Icegate: Lawsuit Claims Starbucks Puts Too Much Ice in Drinks

Starbucks Iced Drinks
Flickr/Alexander Agopian
Lana Shadwick

A Chicago woman is suing Starbucks alleging that they are putting too much ice in their iced drinks. She has brought the suit as a class action.

The woman claims Starbucks is shorting its customers and misrepresenting the amount of liquid that is in the beverage.

Stacy Pincus filed the federal lawsuit claiming that the coffee giant is misleading their customers. She alleges in her federal pleading that Starbucks advertises an iced beverage as containing 24 ounces but it is actually about 14 ounces of fluid. Pincus claims that ice is not a beverage, reported the AP.

“A Starbucks customer who orders and pays for a cold drink receives much less than advertised, often nearly half as many fluid ounces,” the lawsuit states, adding that the practice is “by design and corporate practice and procedure.”

Starbucks called the lawsuit frivolous and without merit.

“Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any ‘iced’ beverage,” Starbucks spokesperson Jaime Riley was reported to say. “If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it.”

The legal action has been filed as a class action. Starbucks consumers that think they have been short-changed may try to recover damages. The petition asks for attorney fees and restitution in addition to civil damages.

Riley said that a Starbucks consumer always has the option of asking for less ice.

The reaction on social media to the lawsuit has been predictable:

Others complained:

Lana Shadwick is a writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and associate judge. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2

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