Couple forfeits family vacation due to Starbucks billing error

BET À DAY

A couple in Oklahoma, USA had to forfeit their family vacation due to an error that crept into their bill after a visit to Starbucks, WNEM reported .

On January 7, Jesse and Deedee O'Dell paid $4,456.27 for two coffees at Starbucks. Normally, the price would have been $10.

It was only a few days later that Deedee realized the mistake. She says her card, the same one she used to buy the two Starbucks coffees, was declined at a mall she and her four children went to.

So the couple decided to look at the Starbucks receipt to see if there was an error. It was then that Jesse and Deedee realized that Starbucks had charged a tip of $4444.44.

Jesse subsequently contacted the district manager of the Starbucks in question. After their exchanges, the company sent two checks totaling the amount that was invoiced in error. However, for a bank deposit, the checks were returned.

“We contacted the [Starbucks] customer service hotline probably 30 to 40 times that day. We received a call from a representative who told us that they were sending out new checks. But to date, we still haven't received any checks,” Jesse O'Dell said.

The couple filed a report with Tulsa police.

“We had planned to take a trip but had to cancel and tickets are non-refundable. This is something that has caused difficulties in our family and we hope that others will not have to go through such an experience,” he added.

According to Starbucks, new checks have been sent. To err would be human, according to the company.