TikTok Is Losing It Over A $2 Dunkin' 'Scam'

You don't need to be an avid coffee drinker to know that Dunkin' has been in a bit of hot water lately. Though the Massachusetts-based breakfast joint has never been free of scandal, things have been especially contentious for the chain since the beginning of the year when customers started noticing increases in its menu prices. The controversy continued in the spring when it was announced that Dunkin' would be discontinuing its beloved hazelnut swirl flavor, and struck once more in September after a glitch in the chain's app made it impossible for rewards members to cash in on its National Coffee Day promo. And while none of these issues are particularly great for the donut shop's rep, it wasn't until the launch of Dunkin's new rewards system this month that things have really come to a head.

Needless to say, 2022 hasn't exactly been the greatest year for the coffee chain that America runs on, and an accusation made by TikTok user @infamousxdrew hasn't made things any better. In a video posted on September 22, the TikToker claimed they were "scammed" by a Dunkin' employee after shelling out $8.00 for bagels when he usually pays around $6.20 — but that was just the beginning of this eyebrow-raising tale. "I asked him to see the receipt and he says they don't have receipt paper," the TikToker explained, adding another level of suspicion to the situation. But was this just a fluke or some kind of larger conspiracy?

We've all been shelling out a little extra at the drive-thru lately thanks to inflation. However, the additional two dollars that TikTok user @infamousxdrew paid for bagels during a recent trip to Dunkin' is considerably higher than the average 8% increase that Business Insider reports the chain's prices have seen in the last year. Add in the fact that the employee taking the order wouldn't provide a receipt or explanation, and you've certainly got a situation that is, as the kids say, "sus."

Other people on TikTok seem to think so, too. "They are getting slick nowadays by not giving you your receipt but trust me they are doing it to everybody," one person commented on the video. "Dude gave himself a tip. The absolute nerve," added another. Several other of the platform's users shared their own experiences of feeling swindled by the chain in the video's comments section — though the issue has been discussed elsewhere on the internet, as well. Reddit user u/bleepblopzoid, for example, recently inquired about a similar situation regarding a mobile order for bagels. "Does anyone know why it adds about $1 to the total for nothing?" they asked.

While the TikToker explained in a follow-up video that he chatted with the manager of the Dunkin' he frequents, he didn't get any explanation for the random price increase he saw last month. "Y'all better start checking your receipts 'cause this is ridiculous," he warned in another post.