Dr. Pepper had offered to give everyone in America a free bottle of soda if the long-awaited GNR project actually came out in 2008. So, when Rose and crew released “Chinese Democracy” this past Sunday, Dr. Pepper told everyone to come to its Web site and get a coupon.

The problem — the Dr. Pepper site wasn’t prepared for the traffic. Its servers buckled under the pressure, leaving many people unable to get through. Despite an extended deadline and the addition of a toll-free number to call for a coupon, Rose says the company “defrauded” customers, leaving scores empty-handed.

A letter sent by Rose’s attorney and obtained by E! Online demands a new extension of the promotion, along with full-page apology ads printed in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.

The letter goes on to say the campaign was an “exploitation” of Guns N’ Roses’ “legendary reputation and their eagerly awaited album,” claiming that “mocking undertones” in the effort combined with the “shoddy execution of [the] disingenuous giveaway offer” caused a “raw and damaging commercial exploitation of [Guns N' Roses] rights.”

It then requests “appropriate payment … for the unauthorized use and abuse of [Guns N' Roses'] publicity and intellectual property rights.”

Yikes. Get in the ring, indeed.

Dr. Pepper issued the following response in a statement to E! News:

“For us, this was a fun giveaway that has always been about the fans, and we’ve taken great steps to fulfill it, including:

• extending the window for the giveaway from 24 to 42 hours
• Adding a toll-free line to handle consumer requests for the coupons
• Setting up an interactive voice recorder to accept coupon requests.

This was one of the largest responses we have ever received for a giveaway, and we’re happy we were able to satisfy the thirst of so many Dr Pepper fans.”

Related posts:

1. Why Can’t I Get My Free Dr. Pepper For Chinese Democracy?
2. Get Free Dr. Pepper Online (Courtesy of Axl Rose)
3. More Free Stuff: Free Tacos at Jack in the Box, Free Dr. Pepper, and Free Quizno’s Subs

Dr. Pepper appears to be overwhelmed by the response to its offer of free Dr. Pepper in honor of Guns N’ Roses long-awaited release of “Chinese Democracy.” The Dr. Pepper Web site, www.drpepper.com, is returning a number of errors today as its server seems to be being bombarded with more traffic than it can handle. Those who do get through past the errors are often finding themselves stuck on the Flash-heavy site’s “Loading” screen with no progress.

In case you hadn’t heard, Dr. Pepper said it’d give anyone visiting the site Sunday a 20-ounce soda following its statement earlier this year that it’d hand out free Dr. Pepper if Guns N’ Roses’ “Chinese Democracy” actually did come out in 2008. (The album — which is officially available for the first time today — had been in the works for 14 years and had seen more than a few delays.)

Take a note from Axl, though, and have some patience: The free Dr. Pepper coupon giveaway will remain active until 12:01 a.m. tonight. We’re assuming that’s Eastern time, although the company has never explicitly stated.

Dr. Pepper has also now set up a toll-free number for those unable to connect online. You can call 1-800-696-5891 to get your coupon.

Welcome to the jungle, baby. The free soda jungle, that is.

Related posts:

1. Axl Rose Threatens Dr. Pepper Over “Shoddy” Web Promotion
2. More Free Stuff: Free Tacos at Jack in the Box, Free Dr. Pepper, and Free Quizno’s Subs
3. Get Free Dr. Pepper Online (Courtesy of Axl Rose)