The coronavirus pandemic has taken a lot from us — traveling for vacation, gathering with family and friends, working with colleagues in person.
And fans of crunchy, high-fiber cereal Grape-Nuts were left combing through the far corners of supermarket shelves looking for a rare box, or paying prices online that were absolutely grapes. Sorry, absolutely nuts. As high as $110, according to the cereal's manufacturer.
"While everyone else was worried about a toilet paper shortage, we should have been hoarding our beloved Grape-Nuts," one insightful follower wrote on the cereal's Facebook page recently.
Now the shortage is over, according to Post, the company that makes Grape-Nuts. Production had changed during the pandemic as the company focused on its most popular cereals, supply was constrained, and demand for breakfast cereals got a boost from many more people staying at home.
Plus, Grape-Nuts are made in just one facility using a proprietary technology and processes that aren't easily replicated, a Post spokesperson wrote to NBCLX in an email.
That led to some desperate Grape-Nuts fans willing to spend triple-figure dollar amounts.
“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 news release. “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. As a way to show our appreciation and thank these fans for their dedication, we want to repay the love by reimbursing them.”
Customers can get a refund for money spent on a Grape-Nuts box beyond its retail value, up to $115, during the shortage — which occurred between Nov. 1, 2020, and March 15, 2021. For example, if you paid $30 for $10 worth of cereal, you'll get a $20 refund.
The company is only giving refunds to people who spent $10 or more. To qualify, customers will need to submit a receipt for the purchase.
You can read the reimbursement rules and fill out the form here.