Many shoppers love to add a cheap bottle of wine or two to their weekly shop. And ALDI is one of the places where you can get amazing deals on groceries and alcohol (depending on your state/territory). However, what many shoppers may not know is the store's policy when it comes to the sale of alcohol.

Case in point: One Victorian mum was refused service because of ALDI’s baffling checkout rule – and this got many other Aussies talking.

The unsuspecting shopper sparked a debate about the store's rules regarding the sale of alcohol after being refused service when her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout.

Wondering if this was a standard ALDI policy, the mum shared her experience on a Facebook group for fans of the budget retailer.

According to the woman, she was shopping with her eight-year-old and nine-year-old and was already at the checkout when the incident happened.

Other shoppers were shocked by the baffling rule. Credit: Markus Spiske/Pexels

‘I treated myself to a bottle of wine. I put it on the conveyor belt, and when it moved forward, my wine moved quickly, and my nine-year-old put his hand on it to stop it from rolling away,’ she recalled.

‘The lady at the register then told me she had to call the manager to confirm she could sell it to me as “the kid touched it”. WHAT?’ She continued.

Many responded to her post, including another Aussie mum who had a similar experience of being refused service at ALDI. She shared that she tried to buy a bottle of wine while shopping with her eight-month-old baby and was informed that the age limit for purchasing liquor had been temporarily increased to 30 years of age as a festival was being held in the area at the time.

Despite offering to put the wine back, the woman claimed that she was denied service and even prevented from purchasing her usual grocery items, including fruit and bread, and was asked to go to another register to finish shopping.

Another shopper was refused a sale while shopping with her baby. Credit: Magda Ehlers/Pexels

In another instance, Melbourne mum Rachael also revealed that she was denied a sale when she tried to buy a bottle of wine. This time, the mum had her teenage daughter with her.

While she claims that the teenager didn’t enter the alcohol section at her local store, the ALDI checkout worker ‘refused to back down’.

‘Went to [the] checkout with groceries and one bottle of rose and was told I would not be able to purchase a bottle of wine because I had a child with me,’ she shared.

‘The teenager in question did not so much as enter the alcohol section of the supermarket either, so not like she was ‘picking alcohol out’ for me to buy. [The] attendant flatly refused to back down, so I left without my wine...is this a new law?’ She continued.

Rachael added that this rule was ‘very inconvenient’ for mums who want to do their groceries at ALDI and buy wine.

It is understood that a sale can be refused by an ALDI employee if a minor has handled alcohol. This is because it could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor’s consumption.

According to ALDI’s website:

‘We adhere to the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and are always on the side of caution. Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998, it is an offence:

(a) to supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 and​

​

(b) for a person under the age of 18 to purchase or receive alcohol.​

In order to ensure complete compliance with the Act, we do not allow alcohol to be sold to persons accompanied by a minor or to persons under the age of 18.’

This is because it is the store’s responsibility to refuse any customer who presents a risk and the discretion of the cashier to decline a sale should they have any doubts or concerns.

The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state. In NSW, it includes a fine of $11,000 and/or 12 months in jail. In Victoria, adults who break the law face fines of more than $7,000.

‘As a responsible retailer, ALDI Australia supports and adheres to all regulations for the purchase of alcohol, including Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA),’ a spokesperson for ALDI said in a previous report.

‘There are severe consequences for breaching laws and policies set in place by the Australian government involving the sale of alcohol. As such, ALDI faces heavy penalties should we sell alcohol to any customer who supplied it to a person under the age of 18,’ they explained.

Key Takeaways

• A mother from Victoria sparked a debate about ALDI's rules around selling alcohol after she was refused service because her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout.
• Another Aussie mum shared her own similar experience of being refused service at ALDI due to a temporarily increased age limit for purchasing alcohol.
• ALDI employees can refuse a sale if they believe a minor has handled alcohol that could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor's consumption or when an adult purchases alcohol while in the company of a minor.
• The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state or territory.

Did you know about this rule? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

 

[Ricci]

Now, I don't drink but even I can see the absurdity of these rules. While I applaud Aldi for trying to be responsible I do think they've gone overboard. Kiddies in prams or pushers are unlikely to have alcohol in their bottles I would have thought, youngsters who are helping Mum unload the trolley are not doing it to get their hands on the bottles sooner and teenagers doing the shopping with Mum and Dad are probably doing so under protest. Get real Aldi, use discretion and act responsibly.

