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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think free costa is a bit like free drugs?

52 replies

Sowingbees · 01/10/2019 19:17

Today all costa coffee machines were free, anyone could self serve and get a free coffee /hot chocolate /tea?

I went into two local stores and I promise I am not exaggerating but there were at least 30,if not 50 school children (Def under 16 but most U13) queuing to get their free drink.
When I was at a less than salubrious school the drug dealers used to wait outside school and give out freebies so that we became regular customers.
Ammi cynical to think that Costa were deliberately targeting school children to corner a new market? Fwiw all local machines had run out before 5pm when adults traditionally finish work.

OP posts:
WinkysTeatowel · 01/10/2019 19:20

I’m not sure they were deliberately targeting school children, the offer was open to anyone you just happened to see them presumably because of the location and timing of your shop visit.
I think they were intending to get new customers because that’s the point surely...

titchy · 01/10/2019 19:21

Is coffee an illegal drug then? Who knew...

marvellousnightforamooncup · 01/10/2019 19:22
Hmm
CodenameVillanelle · 01/10/2019 19:22

The machine in my local garage broke and apparently people were waiting over half an hour for an engineer who never turned up. So maybe!

EskewedBeef · 01/10/2019 19:23

School children are probably drinking hot drinks at home. A free Costa one isn't going to put them on the road to ruin.

RushianDisney · 01/10/2019 19:25

Well they say sugar is more addictive than cocaine, and Costa is always unbearably sweet in my experience. But as to whether they were targeting school children, can't say. Was it available during the morning commute?

FourEyesGood · 01/10/2019 19:27

Costa is always unbearably sweet in my experience.
Surely only if you add sugar or syrup to your coffee? Confused

MiniCooperLover · 01/10/2019 19:27

I saw people insisting on queuing this morning to get a free hot chocolate because they don't drink coffee but it's free isn't it ... I lost a little respect at that point ...

Original poster
Sowingbees · 01/10/2019 19:29

More than willing to accept aibu, but I do always wonder why a big company gives away things for free.
Yes caffeine is a drug as its addictive, energy drinks are already age rated.

OP posts:
Tilltheendoftheline · 01/10/2019 19:30

Energy drinks have far more caffeine thay an coffee.

One coffee doesnt nor make you addicted and they arenr targeting kids.

The garage I went to was full of people 30 an up.

Original poster
Sowingbees · 01/10/2019 19:31

minicooperlover I felt the same for the adults in the massive queue. I can't see how 30mins wait is worth a free hot choc

OP posts:
AlexaAmbidextra · 01/10/2019 19:32

I saw this in the news. I can’t believe that people were waiting for 25-30 minutes just for a free coffee. Pathetic. 🙄

AlphaNumericalSequence · 01/10/2019 19:32

Costa coffee is so outstandingly crap that i would think the freebies were a public service, demonstrating to children that they should Just Say No, in the immortal words of Nancy Reagan.

SuperPixie247 · 01/10/2019 19:33

We have a costa machine in my workplace. It was actually quite nice to see those from different departments chatting and making it into something a bit more social. No-one waited too long and it was a really enjoyable day.

Basketofkittens · 01/10/2019 19:33

Machine coffees are not nearly as nice as a real barista made coffee.

melodypondisasuperhero · 01/10/2019 19:35

I was going to go get one but didn't need to go up to the shop so couldn't be bothered. No way would I be waiting 30 minutes for one! 30 minutes of my time is worth more than a coffee (in my biased opinion).

That said, YABU, it's a hot drink, not drugs.

Venger · 01/10/2019 19:35

I was in the local co-op after school drop off this morning as I needed bread and milk and the queue was out the door, all people I've never seen before (small village). The staff all looked sick of their lives and ine was having to police the machine repeatedly telling people "one per customer".

On the walk back to school at home time there were empty fucking Costa cup and plastic lids everywhere Sad

PrestonNotHeston · 01/10/2019 19:36

Oh, so that's why there was a queue of people all down the aisle in Tesco.

LucaFritz · 01/10/2019 19:36

I wonder how many people will be waking up with poisoning tomorrow from it Hmm those machines always smell funky like they don't get cleaned often

Venger · 01/10/2019 19:40

The machines are cleaned daily. There's a proper cleaning regime for them, it has to be done by a set time each day and the machine starts beeping if you go past that time, it also logs that a clean was late/missed and you get pulled up about it. Milk is only allowed to stay in the machine for a set time and then fresh milk needs to be put in, you can't mix milk batches so all of the previous batch has to be drained out and the milk dispenser cleaned before new milk can be added.

Best friend works in the co-op. They all hate the Costa machine.

P1nkHeartLovesCake · 01/10/2019 19:40

Yes a presumably secondary school child having a coffee, is the same as them smoking weed or injection drugs. I know which I’d rather my dc did...

As for adults well if an adult choose to queue for a free drink, that’s there choice 🤷🏻‍♀️

Mumsnet really is a weird place sometimes, I think people like you op just need to chill out a bit

JengaNonConfirming · 01/10/2019 19:41

Surely that would only make sense if all the machines were near schools? The shop we visited earlier had no children and no queues.

ShirleyPhallus · 01/10/2019 19:42

I can’t believe with all the environmental issues and efforts of trying to reduce waste that they managed to give away hundreds of thousands of bits of plastic which, let’s face it, are very unlikely to have been recycled

katmarie · 01/10/2019 19:47

Machine coffees are not nearly as nice as a real barista made coffee.

This is apparently why they were doing it, according to the email advert I got (now sure how I got on that mailing list but anyway...) They were giving coffee away for free in an attempt to get people who wouldn't usually bother, to try their machines and the coffee they produce. I'm wondering how much it cost them in free coffee compared to what they might spend on an ad campaign. It seems like it was quite an effective approach.

Coffeeandchocolate9 · 01/10/2019 19:51

What are you on about? It was free all day. Today is a school day. No, I don't think they targeted school kids especially.

I do happen to think that strong coffees and energy drinks should be 16+. And that it is perhaps unethical for schools to have a Costa outlet that serves hot chocolates with 16 teaspoons worth of sugar in.