The latest talk about Starbucks has not been about its new fudge Frappuccino, but instead monopolized by how a California federal judge just granted two customers the okay to pursue a class action lawsuit against Starbucks for under-filling their lattes. At least this time people are attacking the contents of the drink, unlike the previous war on what Starbucks chooses as the aesthetic of their cups.
Photo by Molly Doroba
This current Starbucks feud is how they use less milk in order to save money which results in customers receiving drinks that are 25% less than they pay for. If I pay the price for something, I don’t expect to be served less than that. The point that really seals the deal is how much money you lose each time you order a latte.
The main case is that when you order a grande which is listed as 16 ounces, you actually are only getting the amount of latte equivalent to a tall (12 ounces). The difference in price is $0.70 which seems small, but to the avid coffee drinker that gets about 4 lattes a week, they lose roughly $145 a year. If you buy one every day, that’s almost $246 wasted. It adds up, you lose and Starbucks profits.
Many people have no clue that they were losing money. They never suspected it and just assumed they were getting what they paid for. Will this new knowledge cause some to boycott the beloved brand? It would be interesting to see if a large following does lose support for the brand we see so often in the lifestyles and Instagrams of so many.