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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to feel properly hacked off about paying this?

25 replies

NoWayNoHow · 03/07/2011 21:10

Okay, this isn't quite in the same league as "Scones-gate" from a couple of months ago, but yesterday I went to our local coffee shop (we're in a small-ish market town in Kent) where they charged me £1.20 for a small cup of milk for DS (3yo). I completely gawped at her when she told me, but she didn't budge just kept saying "that's how much it is".

AIBU to object to forking out that much for what was about 100ml of milk, especially when they gave me a third of that amount free with my coffee anyway? Just felt really quite ripped off!

OP posts:
oohjarWhatsit · 03/07/2011 21:11

why didnt you take some with you

DoMeDon · 03/07/2011 21:13

Tell her to put a mask on - robbing caaah!!

M0naLisa · 03/07/2011 21:15

ooh ime i dont take drinks out with me to coffee shops now DS' are 3 and 4. I dont carry a changing bag around with me no more and i dont want milk in my handbag.

£1.20 is steep for a small mug of milk

Would have been cheaper to buy a fruitshoot juice. Grin

Punkatheart · 03/07/2011 21:16

But shops have to survive...they cannot give things away. Also, you milk with the coffee is not free, you paid for it as part of your coffee. A business has to pay overheads, business rates, electricity etc etc.

It may seem a lot but I can understand why they charged for it...

Original poster
NoWayNoHow · 03/07/2011 21:18

Because he's almost 4 and I don't take milk around with me any more!

It's not like he HAS to have milk at certain times of the days, so I must have some on me at all time. It's just what he prefers to drink. Most places I go to just charge a nominal amount (like 50p), other places like the chain coffee shops just give me a take away cup and I pour milk from the self-service stands.

Was just quite shocked that a local shop charged almost as much for a tiny cup of it as I pay for 4pts in the supermarket.

OP posts:
DitaVonCheese · 03/07/2011 21:21

I think YABabitU. That's about what I'd expect to pay for a soft drink plus tea/coffee actually costs what, 10p or something to make, but you still end up paying £2-3 when you're out.

worraliberty · 03/07/2011 21:22

YABU if you paid for it and now you're moaning about it.

You could have bought a pint from the shop and a paper cup.

bellavita · 03/07/2011 21:25

YABU.

Original poster
NoWayNoHow · 03/07/2011 21:32

I obviously didn't have a choice but to pay it - it wasn't on the menu (no price advertised) so you can't exactly walk out of somewhere without paying for something. That's called stealing!

worral why would I do that? Confused. I went to a coffee shop, had a coffee and shared a cupcake with my DS and got him some milk to drink. I'm not certain why I should have to go and buy paper cups and pints??

Don't get me wrong, I was VERY clear with the place that I thought it was completely outrageous, but DS had already drunk the milk so I had to pay for it. Just thought I'd check whether other people also think that's far too much for a tiny plastic IKEA cup of milk.

OP posts:
BornInAfrica · 03/07/2011 21:35

Lesson to be learned -

Check price of small cup of milk before ordering and sitting down.

Incidentally - if it were your business would YOU give milk away? I know I wouldn't!

usualsuspect · 03/07/2011 21:39

Cafes have to make a profit ...

I don't think they should give free cups of milk away

Original poster
NoWayNoHow · 03/07/2011 21:39

Not asking them to give it away, born, just asking for a reasonable price to be set. I personally don't feel that £1.20 for such a small volume for a small child is reasonable. I don't mind paying for something I'm having, obviously - I do mind being ripped off though.

OP posts:
squeakytoy · 03/07/2011 21:43

Why shouldnt you pay for a drink for a 4 year old??? Confused I would query the quantity if you felt it was too small, because I would expect a thirsty child to be able to consume a normal sized drink.

superjobeespecs · 03/07/2011 21:44

my DD gets the wee lunch box sized bottles of milk when we are in cafes atc the most ive paid is 50p and even then thats a bit dear to most places at 32p next time your in that particular place you should suggest they stock them as they are great for mums on the go with older kids. ive been getting DD them since she was 1 and she is now 6 :)

superjobeespecs · 03/07/2011 21:44

they are about half a pint btw

Original poster
NoWayNoHow · 03/07/2011 21:45

SOrry, I don't know at what point I gave the impression that I'm expecting to have free milk - I've never said that, and that it's not what I do expect. I just don't want to spend ludicrous amounts on it.

OP posts:
worraliberty · 03/07/2011 21:46

I'm not certain why I should have to go and buy paper cups and pints??

You don't...but if you're having coffee and cake in an overpriced coffee shop and the milk is too expensive, you could always have waited til you left and got your child a drink then.

Having said that, I've just realised you didn't know how much it was before you ordered it, so I suppose it's a lesson learnt.

ThePrincessRoyalFiggyrolls · 03/07/2011 21:46

NoWay - Please PM me as to where you are, also a Kentite and don't want to be ripped off Grin

usualsuspect · 03/07/2011 21:48

£1.20 does seem a lot though ,but cafes do have overheads,wages to pay etc

NeedaCostume · 03/07/2011 21:49

I think £1.20 is expensive.

50p would be about right - that is what they charge for a babyccino in Costa, I think.

mistressploppy · 03/07/2011 21:49

I wouldn't necessarily expect it to be free, but £1.20 is iniquitous, yes. A bit silly of them really, as it's the sort of thing that just pisses people off. Milk is not expensive, and I bet you'd have been quite happy to pay 60p for it, or something. So YANBU, IMO

Original poster
NoWayNoHow · 03/07/2011 21:49

That's the thing, worral - the irony is that it's actually really reasonable there and everything else is an ok price. Probably why I was so shocked when she told me how much the milk was!

OP posts:
mistressploppy · 03/07/2011 21:50

x-posts; world's slowest typist here, sorry Grin

tethersend · 03/07/2011 21:54

Next time, just keep asking for more milk with your coffee.

Think of it as a learning curve Smile

FetchezLaVache · 04/07/2011 09:36

£1.20 is a lot, but at least she would sell you some bastard milk! Some years ago my friend and I were in a Wacky Warehouse type pub and her DD wanted a glass of milk, but the jobsworth moron behind the bar wouldn't sell me any of the litres and litres of milk they had in the fridges, because there wasn't a button on the till for it. Bastards.

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