US man sues Taco Bell for false advertising, allegedly skimping on fillings
Aug 01, 2023
New York [US], August 1 : A lucrative advertisement tricks its consumers to purchase its products but if it lands you in jail then what? The same thing happened in the US when a man unhappy with the amount of beans and beef he received in his Taco Bell order, sued the fast food chain for false advertising, CNN reported.
In September, New York resident Frank Siragusa bought a Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza which contained half of the amount of beans and beef advertised online and in-store. He alleged that the fast-food restaurant does not serve as much meat on products as its ads suggest. Unhappy with his fillings, Siragusa sued the food chain in Brooklyn federal court on Monday.
The lawsuit claimed that other popular Taco Bell menu items such as the Crunchwrap Supreme, Grande Crunchwrap and Veggie Mexican Pizza have also overstated the amount of filling in advertisements by “at least double the amount."
Siragusa enclosed photos of the advertised products in the lawsuit, alongside the photos of much leaner products customers allegedly received, according to CNN.
The lawsuit further claimed that these practices are “unfair and deceptive” and are especially concerning amid rising food prices.
“Meat prices are very high and many consumers, especially lower-income consumers, are struggling financially,” Siragusa’s attorneys stated in the suit.
Who would have thought that USD 5.49 costed food will cost Taco Bell such huge money as Siragusa is seeking USD 5 million for customers that purchased Taco Bell menu items affected by false advertising practices?
The lawsuit comes just as Taco Bell wrapped up its battle against Taco John’s for the “Taco Tuesday” trademark, in which the taco chain successfully petitioned for the phrase to be available for all, as per CNN.
These claims against Taco Bell are not the first of its kind for Siragusa’s lawyers, James Kelly and Anthony Russo. The pair have previously filed lawsuits against fast food restaurants practicing false advertising, including a recent lawsuit against Burger King for overstating the size of their Whoppers. The lawsuit went to mediation and reached an impasse.
