Buffalo Wild Wings once again finds itself entangled in a web of customer discontent. Mere months after facing a class action complaint, the popular chicken wing establishment has made yet another attempt to bolster their earnings by inconveniencing their loyal patrons. Reports have been pouring in from various locations, revealing that Buffalo Wild Wings has left customers bewildered and disheartened with exorbitant takeout bills, attempting to impose additional charges for ordering food within their premises.
Confirmed on June 21, 2023, it appears that Buffalo Wild Wings initiated a rather audacious “test” at select branches, attempting to sneakily tack on an additional ninety-nine cents to customers’ bills. However, now that the public has caught wind of this unscrupulous scheme, the chicken wing chain has swiftly put an end to this experiment.
In an official statement to TODAY.com, a spokesperson from Buffalo Wild Wings addressed the situation: “Several Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants have conducted a takeout fee trial, which was transparently communicated to guests prior to their purchases. Nevertheless, we have decided to terminate this trial and eliminate the fee entirely by the end of this summer.”
The recent class action lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings alleged that the establishment had been engaging in deceptive practices by imposing a concealed takeout fee. According to the lawsuit, the chain was accused of employing “false and deceptive” business tactics, essentially charging customers an additional fee solely for ordering takeout from their restaurants. Filed on July 13, 2022, in the circuit court of Montgomery County, Maryland, the complaint was submitted by plaintiff Divane Pittman on behalf of herself and the “hundreds of thousands of Buffalo Wild Wings customers” who fell victim to the chain’s allegedly misleading menu prices, failing to properly disclose the additional fees. Hailing from Lanham, Maryland, Pittman was once a devoted Buffalo Wild Wings customer until she discovered the hidden charges associated with their takeout service.
The class-action complaint emphasized the surreptitious nature of Buffalo Wild Wings’ actions, stating, “For Buffalo Wild Wings to covertly inflate food prices through a belatedly-added ‘Takeout Service Fee’ is both deceptive and misleading. Rather than charging prices that truly reflect the actual cost of the food to consumers, the establishment has resorted to implementing a stealthy price hike in the form of an afterthought fee.”
Furthermore, the lawsuit contended that no other restaurant in the same category had resorted to such deceitful practices, making Buffalo Wild Wings’ takeout fee a “double-edged deception” aimed at swindling unsuspecting customers out of their hard-earned money.
The lawsuit’s objectives encompassed obtaining class status and seeking restitution for all customers who fell victim to the additional fee. Additionally, it called for reimbursement of any extra charges related to this deceptive tactic, including taxes and associated fees. Furthermore, the legal action demanded that Buffalo Wild Wings cease employing the takeout fee as a means to deceive its customers.
Divane Pittman is represented by consumer protection attorneys from Golomb & Honik, P.C., a distinguished national law firm headquartered in Philadelphia. These specialized lawyers excel in navigating complex litigation, including class action cases involving consumer fraud and false advertising. They firmly believe that the defendant’s deceptive pricing practices may have affected millions of customers who unknowingly encountered the same fraudulent activity.
