Someone's Suing Starbucks for Putting Too Much Ice in Iced Drinks

Drew Swantak/Thrillist
Drew Swantak/Thrillist

When you order an iced coffee, chances are you know what you're gonna get: coffee and ice. It's a fairly straightforward proposition, but a new class-action lawsuit claims that Starbucks is misleading and ripping off customers by -- get this -- intentionally putting too much ice in its ICED drinks. Really.

Basically, the suit asserts that the amount of ice Starbucks puts in its iced drinks leaves you with significantly less actual drink than the fluid ounces promised on its menu boards, according to a report by NBC News. The legal challenge was filed by Stacy Pincus in Northern Illinois Federal Court last Wednesday and appears to be a copycat of another recent lawsuit that accuses Starbucks of purposely under-filling its hot lattes. Pincus is demanding $5 million in damages.

Specifically, the lawsuit states: "[A] Starbucks customer who orders a Venti cold drink receives only 14 fluid ounces of that drink -- just over half the advertised amount, and just over half the amount for which they are paying. In the iced coffee example, a Starbucks customer who orders and pays for a Venti iced coffee, expecting to receive 24 fluid ounces of iced coffee based on Starbucks' advertisement and marketing, will instead receive only about 14 fluid ounces of iced coffee."

Starbucks shot back at the allegations, essentially saying that -- believe it or not -- iced drinks are made with ice and that anyone who's unhappy with their drink can ask for it to be remade for free, like you've been able to since day one.

"Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage," Starbucks said in a statement to CNN. "If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it."

Or, you know, you can always just ask for less ice. Crazy, right?

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Tony Merevick is Cities News Editor at Thrillist is constantly amazed by what people do to make a quick buck, or millions in a class-action lawsuit. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @tonymerevick.