"My go-to has always been the Big Mac meal; that's what I've loved the most," stated lifelong McDonald's patron Margie Tyson.
However, she isn't enjoying her latest interactions with the McDonald’s mobile application.
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Tyson informed Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal, "I kept pondering this question: How many others experienced something similar?"
She says the app billed her for mobile orders, yet upon arrival, her orders were cancelled, and neither her nearby McDonald’s location nor the app agreed to reimburse her.
"I brought up my children at McDonald's, celebrated their birthdays there, and even worked there," Tyson said.
When McDonald's launched its mobile application, she decided to download it and test out the order-ahead pickup feature.
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Margie Tyson encountered no issues with just a handful of orders until mid-May when she faced an unexpected situation following her order for a Sausage McMuffin and a vanilla milkshake from the McDonald’s located on Hiawassee and Silver Star Road in Orlando as she approached the pickup window.
She stated, "I provided them with the code, and they informed me that the order had been cancelled by the customer. At this point, I began laughing and told them, 'But I am the customer. I did not cancel that order. This is precisely why I'm here.'"
The restaurant refused to issue an immediate refund but assured her that the amount would be automatically credited back onto her card within 24 hours. It wasn't until around two weeks later, during another visit to a McDonald's in Ocoee, that she encountered a similar situation. This time, her order had been cancelled, and yet again, she was told that a refund would be processed within 24 hours.
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"And then I recall the first time it occurred for me. Then I begin to wonder, 'Was I ever due a reimbursement?' I never verified," she stated.
When Tyson checked, she discovered a charge on her account without any refund. Over time, she also failed to receive an automated refund for the Ocolee purchase.
She presented Action 9 with an email from McDonald’s customer service stating that the refund "has to be issued directly from the specific restaurant where the purchase was made."
She opted to go back to the initial eatery. Tyson remained hopeful yet braced herself for potential refusal.
"And when I asked the young lady, who happens to be a junior supervisor, she said, 'I cannot assist you with this issue since it involves a third-party application, which means it falls outside our jurisdiction,' " she recounted.
Only after disputing the charges with her bank did Margie Tyson finally receive a refund. Now, she is left puzzled about how her orders got canceled initially and why McDonald’s lacks a straightforward procedure for assisting customers seeking refunds for mobile purchases.
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Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal questioned, "What are your thoughts on customer service providing one explanation at the store and a completely different story elsewhere?"
Tyson responded, "This is quite a mess. No one seems to be aligned on the same goals. Everyone is essentially trying to pass the responsibility along."
Action 9 contacted McDonald’s regarding this incident but has not yet received a response from the corporation.