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Update:
- A federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled a class action lawsuit against Chipotle cannot proceed because the plaintiffs were told Chipotle could not give complete change due to a coin shortage and still proceeded with the transaction.
- U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman granted summary judgment in Chipotle’s favor, stating in his opinion, “there is no evidence Chipotle forced plaintiffs to complete their transactions. The evidence, instead, shows that both plaintiffs were informed that Chipotle could not give them exact change, and yet, they still chose to complete their transactions.”
- The plaintiffs had contested Chipotle’s lack of change was a breach of contract, unjust enrichment and a violation of several consumer laws.
Chipotle change class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Bridget McMahon and James Rice requested class certification in their complaint against Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.
- Why: McMahon and Rice claim Chipotle shorted customers in Pennsylvania on their change during a nationwide coin shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Pennsylvania federal court.
(Dec. 30, 2022)
A pair of cash-paying Chipotle customers asked for class certification for their complaint alleging the Mexican food chain shorted Pennsylvania customers on their change during a nationwide coin shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Plaintiffs Bridget McMahon and James Rice claim Chipotle misappropriated consumer funds through its company policy of allegedly “short-changing customers who used cash to purchase food.”
In the event a customer used cash to make a purchase at a Pennsylvania Chipotle location, the Mexican food restaurant would withhold the coin portion of any change due, the Chipotle class action alleges.
McMahon and Rice argue that limited discovery of the claims, originally made in August 2020, has been completed and that their expert reports have been filed, making the case “now ripe for certification.”
“Chipotle pervasively and routinely short-changed customers who did not have exact change for cash transactions,” the Chipotle class action states.
Chipotle aware of alleged policy to withhold coin change at Pennsylvania locations, class action claims
Chipotle was aware of the alleged misconduct and that the policy/practice occurred all around Pennsylvania “with Chipotle’s acquiescence and with impunity,” according to the Chipotle class action.
McMahon and Rice claim Chipotle is guilty of breach of contract and unjust enrichment and of violating the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, among other things.
McMahon and Rice want to represent a Pennsylvania class of consumers who used cash to purchase food from a Pennsylvania Chipotle location on or before Jan. 1, 2020, and who were not given the correct change.
In other news, Chipotle was among a group of restaurant chains hit with a class action lawsuit earlier this year filed by consumers claiming the establishments violated biometric privacy law by allegedly using automated vice ordering technology to store customer voiceprints.
Were you not given the correct change after making a purchase with cash at Chipotle? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiffs are represented by Frank G. Salpietro of Rothman Gordon PC.
The Chipotle change class action lawsuit is McMahon, et al. v. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., Case No. 2:20-cv-01448, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
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28 thoughts onChipotle granted summary judgment in coin-shorting class action
I’ve tried to start a class action lawsuit against Chipotle. I’ve wrote to you several times regarding this matter at the Chipotle
354 sawmill rd.
West haven ct. It started after they were allowed back open and continued up until about a month ago. If I didn’t have change and my order was for example $50.10 they would keep the 90 cents .And as a frequent customer of this particular store. I felt violated.all the change they kept from me and other customers is unacceptable. And what did they do with all that change over 3 to for years. I would like to start a class action lawsuit.this unacceptable.
This short changing of customer’s had happened to me quite a few times too. When I did not have my bank’s debit card on me & I wound up needing to pay with cash & I & other’s didn’t receive our change back. Once, I had paid with cash for my order. My total was for $24.52. I paid with two $20 bills = $40. I should have received back $15 minus the $0.48 cents. The cashier at first wasn’t going to give me back my $15. I kept trying to explain to her that their sign said, that only coin change would not be returned, Which I still didn’t agree with, but that I DO NOT AGREE to let them keep all of my Paper MONEY CHANGE DUE BACK. I made a scene to the point that the Manager came to the register & apologized. And NOT ONLY did she give me back my $15. She actually gave me back my $0.48. I visited that same Chipotle store a week later. I witnessed the same cashier do the same same thing to another customer but for $2.20. I witnessed the customer NOT only getting their whole change back, They didn’t say a thing like as if it was what it was. I joking said to the customer that was nice of them to leave a tip for the staff. She responded back to me, Oh that wasn’t a tip. I thought to myself, how many multiple other customer’s did just the same. Just walked away from NOT only getting their coin change, but also their full paper dollar’s. How often did this happen to customer’s during this whole SCAM, FRAUD by Chipotle & it’s Employees? Also one-time I was at a different Chipotle restaurant. Where I had cash on me & my debt card. Ready to pay for my wife’s & my meal with my debit card. This time their debit/credit card machine was down, NOT working! So I wound up paying with my cash. Once again I DID NOT receive my coin change. So because of their machine being down to where I would have only been paying the full total of my order. I had to pay cash & be out my coin change. I wonder of how many customer’s had this too happen to them in trying to pay their meals exact cost just to wind up still having to lose their change to Chipotle. Chipotle was NOT the only restaurant doing this to their customer’s. McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, Burger King, Jimmy John’s etc were doing the same thing. All that money went straight to the Restaurants that added up into the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollar’s. This also should be a part of the lawsuit’s filed against these restaurants. Where did all that money go to & who all benefited from all that extra money? Did these restaurants report that extra change get reported to the IRS? In time, we’ll see or we WON’T see if Chipotle declared it on their TAXES with an AUDIT of their TAX returns!
Frequent customer. Add me please. Thank you.
Please add me.
Add me
Add me
Please add me. This isn’t right!
please add me
Add me please
many times I was told because of change shortage if my bill was $10.50 I would hand them a twenty I would only get back $9.00 and would keep the .50 because of the shortage of coins. We thought this was not right.
add me