What about Champs shops insisting on only under 40?
Age discrimination

Like it or not, it is not age discrimination. We are not employees so those laws don't apply.

@Janice547 wrote:

I previously did several Valet parking shops in my town. They didn't pay much, but I was able to go downtown without paying an exorbitant parking fee. Now they say I have to be under 65! Why?

Because you are a geezer and your mind is failing. and they do not want to hear from you because old people might pee in their pants, that's why! . ANY EXCUSE IS A GOOD EXCUSE w
hy sales people will not give you the time of day.

I boycott shops that have an age problem. I can be a legitimate customer as I buy stuff for people that are younger than I am. but I will NOT buy it from sales people that mistreats me.

I often go shopping dressed as if I can not afford to buy what a salesperson is selling. If I am discriminated against, that salesperson does not deserve to be rewarded with the commission they might make if they ignored the physical appearance and serviced this customer. I know many people who shop the same way. If my old age makes me dead to them they are not rewarded with my business. or the commission they may make.

@Piled Hip Deep wrote:

I often go shopping dressed as if I can not afford to buy what a salesperson is selling. If I am discriminated against, that salesperson does not deserve to be rewarded with the commission they might make if they ignored the physical appearance and serviced this customer. I know many people who shop the same way. If my old age makes me dead to them they are not rewarded with my business. or the commission they may make.

I'm guessing you are only talking about when you shop on your own dime and not when you are mystery shopping, right? Or you are joking?

I am not sure which company has your doing valet parking with the age limit. I valet park and am over 65, never had a problem and get a 10. I just did one last week.

@roflwofl wrote:

@Piled Hip Deep wrote:

I often go shopping dressed as if I can not afford to buy what a salesperson is selling. If I am discriminated against, that salesperson does not deserve to be rewarded with the commission they might make if they ignored the physical appearance and serviced this customer. I know many people who shop the same way. If my old age makes me dead to them they are not rewarded with my business. or the commission they may make.

I'm guessing you are only talking about when you shop on your own dime and not when you are mystery shopping, right? Or you are joking?

When I am shopping on their dime, doing a mystery shop, and I get the shop I am not being discriminated against I got the shop. If a company is telling me I can not do their shop because I am a geezer, there is no reason why I would give that company my business. If they do not care what my demographic thinks about eating a chicken or taking younger relatives out to their location they lose when I choose where to spend my money.

I can understand when a company restricts age because of alcohol compliance. They would not card me. I would not be good on that shop. Or if I must bring a underage person to a movie and I do not have that "prop" and under age teen. I look many years younger than I am. There were a lot of old people at my 50th high school reunion. I kept thinking, who are all these old people with walkers.

I am being affected by the age requirements, which will probably worsen on my next "big" birthday; and frankly, it p------ me off. Especially when we are denied from a shop because of the random age requirements, then late in the month when the MS can't get it filled then they contact me and say, "Oh, we can waive that, this time." So, late in the month when they are desperate I suddenly am not too old for the shop that after umpteen years with no age limit, suddenly has an age limit. What blows my mind is that we are talking bakery cafes, family-friendly sports bar in a heavily 55+ area!!! Where do they think the seniors in this community eat??? I don't buy that all of this is demographics set by the client...I just wonder if it's the MS "creating value" as they work with clients...that of course is my opinion, not based on fact other than the fact that when they are desperate, the age thing goes away!

I've been refused some car shops because I'm over 60. Doesn't the client think that peopleover 60 buy cars?

We many times sell our houses and move down, having the almighty cash in our hot little hands and could trade in our old cars for something gas saving....it is a bummer and why is demographics's an issue, it's not like we're buying anything. Letting an experienced shopper go by the waste site for a newbie, oh well, I still am begged to do the Tesla shops after having done one.....and I'm certainly not buying one.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/2017 12:23AM by Irene_L.A..

I see age requirements on several shops now - feeling obsolete here. I do understand the bar shops - but not for dining.

I am up there in years with many of you but I can understand to a degree the client wanting to know how a certain demographic feels about the type of service they provide. I was getting my hair cut for many years at a shop that should have had a lot of clientele. The haircuts were very good, the cutters knew what they were doing and the interior of the place had been spiffed up and looked quite nice.Prices were wonderful. For some reason , although in a high traffic area, this hair place never seemed to have business and finally went out of business. The only thing I can come up with is that most of their staff were 50 and above in age and the under xxx age people wanted a different atmosphere. That place might have done better to have some shoppers who were in a younger demographic give their point of view of the service etc.
I personally really like shops that have a comment box asking the shopper for opinions in addition to the objective answers required.
But like most of you for the general shops I do not understand many of these places wanting only younger shoppers. A mix of ages would be the best I would think but maybe that is too time consuming for the msc to handle! A bakery? do all old people all have diabetes? No, i think not. A car dealership? There seem to be a lot of older folk getting their first luxury car now that they can finally afford it after putting their kids thru college and paying those bills off. My most memorable shop on this subject was when I did one at Abercrombie and Fitch a few years ago. I was by far the youngest customer in the store the day I was there and I was just barely under the age requirement.

