r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Turbulent-Cricket-65 • 17h ago
I just wanted a hot dog New coffee machine requires an online account
The self service coffee station in my apartment lobby has been upgraded! Just scan the code, register an account, confirm your log in, sign in, and we’ll start keeping track of when and what coffee you drink every day!
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u/Jay_JWLH 17h ago
How many accounts have you made so far?
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u/Feeling_Inside_1020 17h ago
With all the free cups we could set up our own operation, drop shipping coffee.
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u/Head-Nefariousness65 17h ago
Don't forget e.mail@gmail.com, em.ail@gmail.com...
Fun side note, the email specification actually allows for comments (surrounded by parens) and spaces in addresses, so technically "email me (foo bar baz)"@gmail.com is a valid address.... it just won't work anywhere.
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u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 16h ago
My Gmail sends emails to the same email address whether or not I include the period.
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u/Designer-Ad-7844 16h ago
Too complicated. Use. "." In between. These all go to the same address.
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u/Feeling_Inside_1020 16h ago
The + is just a filter with gmail, so you can use it to organize things. But you're absolutely right you can use periods as well.
Though not to identify spam anymore, most spammers know to strip the +... before the @ if it's a gmail account through RegEx.
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u/laplongejr 14h ago
And for people jumping on it, note that the dot trick is guaranteed by gmail but not part of the standard
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u/ACoderGirl 12h ago
How is that "too complicated"??? It's way easier to remember what's after the plus than to remember where you put the dots.
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u/_Bank_On_It_ 17h ago
You can figure out, using the internet, how to put the machine into maintenance mode. They probably didn’t change the code from the default. Then you can put the machine into a free dispense mode. It’s probably just a series of taps on the screen… Get your coffee and then back out of maintenance mode.
Not that I would have done that when my old building installed one of these ridiculous machines… That would be wrong.
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u/Psalm27_1-3 17h ago
Because they are limiting you to 20 cups a month
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u/theErasmusStudent 17h ago
They could limit with a card key that op most likely already has to enter the building or the common rooms
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u/JuanOnlyJuan 17h ago
Are there coffee machines that accept and track building access key cards?
Or there's this off the shelf option
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u/RabidBadgerMacarena 17h ago
First spend 10k building a custom front and back end for the coffee machine..
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u/Nasa_OK 17h ago
Most access systems have some sort of ID that could be accessed via a contactless reader. E.G. at my work our door fobs also are used to punch in and out, to access the printer and to pay at the cantina.
The door part is more complex but for the rest just a number is read which can be done by any cheap reader.
I’ve also worked at places where you use your fob to use vending machines and the coffee machines, which then gets deducted from your pay at the end of the month
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u/angie456 17h ago
Right, so you’re explaining extra costs the job has taken on and most likely is passing off to you to some degree in the snacks you are purchasing. They can’t really recoup those costs while giving it out for free. It’s also beneficial for your job because they can’t actively track your location and it makes sense for them to pay the extra money to do that. Not so much in this case.
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u/Nasa_OK 16h ago
Sorry to be clear I just wanted to comment on the technical possibility to use existing access cards as a way to identify different users on a different device that may have no other contact points with the primary system the cards are for, regardless of this making sense from a business standpoint.
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u/RegularFeeling8389 17h ago
Think the issue is the company that rents out apartments is not the same company that is giving away the free coffee.
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u/Nasa_OK 16h ago
Sure, my comment was more referring to the technical possibility of using the keycards as authentication. In theory the apt company would just have to tell them what system they are using and if they plan on retiring it any time soon. In practice this ofc is way more complicated for bureaucracy reasons, not technical
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u/MarmotFullofWoe 17h ago edited 17h ago
Why would you drink self service coffee in your own apartment lobby?
This must be an American thing.
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u/rjnd2828 17h ago
I guess because it's free? People like free
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u/NotYourGran 17h ago
“Free” for the low, low cost of your data.
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u/ebil_lightbulb 17h ago
If I’m renting an apartment from them, they already have my data and can sell it without giving me coffee.
