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CB Animals and Pets Review of Pet Supplies Plus Store
Pet Supplies Plus Store

Pet Supplies Plus Store review: Poor customer service! 15

K
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12:00 am EST
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This is a complaint against the Pet Supplies Plus store in Findlay, Ohio, as well as their corporate division's customer service department.

On 18 October 2006, my husband & I were in this store, buying supplies for our pets, as we do every 2 or 3 weeks. On this occasion, we observed a probem in the ferret enclosure. There were 2 ferrets in there. One was asleep, but the other one was chewing frantically on one corner of the plastic litterbox. There was also a food bowl in the cage, w/ inapproriate food in it (watered down & mushed up kibble, which may be appropriate for young kits, was not appropriate for the older ferrets in the cage). There was Carefresh litter mixed in w/ the food. There was one toy in the cage - a jingle ball, which was mostly buried in the litter at the bottom of the enclosure.

That ferret was obviously chewing on the litterbox for 2 reasons: boredom, because of no toys to play w/; & because the food offered to these ferrets was not hard food, that they need to maintain the health of their teeth.

Ferrets have a very small intestinal tract, & about a 4 hr intestinal transit time, from food to feces. A piece of plastic swallowed could very easily cause an intestinal blockage, which undetected, would result in death in about 36-48 hrs.

My husband & I mentioned this in passing to the teenage cashier on our way out, & she said, "I guess that's something *else* I have to do now." Since she didn't seem overly entusiastic, my husband suggested I call the corporate HQ, & let them know, in case the people in the store didn't do anything about it.

The following day, Thur 19 October, I was greeted at about 8:30a by a phone call from their regional manager who covers the Findlay, Ohio area. He informed me I was "banned from entering" this store ever again, as I was a "troublemaker", & "continually harrassed them".

For the record, I've shopped at this Pet Supplies Plus store for about 6 yrs. I that time, I've called about problems w/ sanitary conditions on 2 occasions. Both times, I was called back & told that the problem was noted, & the store was told to clean things up. About a yr ago, I worked w/ Pet Supplies Plus in communicating to 8-in-1 Pet Products, about the fact that moldy FerretBites were showing up not only in Pet Supplies Plus stores, but in per stores all over the US (as many of my online friends informed me as they found in their shopping). Friendly lines of communtication were established, the problem was found & solved by 8-in-1, & both companies (that would include the corporate people at Pet Supplies Plus) thanked my for my assistance in getting the problem solved.

And now, I'm "harrassing" them, because of this one incident. The regional manager, one Craig, stated they were "keeping a file" on me. When I told him I'd be happy to give my money to their competitors, & that I'd certainly tell my friends about my experience, he said, "I don't care, go ahead, feel free." My husband later called the corporate's customer service person, named Linda, & she told a bunch of lies to him about my supposed "harrassment"; that I called them "repeatedly" about flies in the store (that happened once, several yrs ago, during one of my legitimate calls, which I was thanked for bringing to their attention); that I had "yelled" at the store manager on this particular occasion (not true - we didn't even see the manager, just the teenage cashier); 8 that I came into the store on a regular basis, just to harrass them, & that I never buy anything there. We had indeed made a purchase on the 18th (a bag of Totally Ferret food, & 3 boxes of FerretBite treats). It's a 48 mi round trip to this store - the idea that I come in there "on a regular basis" just to "harrass" them, is ridiculous & patently untrue.

I have let many of my friends on the ferret message boards on the internet know about this situation, & requested that they no longer shop at Pet Supplies Plus, & that if they're so inclined, to contact them (either by phone or by email) & let them know *why*.

I owned & operated my own successful business for 12 yrs & one thing I know for certain - the customer always comes first. Any business that treats their customers (esp customers who drop roughly $1,000 - 1,200 per yr in their store) like Pet Supplies Plus has treated me, & others around the country who have shared their experiences w/ me, will end up losing customers, as well as the money that covers their paychecks. This could happen to *anyone*, & I sincerely believe that Pet Supplies Plus should be aware of the revulsion expressed in the ferret owners who have heard about this, & do something about their customer relations, before they feel the pinch of people boycotting their stores.

