First of all, if we need to give you an explanation of what Starbucks is, then you must be living under a rock or something. It is one of the biggest coffee companies in the world and is known for its wide variety of beverages, particularly its Refresher drinks, which are meant to cool you down, you know? Though, these very refresher drinks are what have cost Starbucks this very famous Starbucks Refresher Class Action Lawsuit. If you have not caught up to this lawsuit yet, then worry not, we are here to share with you the details of this case, and all things that impact you, the customer.
What’s the Story Behind This Starbucks Refresher Class Action Lawsuit?
A lawsuit was brought against Starbucks in August 2022 by two customers, Joan Kominis and Jason McAllister. They say that the Starbucks Refresher drinks they got did not have the fruits that were advertised. The drinks in question? Five different drinks: Strawberry Açai Refresher, Strawberry Açai Lemonade, Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher, and Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade. The claimants say that these drinks don’t have the main ingredients that are listed in their names, which are mango, passionfruit, and açai.
The names of these Refreshers make everyone feel like they were lied to. The drinks are mostly water, grape juice concentrate, and sugar, not the fruits that were promoted. They said they would not have bought the drinks or paid less if they knew they did not have the fruits that were promised. They think that Starbucks charged more because they thought that customers were getting better ingredients.
For sure, Starbucks tried to get the case thrown out by saying that the names of the drinks only describe their taste and not what’s in them. U.S. District Judge John Cronan, though, said the case could go on for a little longer. He threw out two of the eleven claims, for fraud and unjust gain, but let the other nine go forward. The judge said that the names could lead a reasonable person to believe that the drinks contained the fruits that were named.
This Isn’t The First Time Though
It’s not just Starbucks. Similar cases have been brought against other big food chains. Burger King was sued for supposedly lying about how big its Whopper burgers were. A lawsuit was filed against Taco Bell because its Mexican pizza did not have enough filling. Similarly, Buffalo Wild Wings was sued because their “boneless wings” are not made from wing meat but from chicken breast pieces. More and more claims are being filed to protect consumers and make sure that businesses are honest and treat their customers fairly.
The Financial and Business Angle
Plaintiffs in the Starbucks lawsuit want more than $5 million in damages. Starbucks could lose a lot of money because of this case since their Refresher drinks are so famous, you know? All in all, these beverages, which were first offered in 2012, have quickly become an important part of Starbucks’ sales plan. Refreshers and other cold beverages made up 76% of all beverage sales in the United States, according to Howard Schultz, who was the company’s interim CEO at the time. If the company is found to have lied to its customers, it could hurt trust in the company, which could hurt Starbucks’ sales down the line.