Starbucks Sued for $5 Million Because Cold Drinks Contained Too Much Ice
A customer sued Starbucks for $5 million in 2016, claiming the coffee chain deliberately filled cold drinks with excess ice to cheat customers out of the advertised liquid volume.
In a lawsuit that prompted eye-rolls nationwide, a Starbucks customer sued the coffee giant for $5 million in 2016, alleging that cold beverages contained too much ice, thus providing less liquid than advertised. The plaintiff argued this was a deliberate fraud to save money on ingredients. A federal judge dismissed the case, ruling that "reasonable consumers" expect ice to displace liquid in cold drinks and understand they're not getting 100% liquid in an iced beverage. The lawsuit was mocked for its obviousness - ice in cold drinks is standard practice across the industry. Legal experts used it as an example of frivolous litigation clogging the courts. The case did, however, spark brief discussions about beverage industry practices and whether cup sizes are misleading. Starbucks maintained their ice-to-liquid ratios were industry standard and customers could request light ice at any time.
That's Meth'd Up!