Anti-Wine Shipping Proponents Forget About Parents
December 3, 2007 – 9:03 am
The very small number, but powerful, groups that want to shut down consumers ability to purchase wine direct from retailers and wineries is making a strong push around the issue of “Face To Face” transactions being the only safe way of allowing direct to consumer shipping. They suggest that all wine purchased either by phone or Internet should be picked up at a retailer. This, they say, is the only way to assure that wine will not get into the hands of minors.
It also assures that consumers will lose the very convenience that direct shipment provides and will therefore reduce the amount of wine that is purchased from out-of-state sources…the ultimate goal of the anti-direct shipping forces.
But what they are not telling you is that forcing someone to pick up an item at a brick and mortar store, rather than have it shipped directly to one’s home, will likely increase the amount of alcohol that gets into the hands of minors.
Minors are far and away more likely to obtain alcohol from Brick and Mortar retailers than from deliveries to their home. We know this because it happens every day. Meanwhile, minors rarely if ever obtain alcohol via direct shipment. The reason is, minors have an obstacle far greater to overcome if they were to order wine for home delivery than if they ordered it and picked it up at a retail outlet: Their parents.
First, the minor would have to show the delivery person an ID. It’s very unlikely that a minor has an ID that says they are 21. But more importantly, the minor must be at home when their parents are not, in order to get the purchase past the best blood hounds in the minor-watching business: Again…Parents.
This is why those looking to shut down direct-to-consumer sales and shipment of wine find themselves addressing a problem that does not exist.
But of course there are other safeguards in place besides the probing eyes of a parent:
“Mike Palmeri, owner of Marketview Liquor in Rochester, N.Y., said that his company pays extra to UPS to get them to check IDs when delivering alcohol.
“They are required to act as our agent,” Palmeri said. “The person who receives the goods must be over 21 and show proof of age.” He said that UPS will place a phone call to the recipient the day before the package is to be delivered to ask that an adult be at home to receive the package. “
One Response to “Anti-Wine Shipping Proponents Forget About Parents”
to legally ship alcohol, you must go through a lengthy process with carriers. once your shipping contract is set up, by law and by contract you must mark all your packages as containing alcohol with a label that has meets the standards of each compliant state, and also require signature of an adult at point of delivery. How is a Fed-Ex driver checking an ID any different than a store cashier?
What Mike says is true. It costs an extra $3.95 or so per package to request adult signature. The argument that direct shipping is going to promote underage drinking is ridiculous and frustrating.
By Jill on Dec 4, 2007