Starbucks charged us $6500 for two coffees

Jesse O’Dell made his usual coffee, picking up an iced Americano for his wife and a venti caramel frappuccino for himself.

A couple were accidentally overcharged a huge sum for two Starbucks coffees. Picture: Scott Olson/Getty Images/AFP

A couple were accidentally charged $4456.27 ($6438 AUD) for two cups of coffee at Starbucks.

Jesse O’Dell made his usual coffee run at the cafe in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on January 7, picking up an iced Americano for his wife and a venti caramel frappuccino for himself, the New York Post reported.

The order usually costs about $10 ($14.50 AUD), but instead he was charged the whopping sum.

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

A couple were accidentally overcharged a huge sum for two Starbucks coffees. Picture: Scott Olson/Getty Images/AFP

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

“We contacted their customer service helpline probably 30 to 40 times that day,” Mr O’Dell 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 cheques for Starbucks said the first cheques 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.

Mr O’Dell, 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.

“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 cheques were delivered.

Mr O’Dell 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 for which 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.

This story was originally published by the New York Post and was reproduced with permission