That this does not constitute stealing?

[6079SmithW]

We recently enjoyed a self catering holiday. On the way we decided to break up the journey by stopping for breakfast at a well known chain pub/restaurant/hotel.
The menu was very complicated with only certain things being available to hotel guests rather than others.
My partner and I ordered a cooked breakfast, the DC just wanted something simple so I ordered them a bacon sandwich. I enquired about the small boxes of cereal on display as that was what the DC really wanted. I was told it was part of the hotel guests only breakfast and if DC wanted it it would br £6 each (£12). I ordered that too. My bill was over £30!
The hotel guests additional breakfast was basically the small boxes of cereals plus bread/crumpets to toast. The DC ate a box of cereal and one crumpet each.
Feeling aggrieved that I had spent over £30 on breakfast, and mindful that we were going on a self catering break, I decided to get my monies worth by taking with us a few additional individual portions of jam and Nutella (about 10-12) total. My partner accused me of stealing! WIBU?

Well it was stealing wasn't it? You took them off the premises. You didn't pay for them. 🤷‍♀️

Of course it was stealing. Stealing means you hadn't paid the price the establishment requested for them. You hadn't. The cost for other items is completely irrelevant.

I'd not class that as stealing as I do that too. Love taking fruit/pastries etc for later. You've paid more than what it costs.

Why didn’t you buy Nutella and jam at a supermarket?

Nah it’s just getting your money’s worth!

Were you allowed have them with the crumpets that the children got? If so then I would say it isn't stealing, I doubt the Hotel would lose much sleep over it tbh

Ah - wait a minute - did you pay for unlimited crumpets with topping? If yes, then I guess you could argue you had paid.

I used to manage the accounts for a couple of hotels. They know that's what people do, and they factor it into the cost of the breakfast. People will always help themselves to extra croissants, jam, bread, rolls, fruit etc at the breakfast, so they can have them later for lunch.

Well yes that is stealing, not as serious as robbing someone at knife point, but stealing nevertheless. The breakfast setup sounds rubbish though, so sympathies for that.

@DeflatedGinDrinker

I'd not class that as stealing as I do that too. Love taking fruit/pastries etc for later. You've paid more than what it costs.

I think you're talking about as a hotel guest when you've paid for a buffet. It's not clear, but it doesn't sound like op paid for a buffet.

If you would have picked them up for the kids breakfast and had them on your table but not used them, they would have been binned. So you may as well have them.

Oh I am on about buffet breakfast, sorry 😂🙈

A couple would be okay, as the DC could have ate those with breakfast but chose not to, 10-12 is cheeky. I wouldn't say it's a terrible crime, but I suppose not great, or a good example. Don't give it another thought, though.

Well I think it’s hard to argue you’d eat a dozen portions of Nutella and jam. I’m not sure if it’s stealing as such, but it’s not very dignified is it, ramming portions of jam and Nutella into your bag because you don’t like the price of the place you chose to go to and you chose to dine in.

But didn't you pay £6 per child for them to have access to the jams/Nutella crumpets and cereal? In which case you already paid for the jam in the £6 each.

There was no limit specified was there of on jam per child? So no don't think you did steal them.

Nah, I’d say they were the thieves charging you £6 for a tiny box of Kellogg’s cereal.

Of course it was stealing. Why do you think it wasn't?

Not the crime of the century but it IS stealing.

I'd say that strictly speaking it's stealing but you ripped them off far less than they ripped you off so morally justifiable stealing.

Nah, I’d say they were the thieves charging you £6 for a tiny box of Kellogg’s cereal.

The OP was given the price and then chose to purchase. Thieves don't usually offer a choice!

I just can’t get past you paying £12 for 2 of those poxy boxes of cereal

Of course it's stealing. How could you possibly think otherwise?

Well yeah technically it is stealing. Would they have 5 Nutella sachets on a crumpet normally. This is one of the reasons why the cereal and toast/crumpet option is so expensive

It’s stealing to take a DOZEN jam and Nutella portions. No question.
YABVU to think it isn’t stealing.

Depends, did you deliberately walk past the buffet area and grab them when you weren't meant to? Or did you simply help yourselves to more than you needed of something you were entitled to pick up.

In any case...I'm not sure you entirely made up for paying 12 quid for 60g of cereal. (assuming it was 2 of those mini boxes).

Unless it was £6 quid each for a continental - of which they only wanted a box and a crumpet. In which case why didn't you 'steal' extra crumpets?