Sometime in the last couple of years, Lipton decided to save a penny per flat by using less plastic to make their lids. Which means for the last couple of years, I've not been able to open them without a piece of rubber or pliers. Seriously! Well, the old piece of rubber I had finally rotted to a sticky mess and I had to throw it away but I was still thirsty. Not to be outsmarted by a bottle of freakin' tea, I decided that I was going to open that lid, no matter what, because this can NOT be as hard as it seems. I ended up with 3 blisters on the inside of my hand.
And I never did get that bottle open.
Why are the bottles so hard to open now? I am so upset. My 70 year mother loves Lipton's 12 Bottle Pack of Green Tea and Lemon Tea but now when we buy this, no one can open these darn bottles. The machine that is tightening these bottles is tightening them way, way, way too tight. This is crazy. This must be changed."
I just knew I wasn't the only one. Dang! I Love the Lipton Green Tea but area between my thumb and pointy finger feel all tore by the time I can open. I've even had to pry it ope with a knife. I may need to get a wrench to keep in the kitchen.-- after reading others having same problem,one gal said she uses a plastic shelf line to easily open.Well... I don't have one, so > I inflated an 11" balloon then let the air out. put the balloon over top of the lip, et voilà OPEN."
Uh huh. So they've know about it. Just to be sure, I wrote them a letter myself. Lipton's response was,
"Thank you for contacting us regarding Lipton Diet Green Citrus Iced Tea.
Thank you for responding to our email and providing the requested information. We are forwarding your comments to the appropriate staff and you will be receiving a complimentary coupon via postal mail within 7-10 business days.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Lipton."
Does it make you feel as if they care about customer service? A coupon? I told them I won't be buying their product any longer because I cannot open the bottles and they are sending me a coupon. I'd be insulted that they think I can be bought off and all is forgiven if they wave money at me except I know good and well that it's an automated letter and no one ever read my complaint. And doesn't that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Better yet:
I went to the Lipton website: http://www.liptontea.com/help/virtualagent and typed in my own question in the box provided.You typed: Why are the lids on Lipton green tea bottles so hard to open? Information available: We apologize for the experience you reported. The caps are designed to protect product, be easy to open and close, resistant to breakage as well as convenient to use. We will certainly report your comments to Quality Assurance staff."
Notice, that was 1 year ago.
So I'm drinking this ice tea I made that's so good, I'd like to share it with you. Have you tasted
Adagio Honeybush Vanilla? I used a heavy hand with the ol' stevia in this pitcher, but you know, it's really awesome that way! I love Southern sweet tea and this is a delightful variant. Like liquid candy, this stuff!
Need a recipe for Southern sweet tea? Scroll down to the end of
this link.
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20 comments:
Wrote them on this exact same issue today. I can't believe it's been a problem since 2012! Seriously!? There's saving money and there's ruining your product. This makes Lipton bottles so annoying that I actually hate the brand, now.
I can't believe how stupid the design on the Lipton Iced Tea bottle is. The cap is virtually welded shut. I used to love Liptons and drink it all the time but I recently bought acouple iced teas and seriously struggled to open them. I ended up blistering the palm of my hand and eventually managed to pry it open! What a joke, are they trying to make it some sort of a challenge to open the bottle? I will not be buying Lipton products again, not unless they sort it out. They've lost a loyal customer
And Lipton laughs all the way to the bank.
They don't care.
I almost bought some again last week then said, "nope."
I really did get a pair of pliers to open I did get a blister. Thanks for the idea
Do not see how they are making money when you CANNOT get to the beverage!! This is an ongoing problem, guess people with arthritis are not allowed in.
This is all about Brand Trust.
All manufacturers make mistakes from time-to-time. I get that, it happens.
The key to smart business is correcting the mistake, and moving on.
In this instance, they recognized there is a consumer usability problem (can't drink the product) back in 2012. Now 3 years later, I find and purchase this exact product in a local grocer, encounter this problem,THEN find this blog as a result of my looking for a solution. Thank you Lipton for demonstrating how to effectively manage Brand Loyalty (not).
How to create, market, distribute, and grow a product. If this product is not well-liked, then just kill it and stop dragging it out.
This is ridiculous. I am a strong 250 pound man. I purchased a bottle at a convenience store a couple weeks ago. I could only open it with after a massive battle! But I really enjoyed the product. So I figured the lid on the first bottle was a fluke. I bought another bottle, at the supermarket this time. I absolutely could not get it open yesterday. And I just tried again tonight. It absolutely won't budge, and I am killing my hands! So I go to their website to report this issue. I searched and searched and could NOT find a contact link. I am sure it is there somewhere on the website, but I gave up on trying to find it. Contact info should be one of the most prominently highlighted links! I guess it doesn't matter, because I found this blog, and they have known about this for over three years now, but still won't fix it. I definitely will not buy a new jug in the future. I am not sure what to do with my current bottle.
We started noticing this in our office. We buy cases at a time. Last restocking, I notice they only bought one 12 pack. No one wants to fool with them anymore. I used to drink them every day here, but I just opened one (yes with pliers - that I left on the counter for anyone else wanting tea), and the last time I opened one was about 3 weeks ago. That one I tried opening after I'd left the office and entered the elevator. Someone else on the elevator tried. We got to the garage and got on that elevator and another gentleman tried. He used his hands, his jacket, and was about to give up when the cap, ring and all came off. Is Lipton TRYING to go out of business? That's the first question I'd ask. If we're just one small company that has gone from purchasing two to three packs at a time down to just one 12 pack that will sit there for several months...it's a question I'd seriously be thinking about if I worked at Lipton.
It`s Nov 25, 2015 and wish I read this message thread before I got this Lipton Diet green tea. I`m left with a bottle of nice looking green tea that I can`t even sip! And just noticed that I have a cut on my finger and palms very red. This is ridiculous!
I love the diet green tea mixed berry but I am having trouble opening them. I used a piece of shelf lining and it works on some bottles. The last one I used a knife and then I pried the top off with the knife. I guess if I cut myself, I will sue because they know about this problem and they have done nothing to fix it. I know a good lawyer!!!
I think Lipton Is owned by Pepsi and I never had this much trouble opening a Pepsi. This product still flies off the shelf because it really does taste so good. I suppose we could take the product back to the store and get are money back because we can't open the product.
Try putting bottle or jug under cold running water a few seconds and it should open right up. It worked for me.
I'll chime in from Dallas, TX. Same issue that seemed to first begin for me about a year ago. I never in a million years thought I would have to ban a product because I cannot open it. Banning as a form of sending a message is one thing....but I can't, for the life of me, reliably open the product to consume it.
Who woulda thunk?
Capped off in Dallas.
Hmm I wonder. Could there be legal ramifications since these bottles are not handicap accessible? Something to consider Lipton. If people no handicapped can't open them, you're effectively barring those with handicaps, arthritis, etc. from purchasing your product. My hands are too arthritic. I haven't had a Lipton tea since I last posted and don't intend to purchase one.
My fingers are all cut up tonight after opening 3 of them, this is rediculous, something has to be done! Law suit much?
We love these but impossible to open! Must fix this please :(
My husband have cuts from trying to open the top. This is ridiculous,especially when he buys 6 gallon bottles per week.
Use a Butter knife under the lid .. Keep prying away from the bottle all the way around... It will finally loosen for you to twist. UGH
I appreciate the safety features on the bottles but when and how are we suppose to be able to open and enjoy the tea,,,,,??!!
This is November 2023 and I am experiencing the same problem. At first I thought it was the case I purchased but it keeps happening no matter where I buy them. This is the most ridiculous problem I have ever encountered. What is wrong with this company????
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