Nearly two months after Taco Bell entered the value meal wars with its biggest deal ever, the fast food chain has let down many of its most ardent fans across the nation.
Taco Bell is currently celebrating the 20th birthday of its beloved Mountain Dew Baja Blast soda, which garnered a cult following shortly after its release in 2004. As part of the Bajaversary festivities, the chain offered customers free drinks and launched its highly-anticipated collaboration with Stanley — the popular brand of food and beverage containers. The release, which dropped on Aug. 13, promised 100 lucky fans the limited-edition Stanley x Bajaversary tumbler. The first 20 fans who claimed a cup also got a free Mountain Dew Baja Blast for an entire year via a $200 gift card.
Despite the sweet perks, the launch was met with widespread disappointment from fans on Reddit and TikTok. Many claimed the release itself was one big scam after they were met with an error message upon clicking the link to enter the giveaway.
“So I had 8 ppl helping me in a circle and all we got was page not found!” said user u/CoraTurner411 on the Taco Bell subreddit. “Soooooo sad! Been drinking baja since the very 1st day :(“
Another user, u/Ok_Succotash5265, had a similar experience, saying, “Same! I contacted their [Taco Bell’s] support team, the last drop was not like that. I think someone screwed up the website. I literally watched it go live and hit it right away and nothing. Even refreshed! Have screenshots too.”
One user said they won a cup but couldn’t claim it: “I won but when I put in the info to it send it. It gave me an error message.”
On TikTok, angry fans echoed similar disappointments and demanded an explanation from Taco Bell regarding the Stanley tumbler fiasco.
“Taco Bell, I got beef with y’all over this Baja Blast Stanley tumbler, because why did y’all share the wrong damn link?” said TikToker @berkundy in their video. “This is how you spell tumblers? Really? ‘Cause that’s the link that y’all shared.”
@berkundy I'm not playing with you Taco Bell give me my damn Baja Blast Stanley cup!! #tacobell #bajablast #StanleyCup #stanleytumbler #tacobellstanley #bajablasttumbler
♬ original sound - berkundy
They then displayed a screenshot of a URL that appears to have misspelled “tumblers” by adding an extra “l” to spell out “tumblerls” instead.
“IT WAS A SCAM! IT ALWAYS IS just another way to get us to click their c**p website! [Taco Bell] you won't scam me again!!!” wrote one commenter under the video.
Another TikTok user, @taliacott, detailed their experience attempting to secure a Stanley x Bajaversary tumbler: “I tried it on my f**king computer, everything, it didn’t work. I love Taco Bell so much. I just really, really wanted this.”
@taliacott #greenscreen im literally about to cry about this @tacobell @Taco bell official @Taco Bell USA™ #stanleycup #tacobell #pleasegoviral PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IM SO SAD
♬ original sound - John Travoltage
Other hopeful yet frustrated participants complained about the lack of Stanley tumblers being offered along with the low chance of actually winning a cup.
“Only 100 Stanley’s. What are the odds?” asked u/Odd_Accountant_9204 in a post made on Reddit. “According to Alexa, one billion people have the Taco Bell app…My calculations are that I have a 0.00001% chance of getting a Stanley. Do better Taco Bell.”
A separate user was skeptical of the $200 gift card, which they said seemed insufficient to cover a year's supply of unlimited Baja Blast beverages.
“I believe the fine print somewhere said a year supply = 1 medium drink a week for a year. Idk how they get away with calling that a year supply,” user u/KirkSpock7 clarified.
Taco Bell did not respond to Salon Food’s request for comment.
The Stanley x Bajaversary tumbler hoopla comes after Taco Bell announced that it will reintroduce five popular menu items from the past five decades. They include the Tostada (which was one of Taco Bell’s original menu items when it opened its first location in 1962), Green Burrito (which gained popularity amid the ‘70s), Meximelt (which was highly sought-out in the ‘80s), Beef Gordita Supreme (which was a classic staple in the ‘90s) and Caramel Apple Empanada (which Taco Bell described as its “2000s star”).
The fan-favorite flashbacks are part of a menu test “looking back and celebrating the most mouth-watering, iconic hits through the decades,” Taco Bell said in a press release.
Returning items will be available only at select Taco Bell locations in Southern California between Aug. 15 and Aug. 21.
“Thanks to our rich history, we have a vault of craveable products our fans have become passionate about and we continuously explore ways to reintroduce the ones that deliver on the comfort and value they are looking for,” said Taylor Montgomery, Taco Bell’s chief marketing officer. “Now, we’re thrilled to unite two groups of fans: those who fondly remember these menu items and those who have yet to experience the delight of a Caramel Apple Empanada or savor their first bite of a Meximelt with this menu.”