 

[Shashaz]

Many shoppers love to add a cheap bottle of wine or two to their weekly shop. And ALDI is one of the places where you can get amazing deals on groceries and alcohol (depending on your state/territory). However, what many shoppers may not know is the store's policy when it comes to the sale of alcohol.

Case in point: One Victorian mum was refused service because of ALDI’s baffling checkout rule – and this got many other Aussies talking.

The unsuspecting shopper sparked a debate about the store's rules regarding the sale of alcohol after being refused service when her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout.

Wondering if this was a standard ALDI policy, the mum shared her experience on a Facebook group for fans of the budget retailer.

According to the woman, she was shopping with her eight-year-old and nine-year-old and was already at the checkout when the incident happened.

View attachment 17580

Other shoppers were shocked by the baffling rule. Credit: Markus Spiske/Pexels

‘I treated myself to a bottle of wine. I put it on the conveyor belt, and when it moved forward, my wine moved quickly, and my nine-year-old put his hand on it to stop it from rolling away,’ she recalled.

‘The lady at the register then told me she had to call the manager to confirm she could sell it to me as “the kid touched it”. WHAT?’ She continued.

Many responded to her post, including another Aussie mum who had a similar experience of being refused service at ALDI. She shared that she tried to buy a bottle of wine while shopping with her eight-month-old baby and was informed that the age limit for purchasing liquor had been temporarily increased to 30 years of age as a festival was being held in the area at the time.

Despite offering to put the wine back, the woman claimed that she was denied service and even prevented from purchasing her usual grocery items, including fruit and bread, and was asked to go to another register to finish shopping.

View attachment 17581

Another shopper was refused a sale while shopping with her baby. Credit: Magda Ehlers/Pexels

In another instance, Melbourne mum Rachael also revealed that she was denied a sale when she tried to buy a bottle of wine. This time, the mum had her teenage daughter with her.

While she claims that the teenager didn’t enter the alcohol section at her local store, the ALDI checkout worker ‘refused to back down’.

‘Went to [the] checkout with groceries and one bottle of rose and was told I would not be able to purchase a bottle of wine because I had a child with me,’ she shared.

‘The teenager in question did not so much as enter the alcohol section of the supermarket either, so not like she was ‘picking alcohol out’ for me to buy. [The] attendant flatly refused to back down, so I left without my wine...is this a new law?’ She continued.

Rachael added that this rule was ‘very inconvenient’ for mums who want to do their groceries at ALDI and buy wine.

It is understood that a sale can be refused by an ALDI employee if a minor has handled alcohol. This is because it could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor’s consumption.

According to ALDI’s website:

‘We adhere to the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and are always on the side of caution. Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998, it is an offence:

(a) to supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 and​

​

(b) for a person under the age of 18 to purchase or receive alcohol.​

In order to ensure complete compliance with the Act, we do not allow alcohol to be sold to persons accompanied by a minor or to persons under the age of 18.’

This is because it is the store’s responsibility to refuse any customer who presents a risk and the discretion of the cashier to decline a sale should they have any doubts or concerns.

The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state. In NSW, it includes a fine of $11,000 and/or 12 months in jail. In Victoria, adults who break the law face fines of more than $7,000.

‘As a responsible retailer, ALDI Australia supports and adheres to all regulations for the purchase of alcohol, including Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA),’ a spokesperson for ALDI said in a previous report.

‘There are severe consequences for breaching laws and policies set in place by the Australian government involving the sale of alcohol. As such, ALDI faces heavy penalties should we sell alcohol to any customer who supplied it to a person under the age of 18,’ they explained.

Key Takeaways

• A mother from Victoria sparked a debate about ALDI's rules around selling alcohol after she was refused service because her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout. ...............................OH NO! NOW THAT BOTTLE OF WINE IS CONTAMINATED, ALL BECAUSE A CHILD TOUCHED THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOTTLE! ......WHY ELSE WOULD YOU REFUSE TO SELL IT TO THE CUSTOMER? JUST DISINFECT IT, PUT IT BACK ON THE SHELF AND GIVE THE CUSTOMER ANOTHER ONE! STUPIDITY AT IT'S BEST!
• Another Aussie mum shared her own similar experience of being refused service at ALDI due to a temporarily increased age limit for purchasing alcohol. AND WHAT IS THIS GOING TO ACHIEVE? MIGHT AS WELL PUT THE AGE UP ON PURCHASING PAIN RELIEF TABLETS, RAT BAITS, AND ICE CREAM, BECAUSE IF YOU EAT TOO MUCH ICE CREAM YOU WILL GET FAT, GET DIABETES AND COULD DIE!
• ALDI employees can refuse a sale if they believe a minor has handled alcohol that could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor's consumption or when an adult purchases alcohol while in the company of a minor. SAY WHAT?? WHAT IF THE ALCOHOL IS PURCHASED FOR A MINOR AT HOME? THAT POOR KID MISSES OUT BECAUSE A SIBLING HAD THE AUDACITY TO GO SHOPPING WITH MUM!! OH PLEASE!!!!!!1
• The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state or territory. OH YES!!!! THIS IS WHERE IT IS!!! NEED A BIT MORE REVENUE!!!!