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u/TaDoofus 17h ago
Your landlord isn't the one getting your data from this
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u/iwearatophat 14h ago
No but the landlord is selling what he can to the same people. Landlord might even have a security camera installed that tracks my coming and going.
What data is this gathering? A dummy email account that I use when I sign up for anything? My phone number(which my landlord has and has likely sold)? When I drink coffee(hint in the morning)?
This is mildlyinfuriating for the account creation. Not mildlyinfuriating over the data.
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u/rjnd2828 13h ago
Not even the account creation seems mildly infuriating, if they want to limit it to 20 cups of coffee per month to avoid it being overused this seems like a logical approach. Why they chose 20 instead of 31 is beyond me though.
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u/MonkeyChoker80 13h ago
Four weeks in a month, each week with five ‘weekdays’ of a person headed out on their drive to work, and grabbing an early morning coffee for the road.
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u/maxout25 9h ago
Yep, probably some deal where the landlord gets the machine for free or heavily discounted in their lobby. The coffee machine owner/company will make more money off the data than the cost of the machine.
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u/Sptsjunkie 15h ago
Yeah, I don’t think this is all that bad.
I mean, this is the mildly infuriating sub, so it fits that it is a bit frustrating I have to make another account and login just to take advantage of free coffee from your apartment complex.
But I lived in a complex that had a free coffee maker downstairs and while I would usually just brew coffee in my own apartment, there were a few occasions a month when we were getting ready to go somewhere or using the downstairs one and it was nice make a quick cup.
And as you noted at the end of the day, the apartment has my information and multiple billings I lived in, and I had to make an account for things like third-party package holding, free printing, or laundry.
Given this is free and not something whether charging a monthly fee again I see why it fits here but really isn’t a huge deal. You give that same information to Chili’s every time you want to place an online order.
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u/No-Piece-8616 16h ago
Requiring an account just for coffee is simply ridiculous.
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u/Disastrous_Good9236 13h ago
eh, but i get it. This is to make sure nobody is abusing the system.
Plus, 20 free cups of coffee a month is very generous. I really can’t see myself using all of it. I would probably use it as a back up when i’m running late.
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u/Odd_Particular8373 17h ago
Has nothing to do with the "when" and "what" coffee data. It has to do with the "how many."
20 cups a month pretty much covers the working days. They just don't want someone getting 30, 40 cups a month.
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u/chitownillinois 15h ago
I had one of these machines at my last apartment. They make you create the account so you can put payment on file for coffee beyond the 20. You can get as many as you want. But only the first 20 are free.
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u/rjnd2828 16h ago
Exactly which data is this company getting? Some burner email address, the phone number my landlord already has, when I drink coffee? I'm not losing sleep over that.
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u/im_just_thinking 15h ago
My passwords and my address get resold on the grey market every week already, what's one more on the list? Our government is about to do much, much worse but we are still pretending to be outraged by my cookies going up for sale for the bazillions time. I mean every time I open a news article, they scrub my shit, what's one more website taking them lol
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u/jesuisjens 11h ago
You do realize that the entire point of this post is that they got a NEW machine and it comes with some infuriating attributes?
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u/ZochJ 17h ago
If it’s free, the coffee drinker is the cost.
Not actually the worst method of product research and data scraping that I’ve witnessed, which is depressing to say.
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u/rjnd2828 16h ago
Presumably the landlord is paying for the machine. This is a perk of your rental. No company is giving you 20 free cups of coffee a month for your worthless coffee machine data
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u/Cybershadow1981 16h ago
TANSTAAFL. OP pays for the "complimentary" coffee with their rent.
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u/rjnd2828 14h ago
Sure but if you're already paying for rent then turning down the "not free" coffee isn't going to make it any cheaper
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u/egnards 17h ago
As an American I’ve never lived in an apartment complex that had lobby coffee - I’ve only ever been in one apartment building that had any degree of self service coffee. . .
It was in the apartment complex of a friend that lived in NYC in an expensive place with a doorman and a security guard checking any guests in - it was a place intended for younger professionals with very generous salaries. It also wasn’t in the lobby, it was in a lounge area designed as a giant communal living space for residents to enjoy.
