From the classic motto “Have it your way” to the current “You rule,” Burger King prides itself on giving its customers choices. But a Los Angeles-based TikToker found that one of the franchise’s drive-thru locations wouldn’t honor a deal it was promoting in its drive-thru signs.
The video comes courtesy of creator Peter Sark; according to his bio, he’s a content creator and gamer, and this particular video — with more than 102,000 views since posting to the platform on Jan. 13 — deviates from his usual content.
It starts with a view of the digital sign at the entrance of a Burger King drive-thru line, with the “You Rule” animation visible behind a screen caption that all-caps shouts “FALSE ADVERTISING.”
His caption accompanying the video read, “Can’t honor your own promotion? I thought you were a King?” to further pile on.
Sark says, “I just pulled up to a Burger King,” indicating via caption that it was a store in Los Angeles, but not identifying the exact location.
“And there’s a sign that says, ‘Two meals for $6.99 each,” he narrated, showing the digital sign shifting to a picture advertising exactly that.
He then conveys, introducing a Burger King employee into the narrative, “I’m like, ‘Can I have that?’ And she’s like, ‘We don’t have that’ and then she just came out to check herself and she saw it.”
@petersark Can’t honor your own promotion? I thought you were a King? ✌🏻 #FalseKing #falseadvertising #falseadvertisment #tiktokfood #food #burgerking #burger #beware @burgerking ♬ original sound – Peter Sark
“‘Oh, that’s not there anymore. It’s not in our system,'” Sark recalls the employee saying.
Sark continues, “So I’m like, all right, whatever, cancel my order. We out,” before deciding he cared enough to turn the encounter into TikTok content.
Commenters weighed in with their thoughts on Burger King and whether they really did feel they ‘ruled’ there.
“Every time I order a deal, there’s confusion,” one remarked. “They don’t even know what’s on their own menu screen.”
Sark, in response, said, “Exactly, I was baffled that she actually didn’t believe me and without saying another word came out to check herself with her own eyes.”
Another commenter, using a Monster energy drink logo for an avatar, offered, “They have to honor the advertising, though, don’t they?”
Again, Sark was in agreement with a commenter, observing, “You’d assume, right?” and adding a shrug emoji.
One went into a multi-comment story about being denied a promised bacon cheeseburger King Deal, noting, “I felt like I was in a Matrix glitch.”
While many came into the comments to provide their own criticisms of Burger King’s failings, one talked about a workaround they were part of while with rival franchise McDonald’s.
“When I worked at McDonald’s, if we advertise it, then we had to sell it if someone ordered it,” they said. “Then, right after, we would take the sign down.”
Sark replied, “Thanks for confirming what good customer service can be.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Sark via TikTok message and Burger King via email to its media relations department.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
Source: https://www.dailydot.com/irl/burger-king-false-advertising-meal-deal/