Thank you for listening.

Lin
Tiffin, Ohio

Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

15 comments
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Deanna DelZoppo
, US
Jan 24, 2016 6:11 am EST

i took my dog for a nail trim on 1-23-16 to 1213 mentor ave painesville ohio location, my dog was very well behaved and calm all the sudden i noticed the employee very nervous i realized my dog was bleeding and her dew claw had been cut so bad you can see her tendons, my dog starded limping and i can tell she was in pain being very upset i asked her to please leave my dog alone and where can i pay, she proceeds to tell me i probaly need to get my dog to a vet, i have 6 kids and no money for a vet also its saturday i would need a emergency vet, i was beyond upset my dog is in pain and its heartbreaking to watch i have pictures and hope this store has video i contacted pet supplies hq and will not stop telling anyone who will listen, and will never return to this store, they obviously do not care for animals i have epilepsy my dog will alert my children when i have seizures, she is in pain and im put in a bad situation my dog is no different than my children watching her is horrible and im helpless absolutly unacceptable!

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jlisting
Midlothian, US
Jan 01, 2016 5:20 pm EST

I took back some kitty raw food that was under recall, and Pets Supplies Plus in Richmond, VA would not take it back!

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REALLY INTERESTING
West Hartford, US
Aug 12, 2013 10:18 am EDT

I too know the woman that tracer is speaking of. She received a letter under her windshield wiper supposedly from the building manager telling her she could not park in the handicapped parking because it is reserved for customers. What she found out was the Pets Plus Store Manager placed the note on her car. the building manager does not allow employees to park close to the building she parked in a non -handicapped spot with her handicapped placque present. I was walking out of the building and saw an employee intentionally hit her car as as another employee at Pets Plus was laughing and pointing at her car as he was taking a cigarette break in VW Rabbit. The ladies car is all dinged and dented from green paint which is on the carraiges supplied by Pets Plus for their customers. The police have been to Pets Plus and told them she could park there. However her car has been severely damaged by the carriages. We will take a picture for her next time either one of us sees them committing damage intentionally.

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skiptracer129
West Hartford, US
Aug 12, 2013 9:21 am EDT

Pets Plus in West Hartford has been waging war on a handicapped lady that works in our building. She received a note on her because she parked in the handicapped space. They wanted her to park across the parking lot, if she could do that she would not be parked in the handicapped parking with a valid permit. Than I watched the guy that owns the rabbit laugh as one of the employees intentionally scratched her car with a carriage. Every day her car is dinged and damaged by the carriages. The police have stopped by but cannot do anything without proof OR catching the person in the act. Eventually Karma is a ###!

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danielrinckey
Temperance, US
Jun 25, 2013 11:47 pm EDT

Nothing like buying 100 crickets from a psp near the oh and mi border and feeding them to my 7 pet lizards (thousands of dollars worth of love and care). i feed them every other day because thats how they live etc. More to the story, with about 75-80 crickets still there in the bag i went to feed my lizards. Guess what, moldy dead crickets. Guess what else, sick lizards. Some i've had for years, one (savannah monitor-if you dont know, really expencive with everything it needs, and very fragile when young) a baby only 2 moths old, is literally dying as i type this because i dont know how to help him, and no vets open at midnight. I talked to the manager, she was very rude and was questioning me of obvious things, "are you sure its the crickets, can you prove it" etc. And yes i can, hes too young to eat mice, and hates all other foods. Then this lady had the nerve to say that they do "not" guarentee feeders like crickets, as she is standing in front of a huge sign that says "we guarentee our feeders". Guess whose stopping by to have a chat with the lead manager then up the line tomorrow, this guy. This kind of thing is the reason in going to collage next year to be a vet (im only supposed to be a sophmore in high school). Im not stupid and i AM boycotting psp forever. Hey look, my bearded dragon just threw up green crickets. Wish me luck.

