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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To refuse coffee someone else rejected?

167 replies

36Camelliasandcounting · 19/06/2026 07:34

It’s happened several times recently. The barista has made a drink that wasn’t the right specification for whoever ordered it. One of those things right? It happens.

Except several times recently, the barista has then poured that rejected coffee into a takeaway cup from the ‘having in’ mug and tried to serve to me. I’ve refused and been met with a fair bit of eye-rolling. Most recently I just asked for a refund and after I left a review online stating the incident had happened several times recently including twice that week and as a result I wouldn’t be going back.

The manager has since replied stating it’s policy and widely appreciated by customers to minimise waste?!

AIBU to think no one wants someone else’s rejected coffee?

YABU: I’m happy to take other customers rejected coffee.

YANBU: No. Even worse if the coffee isn’t the right spec and/or has been stood on the side whilst the original drink was remade so is then cold when presented to you.

OP posts:
EveningSpread · 19/06/2026 07:49

The word “rejected” is doing a lot of work here.

If someone “rejected” a coffee because it’s not what they ordered, there isn’t anything wrong with it.

If it is what you ordered and still hot, I don’t see why you’d be precious about it. i would accept it.

Original poster
36Camelliasandcounting · 19/06/2026 07:49

gotmyselfintoapickle · 19/06/2026 07:44

I was thinking this 😂 how hard is it to take a coffee order and make the right thing.

in answer to your question OP, if it had literally just been made I’d have it. If I hadn’t seen it be made I probably wouldn’t as it might have been hanging around a bit.

Show quote history

New summer staff. Massive staff turnover happens around this time every year, but this is the first time I’ve had this.

OP posts:
BringBackCatsEyes · 19/06/2026 07:44

With the hundreds of coffee options, I am genuinely surprised that this could even happen once, never mind several times. What are the chances?!

Motnight · 19/06/2026 07:44

I agree with this. Wouldn't go back there Op - vote with your feet!

gotmyselfintoapickle · 19/06/2026 07:44

RoseField1 · 19/06/2026 07:35

This has happened several times? Where are you buying coffee?? They sound extraordinarily incompetent.

I was thinking this 😂 how hard is it to take a coffee order and make the right thing.

in answer to your question OP, if it had literally just been made I’d have it. If I hadn’t seen it be made I probably wouldn’t as it might have been hanging around a bit.

ViaRia01 · 19/06/2026 07:42

Oh actually I’ve just realised a bit of detail that maybe changes my mind. Your order was to take away whereas the original drink was made to have in…. So the pouring into another container. To my mind, that is a bit shit because proper barista coffee is often seen as a bit of an art form (for want of a better word, I don’t actually take it that seriously!) and so pouring from one to another does ruin the frothiness to some extent. What’s the point in making a perfectly frothy cappuccino and then dumping it into another container and loosing half the froth….? And when it is expensive as well!

Talltreesbythelake · 19/06/2026 07:40

It's not saving the planet, it's literally a cup of hot water with some flavourings in. Costs them pennies and they charge a fortune. Nah, if I am paying for a luxury for myself then I want it made by hand, for me, just the way I want it. If they want to drink the rejected drink, that is a fair perk of their job.

Givemeausernamepls · 19/06/2026 07:40

I probably wouldn’t love the pouring into a take away cup but I’d live with it provided it was the same order!

StolenTeapots · 19/06/2026 07:39

Ive seen this happen before. It feels a bit shit when it costs so much

ViaRia01 · 19/06/2026 07:38

If you saw all this unfold then I presume the rejected coffee was a maximum of 1 minute older than it otherwise would have been?

I wouldn’t be happy if they served me immediately with a coffee that had been sat for several minutes on the side. But if Jim ordered a flat white and you ordered a cap but the barista accidentally served Jim and cap and it was immediately noted that it is the wrong drink (so Jim never accepted it at all) and that was straight away passed to the next person who had ordered a cap, then I really don’t see the problem. If you’d ordered an extra hot cap, or specified skimmed milk, or something, then no I don’t think you should accept it just because the barista made a mistake.

VIII · 19/06/2026 07:38

Well if it's the same as your order I genuinely can't see why you'd say no. It's not like it's been sitting there for ages going cold?

Noshowlomo · 19/06/2026 07:37

Well my order is always a decaf oat milk iced latte with vanilla syrup, extra ice so I don’t think it would be one of those, so I’d reject it

PinkCactusPink · 19/06/2026 07:37

If my order was a skinny latte and the rejected coffee was a skinny latte, I'd just be pleased I got my coffee a bit sooner tbh.

It's not like the previous customer took a sip out of it and then refused it 🙄

NaiceCupOTea · 19/06/2026 07:37

I mean, I guess if it had just been made, was still piping hot, and was exactly as I'd ordered it, I probably would. But if it had been sat there cooling and wasn't the same sort of coffee, then I wouldn't

Overthebow · 19/06/2026 07:36

But it’s still just been made, would you prefer they throw it away?

RoseField1 · 19/06/2026 07:35

This has happened several times? Where are you buying coffee?? They sound extraordinarily incompetent.

Holdonforsummer · 19/06/2026 07:35

If it is the same order as yours, or even something you like, whyever not? Or should we all just kill the planet a bit more?