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McDonald's and Wendy's are two major fast-food chains recently sued for alleged false advertisements. One of the most overwhelming complaints is that the restaurants are serving small burgers, although their ads show large sandwiches filled with enormous toppings as well.
Complainants who brought the chains, such as McDonald's and Wendy's, to court said false advertisements were deceiving them. They accused the companies of exaggerating the size of their burgers as the ones being sold are too small in comparison.
The Court Sided With McDonald's and Wendy's
As per Reuters, U.S. District Judge Hector Gonzalez handed down the decision the past weekend, showing a win for McDonald's and Wendy's. The judge explained in his 19-page verdict that there is no proof that the restaurants delivered smaller burgers than what was advertised.
He added that there is also no evidence that showed Justin Chimienti, the plaintiff in the case, had even seen ads featuring McDonald's Big Mac and Wendy's Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger that he claimed to have purchased. In his complaint, the Suffolk County resident said that both burger joints presented ads that illustrated undercooked beef patties since meat usually shrinks up to 25% smaller when cooked.
Chimienti also stated that a food stylist who claimed she had worked for Mcdonald's and Wendy's said the patties are also undercooked because the fully-cooked ones do not look appetizing.
"Defendants' effort to present appetizing images of their products are no different than other companies' use of visually appealing images to foster positive associations with their products," Restaurant Business Online quoted Judge Gonzalez as saying in his decision.
Other Major Restaurant Franchises Facing the Same Complaint
Meanwhile, aside from McDonald's and Wendy's, other brands, including Burger King and Taco Bell, are also dealing with false advertising lawsuits. The class-action suits also state the companies are presenting false depictions of their food items. Customers also claimed the content of the sandwiches or wraps is just half of what is shown in the posters.
Photo by: Michael Form/Pixabay
