{"id":333871,"date":"2021-09-02T17:47:59","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T14:47:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/mcdonalds-investigated-by-ftc-for-broken-mcflurry-machines\/"},"modified":"2021-09-02T17:47:59","modified_gmt":"2021-09-02T14:47:59","slug":"mcdonalds-investigated-by-ftc-for-broken-mcflurry-machines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/mcdonalds-investigated-by-ftc-for-broken-mcflurry-machines\/","title":{"rendered":"#McDonald\u2019s investigated by FTC for broken McFlurry machines"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#McDonald\u2019s investigated by FTC for broken McFlurry machines<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>The feds have had it with McDonald\u2019s broken McFlurry machines.<\/p>\n<p>The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly investigating why the burger chain\u2019s ice cream machines break down so often, a matter that\u2019s become the butt of late-night TV jokes and viral <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a> posts. <\/p>\n<p>The FTC contacted McDonald\u2019s franchise owners this summer seeking information on what the problem is with the chain\u2019s ice cream machines, The Wall Street Journal <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-is-broken-again-now-the-ftc-is-on-it-11630522266\">reported<\/a>, citing a letter from the FTC and sources familiar with the matter. <\/p>\n<p>When reached for comment by The Post, representatives for the FTC declined to comment.<\/p>\n<p>The broken machines have drawn the ire of franchisees, who say it leaves them unable to serve milkshakes, soft cones and the preeminent McFlurry, a cup of ice cream blended with candy and cookies.<\/p>\n<p>The machines require a nightly automated heat-cleaning cycle that can take up to four hours, the Journal reported, and the cleaning cycle can fail, which makes the machines unusable until a repair technician can fix them.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"723\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-93.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"McFlurry machine\" class=\"wp-image-19326073\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-93.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-93.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-93.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>The machines\u2019 faultiness has become the butt of late-night TV jokes and viral social media posts.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">PA Wire\/Press Association Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The dysfunctional machines make treats that account for about 60 percent of the chain\u2019s dessert sales in the US, the Journal reported, citing a consumer survey by research firm Technomic.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And the repeated breakdowns rub customers the wrong way, spurring some to even pen petitions calling for action. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are tired of being the butt of late night jokes. So are our customers and crews,\u201d The National Owners Association, a group of franchisees, said in a May message to owners, according to the Journal.<\/p>\n<p>Some franchise owners aren\u2019t waiting for the corporate bosses to do something. Instead, they\u2019re reportedly paying on their own to train staff on how to fix the machines. <\/p>\n<p>Others have reached out to the machine\u2019s manufacturer, Taylor Commercial Foodservice, which says the machines themselves are fine. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of what\u2019s been broadcasted can be attributed to the lack of knowledge about the equipment and how they operate in the restaurants,\u201d a Taylor representative told the Journal. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"724\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-96.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"McDonald's McFlurry\" class=\"wp-image-19326101\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-96.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-96.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-96.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>60 percent of McDonald\u2019s dessert sales come from the machines.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Paul Martinka<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When working with dairy products, \u201cyou have to make sure the machine is cleaned properly. The machines are built up with a lot of interconnecting parts that have to operate in a complex environment and manner,\u201d the representative added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no reason for us to purposely design our equipment to be confusing or hard to repair or hurt our operators.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One startup, called Kytch, has tried to help franchisees address the problem by building a device that mounts on the ice cream machines and alerts owners about a breakdown through real-time text and email alerts. <\/p>\n<p>The company told the Journal that its devices can prevent damage to the machines and help franchisees keep them running.<\/p>\n<p>At one point, McDonald\u2019s franchisees in 30 states used Kytch\u2019s devices, the company told the Journal, but then McDonald\u2019s told franchisees that the devices aren\u2019t sanctioned and that they could pose a safety hazard, which Kytch denies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing is more important to us than delivering on our high standards for food quality and safety,\u201d the corporate parent reportedly said to franchisees, \u201cwhich is why we work with fully vetted partners that can reliably provide safe solutions at scale.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-95.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Two yourng women enjoy McDonalds drinks \" class=\"wp-image-19326148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-95.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-95.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-95.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>The broken machines have drawn the ire of franchisees, who say it leaves them unable to serve milkshakes, soft cones and the preeminent McFlurry.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\"> Mike Kemp\/In Pictures via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Kytch responded in May with a lawsuit that accused Taylor, a separate repair company authorized to work on the ice cream machines and a McDonald\u2019s franchisee of conspiring to steal Kytch\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> and replicate its device.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a case about corporate espionage and the extreme steps one manufacturer has taken to conceal and protect a multimillion-dollar repair racket,\u201d attorneys for Kytch wrote in the complaint in California Superior Court in Alameda County. The case is pending.<\/p>\n<p>But Taylor denied it had a copy of Kytch\u2019s device or that it wanted to steal the startup\u2019s technology.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThis is a case of a hacker\u2014Kytch\u2014incredibly accusing the hacked\u2014Taylor\u2014of theft,\u201d lawyers for Taylor said in a court filing.<\/p>\n<p>The Tennessee-based franchisee who was named in the suit also denied the allegations.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with the Journal, Kytch co-founder Jeremy O\u2019Sullivan then accused Taylor of infringing on McDonald\u2019s franchisees\u2019 rights to alter and repair their ice cream machines.<\/p>\n<p>Taylor responded by saying that owners are allowed to repair equipment as they see fit, but that the warranty on the machines isn\u2019t valid if they fix them on their own, according to the Journal.<\/p>\n<p>The FTC\u2019s interest in the matter may stem from the Biden administration\u2019s previously announced efforts to crack down on various manufacturers of products ranging from phones to farming equipment. <\/p>\n<p>Critics have alleged that major manufacturers of such products restrict customers from fixing the products themselves.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1017\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-91.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1017\" alt=\"McDonalds McFlurry\" class=\"wp-image-19326195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-91.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1525 1525w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-91.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1017 1017w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-91.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=508 508w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-91.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1017px) 100vw, 1017px\"\/><figcaption>The McFlurry involves blending ice cream with candy or cookies.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">McDonalds<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In July, Biden signed an executive order directing agencies to take the matter on, saying at the time that in a fact sheet that Americans should be able to repair good they purchased on their own.<\/p>\n<p>At the root of the FTC\u2019s inquiry is how McDonald\u2019s reviews suppliers and equipment, including the ice cream machines, and how often restaurant owners are allowed to work on their machines, a person familiar with the matter told the Journal..<\/p>\n<p>The FTC inquiry is preliminary, and \u201cthe existence of a preliminary investigation does not indicate the FTC or its staff have found any wrongdoing,\u201d the agency\u2019s letter reportedly said.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, McDonald\u2019s said it \u201chas no reason to believe we are the focus of an FTC investigation.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/09\/02\/mcdonalds-investigated-by-ftc-for-broken-mcflurry-machines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#McDonald\u2019s investigated by FTC for broken McFlurry machines&#8221; The feds have had it with McDonald\u2019s broken McFlurry machines. The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly investigating why the burger chain\u2019s ice cream machines break down so often, a matter that\u2019s become the butt of late-night TV jokes and viral social media posts. The FTC contacted McDonald\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":333872,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/09\/mcdonalds-mcflurry-machine-FTC-90.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[115283,70875,70384,39572],"class_list":["post-333871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-9-2-21","tag-ftc","tag-mcdonalds","tag-monopoly"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=333871"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333871\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/333872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=333871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=333871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=333871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}