Complain about a product or service

PetSmart

Elizabeth of Fort Myers, FL November 14, 2009

I started taking my cocker spaniel mix to PetSmart to get his hair cut after a bad experience with PetCo. On Saturday, November 14, 2009, we dropped Zeus off at 7:30am to have him shaved. The grooming salon said he would be ready around 1pm. At 1pm, I called to see if he was ready, knowing that they are always busy on Saturdays. Manuel the person working on my dog, told me he would be ready around 1:45pm. When my husband and I arrived at 1:50pm, Zeus was still not ready. His body had been shaved and Manuel was still working on his legs/paws. His tail and head had not been cut yet. We took the payment paper and proceeded to the register to pay and wait until he was finished.

After waiting at the PetSmart store for an entire hour, Zeus was retuned to us, looking like a lion! They had not cut his head, ears, or tail. He was in care of the PetSmart grooming salon for a total of 7 hours and was not 'shaved' when he was given back to us. Only his body and legs had been cut.

My husband proceeded back into the grooming salon after a few minutes to see what could be done about this. The store manager, Chris, and the salon manager, Manny, proceeded to explain to my husband that my dog bit the groomer 7 times, that he wouldn't sit still wile his legs were cut, and he was very hyperactive. They told my husband that it was his fault for bringing Zeus to the salon on a 'busy Saturday, when there were pet adoptions'. When my husband asked why he was making a fuss about his legs being cut did they not stop cutting his legs and cut his head/ears/tail, they had no response. When my husband asked why my dog was not taken off the grooming table and we were not contacted after the FIRST time our dog 'bit' the groomer, and they had no response.

I have taken my dog there every 3-5 months for the past few years to get the very same hair cut that I did today with no problem. As we were in the car on the way home, I called the store to get a district managers phone number because I did not deem that a 23.50 refund from a 47.00 INCOMPLETE haircut was a good fix to my problem. When Chris, the store manager, whom my husband had just talked to, picked up my call, he proceeded to tell me that he 'underdstood why I was upset' but had noting to tell me as to how he was going to fix my problem...

I was on the phone with Chris for a total of 15 minutes where I was told that I had no reason to be upset and that I could bring my dog back to wait for him to be cut again. When I asked why that wasn't done when I went back into the salon after immediately picking up Zeus, he again, had no response. I was told by Chris that I was not giving him a chance to talk. He proceeded to explain to me my husband only asked for 1/2 is money back, which is not true. When I asked what was going to be done about the employees in the salon that obviously could not do their complete job in a 7 hour period, he said nothing. I then realized that I would be taking my dog elsewhere from now on.

After letting him say what he needed to he reluctantly gave me the district managers phone number, asking me why I wanted to contact him at all. I told Chris, as most dog owners would, that having my dog sit in a cage for at least 5 hours without food, water, or being taken to the bathroom was unnecessary and I would not let happen to him again. He then told me that my dog was 'being worked on the entire time he was there'. All in all, PetSmart is a good company, but they have very bad people running it, who do not have customer service skills, whatsoever. I do all of my pet shopping there, and will try a different PetSmart store from now on...

Donna of Oceanside, NY November 6, 2009

I have 10 cats and feed a colony of 20 on a daily basis, so I spend quite a bit of money on pet supplies (over 1,200 a month). For a couple of months, I've noticed that the Petsmart store that I go to has been selling and displaying chocolate candy on low racks at the cash registers. I understand that they are marketing this candy to children so they want it to be displayed at a child's height, but in doing so, the chocolate candy is also easily accessible to the dogs that are brought into the store by customers.

It is well known that chocolate, even in small amounts, can be deadly to animals, and dogs are known to have a sweet tooth and can easily tear through wrappings to get at food. On one occasion, I spoke with the manager on duty and told him of my concerns. I thought it was highly inappropriate and irresponsible to display an item that is poisonous to their customer base (animals) at a accessible level that tempts them. I was told by this manager that it is the responsibility of the dog owners to make sure their dogs don't eat the candy. I told him that, like children, it only takes a split second for something to happen, even under watch by a parent, and that is why companies are often sued by people for injuries/illnesses suffered by their neglect. He told me that there was nothing that could be done about it.

