i think best buy is tring to catch under age teens buying mature video games

the last two months the company i've been doing shops for has had a job where my teen has posed that he's tring to buy a mature video game this shop has been posted serveral times not that i don't mind doing it but it just seems like they should move on to another area for what i've noticed best buy is really stick on selling video games to someone under 17 has anyone else had shops like this

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There are a variety of shops performed at Best Buy. Certainly the video shops are to ascertain that their staff is abiding by the law and the store rules of requiring proof of age where there could be any question of whether the buyer is old enough. There are a number of shops with a number of compaies where the purpose is to determine if the business is following the law for purchase of alcohol, tobacco and video games. It is significantly cheaper for them to self monitor through shops than to pay the fines/penalties or have their liquor license revoked when non-compliance is found by authorities.

Of course businesses do this. Like Flash said, better they catch the misbehaving stores than to have the police do so.

I enjoy doing those shops with my son! BB isn't the only company who does them.

I think it is a $10,000 fine to sell to minors. I am sure the company doesn't mind performing these compliance for training and even some leniency if a worker is caught selling to a minor.

Most of the ones I (or my nephew) does are not necessarily for Best Buy or Walmart or wherever we are going but rather for the board that governs over the sale of these items. I do not believe it is illegal for the items to be sold to underage children but rather suggested that they don't and the governing board is checking to see if the companies are following those policies.

My daughter (in her younger days) did many of these and at that time it was definitely told to her it was for a survey of the governing agency.

It is illegal to buy alcohol or tobacco underage and that is different.

Liz

OK so I have a question...
Minor goes in to buy beer, smokes, whatever.
What in the world happens if the store doesn't card them and proceeds with the sale?
Does Minor say thank you and leave?
Since it's illegal, do they have to back out and say "I changed my mind."?
Because the sale is recorded on security video...

In Canada, legal age for everything is 18.

" I think there's a nap for that."

The point is that the company is sending in legal age folks for the alcohol and smokes who are still young enough that a clerk or server should check their ID. They can legally purchase but store policy requires anyone who looks like they are, say, 25 or under be carded. Some clerks take it extremes and I have been amused when not on shops to be carded at 60+ to buy wine. But in a store where 25 requires carding, a clerk who is not carding a 20 year old needs some counseling or retraining.

SpyGirl719 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OK so I have a question...
> Minor goes in to buy beer, smokes, whatever.
> What in the world happens if the store doesn't
> card them and proceeds with the sale?
> Does Minor say thank you and leave?
> Since it's illegal, do they have to back out and
> say "I changed my mind."?
> Because the sale is recorded on security video...
>
> In Canada, legal age for everything is 18.

If it's for a mystery shop, the person would have to be of legal age to purchase alcohol or tobacco. The police will do their own checks, using underage patrons under police supervision.

There are shops (in IL anyway) where they send a 17 year old in with their parent watching to purchase cigarettes. I would never allow my daughter (or any of the minors I take on other shops) to do those shops because it is illegal for a 17 year old to buy cigarettes and I was not putting them in that position. Those shops are regularly on the boards. I think I have seen them for FL too but not totally sure about that.

Liz

Best Buy has been doing underage video shops for many years.

I think the idea of the shop is a pro-active approach. The company is not wanting to catch the teens buying the material. They are wanting to catch the employees that sell to them. using the information as a training tool.

i do agree with you all that it is a way to see if there following guideline and state law. i was just curious if this was normal thing for the job comes up so much

You are most likely seeing the same job over and over and over as it appears it is hard to fill in my market. Most shoppers do not fit the demographic themselves and even those with kids of the appropriate age may choose for one reason or another not to bring their kids into their work.

Hae you seen the shops where you are (as an adult) to take a minor to attempt to buy the "morning after pill"? That seems so wrong on so many levels. I do not even want to list the reasons why this is borderline immoral and creepy. Just say no MSC.

cynb - I've never seen those kind of shops! Excluding the borderline immoral and creepy reasons, it's a complete waste of time. Planned Parenthood will give them away like candy along with birth control pills and condoms. In my state, a girl of 14 can request them (or an abortion) and be given them without the parents' knowledge or consent. But they need parental consent for any piercings or tattoos until they're 18!!!

If I do see one of those jobs posted, and it is with an MSC that I work for, I will disenroll with them immediately.

Thank you for letting us know about this.

cynb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hae you seen the shops where you are (as an adult)
> to take a minor to attempt to buy the "morning
> after pill"? That seems so wrong on so many
> levels. I do not even want to list the reasons
> why this is borderline immoral and creepy. Just
> say no MSC.

I'm confused by this - why is it immoral and creepy to ensure that pharmacies are complying with the law by not selling Plan B to minors? Regardless of your stance on the question of whether these products should be available and to who/what age persons - I would think it would be a good thing to make sure the law is being followed.

I saw a great billboard in the Philadelphia area, "How much would you pay to get out of a DUI? Pay for a cab."

Different context, but similar situation. The paltry amount they pay for the age compliance shops is well worth avoidance of a $10K fine. The documentation that the shops provide can help prove that they were diligent. If one underage teen is caught and the company is fined, they will have the documentation WE have provided to prove that this was a clerical error on the part of an employee and possibly avoid the fine.

(I am not a lawyer, although I have often played that role as a mystery shopper.)

royalnbn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think it is a $10,000 fine to sell to minors. I
> am sure the company doesn't mind performing these
> compliance for training and even some leniency if
> a worker is caught selling to a minor.

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i think best buy is tring to catch under age teens buying mature video games

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