To feel a bit annoyed this is why I got rejected?

[ToeSucker]

I completed 5 rounds of interviews for a company. For the final interview, I had to travel across the country for an in-person meeting.

At this meeting (I met the whole team) there was a coffee break where we popped out to the local coffee shop.

The hiring manager asked me what I wanted. She also asked me what the team members next to me wanted. She paid for everyone's drinks.

Today I received a call from HR saying I was rejected, but mentioning I owe the hiring manager £3.70 for a coffee.

I'm shocked by this. I'm not sure I should be. I should have offered to pay I suppose but you're not in a normal frame of mind during interviews. I'm more annoyed I had to pay almost £240 for the train tickets and got rejected with this seemingly contributing to why.

I would tell them they can subtract the £3.70 from the reimbursement of your train ticket. Are they serious. What a cheeky piss take on their part.

Jesus, is this for real?! I'm sorry you went through such an arduous interview process and didn't get the job in the end. However, it does sound like you had a lucky escape! Don't pay the money for the coffee, of course. If someone senior asks you what you (and others) want, then pays, you assume they are being generous. The twat probably expensed the cost anyway. I hope you charged them for the cost of travelling across country to meet them? (I had a flatmate years ago who was going for a hospitality management job at a well known club. Prior to interview, she asked for a paid dinner - plus travel costs - at the club, so she could experience how it worked. They agreed. I really admired her for it and have kept it in the back of my mind. If employers are serious and want you, they'll act reasonably. This company doesn't sound like they have reasonable processes.)

Jesus, is this for real?

I'd put my money on no.

This. She offered to buy everyone drinks. The offer was not conditional upon you getting the job. Ridiculous.

I think you dodged a bullet there. Sorry you wasted your money on them.

Could this be part of the interview process (think Willy wonka / gobstopper scene at the end) and if you send a refund you get the job ? Might be worth a try ?

If that's the case how incredibly petty. I'd hate to work for a company that would practise anything so pathetic.

I can’t believe that folk believe this actually happened

Tell them to send the money you invested in applying to work at a firm no sane person would want to work for less the cost of the coffee.

My partners and I started a business many years ago. We couldn’t afford an office so we took space with another firm and paid the rent by working free.
8 years later we sold our business for a ton of money.
Our “strategy” was to do the best work we could and make working for us fun.
The moral? “Happy hens lay more eggs”

Do you have a contact with them? They rejected you? Oh no! I guess it's not enforceable then 🤷‍♂️ guess they're just going to have to fuck off with their request you repay their cup of coffee

Get another job thenSell your story to a tabloid, premium top quality companies would have covered your travel expenses. They took you to a coffee shop, they should have explained at the etiquette to you as in "we all pay for our own" .

Thank you everyone for the comments. I didn't log back in for the rest of the day and was just completely overwhelmed by all the responses when I got back. I didn't even know where to start.

I did send an email to HR 3 days ago to ask for the train fare. I haven't yet gotten a response.

I have since contacted a few journalists but no one has responded. I'm not sure they're actually interested.

Mostly I'm glad to hear it wasn't just me who thought this was terrible.