I then wrote to and called Corporate Headquarters, and they emailed me that they have never had an incident at any of the Petsmart stores that sell and display chocolate candy, and that, while they appreciate my concern, they can't promise that the candy will be removed from their shelves.

I would like everyone to be aware, not only so that they are sure to monitor their dogs at the registers to make sure they don't sneak this candy, but also to say that, if anything unfortunate does happen to your pet because of Petsmart's inaction and you want to hold them legally responsible, you will know that Petsmart was fully aware of the potential danger and failed to act to correct it. I'm so upset at them. How much money can they possibly make off of candy for children that they think it is worth the danger they pose to their canine customers?

kimberly of cave creek, AZ November 2, 2009

Sept 2009, I purchased a total of 5 Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Adult cat food. This food was on the "clearance" aisle in Petsmart. It also had a 3.00 off coupon making the food normally 14.00, down to 3.00 a bag. Looking to save some money, I bought 5 bags. Previously to the change in food, our 4 yr old cat was in perfect health. Within a few days of eating the food, Jack began acting odd. One night he was walking in circles and seemed to be blind. We called Banfield pet hospital @ Petsmart and they suggested we take Jack to a pet ER. We did that and took him to Animal Health Services.

The vets were completely stunned. They asked if he had gotten into any poison. His behavior was that of an animal that was poisioned. We said "no". They decided to treat him for toxoplasmosis and put him on high dose antibiotics. We continued the food ( we had no reason not to) and his meds. He continued to loose a large amount of weight and throw up. He went from doing ok, to gravely ill. He turned yellow and became very, very sick. We rushed him to Banfield again. They did not know what was wrong and again, wanted to do many, many tests. We agreed to a basic blood test that showed his liver enzymes very high, indicating liver failure.

We waited @ the hospital for over 4 hrs and had them hydrate him and took him home. The vet did not speak very good english and seemed very overwhelmed with all the other patients and did not take much time with us. The next day, we called the first vet to explain the results and what was going on. Again, up to this point, no one knew what was wrong. We were preparing to have to euthanize our kitty as no one could pin point why his 4 yr old liver was failing.

Then it hit me. None of this started until we switched to the Nutro food. It was my husband who said " do you think it has anything to do with it"? I googled the food name. Sure enough, Petsmart had sold us a bag of the recalled cat food, 6 months after it has been recalled due to high zinc levels. Not only did they not remove the food from the shelf, they clearanced the remaining bags. Had I not have really researched this, our cat would have been euthanized. I immediately called the vet and we went in. They were not aware of the recall. I had printed in all the FDA and Nutro information and brought it in. I also explained we had a bag that he had eaten that matched the lot#/ date/ UPC code recalled. His symptoms were exactly the same of the others who had the zinc poisioning. We had been unknowingly poisioning our cat with this tainted food. We are now on the long haul with our kitty. We are doing IV treatments at home. Special food and medication. His outcome is unknown.

Dee of Edinburg, TX November 1, 2009

Recently we went to Petsmart in search of a healthy pet food for our 4 dogs as they were getting very healthy looking and we wanted to see if we could slim down their weight. The clerk recommended Petsmarts Nutro Max Weight Control brand. She gave us specific instructions on how to slowly wein them from the old food to the new food so they don't upset their digestive system. So we did. Within a couple of weeks my husband made a comment to me that he thought our outside dog "Dottie" probably wasn't going to live much longer. He said she wasn't moving around too good and seemed like she was in pain. That same week our youngest dog, "Cali", an Australian Shepherd began throwing up her food daily.

