Well this is a bit embarrassing.

[SpiderCharlotte]

We have a very lovely cleaner who comes for a couple of hours every Friday morning. I absolutely love her and usually leave her biscuits/cake by the kettle as I'm always out when she's here.

I've just got home to find that the bottle of Champagne that I was talking to my friends 40th tomorrow has gone and there's a lovely wee note thanking me for the champers. It was on the kitchen table in a gift bag and there was a birthday card next to it. I can't ask for it back, she'd be so embarrassed - I'm going to have to fork out for more Champers aren't I?

There is a mid way though between asking for it back & ignoring what's happened.

Why would she assume it was for her?-that's what would annoy me tbh.

This is my favourite MN story of the week.
I think you're being brilliant to not ask for the Champagne back.

She is a bit cheeky but sometimes our brains tell us something and we just go with it and unlike others I don't think for one second she considered this could be for someone else.

come on! she isn't daft!
There is no way she assumed that a bottle of champagne in a gift bag was for HER....she's choosing to pretend she assumed it was.
She's probably relying on the good old british trait of "I'll just be a mug instead of communicating" to get away with her blatant theft.

Don’t tell her it’s not for her... what if it was her birthday?

The embarrassment. Everyone would be embarrassed. I'm embarrassed now, just thinking of it

I’m embarrassed just thinking about how embarrassed you are reading it. Total complete embarrassment

I would totally leave it so a lovely cleaner can drink champers on her own on a Friday night. Sounds smashing and well worth the price of another bottle.

Of course OP can't ask for it back! Some people on here have NO class.

This x10000000000000%

I can't believe people would even consider asking for it back OR even embarrassing the poor lady by mentioning it!

It's making my toes curl that anyone would even consider telling her. Please don't do this OP.

If it was a cheap bottle of champagne I'd let it go. But if it was expensive, I would have to tell her, even if I could replace it. Also if you didn't tell her, you would feel uneasy about leaving anything out in the kitchen from now on.

I wouldnt let it go, as it will set a precedent

In which presumably OP returns next Friday to find her wine rack has been completely emptied?

Tattinger? Slightly disappointed now as I had visions of Patsy and a bottle of Bolly

I can't believe anyone is suggesting asking for it back, or that the cleaner deliberately took it, knowing it wasn't for her! I'm sure she would be absolutely mortified if she realised her error. Buy another one. Sounds like she is very grateful and it's made her day.

Why would it be "classless" to ask for it back?

It wasn't left for her.

She has taken something that isn't hers.

"she's choosing to pretend she assumed it was.
She's probably relying on the good old british trait of "I'll just be a mug instead of communicating" to get away with her blatant theft."

Very likely, I think!

*Is it Aldi champagne?

No, it was a bottle of Tattinger*
My favourite! If you're ever in need of a cleaner I'll be happy to help

On a serious note, it sounds like a genuine mistake and you've made your cleaner so happy that I think it would be mean to tell her it wasn't for her. I'd buy another bottle and be careful what I leave on the side in future

Eerh I'm not British and I wouldn't ask for it back.

But @SpiderCharlotte if you treat your cleaning lady this nicely, surely you must up your game for Santa too.

Let her keep the Tatty.

if you're close enough that she'd consider you buying her a bottle of champagne as the norm, you're close enough to text her and say it wasn't for her! She'd probably be mortified but I wouldn't just let this one go. It wasn't for her and she shouldn't have assumed it was.

Maybe even play it down and send her a text asking if she's seen it... give her the benefit of the doubt rather than directly asking her to return it.

I'd be more worried about what else might be received as a gift, to be honest!

And the first person she tells about this is likely to ask
for details and of course say that she's made a mistake and the bottle was for the same person named on the card.....Leaving you to quickly think up a reason for not mentioning the mistake.
I don't know what I'd do, sorry.

But I'm sure both my cleaners would ask before taking anything, even stuff on the charity-shop-chair.

it was a bottle of Tattinger

£8 quid in waitrose!

If yer boraic perhaps we can have a whipround???

I'd have to let it go too and let her keep the champagne and never speak of it again.. But how embarrassing! How on earth could she have thought it was for her? I am cringing so much here! I wonder if she realises in perhaps a few weeks time? Oh the thought is awful..

38 Quid..!!

Please munsnet HQ can we have a post edit facility?

I’d let her keep it - I imagine it was near the kettle and there wasn’t much else on the side near it?
In which case, I think it’s an easy mistake but I’d cover myself on Christmas gifts now (as you don’t want to up your game from this!) and say “Oh it was an early Christmas gift for you”!
I think it’s quite sweet that you accidentally made someone so happy - I bet she always makes sure your home is extra lovely for you now!

You’re being very sweet but no.

You need to ring your friend. Explain the mix up and tell her you’ll get her mum some champagne for Christmas.

I presume she lifted the gift bag and card to wipe the kitchen table? And yet only put the card back down. 🤔