AIBU to expect a refund/replacement?

[Valentinesschmalentines]

Genuine curiosity into how small businesses work. I went to a cafe with my mum and grandmother for coffee, and my grandmother wanted a cake and chose a vegan brownie. None of us are vegan but hey ho, very happy to try something new.
Grandmother took one bite and refused any more, mother tried some and same, I tried a bit thinking I wouldn’t want it to go to waste and oh my goodness it was not good. I have never known my grandmother to refuse a treat, and I’m pretty much the same, but it was not good and we left 95%.

I asked the waitress what was in it, she gave some half explanation, then I told her very politely that we didn’t find it very nice and wouldn’t have any more of it. She shrugged and walked off.

We paid, and it’s fine, not the end of the world, but I am genuinely curious if other people (especially those with experience in a similar business), is that what you’d expect if a customer didn’t like something?

Ps not all vegan cakes are though just check for the egg replacer blah blah all chemicals and taste awful

YABU, I would never ask for a refund because I didn't like something I chose to buy.

I can assure you (working in a place with a small café) that once you start refunding because you "don't like the taste" you will get:
1.People that come in daily and eat half and want a refund because they "didn't like the taste"

1. People that eat it all then want a refund because they "didn't like the taste"
2. People who will work their way through several things claiming they "didn't like the taste"

etc.

And the more generous you are, the more other people will try it on.

I wouldn’t expect a refund just because I didn’t like the taste of it.

Had it been mouldy, burnt, hard etc then fair enough but taste is subjective so sorry but YABU.

If there was something wrong with the product (e.g. really burnt or undercooked etc.) I would expect a refund, but not if it simply wasn't to my taste.

Yup, this^

I have been in this situation before, its annoying but not the cafes fault at all that you just don't like what you order. On the other hand I have requested refunds/re-cooks of meals which were clearly not cooked right..I would push for my money back then, but not just because I ordered something different and it was awful

I don't think that all vegan desserts are bad. I'm not a vegan but I love Pret's dark chocolate and cashew butter cookies and I had no idea that they were vegan until I looked at the website after having eaten a few.(Not all at once)

Nope. If I didn’t like it and I wanted to try something new that’s down to me.
I once tried a cocktail, hated it (tasted like mouthwash) and went to order something else and the bartender gave me a comp but I didn’t expect it.

I am with sparklybanana. If it wasn't to someones taste, or they order a spicy dish when they don't like heat, no refunds.

But we haven't heard from the OP the details of what was wrong with it. I have had some lovely vegan cake. And, very very rarely I have had poor cake / cake where an ingredient error has been made. None of those were vegan.

If a dish (cake or other) is poorly prepared, then it is probably worth raising straight away to avoid the 'eating half / all then complaining' problem, or the 'getting home and writing a terrible review' case.

Maybe they would have said the cake should / shouldn't taste like that, and whether it has loyal fans or was something they were testing.

'The more generous you are, the more people will try it on'

Never a truer word said. I found this out so quickly when I set up my own business. I went out of my way to be super nice to a few people, all took the piss. I stick rigidly to my ts and cs now.

The only successful vegan cakes are heavy fruit loaves eg tea breads. Brownies need eggs (or a substitute)

Normally I would expect a refund, not because you legally have to, but because if you run a cafe and an item of food is too awful to eat- that has to be an unacceptable situation you want to correct or you won't be running a cafe for long.

In this case, however, it was clearly advertised as tasting that way, so I think YABU.

You could have just bought a replacement yourselves if you wanted a different cake.
Small businesses simply could not run if they had to refund everything customers 'didn't like'.

I haven't ever had any lovely vegan cake. The last one I tried, lemon, was really claggy in the mouth, not going to repeat. I didn't finish it. I think you could make an ok brownie though with cocoa powder, you don't necessarily need chocolate.

To be honest, I can see both sides:

Some restaurants/cafes will happily replace whatever you don’t like. Whilst this includes ‘faulty’ food (overdone, made incorrectly etc) some chains like Starbucks will actively replace something you simply don’t like, eg if you’re trying a new item or the barista made your drink incorrectly and it tastes weird.

However I have friends that use to work in restaurants and my god, the stories about people trying it on! Don’t ever underestimate the general public’s ability to take the piss! You will absolutely get people who will virtually lick their plate clean then demand a refund as ‘they didn’t like their food’. Small businesses have much more to lose with these customers vs chains so their approach will be different.

With your cake, I don’t think there was inherently wrong with it (eg burnt, made with salt instead of sugar etc) but it tasted like it was supposed to. You just didn’t like it as it was not to your taste - vegan cakes will taste different as a lot of key ingredients in cake batter are substituted.

Anyone could say they don't like something, it doesn't entitle them to a refund. Strange question.

I'm not a vegan and I've made some delicious vegan brownies, so clearly it can be done. I suppose the question of a refund is down to whether it was just a matter of taste, or whether it was actually borderline inedible. If it was my business and three people around a table had said something was awful, I'd be questioning my cooking skills/recipes and I wouldn't charge them for it.

I’m suprised they didn’t offer you an alternative. I wouldn’t expect them to refund you but offering you an alternative is a good compromise.

Whenever I’ve not liked anything I’ve nearly always been offered a replacement. I’ve occasionally disliked coffee and I always get offered a replacement in small establishememts. There is nothing wrong with the coffee it’s just not to my taste.

I see your point, if all 3 of you thought it was awful then there is probably some truth there and it probably would have been a small cost to offer you a different cake instead, when you weigh it up against customer satisfaction/repeat custom/good reviews.

As Judge Judy would say 'you ate the steak, you pay for the steak!'.

If they used sour milk in your Latte, then you can ask for a replacement. You don't like the brownie, tough.

I’m a full-on carnivore and a naice vegan café has just opened near me, I tried a vegan choccie brownie and it was delicious. So it is possible. If it tasted crap they should’ve given you a refund imo.

I went into a cafe a couple of years ago and there was a dead mouse under the sofa!!
WE only noticed when we got up to leave. we told the waitress and she looked horrified, but we didn't ask for any refund!!

There's a stall near me which sells vegan cakes and I thought they were soaps for the longest time. But I'm sure vegan brownie can be lovely

I tried being vegan, I can confirm that most vegan cakes taste awful. I don't think a refund should be given if someone didn't like it.

I go against the tide here. If the food is unedible you should get refund or replacement. I had to return a cake once at a small cafe as it was dry and tasted tbh awful. The owner couldnt be nicer. She agree and replaced with. Fresh one. Good customer service as ive returned since. Yanbu. Saying that ive never had a nice vegan cake so id avoid them.