November 27, 2008 10:48

Guns N' Roses lawyer says Dr Pepper failed on free drinks

Alan Gutman accuses drinks company of 'unmitigated disaster'

Guns N' Roses' lawyer has criticised Dr Pepper for failing to deliver on its 'Chinese Democracy' free soda promotion in the US.

The move comes despite the drinks company's decision to extend their offer of a free soda for an extra day after huge demand crashed the company's servers on release day (November 23).

As previously reported on NME.COM, in March Dr Pepper announced it would give a free soft drink to everyone in the United States if Guns N' Roses released their long-awaited 'Chinese Democracy' album this year.

Now Axl Rose's lawyer Alan Gutman has written to Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc's president and CEO Larry Young, accusing the company of operating an online redemption scheme that was an "unmitigated disaster which defrauded customers".

Gutman is also demanding that the company extends the period for the offer and he has called for full-page apologies in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal, reports Billboard.

He added: "The entire point of your campaign has been to use public interest in Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses as a lure to increase consumer awareness of Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper was completely unprepared for the traffic to its site."

Guns N' Roses had been working on their long awaited album since 1994.

In addition to extending the free drinks offer, during which consumers were invited to apply for a coupon online, the company also increased its server capacity and added a toll-free number - 1-888-DRPEPPER.

However, despite the additional server space, the site still remained largely inaccessible.

Head to NME.COM/PHOTOS to explore the full 17-year saga of 'Chinese Democracy'.

Meanwhile, you can submit your own review of the album on the NME Office Blog.

You can also browse a photo gallery dedicated to Guns N' Roses' debauched early days.