Propaganda from the ARAA

[anna]

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/000404/dc_araa_su_1.html

I love the qualifier "if there was no age verification". OF COURSE college students would buy alcohol online IF there was no age verification! The answer would be the same if the poll said "party store" instead of "Internet". BLAH! See how many holes you can punch in this press release.

[EPICURUS]

Anna-

What would you propose to confirm age verification in order to undermine the ARAA position? Carding upon delivery which parallels the store or bar experience? Instead of the bartender its the local UPS driver demanding to see proof of age. In Nevada, for example, DHL drivers write down the information of the person receiving the wine shipment. On the ordering side: use of driver's license in the shopping cart form (at least one cyber wine merchant does this; what they do with it I don't know)? Until an adequate response is generated the ARAA will make all the points.

[anna]

I think that age verification can be conducted adequately by:

1. Requiring the buyer to send proof of age when making the order (I've had to fax my driver's license to one retailer); and

2. Having the UPS driver check ID upon delivery AND verifying that the person who placed the order is the person signing for the package.

Also, I'm sure that there is or will soon be technology available that can link credit card numbers with drivers license information to verify age when ordering. I know this system probably isn't perfect (with fake ID's and all), but then the same problems come up in alcohol sales through conventional channels too. For some reason, the ARAA is ignoring the fact that most illegal sales are through liquor stores.

I know, this is probably not the most satisfactory answer, but it at least focuses regulation on the age issue without creating a blanket prohibition against Internet sales.