Did you know about this rule? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Oh for goodness sake! If this is real it should be looked at by real people! Who is making these ridiculous rules up?

 

[Killa]

I live on the nsw vic border and was in one of the nsw stores yesterday,when an announcement came over the pa that all alcohol purchases had to go through the checkout next to the alcohol dept and general groceries can still go through the other checkouts . I was in that checkout ,but didn't have any wine etc ,the lady behind me did .

 

[Cher]

These laws have been around for years, good on Aldi for maintaining them. Adults have been fined for handing over alcohol to someone under 18 to carry. I remember a Licencing Sergeant fining an Adult for giving a carton of beer to their 16 yo to hold in the back of the car whilst they were driving home.
There are teenagers who actually get adults to purchase alcohol for them, this has been going on for years, the consequences for Licensees and the staff that sell alcohol are too great to take the risk, especially these days as the Licensing Commission/board does on the spot checks and have been known to enter as customers to check that everything is according to the laws, even the Licencing Sergeants do the same.

 

[CatheA]

Many shoppers love to add a cheap bottle of wine or two to their weekly shop. And ALDI is one of the places where you can get amazing deals on groceries and alcohol (depending on your state/territory). However, what many shoppers may not know is the store's policy when it comes to the sale of alcohol.

Case in point: One Victorian mum was refused service because of ALDI’s baffling checkout rule – and this got many other Aussies talking.

The unsuspecting shopper sparked a debate about the store's rules regarding the sale of alcohol after being refused service when her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout.

Wondering if this was a standard ALDI policy, the mum shared her experience on a Facebook group for fans of the budget retailer.

According to the woman, she was shopping with her eight-year-old and nine-year-old and was already at the checkout when the incident happened.

View attachment 17580

Other shoppers were shocked by the baffling rule. Credit: Markus Spiske/Pexels

‘I treated myself to a bottle of wine. I put it on the conveyor belt, and when it moved forward, my wine moved quickly, and my nine-year-old put his hand on it to stop it from rolling away,’ she recalled.

‘The lady at the register then told me she had to call the manager to confirm she could sell it to me as “the kid touched it”. WHAT?’ She continued.

Many responded to her post, including another Aussie mum who had a similar experience of being refused service at ALDI. She shared that she tried to buy a bottle of wine while shopping with her eight-month-old baby and was informed that the age limit for purchasing liquor had been temporarily increased to 30 years of age as a festival was being held in the area at the time.

Despite offering to put the wine back, the woman claimed that she was denied service and even prevented from purchasing her usual grocery items, including fruit and bread, and was asked to go to another register to finish shopping.

View attachment 17581

Another shopper was refused a sale while shopping with her baby. Credit: Magda Ehlers/Pexels

In another instance, Melbourne mum Rachael also revealed that she was denied a sale when she tried to buy a bottle of wine. This time, the mum had her teenage daughter with her.

While she claims that the teenager didn’t enter the alcohol section at her local store, the ALDI checkout worker ‘refused to back down’.

‘Went to [the] checkout with groceries and one bottle of rose and was told I would not be able to purchase a bottle of wine because I had a child with me,’ she shared.

‘The teenager in question did not so much as enter the alcohol section of the supermarket either, so not like she was ‘picking alcohol out’ for me to buy. [The] attendant flatly refused to back down, so I left without my wine...is this a new law?’ She continued.

Rachael added that this rule was ‘very inconvenient’ for mums who want to do their groceries at ALDI and buy wine.

It is understood that a sale can be refused by an ALDI employee if a minor has handled alcohol. This is because it could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor’s consumption.

