A Man Is Suing Folgers, Claiming Its Cans Don't Make as Many Cups as Advertised
He's probably highly caffeinated.
Nobody likes getting shorted, no matter the situation. Some people, however, really don't like it. Like Mark Smith, a Missouri man who is suing Folgers claiming they "grossly misrepresented" the number of cups of coffee that can be made from canisters of its ground coffee.
The Kansas City Star reports that Smith alleges in his lawsuit that for 42 different varieties of Folgers Coffee, the customer can make less than 70% (68.29%) of the number of cups of coffee the label claims a can should make.
However, Folgers, per the Kansas City Star, is quite specific on how to make its coffee, offering two ways: Make a single serving using 6 ounces of cold water and 1 tablespoon of coffee (which is what the plaintiff claims he's been doing) or make a pot of 10 servings using 60 ounces of water and half a cup of ground coffee. Folgers notes that the amount of coffee in each can also vary depending on how it's measured out to begin with.
"It is a classic and unlawful bait-and-switch scheme that causes unsuspecting consumers to spend more money for less than the advertised amount of coffee they believe they are purchasing," the lawsuit reads.
This isn't the first time Folgers has been sued for allegedly misrepresenting the amount of coffee that can be made from its cans, and the company has repeatedly pointed out that its packaging states that "up to" a specific number of cups can be made from a single canister. It does not explicitly promise each canister will make a certain number of cups.
Per Food & Wine, a judge sided with Folgers in an earlier lawsuit, finding that the "up to" on the label "is not a guarantee that the number of cups will be reached." The lawsuit was dismissed but the plaintiff was told they could make changes to their complaint and refile in the future.
Folgers also isn't the only company that has been sued for this reason. Coffee fanatics previously sought legal action against Aldi, claiming its Beaumont Coffee contained less coffee than promised on the label.