Lawsuit Claims Starbucks 'Underfills' Iced Drinks

A woman files a class action lawsuit alleging Starbucks serves too much ice.

ByABC News
May 2, 2016, 10:04 AM

— -- A new federal lawsuit against Starbucks claims the company is deceiving its customers when it comes to their iced beverages.

Chicago resident Stacy Pincus filed the proposed class action suit on Wednesday in Illinois, according to court documents.

The suit alleges the brand "unlawfully underfills iced coffee, iced tea, and iced-blended specialty drinks crafted by Starbucks employees." The lawsuit alleges the drinks are underfilled "compared to how they are advertised, misleading and injuring consumers in the process.”

The lawsuit claims a Starbucks customer ordering a "cold drink" receives "much less than advertised, often nearly half as many fluid ounces."

"Over time, Starbucks customers have experienced rapidly rising prices, while in the process, Starbucks has bought out and taken over numerous smaller competitors," according to court documents.

Steven A. Hart, an attorney for Pincus, told ABC News that his client simply wants Starbucks to “stop this practice” and to “stop deceiving their customers."

The lawsuit is asking the mega-coffee chain to pay upwards of $5 million to customers who have purchased an iced beverage in the last 10 years.

Starbucks spokesperson Jaime Riley issued a statement to ABC News in response to the lawsuit.

"We are aware of the plaintiff’s claims, which we fully believe to be without merit," Riley said. "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.”