According to ALDI’s website:

‘We adhere to the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and are always on the side of caution. Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998, it is an offence:

(a) to supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 and​

​

(b) for a person under the age of 18 to purchase or receive alcohol.​

In order to ensure complete compliance with the Act, we do not allow alcohol to be sold to persons accompanied by a minor or to persons under the age of 18.’

This is because it is the store’s responsibility to refuse any customer who presents a risk and the discretion of the cashier to decline a sale should they have any doubts or concerns.

The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state. In NSW, it includes a fine of $11,000 and/or 12 months in jail. In Victoria, adults who break the law face fines of more than $7,000.

‘As a responsible retailer, ALDI Australia supports and adheres to all regulations for the purchase of alcohol, including Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA),’ a spokesperson for ALDI said in a previous report.

‘There are severe consequences for breaching laws and policies set in place by the Australian government involving the sale of alcohol. As such, ALDI faces heavy penalties should we sell alcohol to any customer who supplied it to a person under the age of 18,’ they explained.

Key Takeaways

• A mother from Victoria sparked a debate about ALDI's rules around selling alcohol after she was refused service because her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout.
• Another Aussie mum shared her own similar experience of being refused service at ALDI due to a temporarily increased age limit for purchasing alcohol.
• ALDI employees can refuse a sale if they believe a minor has handled alcohol that could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor's consumption or when an adult purchases alcohol while in the company of a minor.
• The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state or territory.

Did you know about this rule? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

They don’t sell alcohol in Queensland’s store so I haven’t heard of this. How stupid to say that they would serve you at another checkout though. I wouldn’t be putting my groceries back in the trolley, moving to another line then starting all over again…. I would leave the lot and walk out.

 

[Bill Mcl]

Political Correctness at it's finest and the world just keeps getting dumber and dumber.

 

[maxesmum]

Madness. The child merely touched the bottle? An over reaction at best and very humiliating to the mum involved,I’m sure. A little common sense never hurt anybody.

 

[Sloopy]

Just proves that we have "regulated" common sense further out of existence.

Similar to the incident where I complained to Management about a checkout operator at a chain store who reduced the elderly gentleman in the queue ahead of me to tears. She refused to allow him to purchase a kitchen knife because he did not have proof that he was over 16, and said that 'he could be lying' when he told her his age and date of birth.

 

[Macarj]

What a load of crap

 

[Macarj]

These laws have been around for years, good on Aldi for maintaining them. Adults have been fined for handing over alcohol to someone under 18 to carry. I remember a Licencing Sergeant fining an Adult for giving a carton of beer to their 16 yo to hold in the back of the car whilst they were driving home.
There are teenagers who actually get adults to purchase alcohol for them, this has been going on for years, the consequences for Licensees and the staff that sell alcohol are too great to take the risk, especially these days as the Licensing Commission/board does on the spot checks and have been known to enter as customers to check that everything is according to the laws, even the Licencing Sergeants do the same.

That's different to a kid just stopping a bottle from rolling. I totally agree with you on the whole

 

[JayEeGeeP]

SA doesn't allow alcohol sales in supermarkets so we don't have to put up with such stupidity.

 

[mylittletibbies]

Yes, a bit of an overreaction I think
I was aware of this rule in Aldi and also that you must go thru the checkout next to the bottle shop but thinking a toddler is getting mum to buy alcohol for them is a little OTT.

 

[cjw1960]

Many shoppers love to add a cheap bottle of wine or two to their weekly shop. And ALDI is one of the places where you can get amazing deals on groceries and alcohol (depending on your state/territory). However, what many shoppers may not know is the store's policy when it comes to the sale of alcohol.

Case in point: One Victorian mum was refused service because of ALDI’s baffling checkout rule – and this got many other Aussies talking.

The unsuspecting shopper sparked a debate about the store's rules regarding the sale of alcohol after being refused service when her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout.

Wondering if this was a standard ALDI policy, the mum shared her experience on a Facebook group for fans of the budget retailer.

According to the woman, she was shopping with her eight-year-old and nine-year-old and was already at the checkout when the incident happened.

View attachment 17580

Other shoppers were shocked by the baffling rule. Credit: Markus Spiske/Pexels

‘I treated myself to a bottle of wine. I put it on the conveyor belt, and when it moved forward, my wine moved quickly, and my nine-year-old put his hand on it to stop it from rolling away,’ she recalled.

‘The lady at the register then told me she had to call the manager to confirm she could sell it to me as “the kid touched it”. WHAT?’ She continued.

