? Well, some age restricted products include but are not limited to the following:
Alcohol: this includes all alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, spirits (vodka, whisky etc) cider, liqueurs and alcopops - a ready mixed product which resembles a soft drink but contains alcohol.
Tobacco Products: This includes all tobacco related items such as cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, rolling papers and all e-cigarette or vape products - also known as NVPs or Nicotine Vapour Products.
Knives: This includes all bladed items such as knives, knife blades, axes, scissors, open edged razor blades and craft or utility bladed items (such as "Stanley" knives)
Fireworks: This includes all fireworks from sparklers to rockets.
Solvents: This can include items such as lighter fluid (to re-fill cigarette lighters) butane gas, glues and even correction fluid.
All of the above items, according to the Trading Standards Agency in the UK are only to be sold to those aged 18 and above.
DVDs & Games (such as Playstation or XBox etc): While there are many DVDs and games which are rated 18 and so only to be sold to adults aged 18 years and older, there are also various other age restrictions (some different for video games) and these will be marked clearly on the box of the product itself.
In the case of DVDs for example you would find they are labelled, and so the suggested viewing ages for these DVDs, for the following groups:
In the case of DVDs for example you would find they are labelled, and so the suggested viewing ages for these DVDs, for the following groups:
U Suitable for all
PG Parental guidance required
12 Over 12 years of age
15 Over 15 years of age
18 Over 18 years of age
Items That Can Be Purchased By Those Aged 16 And Over:
Note that not all age restricted products are limited to those aged over 18 though honeys. Some products can lawfully be sold to those aged under 18 but purchasers must however be over the age of 16.
These include items such as lottery tickets, scratch cards and party poppers.
So, picture the scene then. A retail assistant is faced with a customer wishing to purchase a product, let's say it's a bottle of wine.
The Challenge 25 policy MUST be followed every single time.
The retail assistant will very quickly try to gauge the customer's age (as I said sometimes difficult) and if even a tiny bit unsure that the customer appears to be over the age of 25 will request to see an acceptable form of ID.
Age restricted products may of course still be legally bought by customers who are under the age of 25 but only if they are over the age of 18 and ONLY if they provide suitable proof of identity, clearly showing their date of birth.
Which Forms Of ID Can Be Accepted?
So, picture the scene then. A retail assistant is faced with a customer wishing to purchase a product, let's say it's a bottle of wine.
The Challenge 25 policy MUST be followed every single time.
The retail assistant will very quickly try to gauge the customer's age (as I said sometimes difficult) and if even a tiny bit unsure that the customer appears to be over the age of 25 will request to see an acceptable form of ID.
Age restricted products may of course still be legally bought by customers who are under the age of 25 but only if they are over the age of 18 and ONLY if they provide suitable proof of identity, clearly showing their date of birth.
Acceptable forms of photo ID include any of the following:
Current UK (photo) driving licence
Current Passport
Citizenship card or a Local Authority ID card for younger citizens, sometimes known as a PASS card. A PASS card will have a hologram bearing the PASS logo on it.
It should also be noted that as of July 2012, under guidance published by the Home Office, Military ID may also be accepted as valid proof of identity and age and this is certainly the case in the large store where I work.
Addressing Potential Fraud And Identity Theft
Fraud, and identity theft in particular, (where someone assumes the identity of another individual in order to commit a crime or to aid others in carrying out criminal activities) have now unfortunately become almost commonplace.
Identity theft is now so prevalent that it has become essential for businesses, Government Departments and local Councils to be sure they are dealing with the right person and also for all of us to protect our personal data.
It isn't just passwords and account numbers that fraudsters look for honeys. Personal information, such as birthdays, middle names, children's or pets names, in fact any of the information we all share so freely and trustingly on social media can be used against us by criminals.
It's far too easy for fraudsters to build a profile of anyone using freely available information and photographs harvested from our online activities. They can then use this data to pass themselves off as any of us. It's a frightening thought and truly terrifying how easy it is to accomplish too.
You can see then why businesses, such as banks, will ask for several different forms of ID, sometimes this might include very recent utility bills, to not only prove we are who we claim to be but also that we live where we claim to live too.
How to avoid Falling Victim To Identity Theft
I've previously written a blog post where I tried to address at least some of the ways to try to avoid falling victim to identity theft. You can read "20 ways to prevent identity theft" here honeys. I hope that it helps.
You can see then how important it is in today's world to have some form of acceptable, photographic ID for all sorts of reasons, not just to buy that latest computer game or a nice bottle of wine to accompany dinner.
It is however equally important to keep that form of ID, along with all of your other personal data, safe from those who might try to misuse it. All we can do is to be as careful as it's possible to be honeys. Guard your data, dear ones, be very, very careful of how much you share both online and off and of course who you share it with.
Useful Links
List of Accepted ID Types For Interactions other than proving age
We've already looked, above, at the types of (photo) ID acceptable to prove age in a retail situation, but as we've also seen there are other situations where we might simply have to provide proof of identity, rather than age.
If you are asked to prove identity by an official body, such as a bank or Government department there is an extensive list of documents which can be used and they're listed on this UK Gov site. Just follow the link and scroll down the page to the section headed "proof of identity checklist for individuals."
Passports:
Whether applying for your first passport or renewing your current one, all of the information you need, including costs, can be found at this Gov.UK link.
Applying for an ID card with the PASS hologram
This will need a little research I'm afraid honeys. There are so many different schemes up and down the UK all providing the identity cards bearing the PASS hologram. To find the scheme that covers your area in the UK please click on this link: PASS Scheme Card Suppliers which will lead to a page with all of the different schemes listed.
Be aware that some of these schemes charge various sums of money for these cards. This surprised me because the only card I know anything about is the card used in Scotland.
Also known as The Young Scot Card it has the holders name, date of birth, photograph and of course, the PASS hologram. This card is available, free, to any young person in Scotland (although again there are many agencies which cover the different areas in Scotland) between the ages of 11 to 26.
All they have to provide is a photograph, the form they're given to complete as well as show acceptable proof of age. The Scottish PASS card list of agencies can be found here honeys.
The PASS card is a laminated card which is accepted as proof of age in shops when making a purchase but also in many other places too such as cinemas, bars and clubs.
Summing up then...
Researching this post led me to think honeys, what would you do if you didn't have any photo ID in your purse? A quick look in my own purse confirmed that I was indeed in this very situation! I don't drive, my dear Hubby does so I've never bothered to take lessons, so no driving licence.
Nor do I have a passport. My mobility is very limited so even travelling to work and home again can be difficult so travelling any further isn't happening and anyway I'm a happy home body, or as I was called once "a wee hoose moose" 😃 and never happier than in our wee home so don't need a passport.
Maybe it's just as well that I won't be asked to prove my age anytime soon then and as for anything else, well that long list provided by the UK Government website has so many documents listed on it that I do have, thankfully it wouldn't be a problem. It does make me think though... Maybe I should take lessons and get my driving licence after all. Just to have some valid way to prove I'm me.
What do you think honeys? Are you lucky enough to still be asked to prove you're a grown up? How do you take care of your personal data and keep it safe? We file what needs to be kept here and everything else goes through the cross cut shredder.
So much of our lives are now online. From online shopping to online banking, everything is done with a press of a key or a swipe on our phones. Even healthcare is going online with services, such as making Doctors appointments and ordering prescriptions all being done online and no longer requiring a trip to the Doctor's office. It's become increasingly important to take proper care of our data.
Til next time dear ones, smile lots and hug even more, hugs always x
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