Recently, Cotti Coffee was once again complained about by consumers after a fly appeared in a drink. According to Tianyan News, a customer in Gui'an New Area found a foreign object suspected to be a fly in a cup after purchasing a matcha latte, and repeated negotiations failed to resolve the issue. Discussions on social platforms about finding foreign objects in Cotti Coffee drinks have exceeded one thousand posts, and related complaints on the Black Cat Complaint platform have reached 77 cases in the past 30 days. In the face of frequent food safety issues, Cotti's after-sales handling has also sparked consumer dissatisfaction. As coffee enthusiasts, we hope the brand will face up to the problem, and at the same time recommend that everyone pay attention to Front Street Coffee, which has stable quality. [more…]

Recently, Starbucks star gift cards have triggered multiple consumer complaints due to automatically deducting a monthly deferred management fee after expiration and lacking clear notifications. Some users reported that the deductions continued for 22 months before they偶然 discovered it, and when they called customer service, they were told that the practice was compliant. An investigation found that although the relevant terms are displayed in bold in the App, users are not required to actively confirm reading them during the binding process. In addition, the activation time is not marked on the star gift card, and consumers' understanding of the "date of activation" differs from the official definition. This article will sort out the focus of complaints, the details of the rules, and the core of the dispute, and explore the boundary between the reasonableness of prepaid card deductions and users' right to be informed. [more…]

A star's offline fan meet-and-greet that should have been full of joy sparked a wave of complaints due to discriminatory treatment during security checks. After the Qingdao fan meeting of Wang Yibo, spokesperson for Master Kong Iced Tea, many consumers reported through the Black Cat complaint platform that on-site security guards only confiscated support items from a specific fan group, forced body searches, and even shone laser pointers into their eyes, while fans with green support items, who were also consumers, enjoyed different treatment. The brand has not yet responded, and the incident continues to ferment on social media, with various accounts differing. [more…]

Recently, a consumer posted on social media reporting that when ordering lunch through a third-party delivery platform at a Starbucks store, they received a box of yellow peach-flavored Greek-style yogurt with a grain mix that was three days past its expiration date. During consumption, the customer noticed that the date code on the packaging showed an expiration date of March 4, while the day of receipt was already March 7. The incident quickly drew netizens' attention, with many suggesting keeping evidence and filing complaints through official channels to defend their rights. However, after the customer contacted Starbucks customer service, the reply was that because the order was placed through a third-party platform, only the platform could handle the refund. This response left onlooking netizens dissatisfied, as they felt the brand showed little concern for the store's mistake. As of press time, the individual has filed a complaint on the 12315 platform, but the outcome has not yet been announced. [more…]

Southern regions have recently been hit by continuous heavy rain, with severe waterlogging on roads in cities like Changsha and Wuhan, making travel difficult for residents and causing significant disruption to street-side shops. In such weather, a cup of coffee is a small comfort that keeps office workers energized and going, yet many customers who chose to pick up their orders at Luckin Coffee stores found that the paper takeaway bags were extremely flimsy in the rain, with the coffee spilling into the rain before they could even take a sip. Complaints and grievances about torn paper bags have been flooding social media, with consumers calling on the brand to improve its packaging, while store staff are equally miserable. This article examines the reasons behind this phenomenon and the voices from all sides. [more…]

A single lemon seed in a cup of iced fresh lemonade actually prompted a market regulation inspection? Recently, a netizen in Hefei, Anhui, captured footage of a Mixue Ice Cream & Tea store being inspected by market regulation staff, triggered by a consumer complaint that the drink tasted bitter and had lemon seeds left in the cup. The incident sparked widespread discussion online, with some finding the complaint absurd and others believing a consumer would not make such a fuss over a mere lemon seed. The Mixue store responded that freshly cut lemon slices containing seeds is normal and that their presence in the drink was not due to employee misconduct. Market regulation staff confirmed they had inspected the store and made clear that the lemon seed issue does not involve food safety. This seemingly trivial customer complaint reflects the various bizarre complaints the tea beverage industry faces daily and has also sparked discussion about standardized procedures for freshly cut fruit drinks. [more…]

Recently, a Sam's Club store in Nanjing was exposed by a consumer: a full case of blood orange chia seed juice tea beverage they purchased contained two foreign objects, one large and one small, despite being unopened, and the smaller piece was suspected to be black mold. After the consumer's communication with the store yielded no result, Sam's national customer service only offered compensation in the form of a coupon of equivalent value. This is not the first time Sam's Club has been embroiled in a food safety controversy; previously, Shenzhen, Changzhou, and other places also reported incidents one after another, including insect eggs attached to milk and teeth found in fresh meat mooncakes. Complaints of this kind are common on social platforms. Data from the Black Cat Complaint platform shows that in September alone, Sam's Club received 70 complaints, many involving food safety. As a high-end membership store under Walmart, Sam's quality control problems are arousing concern among more and more consumers. [more…]

