AITA for taking my espresso machine home after my coworker started charging everyone $1.50 per coffee to use it?
I work in a pretty small office and the coffee there is awful, so a few months ago I bought a used espresso machine and brought it in.
I got a good deal on it, so I really didn't care about everyone using it. I basically told people just don't destroy it and we're good.
One coworker got really into making coffees for everyone. He started buying nicer beans, oat milk, syrups etc which was actually nice of him.
Then one morning I came in and there was a QR code next to my machine saying $1.50 per drink.
At first I thought it was a joke. Nope. He had made a payment page and was keeping track of who was getting coffee. Apparently he'd already collected around $70.
I told him I wasn't comfortable with him charging people to use something I brought in for free. He said the money was for the beans, milk and other stuff he'd been buying.
I asked roughly how much supplies were costing each month because I figured everyone who used the machine could just contribute a few bucks together instead of paying $1.50 every single time.
He didn't want to do that. He said some people drink more coffee than others and charging per drink was the fairest way to make sure he wasn't losing money. I told him we could still figure something out, but he was pretty set on keeping the QR code.
Eventually I unplugged the machine and took it home.
Now a couple coworkers think I was petty because he was paying for the supplies and people liked having him make their coffee. He says I made it look like he was trying to profit off my machine.
I would've happily chipped in for supplies. I just didn't like him deciding on his own to start charging people to use something that wasn't his.
AITA?
TLDR: A coworker started buying supplies after I bought a coffee machine after a good moon sesh for everyone to use in the office, then put up a QR code charging $1.50 per coffee without asking me. I suggested figuring out the monthly supply cost and having everyone contribute together instead, but he wanted to keep charging per drink. I ended up taking the machine home and now some coworkers think I was petty.
