An Illinois woman has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Starbucks for putting too much ice in her drinks.
Stacy Pincus filed the lawsuit Wednesday, claiming that Starbucks is purposefully tricking customers, often halving the volume of liquid that is listed on menus with excessive quantities of ice,
NBC News reported.
"The word 'beverage' is defined as 'a drinkable liquid.' Ice is not a 'beverage' by definition. Accordingly, Starbucks actually gives the customer much less beverage in the cold drinks they order and pay for," the lawsuit reads in part.
The lawsuit seeks $5 million on behalf of any customer who has bought a cold drink at Starbucks within the past 10 years.
"Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage," Starbucks spokeswoman Jaime Riley told NBC News in response, adding that the claims are “without merit.”
"If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it," she said.
The lawsuit points out that the coffee chain often charges more for its iced beverages than for hot ones, while serving less liquid,
Courthouse News Service reported.
"In essence, Starbucks is advertising the size of its cold drink cups on its menu, rather than the amount of fluid a customer will receive when they purchase a cold drink — and deceiving its customers in the process," the class-action lawsuit states. It suggests the chain use larger cups to allow the advertised amount of liquid to be served.
Steven Hart of Hart, McLaughlin & Eldridge in Chicago, is representing the plaintiff.
The lawsuit received a mostly chilly response on Twitter.
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