To not replace the bottle of wine?

[foreveralmost]

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 ..

I can imagine that it would have happened to whoever opened it next. I've seen this happen, just a bad combination of the design of the fridge and certain bottle shapes. I'd not grovel, after all you could have been on here complaining that your flatmate's wine had fallen out and stained your clothes etc. Just to draw a line under things, I'd get her a replacement but frame it as a nice gesture because it was such a shame about her other one.

You’d think a fridge door is the logical place to put bottles of drink, but actually our fridge likes to launch them violently when the door is opened normally too. Milk is ok as it sort of wedges in, but any bottles which are full and heavy with drink topple out and it’s so annoying.

She’s your flatmate. Can’t you be just a bit kind?

Us too! I wouldn't hesitate to replace it.

If all you did was open the fridge door you are in no way to blame. It was good of you to clear up the mess. Did she not help? Lucky no-one was injured by the breaking glass.

I can understand how this could happen. I have had this happen to me when the fridge was overfull. Stuff on the main shelf protrudes against the bottles in the door causing them to be unstable and liable to fall out of the door. I won't be making that mistake again.

because if you’re living in a house share I doubt your house mate is drinking expensive wine.

even if it was expensive, you coming home with a £5 bottle is a nice gesture.

This! Op for the sake of a few quid just do it. If it’s a massive problem for you , suggest you live on your own .

It doesn’t sound like that at all! It sounds more likely that the bottle was too tall for the inside door and so fell forward. I don’t think it was the OP’s fault. However, agree with others that it is probably not worth falling out over so I would buy it but make it clear if it happens again I won’t be.

No one knows the price of the wine as you haven't said.

Replace it and have peace in the house
Or don't and have bad feeling with your housemate. The choice is yours.

Because it's not worth spoiling relationships with your housemates over a £5 bottle of wine. Because it's a nice thing to do. Because I would treat my housemate with a bottle of wine even if I didn't break it. Unless you are on breadline, it's £5 for god's sake!

The first time it happens, you replace the bottle and ask them not to put bottles there again because it obviously isn’t safe. The second time it happens it’s their problem.

Do you want to be in the right or do you want to get along with your housemates? If the bottle was under £15 you suck it up in the name of harmony.

Someone doesn’t understand the London housing market

Why don’t you just say how much it cost?!

Again why are you saying jds £5? You’ve just created that number in your head for reasons only known to yourself ..

So how much was it worth?

Goodness me OP you are very rude here! Did the fumes get to you? You asked a questions and people responded but you come back with snippy replies. Just buy the wine. No drama. Be nice.

Well you could be right there. I have no clue about the London housing market. Please could you provide a brief synopsis and, based on said synopsis, the likely price of the deceased wine? 🙄

Crikey OPare you this rude to your housemates? What's with the aggressive challenges to suggestions you replace it with a £5/6 bottle - obviously posters are simply suggesting the replacement can be at the lower end of the scale. JFDI - it's normal good manners to replace something broken accidentally - no one breaks anything intentionally. You asked MN for a view - MN have told you to replace it

This thread seems to be getting derailed by the cost of a bottle of wine. Regardless of how much the original bottle cost, you could buy a bottle of wine for around £6 and if that would mean that there was a harmonious atmosphere in the house, surely it would be worth it.

With an ignorant comment like that I doubt you even know what expensive wine even is

As a kind gesture, I probably would have picked her up a bottle. It’s the fact she’s asked that is a bit rude, because it’s a legitimate accident that is probably more her fault than yours.

Fwiw, the door pocket of the fridge in our fridge is definitely not a safe spot for storing bottles. All the sides of the pockets are too low. There is a bottle of sauce of one kind or another that flies out every time we open it. It’s really annoying. No way that a bottle of wine would stay upright there.

I've had this happen before. Slippery bottle, unsecured and not wedged in, slippery plastic surface. Bottle goes flying. Smashed the lid of my squeezy mayo, most annoying this is a life lesson for your flatmate. It wasn't your fault but for the harmony of the house id slip her a fiver (made up value of a cheap bottle of plonk) and seem virtuous.

You could’ve gone out and bought a bottle of wine in the time you’re spent arguing on this thread.

Of course you should replace it, just to be nice.

This happens with our fridge but if money isn't an issue I would buy a replacement for the sake of harmony. Isn't it just going to be awkward if you don't?

I wouldn’t ask someone to replace a bottle in these circumstances. I think it is a bit cheeky. You cleaned up and apologised - that should be more than enough to show goodwill and a willingness to keep the peace.