Sale and Supply of Alcohol Regulations 2013

Remote sales

14 Reasonable steps to verify that people not under purchase age

(1)

The procedures described in subclauses (2) to (4) are reasonable procedures for the purposes of complying with section 59(3) of the Act (which requires the holder of an off-licence to take reasonable steps to verify that the buyer of any alcohol that the holder sells by remote sale (and, if a person other than the buyer is to receive it, to verify that the receiver) is not under the purchase age).

(2)

In the case of an order made using an internet site, the procedure is to—

(a)

ask the prospective buyer to declare, by ticking an on-screen box, that he or she is 18 years of age or over (and, where a prospective receiver is involved, that the prospective receiver is also 18 years of age or over)—

(i)

once when the prospective buyer first enters the internet site; and

(ii)

again, immediately before the sale of any alcohol is completed; and

(b)

refuse to sell alcohol to the prospective buyer unless, on both occasions, he or she declares that he or she is 18 years of age or over (and, where a prospective receiver is involved, also declares that the prospective receiver is 18 years of age or over).

(3)

In the case of a telephone order, the procedure is to—

(a)

ask the prospective buyer to declare, orally, that he or she is 18 years of age or over (and, where a prospective receiver is involved, that the prospective receiver is also 18 years of age or over)—

(i)

once when the conversation concerned begins; and

(ii)

again, immediately before the conversation is completed; and

(b)

refuse to sell alcohol to the prospective buyer unless, on both occasions, he or she declares that he or she is 18 years of age or over (and, where a prospective receiver is involved, also declares that the prospective receiver is 18 years of age or over).

(4)

In the case of an order made on a physical order form, the procedure is to—

(a)

ensure that the form—

(i)

requires the prospective buyer to sign the form at a place at or near its end; and

(ii)

contains 2 requests for the prospective buyer to declare, by ticking a box, that he or she is 18 years of age or over (and, where a prospective receiver is involved, that the prospective receiver is also 18 years of age or over)—

(A)

one at the beginning of the form; and

(B)

the other, immediately before the place on the form where the prospective buyer is required to sign it; and

(b)

refuse to sell alcohol to the prospective buyer unless he or she has ticked both boxes and signed the form.