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u/GunsouBono 17h ago
Usually if you're rushing to get out the door. Same reason places like Dunkin donuts exist
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u/lyinggrump 17h ago
Huh, that sucks. My coffee machine starts automatically in the morning and is ready by the time my alarm goes off.
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u/GunsouBono 17h ago
Yeah, that's definitely a thing. Just need to remember to set it up the night before.
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u/ThellraAK 12h ago
But...
Doesn't the milk go bad leaving it out overnight like that?
Not being able to wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee is the one thing I don't like about my superauto espresso machine.
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u/SteveCastGames hey this is neat 17h ago
>Thing I don’t understand
>Must be American!
Okay bro…
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u/Confident-Skin-6462 17h ago
maybe but i wouldn't drink it myself and i love coffee. i can't trust it. we have one of these machines. is the am water clean? are the beans fresh? is the machine clean? i just make my own.
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u/LWschool 17h ago
You are not the average coffee enjoyer, you are an enthusiast, and you’re overestimating how much other people care. Americans drank dog-water coffee for decades, the machine coffee isn’t that bad.
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u/Low_Dragonfly9123 17h ago
Facts. I don’t drink coffee but have worked in an office where dozens of people guzzled that shit out of a pot that was never cleaned
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u/treehumper83 17h ago
That’s my work.
I bought a personal keurig for my cube. Sure, chemicals and plastics and whatnot. But then I look at the break room coffee machine and wonder if it’s ever been properly cleaned. I can’t say that the water line has, it’s out of the wall and there is no filter.
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u/ThellraAK 12h ago
I mean, the pipes leading to the tap that you get water for your Keurig have never been cleaned either.
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u/treehumper83 12h ago
That’s why I use a reverse osmosis filter between the tap and my keurig. All I’ve got to do now is worry about the buildup in the keurig plastic tubing.
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u/methlabforcuties 7h ago
I have a mini-fridge in my office that I make cold brew in. Takes 3min of my time to pour in some beans and fill up some water at the end of the day & it steeps overnight. I don't trust the coffeemaker in the kitchen.
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u/Confident-Skin-6462 17h ago
man the bar is really low if i am considered a coffee enthusiast lol
but yeah most people drink crap
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u/aimeukoo 10h ago
I think the same. That's why I never drink capsule coffee in hotel rooms. I'm pretty sure they never clean those machines.
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u/Eva_Luna 8h ago
You don’t want to know what they do to the kettles…
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u/aimeukoo 8h ago
I’ve read about what they do to the kettles. But I’m really not so grossed out about it since you can see inside the kettles with your eyes and clean it before using it. But I won’t open a nespresso machine to see if it’sclean.
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u/Buttsweat_n_Tears 17h ago
It’s the same water that comes out of the tap in your apartment. You think they have a special water supply connected to the toilet drain so they can shit up peoples coffee?
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u/AcceptableCustomer89 17h ago
No, but between the mains pipe and the machine output - that's the variable and you don't know how often it's cleaned
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u/Confident-Skin-6462 16h ago
this. *MY* tap in my unit has decent water to make coffee. does the one in the lobby? i'm not giving it my info to just try to see if maybe it's ok. idc that much.
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u/bethaliz6894 16h ago
Not an American thing. I'm American, never heard of coffee in a lobby before.
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u/IsamuAlvaDyson 16h ago
I've lived in apartments my whole adult life and never even had a lobby in one
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u/ChoicePermission8523 15h ago
There's an apartment building down the road from me...
In addition to the normal(ish) amenities (pool, gym, dog park, clubhouse, spin room), they have a free barista. Yes a full coffee shop area with a barista that if you so choose you may tip, but any drinks you want for you and your guests is included with the rent.
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u/seasteed 14h ago
We have one in my apartment complex. It's got espresso and regular coffee, plus non dairy milk power, hot chocolate mix and a French vanilla powder to make different drinks. Coffee can be expensive, rent is expensive, and it makes a fairly good latte, as long as you remember to bring a cup. 😂
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u/Hannachomp 3h ago
I had one in my apartment. I generally stop by after I walk my dog in the morning when I’m not going to the office. Ours didn’t track you lol, but probably not that clean. But eh it’s free. I usually drink my own coffee for my afternoon one.
