Starbucks charges couple over $4K for coffee, forcing them to cancel trip

Starbucks’ coffee may be expensive — but this is ridiculous.  

One Oklahoma couple got the java-jolt of their lives when they ordered two cups of joe at one of the chain’s Tulsa outlets and wound up being charged $4,456.27.

Jesse O’Dell said his bank account got ground down after he made his usual coffee run on January 7, ordering an iced Americano for his wife and a venti caramel frappuccino for himself, which added up to about $10.  

The father of four didn’t realize what had happened as he didn’t immediately check his receipt. But his wife Deedee later noticed that the 4-digit charge had been made for the drinks when she went to use her credit card at a mall and it got declined, WNEM reports.  

The couple said they soon contacted the company for help and Starbucks officials sent them checks to make up for the lost cash — but the checks bounced.

“We contacted their customer service helpline probably 30 to 40 times that day,” Jesse said, noting that his family had to cancel a family trip because they didn’t have the money at the time due to the error. 

A spokesperson for Starbucks told the Post the first checks bounced because of a typo, and that a new set of checks have been delivered and cashed. 

The spokesperson also put the blame for the mix up on the couple, saying Jesse had submitted the enormous tip himself when placing the order. 

Jesse, however, denies the accusation, saying that a district manager told him it was caused by a network issue. 

“I know how to press buttons. I didn’t press that button,” he told McClatchy News in a phone interview. “If it wasn’t the barista then it’s definitely your network, which is a really big issue.”

The couple had filed a complaint with the Tulsa police, but the case was later closed when the good checks were delivered.

Jesse also warned other customers to watch out for surprising charges in their own receipts in case what happened to him was not a one-time error. 

The family was especially upset because the incident caused them to miss a family vacation where they bought “non-refundable” tickets to visit Deedee’s native Thailand. 

“This is something that has caused duress in our family and hopefully others don’t have to go through something like this,” he said.