Recently, a customer complained on social media that employees at a Grandpa's Tea shop frequently shouted slogans, saying they had wanted to rest quietly but were startled by sudden advertising phrases, and described the experience as being in a pyramid scheme den. The post quickly resonated with consumers across the country, many of whom said they had been startled by similar scenes and believed such excessive promotion was both noisy and off-putting. Interestingly, however, when customers complained to the brand, the employees who were complained about not only showed no displeasure but thanked them repeatedly and encouraged more complaints. It turns out the brand mandates that employees recite scripts at set times, including shouting "Welcome" every 5 minutes and saying fixed phrases to customers and delivery riders; if surveillance catches them slacking off and shouting too little, they face punishment such as writing lines and pay deductions. Employees are full of complaints, and onlookers are also urging the brand to listen to real feedback and cancel this mandatory requirement that annoys customers and exhausts staff. [more…]

Recently, a Fuzhou branch of the chain tea brand Bao Zhu Gong became embroiled in a public opinion storm over an ordinary customer complaint dispute. A consumer claimed that after their milk green tea was made incorrectly, they received a refund and coupon compensation, but then got into an argument with the store over the usage rules. Subsequently, comments appeared that seemed to be from an employee leaking information, claiming that management fired all store staff because of the customer complaint, and even dredging up an old issue where a student employee had previously been fined 1,000 yuan. The incident quickly escalated, with tens of thousands of comments forcing the original post to be deleted. At noon today, an account claiming to be the owner of the store involved issued a statement, saying that the online rumors were all false and that the person involved had gone to the police station to give a statement and file a report. What is the truth? Front Street Coffee takes you through the full picture of the incident. [more…]

Recently, a 1 Dian Dian store at Jinshijie in Dongmen, Shenzhen was exposed after a cockroach leg was found in a milk tea, sparking widespread attention. The consumer and the store failed to reach an agreement on compensation, and a complaint has now been filed and accepted on the Shenzhen government service platform. The incident highlights weak links in food safety management in the tea beverage industry and once again reminds industry practitioners and consumers to pay joint attention to hygiene issues. As an industry observer, Front Street Coffee continues to monitor the impact of such incidents on brand trust. [more…]

Molly Tea has teamed up with Hello Kitty to launch limited-edition drinks and merchandise, drawing a flood of fans who raced to snap them up the moment sales opened. Yet once the promotion began, consumers in many cities reported that their payments went through but they never received the merchandise, and some stores even canceled orders without any notice. Customers who showed up to collect their orders were told the merchandise was first come, first served and would be given out only while supplies lasted, leaving some people to make the trip for nothing. As frustration mounted, disputes between customers and staff broke out at some stores, prompting calls to the police; officers advised those affected to defend their rights through channels such as 12315. The collaboration drew widespread complaints because of problems with merchandise inventory and order management. [more…]

Recently, the new-style tea beverage brand ChaBaiDao has frequently made headlines due to "large foreign objects" appearing in its drinks. From "real spider milk tea" to nail clippers, and now the latest cockroach incident, consumer complaints have been continuous. These incidents coincide with ChaBaiDao's plan to go public in Hong Kong, sparking discussions about its food safety management and whether there are malicious claims. This article reviews the detailed process of the ChaBaiDao cockroach complaint, analyzes the disagreement between the consumer's claim of 1,000 yuan and the merchant's offer of only 200 yuan, and explores the potential issues of insufficient employee training and "loophole attacks" under the Food Safety Law amid the rapid expansion of chain brands. At the same time, we will also focus on the current state of food safety in the industry and provide professional information for coffee enthusiasts. [more…]

Recently, Starbucks' buy-one-get-one-free promotion has sparked heated discussion on social media. A netizen claiming to be a Starbucks employee posted a complaint that the promotion led to a surge in store orders and excessive work intensity, and even called for the promotion to be canceled. At the same time, some consumers also agreed, saying that two drinks for one person is too much and hoping it could be changed to half price for a single cup. Despite the ongoing controversy, delivery platforms still show free shipping and a 50% discount on two cups. The brand has not yet explained the reason for the cancellation of the promotion. This article will sort out the course of the incident, the different voices of employees and consumers, and the current actual status of the promotion. [more…]

