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Are age restricted offers and deals illegal?

Are offers and deals provided by retailers etc illegal? I'm sitting on the train and there's a poster advertising discounted rail fares for +55's only. Similarly, Orange offer an under 24's contract which costs less than the equivalent contract if you're over 24. There's loads of these type of offers out there and I was just wondering if they've ever been challenged in court.

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  • Anonymous
    9 years ago
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    Right now, all such age discrimination by retailers is totally legal unfortunately. The situation gets ridiculous sometimes, with Poundland refusing to sell potato-peelers to under-21s!!! A friend of mine was once refused a sale of plastic cutlery by Poundland because she was 18, not 21!!!

    However, on the first on October, the law will change (Equality Act 2010 (Commencement No.9 Order 2012), and associated provisions of the Equality Act 2010). After this date, it will be illegal to discriminate against adults on the basis of age in the provision of goods and services.

    This does not, however, apply if the discrimination is in order to acheive a 'legitimate aim'. 'Legitimate aim' would include providing cheeper travel to pentioners. It probably wouldn't include providing under-24s-only phone contracts.

    We'll really have to wait and see, tbh. It will take a few years after the new legislation for case law on all this to become clear.

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