advertisement

Illinois woman's $5 million lawsuit: Too much ice in Starbucks' iced drinks

An Illinois woman is the lead plaintiff in a potential class-action lawsuit alleging Starbucks is putting too much ice in its iced beverages.

The unhappy customer, Stacy Pincus, is seeking $5 million through the federal lawsuit, which accuses Starbucks of fraud, negligent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment.

Pincus, who according to the lawsuit is a Chicago resident who's visited several Starbucks stores in Illinois, filed the lawsuit April 27, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Starbucks sells iced beverages in tall, grande, venti and trenta sizes that are advertised as containing 12, 16, 24 and 30 fluid ounces, respectively, according to the lawsuit.

Pincus' suit claims customers who order iced beverages often receive less than half the fluid ounces they pay for, and most of the cup is filled with ice.

"Starbucks actually gives the customer much less beverage in the Cold Drinks they order and pay for - as little as about 14 fluid ounces in a Venti Cold Drink advertised as containing 24 fluid ounces, for example," the lawsuit states.

The suit also argues Starbucks charges customers more for the iced drinks than it does for a hot drink, even though the hot drink contains more fluid ounces.

"We are aware of the plaintiff's claims, which we fully believe to be frivolous and without merit," according to a statement Starbucks released Monday. "Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage. If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it."

Pincus filed the lawsuit on behalf of herself and everyone who has purchased iced beverages from Starbucks in the past 10 years, according to court documents.

Steven Hart with Hart, McLaughlin & Eldridge in Chicago in representing Pincus. He could not be reached for comment Monday.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.