For anyone who’s complained to a company about a faulty product and never had the sweet sense of resolution, just be patient. It might take 60 years, as one Minnesota man found out decades after writing to a candy company about a defective Salted Nut Roll candy bar. There’s a maxim for this and it goes something like, “if at first you don’t succeed in getting replacement candy, try again decades later.”

Back when the man was only 14 years old, he had a rough experience with his favorite candy bar when he bit into something unexpected. If you’ve been there, you know how disturbing that can be.

“I intended to eat it like I did all the other ones — very fast, before anyone else could get a hold of it,” he recalled to FOX 9 News. “All of a sudden, I felt something in my mouth that was out of the ordinary.”

Bing, bang, boom — he fired off a letter with the offending item enclosed to Pearson’s, the makers of the candy, and it replied, simply saying: “We are alarmed over your letter. We are reasonably sure the above mentioned is a twig from our peanut vine.”

What, no make-good candy? The man — or boy, as he was at the time — wasn’t happy but hey, life goes on.

Fast forward to today, when he found the letter while he was moving and figured he’d just give it another shot via email. And then, holies of all holy, the company sent him a shipment of several candy bars, including his favorite Salted Nut Roll.

“It’s good business to keep people like me happy, even if it takes 60 years,” he joked.

Things got even better after the company learned he didn’t want to share any of his candy because hey, even at 74, your favorite is your favorite. Pearson’s subsequently sent a a whole box of the stuff so he won’t need to hoard his stash.

“I’m sorry it didn’t get taken care of 60 plus years ago,” said Pearson’s CEO. “I’m just glad I can, and we can, take care of it now. We have a few Salted Nut Rolls to spare, so to take care of [the man] this way is a lot of fun.”

The man also got a 5-pound Salted Nut Roll just for himself. Now we’re talking.

“Wow,” he said. “Pearson’s forever! They sure know how to do things — it took them a long time to learn, though.”

Better late, ginormous Salted Nut Rolls than never, is what my grandmother may have said or would if she knew the situation.

60 years later, Salted Nut Roll complaint ends in sweet surprise [My Fox 9]

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