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Knight r.
, US
Apr 23, 2012 10:21 pm EDT

I walked in the store looking for a little ferret to take home, there was a cage stating "Ferret" on it but it looked to be sold or out of the cage. so I left. As I was shopping I thought maybe one of the workers had it out to play or exercise it, so I called asking if they had any ferrets. I was told that Yes they had one available now. Trying not to get my hopes up, I returned. The cage was still empty so i asked one of the workers. they said it had been sold last week and they didn't have anymore. So with all my hopes destroyed I returned home ferret-less...

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blue200011
cameron wi, US
Jan 07, 2012 7:43 pm EST

On dec/28/11 I put a down payment on a tortoise that was there at the store. I was told that i should pay half for the turtle so i could keep it at the store for any amount of time untill i got all set up at home. On 1/5/12, I went into the pet store and was surprised to find out that the tortoise, i put money down on was SOLD! I was told that a male came into the store and said he was the one who put the down payment on the tortise and he just needed to pay the other half and hecould take it home. The cashier didnt check ANY I.D or check to see if he had a receipt. He walked away with the turtle i PAID for that i was getting for my son. When i called the store i was told i could get my money back or i could WAIT to get another one. Long story short, Im very upset. I was screwed over by a simple mistake. When i put money down on the turtle i was told it was extremly important to bring in my receipt and my I.D. Let this be know that i WILL NEVER shop at pet supplies plus ever again. I work at a few businesses in rice lake and i will spread the word. I just want my money back and to be done with this disgrace of a store. Im so disapointed because the only thing that was done to fix this was get my money back or wait for another turtle. My son, girl friend and myself fell in love with this turtle and now i have to drive an hour to Eau claire to buy another one. I will blog, email and facebook about how unhappy i am with this store. In my opinion DONT NOT SHOP HERE. # VERY PISSED OFF CUSTOMER

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maria9815
Chicago, US
Apr 15, 2011 7:10 pm EDT

Do NOT TAKE YOUR DOG FOR GROOMING AT PET SUPPLIES PLUS ON Foster in chicago. Terrible service the razor burned my dog and when i called them they told my dont bring him here again. Terrible service Do Not Take your Animal there. They dont care about them

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vjabc
Steubenville, US
Mar 20, 2011 9:21 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Yesterday I spent over $200 in the Steubenville, Ohio store at the Fort Steuben Mall. I bought a ferret, bedding, food, accessories and a cage. Today my daughters- 18, 14 and 14 went in the store to buy a much larger, more expensive cage. The one daughter's sunglasses got stuck in her hair and the oldest was trying to get it untangled when the manager came up to them and rudely said if you aren't buying anything you need to get out of the store. My oldest told her we were here to buy a cage. The lady said you need to get out now. When I was told what happened, I called the store manager and she had the nerve to tell me they were standing in the front and they were in the way of the customers! I said do you realize I spent over $200 in that store yesterday and they were going to spend another $100 today on the new cage? My daughters had every right being there! The manager was extremely rude and ignorant on the phone. When I told her I was going to report this to her supervisor she pretty much welcomed me to. Not only am I contacting Corporate, but I am going further than that. I will be returning everything to the store and going to a local competitor. This pet store is never going to survive with all the complaints they are getting from all around.

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snowcaps
Cincinnati, US
Nov 07, 2008 9:11 pm EST

I also will not shop at Pet Supplies Plus anymore. Today I went there to stock up on hay for my rabbits and found that there was a dead rabbit in the cage with the for-sale ones, and no one seemed to care. I did file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau... we'll see if that actually makes a difference.

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Anonymous
,
Oct 06, 2008 6:34 am EDT

Hi,
If you have complaints please report them to Better Businesss Bureau. BBB accepts complaints whether or not the business is a BBB Accredited Business. Just google BBB and you should file complaints against these guys. They will take necessary action.

