A couple in Oklahoma says they were charged more than $4,000 for two cups of coffee at their neighborhood Starbucks.
Jesse and Deedee O’Dell said their tab for two coffees is normally around $10 but this time they were charged $4,456.27 on Jan. 7.
According to Deedee O’Dell, she noticed the charge a couple of days later while she was at the mall with her four children. She happened to use the same card to purchase something in a store and to her surprise, it was declined.
The couple said they discovered that Starbucks had charged a $4,444.44 gratuity on top of their coffee order.
Jesse O’Dell said he contacted the Starbucks district manager regarding the incident and was told that there was an issue with the network.
The couple said that Starbucks sent them two checks equaling the total gratuity amount, but when they tried to deposit the checks into their account they bounced.
“We contacted their {Starbucks] customer service helpline probably 30 to 40 times that day,” Jesse O’Dell said. “We got a call from a representative who said they are sending new checks. But as of today, we still have not received checks.”
According to the couple, they have filed a report with the Tulsa Police Department regarding the incident.
However, in the meantime, their budget has gone away along with having to cancel a family vacation because of the situation.
“We had planned to take a trip but had to cancel and the tickets are non-refundable,” Jesse O’Dell said.
The couple urged everyone to check their receipts but when it comes to visiting Starbucks again, they have their reservations.
“This is something that has caused duress in our family and hopefully others don’t have to go through something like this,” Jesse O’Dell said.
A representative with Starbucks said the company is aware of the situation and attributed the incident to possible human error.
According to the company, the team has been in communication with the couple who should be receiving new checks in the mail.