One cereal has been dominating headlines recently for all the wrong reasons. (We're looking at you, Cinnamon Toast Crunch.) But now, another beloved breakfast staple is making news for doing right by its customers. Recently, Post Consumer Brands announced that it would be reimbursing customers if they bought one of the brand's most popular cereals in the last few months—Grape-Nuts—after a shortage led to some sky-high prices. Read on to find out if you could get cash for your cereal, and for one breakfast food to avoid, check out If You Have This Breakfast Food at Home, Throw It Away, FDA Says.
Some customers bought Grape-Nuts at inflated prices because of a shortage.
iStockGrape-Nuts faced a significant shortage during the pandemic. According to parent company Post, they were "not able to fill orders for this item due to adjustments in [their] production schedules and production availability." The shortage was so extreme that some customers thought the cereal had been discontinued and they turned to third-party sellers who were offering up the cereal at inflated prices. According to Post, suggested retail prices for Grape-Nuts are $4.29 per 20.5-ounce box, $4.99 per 29-ounce box, and $6.49 per 64-ounce box. But as USA Today reported, a third-party seller on Walmart listed a 64-ounce box for $110 in January, and other sellers on sites like Amazon and eBay hiked up their prices as well.
"It became abundantly clear during the shortage that Grape-Nuts fans are 'Nuts for Grape-Nuts,'" Kristin DeRock, Grape-Nuts brand manager at Post Consumer Brands, said in a statement on March 24. "So much so that some of our loyal super fans were willing to pay extreme prices just to ensure they wouldn’t be without their favorite crunchy cereal."
And for more bad news regarding another popular brand, see why This Beloved Store Is Closing 65 Locations.
If you bought Grape-Nuts for a high price, you may be able to get some money back.
ShutterstockIf you paid inflated prices to a third-party seller for a box of Grape-Nuts recently, Post may be willing to reimburse you. According to a statement from the company on March 24, they are offering reimbursements to any customer who paid $10 or more for a box of Grape-Nuts between Nov. 1, 2020 and March 15, 2021.
If you are eligible, you can "submit a valid retailer or e-retailer receipt for a refund of up to $115 to help cover the difference between the amount paid and the suggested retail price of the Grape-Nuts Original cereal box purchased," the company states. Any receipt must be submitted by April 15 to be considered for a reimbursement and there is a limit of one partial refund claim per household/mailing address.
Post says the Grape-Nuts shortage is coming to an end.
ShutterstockIn additional good news, the shortage that caused many loyal customers to seek out third-party sellers should be coming to an end soon. "We expect this product to be back on most store shelves sometime in March 2021," Grape-Nuts' website states. And according to the most recent Post statement, Grape-Nuts is "officially back shipping at fully capacity to stores nationwide."
In a statement from Feb. 11, DeRock said that the company recognizes that the "temporary Grape-Nuts shortage has been frustrating to fans given that Grape-Nuts is a one-of-a-kind cereal and there is no other cereal like it on the market. We promised our loyal fans that we would work hard to get Grape-Nuts back on store shelves as quickly as possible." And for more up-to-date news and helpful information delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
This isn't Post's first attempt to offer up something to Grape-Nuts lovers.
iStockIn February, Grape-Nuts also hosted a contest that allowed fans to vie for a chance to be one of 10 people to win free Grape-Nuts for a year as an apology for the shortage. Though the contest just ended on March 19, the company also announced that they had created a new "Grape-Nuts Secret Super Fans" Facebook group, where loyal fans can join to "receive updates on special offers and have opportunities to engage with the brand in new ways." As of March 24, the Facebook group has more than 1,200 members. And for news on another breakfast brand, If You Have This Quaker Oats Product at Home, Get Rid of It Now, FDA Says.