Many responded to her post, including another Aussie mum who had a similar experience of being refused service at ALDI. She shared that she tried to buy a bottle of wine while shopping with her eight-month-old baby and was informed that the age limit for purchasing liquor had been temporarily increased to 30 years of age as a festival was being held in the area at the time.

Despite offering to put the wine back, the woman claimed that she was denied service and even prevented from purchasing her usual grocery items, including fruit and bread, and was asked to go to another register to finish shopping.

View attachment 17581

Another shopper was refused a sale while shopping with her baby. Credit: Magda Ehlers/Pexels

In another instance, Melbourne mum Rachael also revealed that she was denied a sale when she tried to buy a bottle of wine. This time, the mum had her teenage daughter with her.

While she claims that the teenager didn’t enter the alcohol section at her local store, the ALDI checkout worker ‘refused to back down’.

‘Went to [the] checkout with groceries and one bottle of rose and was told I would not be able to purchase a bottle of wine because I had a child with me,’ she shared.

‘The teenager in question did not so much as enter the alcohol section of the supermarket either, so not like she was ‘picking alcohol out’ for me to buy. [The] attendant flatly refused to back down, so I left without my wine...is this a new law?’ She continued.

Rachael added that this rule was ‘very inconvenient’ for mums who want to do their groceries at ALDI and buy wine.

It is understood that a sale can be refused by an ALDI employee if a minor has handled alcohol. This is because it could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor’s consumption.

According to ALDI’s website:

‘We adhere to the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and are always on the side of caution. Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998, it is an offence:

(a) to supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 and​

​

(b) for a person under the age of 18 to purchase or receive alcohol.​

In order to ensure complete compliance with the Act, we do not allow alcohol to be sold to persons accompanied by a minor or to persons under the age of 18.’

This is because it is the store’s responsibility to refuse any customer who presents a risk and the discretion of the cashier to decline a sale should they have any doubts or concerns.

The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state. In NSW, it includes a fine of $11,000 and/or 12 months in jail. In Victoria, adults who break the law face fines of more than $7,000.

‘As a responsible retailer, ALDI Australia supports and adheres to all regulations for the purchase of alcohol, including Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA),’ a spokesperson for ALDI said in a previous report.

‘There are severe consequences for breaching laws and policies set in place by the Australian government involving the sale of alcohol. As such, ALDI faces heavy penalties should we sell alcohol to any customer who supplied it to a person under the age of 18,’ they explained.

Key Takeaways

• A mother from Victoria sparked a debate about ALDI's rules around selling alcohol after she was refused service because her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout.
• Another Aussie mum shared her own similar experience of being refused service at ALDI due to a temporarily increased age limit for purchasing alcohol.
• ALDI employees can refuse a sale if they believe a minor has handled alcohol that could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor's consumption or when an adult purchases alcohol while in the company of a minor.
• The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state or territory.

Did you know about this rule? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

 

[cjw1960]

This is so stupid. In Adelaide we can’t even sell alcohol in a supermarket. In the UK you can buy a weeks shopping and alcohol in any supermarket which is useful. One shop all done with or without children. Australia treats us all like children!

 

[FayeM]

Many shoppers love to add a cheap bottle of wine or two to their weekly shop. And ALDI is one of the places where you can get amazing deals on groceries and alcohol (depending on your state/territory). However, what many shoppers may not know is the store's policy when it comes to the sale of alcohol.

Case in point: One Victorian mum was refused service because of ALDI’s baffling checkout rule – and this got many other Aussies talking.

The unsuspecting shopper sparked a debate about the store's rules regarding the sale of alcohol after being refused service when her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout.

Wondering if this was a standard ALDI policy, the mum shared her experience on a Facebook group for fans of the budget retailer.

According to the woman, she was shopping with her eight-year-old and nine-year-old and was already at the checkout when the incident happened.

View attachment 17580

Other shoppers were shocked by the baffling rule. Credit: Markus Spiske/Pexels

‘I treated myself to a bottle of wine. I put it on the conveyor belt, and when it moved forward, my wine moved quickly, and my nine-year-old put his hand on it to stop it from rolling away,’ she recalled.

‘The lady at the register then told me she had to call the manager to confirm she could sell it to me as “the kid touched it”. WHAT?’ She continued.

Many responded to her post, including another Aussie mum who had a similar experience of being refused service at ALDI. She shared that she tried to buy a bottle of wine while shopping with her eight-month-old baby and was informed that the age limit for purchasing liquor had been temporarily increased to 30 years of age as a festival was being held in the area at the time.