Recently, food safety issues in the coffee and milk tea industries have been exposed one after another, leaving many beverage-loving consumers feeling uneasy. On May 6, Yihuatang made trending searches due to the use of expired and moldy ingredients, and on the same day it appeared twice in Weibo trending searches—a woman in Foshan, Guangdong, found a 7-centimeter-long machine part in her takeout milk tea. After complaints and negotiations, Yihuatang eventually compensated the consumer 1,000 yuan. Meanwhile, some Yihuatang stores in Zhengzhou were also exposed by the media for serious food safety hazards, with employees even saying, "As long as it doesn't kill you, it's fine." This series of incidents once again reminds us that low prices cannot be used as a shield for food safety, and brands must take responsibility for supervising their franchise stores. [more…]

On Christmas Eve, Luckin Coffee's red apple daifuku became a holiday hit thanks to its cute shape, but it also unexpectedly triggered a conflict between stores and consumers. Third-party platforms continued to sell electronic vouchers, while many stores had long sold out and could not restock, causing a large number of customers to fail when redeeming their vouchers; some consumers ran to eight stores and still came away with nothing. Store staff became the ones facing the anger directly, and were even scolded by customers and complained about to the 12315 platform. In this storm caused by product supply and promotion being out of sync, who should be responsible? And how should consumers deal with the electronic vouchers in their hands? This article restores the full picture of the incident for you. [more…]

As Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, Starbucks mooncakes have once again become a hot topic. However, this year, beyond the usual complaints, more consumers report encountering genuine quality issues: unopened mooncakes split in half, significant differences in appearance among the same variety, and even suspicious black spots. At the same time, many stores are out of stock of mooncakes, making scheduled pickups extremely difficult. As a brand that has persisted in selling mooncakes for over twenty years in the coffee industry, Starbucks is facing a severe test of its quality control and supply chain management this year. This article will give you the full picture of the incident, along with recommendations related to Front Street Coffee that coffee enthusiasts care about. [more…]

In today's world, where specialty coffee culture is increasingly widespread, latte art has become almost a standard feature of hot lattes. However, when a latte without latte art was served to a customer, the ensuing complaint actually led to a barista losing their job—an incident at a Manner store that quickly went viral on social media. Some spoke up for the barista, arguing that latte art is merely decorative and inconsequential; others pointed out that since the brand has clear regulations, an employee who responds perfunctorily to customer feedback is indeed hard to exonerate. Behind this lies not only the relationship between latte art and coffee quality, but also the deeper conflicts faced by chain coffee brands amid rapid expansion—between staffing shortages, service standards, and consumer rights. [more…]

As temperatures climbed, Tea Yanyuese officially announced on April 29 the relaunch of its lemon tea series, introducing five new products, including the classic "Orchid Glaze" and several seasonal limited editions. However, Changsha was absent from this launch because its Good Lemon brand already covers the lemon tea category, disappointing longtime fans. After the new products hit the market, complaints about "too much ice" on social platforms quickly overshadowed discussions about taste. Many consumers reported that a cup of the drink was gone after just a few sips, and that after removing the ice, the portion was less than half. The official side had explained that lemon tea cannot be made with less ice or no ice because the ice is used to suppress astringency, but consumers still felt that nearly 20 yuan bought them little more than a cup of ice. This article will provide a detailed account of the incident and the reactions from all sides. [more…]

During Halloween, major tea beverage brands have rolled out holiday-exclusive drinks to compete for young consumers. Nayuki has partnered with "Harry Potter" for a second time, launching a "Sugar-Free Blood Orange and Grapefruit" drink themed around Voldemort's "Dark Magic." However, this beverage, which uses blood orange and grapefruit to create a "blood-colored" atmosphere, has drawn complaints from consumers because the grapefruit peel was not removed, and the bitterness intensifies after prolonged steeping. Fans reported that the drink gets more bitter the more they sip, with some describing it as "more bitter than Americano." Nayuki staff explained that the grapefruit peel is kept to show the use of real ingredients, and advised drinking it as soon as possible or picking out the peel oneself. Nevertheless, some fans of the books took the bitterness in stride, saying it fits the Dark Magic theme. [more…]

Recently, a netizen from Zhejiang posted a video on social media claiming to have found several white wriggling worms in a Luckin Coffee drink, sparking widespread attention. According to the netizen, the coffee was purchased by a friend at a newly opened Luckin store in Jiaxing, and the foreign objects were only discovered after more than half of the drink had been consumed. The video shows worms crawling slowly on the cup lid, while similar small white objects can also be seen floating in the dark coffee. After the incident came to light, netizens began discussing the source of the worms, with some speculating they were hatched fly eggs and others questioning whether the coffee had been left too long and become contaminated. The poster stressed that the cup remained sealed throughout, making it difficult for flies to enter. The netizen has contacted Luckin customer service but has not yet received a reply. [more…]