Woman Sues Starbucks for $5M Over Ice in Its Drinks

A cold drink is one thing—but a cold drink filled partly with ice? An Illinois woman is suing Starbucks for $5 million, claiming the company misrepresents the size of its cold drinks by including a hefty amount of ice, the Huffington Post reports. Take the company's 24-ounce Venti cold drink: "A Starbucks customer who orders a Venti cold drink receives only 14 fluid ounces of that drink—just over half the advertised amount, and just over half the amount for which they are paying," says the 29-page complaint filed by Stacy Pincus, per Courthouse News. In other words, the suit says, "Starbucks is advertising the size of its cold drink cups on its menu, rather than the amount of fluid a customer will receive ... and deceiving its customers in the process."

What's more, the complaint notes that Starbucks charges less for comparable hot drinks even though they contain more coffee—apparent evidence of Starbucks making too much from cold drinks. The class-action suit aims to represent customers who bought a Starbucks cold drink over the past 10 years and levels a handful of accusations, including negligent misrepresentation, fraud, and unjust enrichment. But Starbucks isn't exactly buckling: "Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage," the company tells TMZ, which ends its article with the hashtag "#FirstWorldProblems." (More Starbucks stories.)