Upset Dunkin' customers took to Twitter on Thursday to air grievances with the company's app.
The national coffee chain announced that loyalty members could get a free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase on September 29 in honor of National Coffee Day. Dunkin' said customers could use the app to secure their freebie; however, some claimed the app wouldn't honor the promotion and forced them to pay.
National Coffee Day Offer
"To keep on running with your free cup of ambition, rewards members can scan their loyalty ID at checkout, order ahead on the Dunkin' app, or pay with an enrolled Dunkin' card on September 29," the company said in a press release. "Not a member? No problem! To [ensure] you don't miss those free sips, simply create an account on the Dunkin' app."
The promotion was good on hot cups of Dunkin's Decaf and Midnight blend coffees. Customers could also order a hot or iced cup of Dunkin's Original Blend, but cold foam, espresso shots, flavors and dairy alternatives could be subject to an additional charge. Further, the offer was only valid at "participating U.S. Dunkin' stores" and could not be applied on delivery platforms or "through guest orders in the Dunkin' app."
Along with celebrating the beverage, National Coffee Days around the world also help promote fair-trade coffee and raise awareness of the plight of the coffee growers, according to the International Coffee Organization.
Customer Complaints
But despite purportedly abiding by all these rules, some customers said they still couldn't get their hands on a free coffee.
"App isn't giving me the free coffee," @LadyJustess tweeted. "It adds to the cart but says something about promotion cannot be applied. Yes, I chose a MEDIUM original blend iced coffee, black."
"Hey, when I try placing it on the app, it doesn't want to honor the discount saying the discount is available at certain times of [the] day," @dimplekay_ said.
Twitter user @UncleSalty posted a screenshot of the in-app promo, writing: "[the promo] says 'with any purchase,' so I ordered a large coffee and should get a free medium? [The] app wouldn't honor the order, so I went to a DD and ordered in line and was denied as well. What gives? Coffee is not considered 'any purchase??????'"
Twitter user @RobinQuaglieri added: "Not free today. Was told by an employee the site crashed so I ended up buying two coffees instead of my usual one. Well played Dunkin'."
Newsweek reached out to Dunkin' for comment.
More Viral Stories
On Tuesday, a Dunkin' customer said a drive-thru employee cursed at her because she ordered a drink with oat milk.
Last week, a former Dunkin' employee went viral after posting a video of their "nasty" store.
And in May, a different Dunkin' employee went viral after sharing a glimpse into their understaffed store.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Sara Santora is a Newsweek reporter based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on viral social media posts and trends. ... Read more
