McDonald's ice-cream machines 'broken' again? US Feds are reportedly investigating it

Fast-food restaurant chain McDonald's are known across the world and their issues share the same reach. It is known by all, that the franchise has a long line of complaints about its ice-cream machines that are always ‘broken’. Now, the United States administration is taking the matter seriously and has ordered an investigation. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the Federal Trade Commission has contacted McDonald's franchise owners and are seeking information about the working conditions of these ice-cream machines.

McDonald's Ice-Cream Machines to be investigated by feds

The ice-cream machine problem goes long back and it even reached a point that there is even an online tool that lets you track malfunctioned machines across the United States. The fast-food franchise which sells McFlurries, shakes and other treats are a big presence in the online meme culture surrounding its ‘broken’ machines. According to the newspaper report, the machines need a nightly cleaning cycle and requires a technician to fix, which the feds are now trying to impose on the franchise.

According to international reports, the Biden administration is looking closely at manufacturers and trying to learn if the makers have blocked owners from fixing broken products themselves. According to the report, advocates of the "right to repair" movement have claimed that the companies should refrain from not letting the users and independent technicians repair the products themselves. Earlier in July, the commission had announced strict enforcement against companies that had kept repair restrictions on businesses, government agencies, workers and consumers.

McDonald's says it's not under investigation

Meanwhile, McDonald's USA released a statement claiming that the Federal Trade Commission investigation was not on the franchise. The fast-food giants said that the company was aware of its problems and said that they never compromised quality in any part of its system. McDonald's, in its statement, also said that it understood the frustrations surrounding the broken ice-cream machines and was working on solutions to fix the same.

Legal trouble for McDonald's in Russia

Meanwhile, McDonald's faced legal trouble in Russia as a customer sued the company alleging that its delectable-looking billboard banners forced her to break her fast for Lent. According to The Daily Mail, Ksenia Ovchinnikova, an Orthodox Christian from Omsk, Russia, sued the restaurant chain after being accused of breaking the law and insulting the woman's religious beliefs by selling delectable meat products during a season when Christians try to avoid eating meat and other animal products. She is seeking compensation for 1,000 rubles for the moral harm she has suffered.

In an unrelated event, Olga Bondareva, press secretary of the capital's Tverskoy court informed that in a separate case a resident of Moscow filed a complaint against the McDonald's fast-food business last month because of the slick stairway. The man stated that he was hurt after slipping on the steps of one of the chain's restaurants and sued the franchisee for 64,697 rubles for his health and additional compensation of 2 million rubles for moral damage.

IMAGE: AP