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u/germany1italy0 14h ago
As long as the coffee machine is not on your network.
There was an article a few days ago about a machine (Keurig ?) going rogue and generating 1 TB of local network traffic over the course of a few days
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u/LastBossTV 10h ago
A coffee machine is a great place for tech companies to hide a microphone when you think about it.
Since time immemorable, all the offices hot gossip has taken place in front of the coffee machine.
To be clear, I am half joking and half serious when I say this. I have a lot of difficulty trusting smart devices that demand Internet access these days
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u/AffectionateElk3978 17h ago
Jesus, they are really pushing useless shit for no reason. I love my low tech coffee pot.
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u/Cudi_buddy 15h ago
Yea I made sure my new dishwasher wasn’t a dumbass WiFi connect one. Like my appliances just need to do their job. They have no reason to be on the internet
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u/Striking-Ad7344 17h ago
Yeah srly, my bialetti makes far better coffee than any fully automatic machine I had before.
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u/analogpursuits 14h ago
Slurping up your data and merrily mishandling it along the way. Having sold software to these "smart home and appliance" companies, your data is infinitely more valuable than the coffee sale. More importantly, they have little in their security arsenal to develop a product that will keep your data safe. I have nothing "smart" in my house, knowing what I know. It is an absolute shitshow.
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u/Boomyfuzzball26 10h ago
and after your 20 cups, coincidentally your monthly "service fees" are randomly increased by $20-50 bucks
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u/rcuadro 17h ago
It is free coffee though.
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u/lostinspace694208 17h ago
Only costs your personal data and shopping history
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u/Snipen543 13h ago
It's not an app so it's not really getting any data other than "email address got coffee at this time". Just sign up for some unrelated email address
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u/ChainsawSoundingFart 17h ago
No one cares about personal data anymore, guaranteed it’s already been stolen elsewhere
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u/callmealyft 17h ago
Seems pretty smart from the complex actually. Keep people from taking advantage of it. Just multi account it and you’ll have unlimited coffee, unless it’s by apt number.
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u/stephenking247 17h ago
Most likely it was triggered by some residents filling there large Yeti style to go mugs.
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u/CharmingSyrup2685 17h ago
Or just taking ridiculous amounts in other ways like grabbing multiple to go every day to take into the office or having large groups of friends or whatever grab some when they’re there (more and more of these buildings have like community work spaces with conference rooms or just big hang out rooms so you can have large groups come over more easily).
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u/Usual-Web7597 16h ago
More likely the company running this new machine is offering it to the complex at a deeply discounted rate so they can harvest user info.
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u/Idea_Fiend 17h ago
make like 20 accounts and then grab 400 cups of coffee every month. That coffee machine will be gone so quick
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u/SunshineAndBunnies 15h ago
If you want to be a pain in the butt to them, if free or complementary coffee is part of your contract, get the cheapest flip phone that doesn't run Android, and head to the management office. Make a big deal out of it.
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u/nomadsgalaxy 17h ago
Sounds like it needs to download Java, or act as a Plex server. Let me know if it uploads a terabyte 😂
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u/Erzmaster 16h ago edited 16h ago
I do not understand the hate in this comment section. I think it is a legit way from keeping people or outsiders abusing the free coffee.
Plus the things an app can do on a phone is pretty limited. If you have data concerns, use a new email, deactivate not-necessary rights of the app (like cross site tracking). Then all they got is an alias email, name and my coffee drinking behaviour. And for 20 free coffees a month, they can absolutely have that.
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u/getbent9977 15h ago
Once upon a time I did financial audits for apartments while working for an asset managemt/private fund. One of them was spending, I shit you not, 115k on coffee per year. That property management company got fired.
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u/elleeott 15h ago
Is there a real problem with abusing free coffee? Like, did the apartment complex free coffee cost go from $20/mo to $21/mo and somebody said we really need to do something about that?
Seems like a reasonable amenity to offer to residents, why does it need to be transactional.
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u/Jazzlike-Beyond-7677 9h ago
$20 a month is like one person having one cup per day.
