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@lemonade
Hey! Here are some of my rambling thoughts on the subject. Well I have a more positive experience. I did an internship this last year, and I've got a job out of it. It was for a charity, which means that it can count as volunteering, and thus you aren't required to be paid minimum wage. I was also doing a Master's full-time, and was able to get academic credit for doing the internship, which would also exclude me from minimum wage legislation. I was paid lunch and travel expenses.
They made a real effort to teach me as many skills as possible and give me experience in all the areas they could, specifically guided me, asked me about what I needed to know and helped me with stuff I would need with jobs in the future. I liked it so much I ended up doing it (part-time) for six months, instead of the original three. I really felt that they valued the work I did, and it was interesting and they were friendly and treated me as an equal not like a slave. And I was never asked to make the tea or do the photocopying or anything.
Near the end of the internship, I was made aware that a paid position might be opening up at the charity, and they asked me if I wanted to be considered for it. I did, and I'll be starting there soon. The job I'll be starting at is not quite in the exact same field, and it isn't an entry-level role, so there's no way I would have got it without the internship.
I really apologize for replying to your negative experience with such a boastful post, but I thought it was important to hear a positive experience as you do hear so many bad experiences. I also know of somebody else on my course who had a very similar experience to mine, so it does happen!
(I am in general very against the widespread use of unpaid internships, as I believe it discriminates against people who don't have the means or resources to support themselves whilst they're doing it. I was fortunate enough to have a parent living in London who I could scrounge off, and I've had to learn to live cheaply. I do feel bad that my taking an unpaid internship has helped to perpetuate this system, but I am not at a stage in my career where I can afford to turn down good opportunities for the sake of principle, even more than I may already have by choosing to work in the voluntary sector. I would also exclude charities from the criticism of unpaid internships, as they are struggling enough as it is, and the practice of volunteering for charities is essential to how they work.)