The next week our Beagle woke me up in the night panting as if she was in pain and shaking. The next morning we took her to the vet. He gave her an antibiotic and said her lymph nodes were swollen. Again the next night she had the same problems. I finally realized the dogs food was now mainly Nutro Max Weight control. They were getting sick from their new food. We have now switched their food back to what they were using previously and are hoping they will get better soon. Nutro Max Weight Control Proof of Purchase #7910510640.

jackie of commerce twp., MI October 26, 2009

My group Greheart Greyhound Rescue and Adoption of Mi. has conducted for the past 2 years a monthly (last Sunday of each month) Meet and Greet in this particular store. I took a few months off during the summer but rechecked with the store in Sept. just to make sure we were still on the calendar and another rescue group hadn't taken my slot. We are a small non profit that is dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of retired racing greyhounds that have recently come off the track. We place them in foster homes and find them loving appropriate homes.

As I went in yesterday to set up for our scheduled Meet and Greet I was greeted by store Manager Michelle H.. She informed me that their policy has changed and that we were no longer welcome in their store. She said that our group had been notified regarding the change. Their new policy allows only Participating Rescue's. When I asked her what that meant, she said all paperwork must be run through PetSmart. While I know for a fact that Greyheart Greyhound Rescue and Adoption had NOT been contacted regarding this policy change I asked her if we could set up for this one day due to the fact that I had several volunteers and hounds scheduled. She told me VERY rudely that I must get off their property.

While I was shocked I was even more disguisted with her rude and condesending attitude. I was crying at this point and asked if we could set up outside for a few hours and her reply was that they own the sidewalk and that we must leave their property at once. Sobbing I explained that i'm the P.R. Coordinator for Greyheart Greyhound Rescue of Mi. and that I publicize via local newspapers the fact that we have our Meet and Greets at PetSmart and generate a good deal of business for them.

She was incredibely RUDE and made us leave. I've never been talked to in such an unprofessional manner before and will never be shopping at PetSmart again. I will now have to look for another petstore to conduct our monthly meet and greet. I believe PetSmart owes us more than appology for their inappropriate behavior yesterday.

Monique of Lathrup Village, MI October 26, 2009

My adoption group, GreyHeart Greyhound Rescue and Adoption of Michigan, has been setting up a small table and bringing volunteers and their retired racing greyhounds into the PetsMart store in Commerce Township, Michigan on the last Sunday of each month for approximately two years. This arrangement has been established and agreed upon by the store manager, Sean, since we began.

This year, on October 25, upon arrival, we were told by the manager on duty, Michelle H., that we were not allowed to set up. The store has changed its policy and we were not, in fact, welcome inside the store, outside in front of the store, or anywhere on the premises. Only adoption groups who file their paperwork through PetsMart (aka give them a "cut" of the adoption fee) are allowed in their stores or on their property. They claim to have called our toll-free phone number to inform us of this policy change; however that line is maintained daily and no one on our end has any knowledge of this call.

Our Meet & Greet coordinator was frantic after advertising in the local papers for over a month, and lining up an extra large crew complete with seasonally appropriate Halloween costumed greys, to really show off our 'hounds and promote fostering and adoption in these months preceding the anticipated closure of the Dairyland race track in Wisconsin where soon 700 greyhounds will be homeless.

Thankfully a nearby store manager did have enough compassion to make some phone calls to upper management and accomodate our last minute tearful request to set up outside their storefront. It worked out as well as if it had been planned that way; the sun came out and made it warm enough to stand outside, we had hounds in costume in front of a Halloween USA store where the family foot traffic was constant and our family friendly dogs stole many hearts.

Some of our volunteers were more than willing to share our story of the uncharitable PetsMart and at least one customer was overheard to say that today would be the LAST time she made a purchase from PetsMart. I personally had planned to take advantage of the last day of the IAMS sale but after this experience decided to take my business elsewhere, permanently.

We were, to say the least, stunned and appalled at the apathy and uncooperative nature of the store and its management staff. It was an unfortunate incidenent and as you know, good news travels fast and bad news even faster. Greyhound owners spend a lot on their pets; they are sweet good natured dogs who "dress up" well and are know to be big eaters. I personally buy at least one large bag of kibble a month, plus an assortment of chews, toys, and treats. Rest assured it will NOT be from PetsMart.