Despite offering to put the wine back, the woman claimed that she was denied service and even prevented from purchasing her usual grocery items, including fruit and bread, and was asked to go to another register to finish shopping.

View attachment 17581

Another shopper was refused a sale while shopping with her baby. Credit: Magda Ehlers/Pexels

In another instance, Melbourne mum Rachael also revealed that she was denied a sale when she tried to buy a bottle of wine. This time, the mum had her teenage daughter with her.

While she claims that the teenager didn’t enter the alcohol section at her local store, the ALDI checkout worker ‘refused to back down’.

‘Went to [the] checkout with groceries and one bottle of rose and was told I would not be able to purchase a bottle of wine because I had a child with me,’ she shared.

‘The teenager in question did not so much as enter the alcohol section of the supermarket either, so not like she was ‘picking alcohol out’ for me to buy. [The] attendant flatly refused to back down, so I left without my wine...is this a new law?’ She continued.

Rachael added that this rule was ‘very inconvenient’ for mums who want to do their groceries at ALDI and buy wine.

It is understood that a sale can be refused by an ALDI employee if a minor has handled alcohol. This is because it could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor’s consumption.

According to ALDI’s website:

‘We adhere to the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and are always on the side of caution. Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998, it is an offence:

(a) to supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 and​

​

(b) for a person under the age of 18 to purchase or receive alcohol.​

In order to ensure complete compliance with the Act, we do not allow alcohol to be sold to persons accompanied by a minor or to persons under the age of 18.’

This is because it is the store’s responsibility to refuse any customer who presents a risk and the discretion of the cashier to decline a sale should they have any doubts or concerns.

The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state. In NSW, it includes a fine of $11,000 and/or 12 months in jail. In Victoria, adults who break the law face fines of more than $7,000.

‘As a responsible retailer, ALDI Australia supports and adheres to all regulations for the purchase of alcohol, including Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA),’ a spokesperson for ALDI said in a previous report.

‘There are severe consequences for breaching laws and policies set in place by the Australian government involving the sale of alcohol. As such, ALDI faces heavy penalties should we sell alcohol to any customer who supplied it to a person under the age of 18,’ they explained.

Key Takeaways

• A mother from Victoria sparked a debate about ALDI's rules around selling alcohol after she was refused service because her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout.
• Another Aussie mum shared her own similar experience of being refused service at ALDI due to a temporarily increased age limit for purchasing alcohol.
• ALDI employees can refuse a sale if they believe a minor has handled alcohol that could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor's consumption or when an adult purchases alcohol while in the company of a minor.
• The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state or territory.

Did you know about this rule? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

I used to own a pub and the liq lic laws do not finish when you leave the premises. Yes the stance seem to be bizarre to people who dont have the fines applied to them around $11,000 to the person who serves them and for the people wo hold the lic it is around $24,000 and rises from that amount to the n hundredds of thousands amount. If somebody had a lot of say beers at my pubs got drunk had a bad accident and the police tracked it back to the venue I could be fined a massive amount of money for supplying grog to somebody I new was going to drive whether I knew or not, Same as a 18 year old buying grog walking outside and giving it to his mate who is 16. I know it seems harsh to people who dont know what the consequences are to somebody who sells grog are but there is a very good reason for people to be a bit pedantic about these things. The only thing I dont understand was the non sale to the person who had a teenager and was denied perchase because of the festival but my thought process would be they probably belong to the local liqour accord int he area and a decision was made by them ( this including the vendors with liquor lic and police) that due to previous festivals or worries that there would be a lot of under age drinking and they decided to make it a bit harder for them to get it. Sorry to be so long winded but as somebody who holds a liqour lic I know how hard the laws are and nobody knows when and who a liqour lic person will walk through the door. They very rarely annouch a visit. Cheers eveeryone.

 

[Ronloby]

The kid was most likely stopping the bottle from falling and making a mess on the floor. This law must have some leeway, in this case stopping a mess on the floor and closing the check-out aisle. The alternative is for Aldi to stop selling booze at the grocery stores.

 

[Staffordshire Whippet]

Nanny-State.

