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Forums - Gaming - If you’re buying a Mature game, don’t bring younger siblings

Entroper on 15 January 2008
naznatips said:
twesterm is absolutely right. If the older person in question was his legal guardian then that's fine, but the cashier did their job. She was completely right to refuse sale to a kid who wasn't accompanied by his legal guardian.

Yes.

IMO, the legality of it is not even an issue.  I don't even think that all states have laws requiring the ratings for video games to be enforced.  The problem is that every other day, you see a headline about how this or that store got mystery shopped by a kid, and they sold the kid mature-rated games.  A lot of parents get angry about that, and Jack Thompson gets another excuse to sue somebody or bitch to the news networks about violence in video games.  The more often this happens, the more support these nutjobs will get, and the stricter the laws will become.  That's not good for video games and it's not good for retailers, so it's best for them to nip it in the butt.

My gut reaction to this story was "that's lame", but after thinking about it for a moment, I agree with twesterm.  I'd rather read this story than the 5000th story about BBY selling M-rated games to kids and getting in hot water.



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twesterm on 15 January 2008
naznatips said:
Famine said:
naznatips said:

You can't buy alcohol in a store with a minor at all (cigarettes you can, as long as they don't suspect you to be buying them for a kid). Your right, the main problem is that he took the cards from the brother, and that gave her the right to make the call that he was buying the game for him. If a legal guardian had been given the gift cards by his son, then it would be a perfectly legal transaction and the cashier would have no right to make that call.


WHAT?! What state are you in? That really sounds... anal I guess would be the right word.

I don't even think that a legal guardian had to have those gift cards, I'd be singing a different tune if the older brother had produced those gift cards.


Indiana, and yeah, it's pretty conservative around here. Actually though I'm wrong. You can buy alcohol with a minor around, just not in a liquor store (where they aren't allowed in). Again though, the store owner has the right to make the judgement call that you may be buying that alcohol for the minor and refuse you sale of it.


 In Texas you actually can't buy alcohol with a minor around.  We were on a beer run one time when I was 19 I think and we went to the grocery store.  This was before I knew this law so I walked up to the register with my 21 year old buddy.  He was looking at me strange and I had no idea why until the cashier carded me and then wouldn't sell us anything.



 

Edouble24 on 15 January 2008
twesterm said:
Edouble24 said:
twesterm said:
Famine said:
naznatips said:
twesterm is absolutely right. If the older person in question was his legal guardian then that's fine, but the cashier did their job. She was completely right to refuse sale to a kid who wasn't accompanied by his legal guardian.


I think the main problem was that he took those gift cards from the younger brother.


That is exactly the problem. I'm sure if he hadn't done that the cashier probably wouldn't have cared but she decided to check and that's that.

Edouble24 said:
naznatips said:
twesterm is absolutely right. If the older person in question was his legal guardian then that's fine, but the cashier did their job. She was completely right to refuse sale to a kid who wasn't accompanied by his legal guardian.

She didn't refuse the kid,she refused the adult just because he was with a minor.


Are you even reading what we're writing? I know your Gamestop says one thing but, well, they're wrong. They have the legal guardian rule to keep themselves from getting in trouble. If anyone 17 year old could buy any 15 year old any M rated game you know the kind of trouble Gamestop could get in if one parent decided to throw a hissy fit?

By saying the legal guardian has to buy the game, they're protecting themselves from bitchy parents. Parents can bitch and moan that their kids are playing terrible M rated games, but as long as the parent bought it there's nothing they can do to Gamestop. If some other little snot bought the game then the parent has a case.

 

They have no case against Gamestop at all actually. If I sold you an M rated game and you gave it to a 4 year old the parent has no case against Gamestop at all.

 


If I came in with a 15 year old (I'm not going to use the 4 year old example because it's silly), went up to the register, took money from him, bought the game, and then the next day the parent called bitching they would veyr much get the Gamestop in a heap of hurt. The Gamestop wouldn't lose money but more than liklely the manager would get fired and possibly the employee that sold the game.

I highly doubt anyone would get fired if that happened.

