How old is a customer?

At what age can one technically shop and be considered a customer?  So, here’s the scenario:  I was at a local craft store and in line behind a mom and her son.  He was probably 9 or 10.  Anyhow, he was buying a Star Wars model to assemble and had a 50% off coupon.  While we were waiting, I was chatting with him because Gav has the same model.

 

When it was his turn, he sat his purchase down, along with his coupon, and waited to be rung up with his Batman wallet in hand.  The cashier asked the mom if she also had a coupon and she replied she did.  The cashier then went on to say that only one of them could use a coupon, because he wasn’t old enough to shop alone.  The store policy is only one coupon per customer per day and he wasn’t considered a customer because he wasn’t old enough to be one- never mind the fact he had money in hand.  The boy sighed and told his mom he’d wait to buy his model.  His mom asked if she could pay for her stuff and wait outside while he paid, and she was still told no.  The boy insisted it was no big deal and his mom bought her stuff, telling him she’d have his dad bring him back later to buy the model.  I even asked if I could buy it, but because I too had a coupon, it didn’t make a difference. 

When it was finally my turn, I asked the cashier how old one has to be to be considered a customer.  She said she didn’t know, but if a person can’t drive yet, they probably aren’t old enough.  Being slightly annoyed by the situation, I told her my mom doesn’t drive.  Knowing that, does that mean she isn’t a customer?  You could tell she was getting flustered and was glad my purchase was bagged so I’d leave. 

On the way out I met the boy, his mom, and a friend she ran into in the parking lot.  Guess what?  Friend was buying the model with the boy’s money and coupon, while mom watched from the door.  The cashier still tried to refuse it!  At that point, I was about to buy the kid the model myself just on principle, when up came the manager.  Amazingly enough with a manager standing nearby, the cashier dropped the issue, rang up the model, took the coupon, and cash. 

I guess my whole issue with the scenario is here we have a mom who is teaching her son by example about managing money.  It wasn’t like she was trying to commit some huge coupon fraud or hoarding 50 bottles of ketchup.  And I’m still annoyed by the fact I never did get a real answer on how old one has to be to be considered a customer.