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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not replace the bottle of wine?

254 replies

foreveralmost · 20/01/2025 10:34

I live with two other housemates, one stored a bottle of wine in side door of the fridge. As I opened the fridge it fell out and smashed.

I didn’t open the fridge roughly, I opened it normally, She saw me do it. I obviously cleaned it up and apologised - but I was just the unlucky one who happened to open the fridge.

She has now text me to say could I pick her up a new bottle on the way home ..

OP posts:
wheretoyougonow · 20/01/2025 11:27

Op: AIBU?
Vast majority of people: yes
Op: no I'm not.

Why bother asking us?

HollyKnight · 20/01/2025 11:28

Is not replacing it worth causing a bad atmosphere in the house?

Regardless of whether you think the fridge door is a bad place to store wine, it fell out because you opened the fridge. Maybe if you'd offered to replace it at the time she might have said, "No, no, it was just an accident". But she's probably thought about it since and thought wow you're rude.

DownThePubWithStevieNicks · 20/01/2025 11:28

Is it the principle or the cost you object to? Because you keep saying it wasn’t your fault, but then pulling up posters who say it’s £6 worth.

Either way you are being really petty.

Givemethreerings · 20/01/2025 11:28

If you like your housemate buy her a new bottle of wine

If you hate her and want to end your friendship and have a frosty relationship with her going forward, don’t.

ps you sound very stubborn

3LemonsAndLime · 20/01/2025 11:28

So how much did it cost, then?

JoanCollinsDiva · 20/01/2025 11:30

foreveralmost · 20/01/2025 11:26

Catch my sleeve? As soon as I opened the door it crashed to the floor. I didn’t touch it.

Show quote history

I know what you mean OP - we have a second fridge in The garage that's quite cheapo and the bottle shelf can only be used for plastic bottles as it's not made of strong enough plastic to hold wine etc - the plastic is "bendy". Could it be that? Either that or she'd shoved it in when it was already full and it popped out when you opened the door.

Dandylione · 20/01/2025 11:30

I'm enjoying the very revealing amounts of money people are assuming the wine cost. I am very fancy for the record so my advice is you should replace it as it's not worth falling out over £72.

bottlemom · 20/01/2025 11:30

Accident or not, you broke it, you pay for it. Is it worth falling out with everyone over this?

montelbano · 20/01/2025 11:30

Sounds like the bottle shelf was tightly packed with the bottle possibly being at an angle so when the door was opened, it tipped over and fell out.
If that was the case, it is not the Op's fault as it was an accident waiting to happen. However, if stored correctly, the OP should pay up.

User990 · 20/01/2025 11:31

Was it full? I'd replace for the sake of keeping peace, but if it wasn't full, I'd open and take a glass 😅(as bit petty for them to ask you to replace too, these things happen)

JoanCollinsDiva · 20/01/2025 11:31

HollyKnight · 20/01/2025 11:28

Is not replacing it worth causing a bad atmosphere in the house?

Regardless of whether you think the fridge door is a bad place to store wine, it fell out because you opened the fridge. Maybe if you'd offered to replace it at the time she might have said, "No, no, it was just an accident". But she's probably thought about it since and thought wow you're rude.

But like the OP said - whomever next opened the fridge it would've fallen out as it was badly stored. She was just the unlucky one.

I think for harmony"s sake she should buy another bottle but I'd be making a point of telling her it won't be happening again. And I thin the housemate is rude to outright ask for another bottle tbh. I'd just put it down to an accident.

CarefulN0w · 20/01/2025 11:32

Why have you said it was £6?

It's an assumption but it's not unreasonable. People who buy expensive wine don't tend to live in house shares.

And before everyone piles in to say they lived off Chateuneuf-du-Pape as students/the wine was a present, yes I know there are exceptions!

Sgreenpy · 20/01/2025 11:32

Buy a new bottle of wine!

Rosscameasdoody · 20/01/2025 11:32

Going against the grain. No you shouldn’t pay. If the fridge was full and the bottle was placed so that just opening the door normally caused it to fall out, then she hasn’t put it in there properly. Sounds as though there was something either underneath or at the back of it in the door which caused it to topple over the lip. Could have happened to anyone. Before you ‘pick up’ another bottle ensure she understands you are not responsible for paying for it.

SemperIdem · 20/01/2025 11:33

foreveralmost · 20/01/2025 11:21

Because it was t my fault it fell?

Show quote history

It being accidental doesn’t meant it isn’t your fault.

It’s really rude and ill mannered of you to refuse to replace it.

