Starbucks billed a US couple Rs 3.67 lakh for two cups of coffee in Oklahoma. Jesse and Deedee O’Dell noticed that they were charged $4,456.27 (Rs 3.67 lakh), including $4,444.44 ( Rs 3.66 lakh) gratuity at a Starbucks outlet.
The Oklahoma couple noticed the bill only after a few days of the incident. Deedee was in a mall with her kids and tried to make a transaction in a store using the same card, and the payment got denied.
After that, Jesse contacted the Starbucks district manager about the whole incident and how they were charged $4,456.27 for just two cups of coffee; the manager informed them that this happened because of some problem with the network.
The couple shared that the American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves issued them two cheques which sum up to the gratuity amount, but when they tried to deposit the amount in their account, the cheques bounced.
As per FOX 23 news, the couple has been spending around $10 (Rs 826) daily for coffee for the last 16 years. Jesse said, “I ordered the Iced Americano, and my wife always gets the Venti Caramel frappuccino with the extra shot, and it’s usually around 9 to 10 bucks. An extra shot might raise it to like $10.75."
A representative contacted the couple after Jesse and Deedee O’Dell had called the customer service hotline about 30 to 40 times on the day their cheque bounced. The representative told them they would be sending new cheques, but they never came in since the incident happened in January.
O’Dell family was planning a trip to Thailand, but due to this incident, their budget was gone, and they had to postpone the trip. Thailand is DeeDee’s native country, and the family was planning to visit there, but unfortunately, they had to cancel their non-refundable tickets and the trip.
The couple reported the incident to Tulsa Police Department and requested everyone to verify their receipts. The couple now has their apprehensions about going back to Starbucks.
On this whole incident, a Starbucks representative said that this may have resulted from human error, and the company is aware of the circumstance. They further said that the staff is in touch with the couple, and they will soon receive their money.