Rite Aid is not your friend!

Rite Aid on Westwood Blvd, store # 5433, has a policy that when buying liquor, everyone in a group must have a valid id, to show that they are over 21. Rite Aid defines a group as "more than one person." What happens if you happen to see a friend in the store? Furthermore, the manager said that if I leave, I cannot come back within 24 hours unless I am accompanied by everyone in the group! He just made that up. Here is the letter that followed:

I am writing today in regards to your alcohol selling policy at store #5433. I entered the store today (10/22) at approximately 11:30AM. I had come in to pick up a few small items, and right in front of the entrance was a display for various liquors that were on sale. Never one to leave a good offer behind, I picked up the gift box of Wild Turkey Bourbon, which was on sale for $12.99. While attempting to find the items that I had originally came to buy, I ran into an acquaintance and we began shopping together. Unfortunately, my friend could not find what she was looking for, and she accompanied me to the register so that I could check out my items. Upon scanning the Wild Turkey the cashier asked for both of our ID’s, and said that store policy required that all members of the group be over 21. Unfortunately, my friend who is 22, did not have her ID with her, so the cashier and the manager would not let me purchase the Wild Turkey. This “group policy” was clearly stated on the wall. However, the manager informed me that I could not return within 24 hours to purchase the Wild Turkey unless I was accompanied by my friend with her ID. The manager could not direct me to any documentation to validate this policy. I understand the requirements of having strict alcohol sale policies, however, there should be a level of logic that accompanies each policy.
To say that I cannot return to the store within 24 hours to purchase alcohol is absolutely absurd, especially when there is no written documentation of this policy. It is safe to say that your manager was making up store rules without any backing. Furthermore, my friend was not part of my group, the only definition of a group was “more than one person.” My friend had not accompanied into the store and was not there to shop with me. The store policy left me with only 2 options, either I don’t get the Wild Turkey and Rite Aide looses a sale. Or, I leave the store with my friend so that we can get her ID.
Fortunately, my friend was parked right outside the store, she promptly grabbed her ID, and I left the store very upset!
There are no other stores in Westwood that share the same policies as Rite Aid, and I will definitely take my business somewhere else, maybe the new CVS that just opened up the street.
The store’s alcohol policy defines all forms of logic and I will never purchase anything from Rite Aid again. Furthermore, I will be sending a copy of this letter to the better business bureau and posting a copy on a very prominent web site so that others will know that not only does Rite Aid have unfriendly policies, but their managers make up rules without any backing.