AIBU to get milk as my Waitrose free hot drink?

[ElleDubloo]

I normally don't want a tea or coffee when I go to Waitrose, but the toddler is partial to some cold milk in a takeaway cup that she can sip on the way home. AIBU to ask for a cup for a hot drink, but just pour some cold milk into it instead of actually getting a hot drink?

My logic is that, if I were to pay full price, a latte is much more expensive than a cup of cold milk. So surely the store won't be out of pocket?

But today I got a snarky comment from a fellow customer who saw me do it. Not sure anymore if what I'm doing is fine or not.

That's a bit extreme, "lol".

I shop at Lidl.

That solves the problem. No free drinks there, but there is sometimes the option of a cut price stepladder and some beige slacks.

OP, were you not even the slightest bit embarrassed to have been called out by another customer for giving the milk for hot drinks to your child?

Or for believing that because you spend so much money in Waitrose you are entitled to do so?

Not even a tiny bit embarrassed?

This is so going into DF.

yep, see my comment above....and a poster said "ssd, what paper do you read??"....I mean, what planet are some people on?

Bloody hell some people are obsessed with rules. Most coffee chains won't give you a cup of plain hot water, even if you pay. You have to ask for tea with the bag on the side which you then throw away. This is the situation that adherance to pointless rules around hot drinks gets you into.

Presuming you're just giving your kid a half cup of milk then I really don't see the difference between that and getting a free latte, other than you saving them the coffee. Crack on OP.

It would be like going into Waitrose, seeing Mars Bars at half price, but thinking 'I prefer Double Deckers, which aren't included in the offer, but they cost the same originally and they're both chocolate bars, so I'm entitled to 50% off my Double Decker'.

By all means OP can sneak some milk out if she wants (I always sneak a fizzy drink into my free tea and coffee mug when I go to IKEA), but she should be prepared for a telling off of anyone catches her.

you give him milk that's meant for people who shop there?

SHE SHOPS THERE.

OP, were you not even the slightest bit embarrassed to have been called out by another customer for giving the milk for hot drinks to your child?

I'd be more embarrassed on behalf of the customer who has nothing better to do than judge and snark.

As much hot milk goes in my Waitrose Latte than cold milk in a toddler's sippy cup. And Waitrose don't even have to use electricity to heat it up. However the milk in both machine and the jugs is semi skimmed, and my girls both preferred full cream at that age.

Oh and the Waitrose ladies last night said no problem as far as they were concerned.

Runaway what a preposterous comparison! Obviously, if you do that, you mess up their inventory, etc. If you simply take milky coffee without the coffee, and perhaps without the electricity needed to make warm milk, you are not taking a different product (which messes up Waitrose's book-keeping and steals an item of higher value).

Just get the drink then pour it away in the loo, pour in cold milk 😂

YANBU!

Such a bizarre idea that adding coffee to the milk suddenly makes it OK and not abusing the offer.

This, just keep doing it. It's a free drink if you shop there and you shop there.
Screw what everyone else thinks.

It's not like you're taking shed loads of milk home to have in your cereal, you're taking a cup that your child is drinking which is what the offer is for.

The only person that should be embarrassed was the one who made the comment, shame on them.

Going into a shop and taking things is stealing...

I have a Waitrose cup for my coffee so technically I could go in and get my coffee without buying anything or using my card. But I don't because I don't steal.

Going into a shop and taking things is stealing...

For the love of God.

The OP is using a perk available to people with a MyWaitrose membership. Which she has.

I don't know where some people get off.

If the OP ordered a latte, removed the cup from the coffee machine after the milk but before the coffee and then let the milk cool down so her DC can drink it, would that be OK?

Taking something that is offered for free is not stealing.
People are not 'stealing' the metro's from the station are they?
Sigh.

The way people go off about freebies! Oh my days its embarrassing!

Runaway what a preposterous comparison!

I made that comparison because half price Mars Bars are a promotional offer, just like free hot drinks are a promotional offer. Waitrose offer you a free hot drink if you shop with them and swipe your myWaitrose card. You can either take part in that offer or not, but the T&Cs are very clear:

"Only Americano, Cappuccino, Latte, Tea, Mocha and Espresso (Decaffeinated versions, Mocha and Espresso available in selected stores only) qualify as a free hot drink."

Thing is, the milk the OP has been taking is cold.

Yes that's exactly my point, free cold drinks are not part of the offer. You can't just fill your cup with cold milk, just like you can't fill it with the free teabags they give away at the machine.

Yes, I was being facetious to try to cheer myself up because frankly the cats-bum-mouth crew on this thread are a massive downer.

Seriously, who gives a shit if she has milk? The price is negligible compared to the mark-up Waitrose add to normal foodstuffs.

Yeah, nobody gives a shit anymore. I've learnt my lesson and will pay for milk in future. I told my husband about this thread, and he said if this is what I'm worrying about all day then I need to go back to work.