Should a retailer refuse to sell alcohol to a legal adult if a minor is present?

radcen said:

The police in this area are known for doing random sweeps trying to catch merchants selling to minors, so maybe that is it.

Someone mentioned the name earlier, so I will say the store name. It is Walmart. Several stores in this geographic region are doing this. It was a local news station doing the story, and they didn't say if it was state-wide. Walmart corporate denied there is a company-wide policy to do this, but otherwise had no comment.

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I would think a store like Wal-mart would be the place it wouldn't happen.

People buy their alcohol along with all their other groceries and it seems out of place to deny the purchase in that case if there are minors present.

Mason66 said:

I would think a store like Wal-mart would be the place it wouldn't happen.

People buy their alcohol along with all their other groceries and it seems out of place to deny the purchase in that case if there are minors present.

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I'm with ya. I would think the same thing.

Mason66 said:

I would think a store like Wal-mart would be the place it wouldn't happen.

People buy their alcohol along with all their other groceries and it seems out of place to deny the purchase in that case if there are minors present.

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I'm thinking the issue may be that Wal Mart has deep pockets. Some kid gets alcohol sold by WalMart to an adult, gets in a car and kills someone or maims someone, and the victims and their lawyers go after the deepest pockets. There's no point in suing the kid who has $5 in his wallet.

Just speculation, of course, but it sounds about right.

Dittohead not! said:

I'm thinking the issue may be that Wal Mart has deep pockets. Some kid gets alcohol sold by WalMart to an adult, gets in a car and kills someone or maims someone, and the victims and their lawyers go after the deepest pockets. There's no point in suing the kid who has $5 in his wallet.

Just speculation, of course, but it sounds about right.

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In that case Wal-Mart would have no liability. The adult that bought the alcohol would be liable.

My issue is Wal-mart not selling alcohol when you obviously are doing your weekly shopping and just happen to have alcohol in the basket along with everything else and you also have your kids along.

Should a babysitter be hired if one wants to buy alcohol at Wal-mart.

How far can this be taken?

Mason66 said:

In that case Wal-Mart would have no liability. The adult that bought the alcohol would be liable.

My issue is Wal-mart not selling alcohol when you obviously are doing your weekly shopping and just happen to have alcohol in the basket along with everything else and you also have your kids along.

Should a babysitter be hired if one wants to buy alcohol at Wal-mart.

How far can this be taken?

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Never underestimate the ability of lawyers to find liability wherever the deepest pockets exist.

radcen said:

There's something of controversy going on here. A local retailer is refusing to sell alcohol to legal adults if a minor is present with them. Doesn't matter how old or young the minor is, and it doesn't matter if the minor is the adult's own kid.

The retailer is not breaking any laws by doing this, so that's not the issue... but should they? How would you react if a retailer refused to sell you alcohol just because you had your kid with you?

Please note that in this state it is perfectly legal for parents to serve their own minor children alcohol.

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Any owner of a business is perfectly within his/her rights, in my view, to deny service if he/she senses that the purchase will lead to illegal activity. Doesn't mean they can't accept the business, just means they can deny it. The very same thing has happened here in Toronto, however, here in Toronto all alcohol and beer is sold through government run retail outlets staffed by government union workers.

Considering many people in the US would rather sue than take responsibility for their own actions and resulting circumstances, it's wise for a business owner to be careful not to put him/herself in a situation where an irresponsible person tries to hold the business owner liable.