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Screw Fidelity
Seaford, US
Aug 30, 2008 1:42 pm EDT

My friend was treated like crap in this store as well. She figures one good turn deserves another and has a few friends who agree.

She can't go in anymore but the staff doesn't know her friend! They shop their regularly and ''accidently' break expensive stuff why wasting the staffs time with stupid inconsequential questions.

Must be a pain to have to send back all those aquarium kits that are missing just ONE item. Oops!

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Mary
,
Aug 20, 2008 1:43 am EDT

I want to say I will stop shopping in the Lima store. I wanted to exchange a cat nip plant that died the next day so I take it back and the cashier, manager laughted at me for wanting to return it. She treated me like crap. I had a receipt and the plant. She stated you have got to be kidding you want to return a plant. I said yes, it should not wilt in one day. She treated me like I was a horrible person and actually laughed in my face. I was offended. I wrote the company. I bet if it had been her purchase she would have wanted the same fair treatment that I did. It was just plane hrrible of her to treat me like that. Mary

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Barbara Shaffer
, US
Aug 17, 2008 4:39 pm EDT

I am writing you with a complaint. I live in Hartford CT and visited your store on Albany Ave in West Hartford CT on the evening of 8/15/2008.

I will NEVER, repeat NEVER set foot in your store again.

The clerk at the register over charged my credit/debit card by 88.25. He called for assistance to correct this problem. The person who came over was Shannon. Shannon issued a credit for the above mentioned amount and then recharged my card the 44.00 in purchases that I had truly made.

It was not stated it would take 3 days to refund the money(business days yet) (though the debit seemed to go right through).
By charging roughly 132.00 to my debit card, you have basically wiped out my checking account, stopping any and all plans I had for the week. I am on a fixed income. That was everything I had.

I went to the bank the next morning(I do business with Bank America) when I saw the money had not been immediately replaced, I went into the Bank to inquire about the refund. When I asked, The response I got was "What refund?, there is nothing coming in." .

I then went back to your store, where, when I demanded to know where my money was, I was met by Shannon.

Exactly what is she to the store, other than a floor clerk with no customer service skills, as well as someone that has no business telling me she will call the cops? Maybe she needs to learn her place.

I will let you know that at my request, the West Hartford PD have been brought into this, and I was instructed that if my money is not back in my account, in full, by Wednesday AM, I am to call again, and they will investigate further. Bank America also has taken an active interest, in this issue. I will be in touch with them should my monies not appear on my account by Wednesday AM.

And right about now, you are probably asking yourself, "Where is Jason in all of this?" He couldn't be bothered, he told the floor manager to take my name and number and he would call me Monday.(what a caring person!)

I spend roughly 200/month on animal supplies and you treat me like this?(6 cats-2 birds) I shopped exclusively at your store and you think it is ok to treat a long standing, well paying customer in this fashion ?

Why am I making a big deal out of all of this? Tuesday is my Birthday, and I was going to the shore with friends . My share, of the cost of the trip was 50.00 plus expenses. So much for the birthday celebration. I also work as a independent contractor, and at times, I am required to spend money at the job site. This past weekend I lost 2 assignments thanks to your staffs incompetent behavior. I would say that was 20.00 for this weekend, not counting future earnings.

Never have I heard such a good argument for Petco, and brother I am listening. You could not pay me enough money to go back to your store, any of your stores for that matter.With service like this no wonder Petco has more customers.

I hope this matter is over by Wednesday, but I am not holding my breath.

Barbara Shaffer

P.S. Here is an idea, if Shannon had been intelligent enough, maybe she could have refunded just the difference between what you charged vs what I spent? That way there could have been minimal damage done? Wait, that would have been too easy, sorry I mentioned it.

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Jennifer McNeill
,
Feb 26, 2007 2:52 pm EST

I totally disagree with this complaint. Pet Supplies Plus Store have great customer service and are very kind and helpful.