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u/AlternativeRun5727 5h ago
Coffee is a dollar a cup where you’re from? (And yes I’m only counting M-F*
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u/Jazzlike-Beyond-7677 2h ago
Actually, I was being conservative because I buy nice beans, mine is more like $25/month. But I was accounting for every day.
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u/Confident-Skin-6462 17h ago
yeah we have one of those as well. i have always made my own coffee and continue to do so.
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u/Plenty-Mall1484 17h ago
“No app required” yeah but everything I have to do to get it for free, I might as well just have to get an app?? Wack.
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u/Reddit2metbh 16h ago
I sign up to any of the shops or anything that offer a free coffee after 10 cups. They can track anything they like as the phone I’m using for this comment is already tracking everything I do and say anyway so why not get some free coffee out of it.
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u/FailingupwardsPHD 15h ago
The free cup is for residents only, so they use your email that you use for your resident account to verify. Not great to require a signup, but not terrible for free coffee and preventing abuse of the amenity by anyone
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u/Knees0ck 15h ago
The more technology advances, the more ways we find to inconvenience ourselves with it.
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u/maybeinoregon 12h ago
Seems like a decent perk (haha) to me.
I’ve had a use on the ‘internet’ email address since forever. Just throw that in there, and Bobs your Uncle…
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u/CyclopsorNedStark 17h ago
For the uninitiated…what economic benefit could the coffee company have for collecting this set of data?
Random apartment goers making the odd cup of Joe. Other than collecting maybe a few dozens emails, what could data be Sue’s for?
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u/likwidkool 17h ago
I’m thinking people were drinking too much and this is a way to limit it. The bonus is all that sweet data.
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u/buzz8588 15h ago
We now have the email address and phone number, and most likely the advertising ID of someone who drinks coffee regularly. Now we can sell a “coffee interested” customer to other coffee companies who pay to acquire new customers by showing them coffee ads.
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u/DFWTexan 16h ago
I can give them real time data on advancing trends as to what’s becoming popular and what’s not. Build data on what days and times people consume coffee the most. Ascertain which demographics are drinking what, so they can market that specifically to them
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u/Accomplished_Bird653 17h ago
Same stuff Starbucks needs our data for I guess. Everyone wants our data, even if it doesn't make sense.
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u/BakedBrie1993 14h ago
Data = location, time of use, frequency of use, email access.
The type of building and location can give insight into the types of people with those emails.
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u/Xevious_Red 14h ago
Honest boring answer: Mostly for knowing when the machine needs refilling with product.
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u/Elitefuture 9h ago
Could probably extrapolate the data a bit.
You consistently wake up and get a coffee at 6am with sporadic uses at 6pm-10pm, you're probably a working adult and we know where you live + personal information. We can now sell your data to companies that want working adults working a 9-5 in your area.
Or maybe you're getting coffees at inconsistent times. That either means you're working an inconsistent/part time schedule, or you're a student. But even for students, they might form a schedule.
Either way, they now know where you live and a rough outline of your schedule.
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u/Wrong_Toilet 2h ago
Records your coffee habits and preferences. Great info if you want to assassinate your political rivals or whatever.
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u/Europaraker 16h ago
If it requires an app then they get access to your phone!
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u/benskieast 15h ago
But since it isn’t a massive company they probably spent all the value on the software developers who created this system.
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u/popsicle-physics 14h ago
It's probably not primarily for data collection, it's to inhibit abuse by one person getting 4 coffee a day every day
The data on utilization is useful though, for knowing what flavors are popular, when service is needed, etc.
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u/unknownpoltroon 17h ago
Wonder if the tech space are online, and if they list the default admin codes to get into it.
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u/NorthPackFan 17h ago
It’s the same reason places like McDonlads and theme parks are removing all you can drink soda or limiting them with smart cups to once per half hour. People ruined a good thing for everyone else.
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u/Fancy_Schedule_4982 17h ago
Dont blame this on people. This is corporate greed. It used to be about making sure customers had a wonderful time and felt treated. This would be reflected in tip. Now its all about getting every little bit of profit, including not raising staff pay. Tip is now based on guilt rather than gratitude. Mr Joe abusing the refills with sodas or coffe worth 15 cent per cup was never the problem.