Loren of Brighton, CO October 23, 2009

Went to buy some dog food at my local Pet Smart and ended up buying about 100 worth of products (which is what usually happens when I go to this store. I'm a good customer). After the products were totaled at the cash register, I put my Visa credit card through their scanner only to get an error code.

After numerous attempts, I told the cashier she will have to enter my CC information manually. She said she could no longer do that. I asked why, and she replied that Pet Smart no longer allows them to enter CC info by hand. It can only be scanned. I then spoke to the manager, and his response was, "it's for the customers safety". I asked, "how is this for my safety? If there was any question about who owns the CC, I would expect you to look at my drivers license."

I was ready to walk out, and leave them my order to put back on the shelf, but decided to use my American Express card instead to make the purchase. I told the manager, "Pet Smart isn't being very People SMART in their customer service, so in the future I would be taking my business elsewhere." He could have cared less, and didn't even give an apology for the inconvenience.

I've never heard of a store NOT allowing a CC number to be manually input into their system so a customer would be able conclude their purchase. Wasn't able to add my 100 purchase to my United Visa Credit Card in order to acquire miles for future travel. Their new policy caused further delay and inconvenience and now a lost customer.

CHRISTOPHER of SPRING, TX September 17, 2009

Our beloved Basset Hound, "Lilly Mae", whom we have had since she was 9 weeks old, had been behaving odd for a few weeks. Then she took a sudden and dramatic turn. She began demonstrating "dying behavior" and was obviously in great discomfort. We were signed up with Banfield and were using the Petsmart location on FM1960, so we took her in expecting to end her suffering and to say goodby to a dear family member.

Instead the Vet offered us 600.00 worth of testing and medicine to find out what was wrong with her. It was as if she (the Vet) was totaly blind to what was right in front of her. We said we thought she was dying. The Vet said "Well we don't know what's wrong with her do we?, in a very condescending voice. The only one who didn't know what was going on was this Vet. We opted to get a second opinion. Lilly Mae had to endure another 24 hours of pain and discomfort before we could get her to another local Vet who after a brief exam, and no tests, told us what we already new, and in what I can only describe as a re-affirming and spiritual ceremony, ended Lilly Mae's suffering.

It goes without saying they are our new Vet. I guess all pet owners feel a certain amount of guilt with the passing of their pet. Ours is that we took our cherished family member to a "Little Shop of Horrors" in her final moments. This is our warning to other pet owners. Stay away from Banfield/Petsmart on FM 1960 in Houston Tx.

C.T. of Mountain Lakes, NJ September 9, 2009

I brought my dog in to stay at the Petsmart "hotel" (more properly named "Prison" for the tiny cages and abuse that goes on there). My Dog was taken to the Vet a few weeks earlier and was given a clean bill of health. When i went ot pick up Butchie (my dog) he immediatly ran out of Petsmart like he was terrified. I immediatly noticed a severe limp in both of his hind legs and in particular his hind right leg.

When i got him home he could barely put any weight on his hind legs and would fall over even trying to go to the bathroom (#2). He could not climb the stairs and i had to carry him up and down. On our normal walk he would stumble and flop back and forth like he had either no strength in his back legs or a more serious injury.

I immediatly called my vet to told them of the situation. I have an appointment to see the vet the next day. I will keep you posted if any serious develops. I am an attorney and WILL sue Petsmart and contact PETA if i discover any injuries to my dog and if i discover that abuse is taking place at the Petsmart Hotel.

Robert of Brampton, ON August 10, 2009

I have had a Littermaid basic model since December 2000 with 2 cats using it and it's been great. It has plastic tines. The wire broke about 2 years ago and I disassembled the whole unit and soldered them back together and they just separated again. I thought a new unit was due and was about to purchase their elit model with tent, etc and came across this site and am a little concerned about buying it online. Are there any alternatives to this brand?

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