 

[Helenmac]

Yes I knew about this law. Why shouldn’t Aldi adhere to their policies and liquor license rules. It might be harsh but it is their business

 

[peteloo]

Many shoppers love to add a cheap bottle of wine or two to their weekly shop. And ALDI is one of the places where you can get amazing deals on groceries and alcohol (depending on your state/territory). However, what many shoppers may not know is the store's policy when it comes to the sale of alcohol.

Case in point: One Victorian mum was refused service because of ALDI’s baffling checkout rule – and this got many other Aussies talking.

The unsuspecting shopper sparked a debate about the store's rules regarding the sale of alcohol after being refused service when her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout.

Wondering if this was a standard ALDI policy, the mum shared her experience on a Facebook group for fans of the budget retailer.

According to the woman, she was shopping with her eight-year-old and nine-year-old and was already at the checkout when the incident happened.

View attachment 17580

Other shoppers were shocked by the baffling rule. Credit: Markus Spiske/Pexels

‘I treated myself to a bottle of wine. I put it on the conveyor belt, and when it moved forward, my wine moved quickly, and my nine-year-old put his hand on it to stop it from rolling away,’ she recalled.

‘The lady at the register then told me she had to call the manager to confirm she could sell it to me as “the kid touched it”. WHAT?’ She continued.

Many responded to her post, including another Aussie mum who had a similar experience of being refused service at ALDI. She shared that she tried to buy a bottle of wine while shopping with her eight-month-old baby and was informed that the age limit for purchasing liquor had been temporarily increased to 30 years of age as a festival was being held in the area at the time.

Despite offering to put the wine back, the woman claimed that she was denied service and even prevented from purchasing her usual grocery items, including fruit and bread, and was asked to go to another register to finish shopping.

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Another shopper was refused a sale while shopping with her baby. Credit: Magda Ehlers/Pexels

In another instance, Melbourne mum Rachael also revealed that she was denied a sale when she tried to buy a bottle of wine. This time, the mum had her teenage daughter with her.

While she claims that the teenager didn’t enter the alcohol section at her local store, the ALDI checkout worker ‘refused to back down’.

‘Went to [the] checkout with groceries and one bottle of rose and was told I would not be able to purchase a bottle of wine because I had a child with me,’ she shared.

‘The teenager in question did not so much as enter the alcohol section of the supermarket either, so not like she was ‘picking alcohol out’ for me to buy. [The] attendant flatly refused to back down, so I left without my wine...is this a new law?’ She continued.

Rachael added that this rule was ‘very inconvenient’ for mums who want to do their groceries at ALDI and buy wine.

It is understood that a sale can be refused by an ALDI employee if a minor has handled alcohol. This is because it could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor’s consumption.

According to ALDI’s website:

‘We adhere to the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and are always on the side of caution. Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998, it is an offence:

(a) to supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 and​

​

(b) for a person under the age of 18 to purchase or receive alcohol.​

In order to ensure complete compliance with the Act, we do not allow alcohol to be sold to persons accompanied by a minor or to persons under the age of 18.’

This is because it is the store’s responsibility to refuse any customer who presents a risk and the discretion of the cashier to decline a sale should they have any doubts or concerns.

The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state. In NSW, it includes a fine of $11,000 and/or 12 months in jail. In Victoria, adults who break the law face fines of more than $7,000.

‘As a responsible retailer, ALDI Australia supports and adheres to all regulations for the purchase of alcohol, including Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA),’ a spokesperson for ALDI said in a previous report.

‘There are severe consequences for breaching laws and policies set in place by the Australian government involving the sale of alcohol. As such, ALDI faces heavy penalties should we sell alcohol to any customer who supplied it to a person under the age of 18,’ they explained.

Key Takeaways

• A mother from Victoria sparked a debate about ALDI's rules around selling alcohol after she was refused service because her child touched a bottle of wine at the checkout.
• Another Aussie mum shared her own similar experience of being refused service at ALDI due to a temporarily increased age limit for purchasing alcohol.
• ALDI employees can refuse a sale if they believe a minor has handled alcohol that could potentially be purchased by an adult for the minor's consumption or when an adult purchases alcohol while in the company of a minor.
• The maximum penalties for selling or supplying alcohol to minors on licenced premises vary per state or territory.

Did you know about this rule? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

very strict adherence to the rule - not selling to minors.
not all minors following parents to the store are buying 'on behalf' of the minor, but there is little proof that even after buying, they won't be celebrating at home with some alcohol (wine) drunk by under 18's.
Perhaps like Coles and Woolworth's, liquor sale may need to be totally separate - not in-store like at Aldi's.