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u/CharmingSyrup2685 17h ago
It can be both. Too many people out there found “hacks” and took advantage and then those nice customer things a lot of companies scaled back on. Like Starbucks - people would go in and just grab free water and some pup cups and think it’s fine to walk out without making a single purchase. Or the people asking for water cups and putting soda in them. Costco had to start monitoring who was coming and going more since people got really extreme in membership sharing which is where Costco makes most of their money not their product which are priced incredibly fair (with a ton of loss leaders).
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u/NorthPackFan 16h ago
I’m not defending corporate greed. It’s 100% part of this. But I’ve also seen more than my share of entitled people- far more than I want to admit as a non-MAGA. If I owned a restaurant, I wouldn’t have a serve yourself spot either, even though I like them as a consumer. Yes- abuse of these things has become more rampant.
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u/lyinggrump 17h ago
Yeah, that sucks. I have my own espresso machine and drip coffee machine so that I can grind my own beans and make my own fresh coffee. Enjoy your lobby ass apartment ass coffee.
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u/Aintnobeef96 17h ago
This seems like the type of company that’ll get hacked super easily and then your data is all over the internet lol
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u/Buttsweat_n_Tears 17h ago
Oh no….a hacker will know what coffee my throwaway email account that I never log into drinks. The horror!!
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u/LanguageGeneral4333 17h ago
These IoT devices are such a security risk. No one should sign up for that
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u/schwartzasher 16h ago
Friend had this in his building in Colorado. He used a 10minute temp email to sign up and used that. He made 2 accounts to get the 40 a month. If they are making money off your account information, they can afford 2 accounts one person
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u/Southern_Salary_2253 16h ago
Your rent is going up by $300. But don't worry, a little birdy told me you love the decaf roast, so I've refilled the coffee machine for you. ;)
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u/adjective_noun_23 16h ago
Hey OP, give us a clearer picture of the QR code so I can make coffee from my house.
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u/limpymcforskin 3h ago
I mean for the apartment owners perspective it makes a bunch of sense. Cuts down on use, while still offering it. You are free to walk by.
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u/Ornery-Photograph810 17h ago
That's so weird. Why would an apartment give you free coffee? No wonder why they got a machine that throttles your usage.
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u/restlessdiesel18 17h ago
It’s part of the amenities in a lot of apartments in certain places. Yea it’s “free” but it’s also built in to the rent.
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u/AmadeusGamingTV 15h ago
This is the second post about coffee machines and 20s ive seen. The other was charging a 20 dollar hold on your card per coffee
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u/Hour_Bowler_5192 14h ago
We are looking to add this same thing into our condo building. Current spending around $4K a month for complimentary coffee for the residents. There is data for us (management) to better know how much usage the machine is getting, when the most coffee is being taken and by whom. I’ve seen residents come with carafes to take coffee, handfuls of sugar and honey packets and tea bags. Mind you then live in multi million dollar apartments. Plus I know it’s not ideal and not perfect but they also allow you to “opt out” of most data information usage for your profile.
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u/Academic_Data_6422 17h ago
Technically this might be illegal lmao. If you’re renting this place and you had unlimited cups before, reducing to 20 is technically a change in your lease terms. Could be illegal depending where you live
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u/No-Scarcity9186 17h ago
This is some first world problems. I have to do a LITTLE work for something free….
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u/elleeott 15h ago
Counterpoint, why does everything have to be transactional? It's a simple amenity, doesn't cost all that much.
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u/shhheeeeeeeeiit 14h ago
I guarantee it’s because there’s a very small handful of people abusing it. Whether it’s residents taking copious amounts or people off the street, if every resident was taking <= 1 cup per day there’d be no point of this.
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u/omnichad 4h ago
And it's not even about the waste or the cost of those supplies. It's that there's nothing ready for other people right after that.
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u/party_shaman 17h ago
my old job would've loved this.
we were supposed to report every time we used the keurig so they could deduct 25¢ from our paycheck.