Piled Hip, that reminds me of a shopping experience some years ago. When my husband and I moved into our new home several years ago, we wanted to purchase a new refrigerator from Montgomery Wards. We weren't familiar with our new town so we would drive to MW near our old town. It would be 90 min. drive from our new town. We were dressed on sweats since we had just moved in our new house the day before. One of the salesman approached us but did not actually made eye contact. He opened a dishwasher door and asked us how you folks were doing. We weren't sure if he was talking to us or the dishwasher. Anyway, we replied that we were looking for a refrigerator. He showed us where they were. We found what we wanted and talked it over to let the salesman have the sale/commission.. Anyway, we asked the salesman to help us. He ignored us, thinking we were gonna waste his time and could not afford anything since we were dressed in sweats. We looked for another salesperson. The saleslady was busy with a customer but will help us when she was finished. Okay, no prob. We happened to pick one of their most expensive refrigerators, it was about $1,000 and to open a new credit card to finance the purchase. The salesman was beside himself as he noticed what the saleslady was ringing up.

It's perfectly fair for clients to specify the demographic of the shoppers needed for their research. The problem is sloppy schedulers who don't properly communicate the requirements in their postings or desperate e-mails for "Help". And, I've long ago given up on schedulers figuring out that Jacksonville, FL is closer to Atlanta than it is to Miami, no matter how many desperate e-mails they send me for "help" with shops in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. They don't have time to figure out local geography, so it's up to shoppers to do the filtering. Honestly, if someone tasked me to fill a basket of shops in California, I would have no idea where various cities are relative to Los Angeles, San Diego or San Francisco.

Chronologically, I am too old for shops that I very much want to complete. I have ongoing experience and interest. I know what was, what is, and what probably will be in those businesses. I know these things because I support them with money. I personally shop there. They ought to listen to people like me.

Oh, yes, I belong in certain settings! I look like I could be in the target age group. If nothing hurts, I feel about twelve. I would seem like a youngster, or at least like a member of a younger demographic.

But these things do not matter in the research. There, it is assumed that I represent only others like me in commonly assigned categories such as age and that others unlike me do not represent me.

*sigh*

@LisaSTL wrote:

Like it or not, it is not age discrimination. We are not employees so those laws don't apply.

You are right; it is not illegal. However, nonetheless it is frustrating when I was unable to shop a bakery café, where tons of folks my age have lunch or dinner all the time. Then, it would appear the MSC was having trouble getting the shops filled. A month or two later, the age restriction was modified. I think I am good there now for a few more years (I don't remember offhand what the age requirements are currently). But seriously, what is the difference between it being okay to be 67 and go in and order a turkey sandwich, but not okay at 68. Totally not logical --- and a bummer!

I wish we could get an answer that made sense. My original question was "Dont they think older people buy cars?"

@nc wrote:

I wish we could get an answer that made sense. My original question was "Dont they think older people buy cars?"

The answer is that we don't what or if they think. But we "know" a few things from decades of research. We "know" that sex sells and that car chicks and car studs tend to be wrinkle-free, glowing, and void of excess rolls of dimpled skin. How many people in the over-age category look like that and are quickly associated in potential buyers' minds with sleek cars, fast speeds, and wild biker adventures? When you hear Steppenwolf singing "Born to be Wild", do you think of Santa Claus on a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer? Probably not... But Santa is old. Some old people can afford new cars. Are there ads somewhere that feature old-looking people in expensive vehicles that younger people would not buy because they cannot afford the price range or do not like the style?


Who's next?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2017 01:50AM by Shop-et-al.

Oh well....

There is one cool mall gift store I can't shop because I am too old, and another grilled cheese place I can't shop because I am too old. I see people of all ages at both of these places so it really doesn't make sense to me, but it's what the client wants. It's too bad but it is what it is.

Hi sojo917
I'm in Cali and 54 years old. I come across several shop offers that have age restrictions. I'm curious what you're talking about re 'closed shop fees'? I've been shopping for nearly three years now and that's a new one on me Thanks

I got an email (actually several) and a call to do a shop nearby (about 15 miles away) and was considering it. Then the scheduler stated "awwww - I'm sorry, you do not meet the age requirements). The shop was for a high-end handbag and the age limit was 50. Like others have said - makes me wonder....do they think that a 51+ year old would not purchase a Coach handbag? Even if a true shopper is not purchasing it for themselves, they could be buying as a gift for a daughter, grand-daughter, niece, etc.

I wish I knew someone who was 18-25, as there are a huge number of shops very close to go in to try to purchase a pack of cigarettes and see if they are asked for a photo ID. Also every month or so there are several shops for purchasing video's and I need a 15-17 year old to try to buy these videos that are for 18 and over. That is when age demographics make sense.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2018 05:47AM by FrostyBubbles.

@las30 wrote:

I never understand why I get many emails a day almost daily for age verification jobs when my age is filled out in all my profiles. Why do MSC ask you to fill out a profile and then still send you so many emails for jobs you don't qualify for? Total waste of time.

They are probably hoping you know someone who will do the shop, and you can refer that person.

I really don't think they even look at your profile. I get e-m's for jobs specifying a younger person, & I also get e-m's for jobs in states that are 2,000 miles away.

This may be an issue for you (generally) to tackle, if you have time. Apparently, we oldies but better than goodies have plenty of time, now that we have aged out of some of the shops. I am attempting (in my own inimitable little way) to address just one aspect of an apparently unnecessary gap between potential employees and certain jobs. But you all might be able to bring your considerable talents to the larger issue of what "over-age" shoppers shall be allowed to do in this industry. What do you think?


p.s. I just found out that there is a little bit of support for my little effort. Huzzah! Apparently, someone has decided that this idea has merit and will see what can be done. Maybe we cannot change this in large ways, but we can involve people in various ways. Yay! Mind you, it is not my job to find jobs for people. It is only my job to give a damn and then do something that might make things easier for people who are facing bastions and barricades. Wish us luck!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2017 08:45PM by Shop-et-al.