19 People Who Regretted Their Hospitality

Having family or friends over can be enjoyable, but it can also be challenging, especially if some of them aren’t familiar with how to act respectfully in someone else’s space. It’s quite astonishing to see how many people struggle to adhere to basic etiquette.

• One day, a girl who used to look after me came to my house and asked if she could use the bathroom. My grandma let her in because she knew her, but she hadn’t been my nanny for months. When I got home, I met her at the entrance, and she left quickly, grabbed her bag, and left.
  I thought it was strange that she only said goodbye as soon as she saw me, but when I went into my room I saw that some of my jewelry, bracelets, and makeup were missing. Well, I asked my grandmother, «Granny, where did you put my things?» And she replied she hadn’t changed anything in my room. So, yeah, she had taken them. I confirmed it when I found her in the market with my things ON! Debby Arevalo / Facebook
• A stylist came to my house to do my hair. When I came out of the bathroom, I saw him going through the kitchen cupboards. He was taking things out while saying I had too many things if it was just me and my son at home. Then I pretended to clean the kitchen and returned all the things to my pantry. Yesica Ulloa / Facebook
• A woman came into my bathroom and turned on my electric toothbrush. When she didn’t know how to turn it off, she dug her nails in it trying to turn it off. There was a large group of us playing cards at home, but she was the only one with such long nails. I never told her, but I always knew it was her. Bea Oxandabarat / Facebook

• A friend came to visit me by surprise. She had a backpack with her and didn’t stay more than 10 minutes. She stole some new boots that I had just bought and that were in my bedroom wardrobe.
  A few days later, I visited her at work without telling her, and she became very nervous. It was then that I realized that she had my new boots. I asked her if those were mine, but she denied it. I was so sad to know that she had robbed me. Tania Gallardo / Facebook
• My stepfather was going to take us to a spa, and he had bought me a very nice bikini. I had just invited a «friend» to my house for lunch. She came over, we chatted and watched a film. I showed her my swimsuit because I was very excited, as I had never been to a spa with my family. She told me she had to go, and I went to the bathroom and then accompanied her to the subway. It was already late.
  When I came back from dropping her off, I was preparing my backpack for the next day, and my bikini top was missing. I looked for it, and since I couldn’t find it, I called her, and she never answered. She had stolen it and there was nothing I could do about it, as it was late, and we were leaving for the spa at 6 AM. I cried a lot, but there was nothing left to do. Lain Lullaby / Facebook
• There was this guy my husband and I had met once before, we invited him over to watch a movie with us (we were new to the city, trying to make friends), and he said he’d bring pizza. He brought a half-eaten pizza. He asked to use our laptop (was on FB the whole time) and proceeded to fall asleep in our living room recliner during the movie. TheJoyfulJoy / Reddit

• An acquaintance stayed over at my house while I was on vacation. She spent an entire night on the phone on a long-distance call.
  About a week later, she came back when I wasn’t there, claiming she had forgotten her suitcase, and my dad let her into my room. She took one of my suitcases and filled it. I still haven’t been able to figure out how much she took because my family would store some of their things in my room. And then we got a very expensive phone bill. Noche Con Bruma / Facebook
• An uncle from out of town came to visit us with his new wife. My mom offered them my bedroom because I have a double bed. Anyway, I had a Dior Dolce Vita perfume sealed in my wardrobe for when I ran out of the one I was wearing. I’d had such a hard time finding it because it had been discontinued.
  The next day, I asked my uncle’s wife what perfume she was using because it rang a bell, and she said, «I have no idea, I found it in the wardrobe. I thought you didn’t want it since it was still in its box.» Bernardita Andrea Loyola Solis / Facebook
• When an aunt came to visit me, she stole clothes and other accessories from my wardrobe. I didn’t even notice the first time. The funniest thing was that soon after, I saw my cousin wearing one of my favorite blouses on her Facebook profile. Yamile Duran / Facebook
• My future brother-in-law unplugged our fridge to plug in a coffee pot. We didn’t notice until it was all ruined. He didn’t offer to cover anything. They_call_me_Bubby / Reddit

• It happened about 17 years ago at my friend’s house. Before I went to see her, I passed by the ATM and took some money out because I had to get gas, but I decided to go straight to her house and do that later. When I left her house, I didn’t have the money in my purse. It was very obvious that it had been her because it was only the two of us in her house, and it probably happened when I went to the bathroom. I didn’t say anything to her because I was embarrassed, but I never went out with her again. Mayra de Bray / Facebook
• My mother-in-law was coming to visit, and I saw her arrive. Instead of knocking on our front door, though, she went into the backyard. I was so confused. I looked out back to see her going behind a bush and squatting. I assume she peed. I am baffled to this day. I said nothing. koopdujour / Reddit
• My mom had her sewing workshop at home. One day, a client came in, and my mom took her measurements and then went to the bathroom, leaving the lady alone in the living room, where my sister had left her laptop. When my mom came out of the bathroom, the lady told her she would come back later.
  As she was leaving the house, my mom realized that the laptop was gone, so she screamed, and I ran out to stop the lady. I caught up with her and my mom and I went through her bag and found the laptop. Then my dad came out too and took her to the police station. Angella Helguero / Facebook

• On one occasion, I hired a very pretty young woman to help me at home. She was living with us when I started noticing that she was wearing my clothes. At first, I thought that she had a garment just like mine, that it couldn’t be MY CLOTHING, but she was indeed taking things from my wardrobe and wearing them. Sara Salazar / Facebook
• One day, I came home from school with an acquaintance, and she asked me for a glass of water. I replied, «Just let me take my backpack to my room.» When I left my room, my mom asked me who else was in the house. I told her it was Sara, that we had just come in to get some water, and my mom said, «Did you hear that? It was the sound of a door.»
  We went downstairs, and the girl didn’t even want water, she left in a hurry, saying that she was running late. She had stolen some bowls that my mom had just bought. I felt so sorry for my mom, and, since then, I’ve been suspicious of everyone. Marisa Rios Reynoso / Facebook
• I used to invite a friend home very often until we started to notice that a lot of clothes, even our underwear, were missing. When I suspected it was her, I went to her house when she wasn’t home and her father opened the door. I went straight to her room and saw my socks in the top drawer, and her wardrobe was full of my things. I grabbed my things and said to her father: «Tell your daughter that I’ve come for the things she stole from me.» And I never welcomed her into my home again. Silvia Orellana / Facebook

One of our readers recounted an experience when she attended a gathering hosted by her friends. She had to bring her young daughter along because she couldn’t find a babysitter. However, her friends unexpectedly kicked her out.