Sony offers new camcorder to replace jar of pasta sauce

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Sony Entertainment Inc. is giving a Southeast Missouri couple a new camcorder after they bought one at Best Buy and said they found a jar of pasta sauce inside the box where the camera should have been.

Melisa Rittenberg, 36, of Perryville, said Tuesday she was contacted by Sony on Monday, after talking to The Associated Press about the incident.

Rittenberg was told a replacement camera was in the mail. A phone message left with Sony was not returned.

"I'm satisfied because we're finally going to get the camera we paid for," Rittenberg said, though she remained angry that Best Buy didn't resolve the matter.

The Ellisville Best Buy store manager, Wade Trapp, said the company had been in touch with the Rittenbergs and would follow up on the matter.

The Rittenbergs paid about $1,600 for a camcorder at the Ellisville Best Buy in suburban St. Louis last week. They said when they opened the box, they found a jar of Classico pasta sauce, a telephone cord and an electric outlet cover. The items were all positioned in the box where the camera equipment should have been, Melisa Rittenberg said.

They went back to Best Buy, but the store declined a refund.