TwentyTwentyFive · 20/01/2025 11:33

wheretoyougonow · 20/01/2025 11:27

Op: AIBU?
Vast majority of people: yes
Op: no I'm not.

Why bother asking us?

Indeed.

To be honest if the OP is as blunt and petty in day to day life as she has been to posters on the thread the wine was probably the straw that broke the camels back for the housemate.

JoanCollinsDiva · 20/01/2025 11:34

Rosscameasdoody · 20/01/2025 11:32

Going against the grain. No you shouldn’t pay. If the fridge was full and the bottle was placed so that just opening the door normally caused it to fall out, then she hasn’t put it in there properly. Sounds as though there was something either underneath or at the back of it in the door which caused it to topple over the lip. Could have happened to anyone. Before you ‘pick up’ another bottle ensure she understands you are not responsible for paying for it.

I agree, I'm shocked at how many people are saying it was the OP's fault and "you broke it" - bottles of wine that are stored correctly don't just fall out of the fridge upon opening the door.

WellsAndThistles · 20/01/2025 11:34

Replace it, put it in exactly the same place in the fridge, then avoid using fridge until flatmate smashes it.....

Greyish2025 · 20/01/2025 11:34

KimberleyClark · 20/01/2025 10:55

I’m trying to work out how a bottle could have fallen out of the door with the door being opened normally. There is usually a substantial lip on the bottle shelf which comes at least a third of the way up the bottle.

Agree

ComtesseDeSpair · 20/01/2025 11:34

But like the OP said - whomever next opened the fridge it would've fallen out as it was badly stored. She was just the unlucky one.

Plenty of accidents could have been the fault of somebody else instead if not for that place and that time. It doesn’t mean that the person who did cause the accident isn’t responsible for it. When I scuffed somebody’s very badly parked car in the shopping centre car park, I didn’t absolve myself from liability by saying that the next person who’d tried to reverse out of the adjacent spaces could just as easily have done it - which they could have - so it wasn’t my problem.

Lillers · 20/01/2025 11:35

You say the fridge was the fullest it’s ever been: I’m assuming therefore that everyone in the house is storing lots of stuff in there, and that the fridge door was the only place available for her to put it… that potentially makes it everyone’s fault. If you live with say 4 other people, get them all to chip in 1.50 to get her a new bottle of wine if you really don’t fancy paying for it all yourself.

(I am not being serious, just in case someone thinks I am)

CautiousLurker01 · 20/01/2025 11:37

AnneLovesGilbert · 20/01/2025 10:35

Of course you should replace it.

As others have said. Yes you should replace it. It was an accident, and maybe she should put wine close to the hinge on the door going forward, but you opened the door and it fell out.

Is it really worth the cost of a replacement to have ill feeling in the house?

JoanCollinsDiva · 20/01/2025 11:37

ComtesseDeSpair · 20/01/2025 11:34

But like the OP said - whomever next opened the fridge it would've fallen out as it was badly stored. She was just the unlucky one.

Plenty of accidents could have been the fault of somebody else instead if not for that place and that time. It doesn’t mean that the person who did cause the accident isn’t responsible for it. When I scuffed somebody’s very badly parked car in the shopping centre car park, I didn’t absolve myself from liability by saying that the next person who’d tried to reverse out of the adjacent spaces could just as easily have done it - which they could have - so it wasn’t my problem.

Edited

But your accident was avoidable, this one wasn't. If you scuff a car when when reversing that is definitely your fault and a lack of skill.

Opening a fridge door doesn't involve any skill 🤷‍♀️ everyone opens it the same presumably? Unless the OP slammed it open!

Greyish2025 · 20/01/2025 11:37

foreveralmost · 20/01/2025 10:34

I live with two other housemates, one stored a bottle of wine in side door of the fridge. As I opened the fridge it fell out and smashed.

I didn’t open the fridge roughly, I opened it normally, She saw me do it. I obviously cleaned it up and apologised - but I was just the unlucky one who happened to open the fridge.

She has now text me to say could I pick her up a new bottle on the way home ..

Seems like it wasn’t your fault.
For me in a situation like this. It would depend on how much I liked the flatmate, If she was a nice person I would, if she wasn’t I wouldn’t
It was a bit cheeky of her to ask you to replace it

Original poster
foreveralmost · 20/01/2025 11:37

montelbano · 20/01/2025 11:30

Sounds like the bottle shelf was tightly packed with the bottle possibly being at an angle so when the door was opened, it tipped over and fell out.
If that was the case, it is not the Op's fault as it was an accident waiting to happen. However, if stored correctly, the OP should pay up.

This yes. It would have fallen out whoever opened the fridge, I just happened to be that unlucky person that did.

OP posts: