Starbucks China Responds to Shanghai Consumer Protection Council: Claims of "Order Cancellation" Are Unfounded

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Starbucks 0.01 Yuan Promotion Controversy

On November 23, multiple netizens reported on social media and news platforms that they had successfully purchased "Large Double Cup Vouchers for Flat White" for 0.01 yuan from Starbucks' official Douyin account. However, they subsequently received notifications of voucher issuance failure, and the ordering platform automatically processed refunds.

According to other media reports, by the time the promotion link was taken down, approximately 900,000 orders had been sold. Currently, when checking Starbucks' official Douyin account, the "Flat White Double Cup Exchange Voucher" has been changed to 61 yuan.

Regarding this behavior of successful purchases being met with voucher issuance failure and automatic refunds, netizens expressed widespread outrage, exclaiming that if Starbucks couldn't afford such promotions, they shouldn't have organized them, criticizing the company for not being generous! The heated discussion pushed the topic into the top five trending searches.

That evening, Starbucks China issued a statement responding to the incident, stating that the company had mistakenly activated an internal testing link that morning. The system settings had been corrected and automatic refunds had been initiated. The company also notified customers via text messages and issued an apology.

Public Backlash and Regulatory Intervention

However, Starbucks' apology did not quell public opinion. Netizens believed that if it was an internal problem, consumers shouldn't have to bear the consequences. Some netizens pointed out that early purchasers had already redeemed their vouchers, so why were later purchases automatically refunded due to internal issues? The discussion then shifted from Starbucks' automatic refunds without redemption to the unfairness of some successful redemptions while others received automatic refunds. Many netizens also reported filing complaints with the 12315 consumer protection platform.

On November 28, the Shanghai Consumer Protection Commission communicated with Starbucks China regarding the controversy questioning the "one-cent two-cup coffee promotion without redemption and zero-cost customer acquisition."

Starbucks China told the Shanghai Consumer Protection Commission that the so-called "order cancellation" by Starbucks was untrue. On November 23, Starbucks' Douyin operating agent mistakenly launched "Two Flat Whites for 0.01 Yuan." For the more than 10,000 orders that were completed, Starbucks fulfilled all of them, and consumers can use redemption codes to pay. The remaining 900,000 orders were not completed, so there was no issue of order cancellation. Additionally, Starbucks' promotion did not require following the Douyin account or becoming a member, so it didn't involve "free customer acquisition." In response, netizens pointed out that their orders were indeed successfully paid, which equates to successful transactions. However, the text message notifications they received did cite code issuance failure as the reason for automatic refunds. How could this be considered incomplete transactions?

Legal Perspective

Regarding this incident, lawyers have stated that Starbucks' internal operational issues should not affect its responsibility to fulfill obligations to consumers. After consumers successfully paid 0.01 yuan to purchase coffee vouchers, a contract was established between customers and Starbucks. Therefore, regardless of the reason, Starbucks should fulfill its obligations as agreed. The practice of issuing a statement to unilaterally cancel the contract clearly constitutes a breach of contract. As for this matter, the Shanghai Consumer Protection Commission has not yet issued an investigative response.

Image source: Internet

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