 



twesterm on 15 January 2008
Edouble24 said:
twesterm said:
 

If I came in with a 15 year old (I'm not going to use the 4 year old example because it's silly), went up to the register, took money from him, bought the game, and then the next day the parent called bitching they would veyr much get the Gamestop in a heap of hurt. The Gamestop wouldn't lose money but more than liklely the manager would get fired and possibly the employee that sold the game.

I highly doubt anyone would get fired if that happened.

 


I've seen Gamestop managers and employees get fired for very similar things and even dumber things.



 

naznatips on 15 January 2008
Edouble24 said:
twesterm said:

If I came in with a 15 year old (I'm not going to use the 4 year old example because it's silly), went up to the register, took money from him, bought the game, and then the next day the parent called bitching they would veyr much get the Gamestop in a heap of hurt. The Gamestop wouldn't lose money but more than liklely the manager would get fired and possibly the employee that sold the game.

I highly doubt anyone would get fired if that happened.

 


They could be fired, and the manager and employee have the right to protect themselves from that situation.



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Famine on 15 January 2008
naznatips said:

Indiana, and yeah, it's pretty conservative around here. Actually though I'm wrong.  You can buy alcohol with a minor around, just not in a liquor store (where they aren't allowed in).  Again though, the store owner has the right to make the judgement call that you may be buying that alcohol for the minor and refuse you sale of it.


Well that sucks. That's not the case here, and also, minors still can get their "M" rated games in a few places even with all the proposed mature video game laws here in New York.

I remember they repealed one blue law only a few years ago: Liquor stores selling alcohol on a Sunday.



Edouble24 on 15 January 2008
naznatips said:
Edouble24 said:
twesterm said:

If I came in with a 15 year old (I'm not going to use the 4 year old example because it's silly), went up to the register, took money from him, bought the game, and then the next day the parent called bitching they would veyr much get the Gamestop in a heap of hurt. The Gamestop wouldn't lose money but more than liklely the manager would get fired and possibly the employee that sold the game.

I highly doubt anyone would get fired if that happened.

 


They could be fired, and the manager and employee have the right to protect themselves from that situation.

Well you could get fired for anything...that doesn't mean the employee did the wrong thing.

 



SeriousWB on 15 January 2008
twesterm said:
naznatips said:
Famine said:
naznatips said:

You can't buy alcohol in a store with a minor at all (cigarettes you can, as long as they don't suspect you to be buying them for a kid). Your right, the main problem is that he took the cards from the brother, and that gave her the right to make the call that he was buying the game for him. If a legal guardian had been given the gift cards by his son, then it would be a perfectly legal transaction and the cashier would have no right to make that call.


WHAT?! What state are you in? That really sounds... anal I guess would be the right word.

I don't even think that a legal guardian had to have those gift cards, I'd be singing a different tune if the older brother had produced those gift cards.


Indiana, and yeah, it's pretty conservative around here. Actually though I'm wrong. You can buy alcohol with a minor around, just not in a liquor store (where they aren't allowed in). Again though, the store owner has the right to make the judgement call that you may be buying that alcohol for the minor and refuse you sale of it.


 In Texas you actually can't buy alcohol with a minor around.  We were on a beer run one time when I was 19 I think and we went to the grocery store.  This was before I knew this law so I walked up to the register with my 21 year old buddy.  He was looking at me strange and I had no idea why until the cashier carded me and then wouldn't sell us anything.


That story makes me glad I'm in England ^^



naznatips on 15 January 2008
Famine said:
naznatips said:

Indiana, and yeah, it's pretty conservative around here. Actually though I'm wrong. You can buy alcohol with a minor around, just not in a liquor store (where they aren't allowed in). Again though, the store owner has the right to make the judgement call that you may be buying that alcohol for the minor and refuse you sale of it.


Well that sucks. That's not the case here, and also, minors still can get their "M" rated games in a few places even with all the proposed mature video game laws here in New York.

I remember they repealed one blue law only a few years ago: Liquor stores selling alcohol on a Sunday.


We can't sel Liquor on Sunday here either... I never understood that law.  I would assume it's for religious reasons, but the bible had lots of drinking in it...



Famine on 15 January 2008
naznatips said:

We can't sel Liquor on Sunday here either... I never understood that law.  I would assume it's for religious reasons, but the bible had lots of drinking in it...


No, New York repealed it a few years back. You want to wet your whistle on a Sunday, you can freely walk into a bar or liquor store.