Petco vs Me - Could go Legal.

[saleen89559]

So if you go read through some of my previous threads, you will see I have had issues with my local Petco and their store manager. Well, this continued to a whole new saga today.

Last week my wife told me she wanted a Frilled Lizard. It just so happened that Petco had 2 of them and we went and picked one up. Since I basically had all the housing requirements, I only needed to get a few small things and a Tropical rated UVB for it, no big deal.

3 days ago, while I was cleaning the Frilled lizard's cage, I noticed it wasn't moving and was very dark in color. I picked it up and began examining it to see if it was hurt, had any lumps, or anything noticeable at all. While I am holding the frilled, he begins to stiffen up, point his legs and arms straight back, blow his belly up fat, open his mouth and frill wide and rolled his eyes a bit and began shaking. It dawns on me, this frilled is having a seizure! So I call Petco and arrange to return it. We arrived there 15 minutes later, at which time the frilled had come out of his seizure and was just holding onto my thumb.

Today I went back into Petco because they have a Cuban Knight Anole that I wanted to purchase. Before I even said anything, this associate comes up to me with a very angry and wild look on his face and tells me they would not sell the Anole to me. I was told I could not purchase the Anole because I had returned a Frilled Lizard that was 100% healthy. I asked how they can come to this decision, and their exact words were "because you fed the Frilled lizard roaches". Seriously! LOL! They took the Frilled Lizard to the Vet, a non-herp experienced Vet mind you, and told the Vet that is what the Frilled ate. So they told me the Vet laughed and said I shouldn't be trying to feed a Frilled lizard roaches. The Petco store manager holds up her hand and shows me a length of roach that would be adult size female for Dubia roaches. I told them their Vet wasn't a certified Herp vet and had no clue what she was talking about. And also I asked them if they seriously thought I would try and feed a 9" long baby Frilled with full sized adult Dubia roaches.

The associate standing there says to me "The Vet isn't wrong, she's my tech college teacher!" HAHA

So I leave Petco, I let them know my displeasure and let them know they will be hearing from me and I won't allow them to do this.

I spoke to my attorney tonight and she had some good things to say.

1. The Vet and Petco employees Defamed me with false information
2. My First amendment rights were violated
3. If I don't hear what I want to hear, she's filing papers against Petco to force to have this store manager and associate fired.

So I am calling the Vet tomorrow, asking for proof of her credentials, and experience working on reptiles from Australia and Indonesia.

Then I am calling Petco corporate and speaking to whomever is in charge of their pet wellfare.

This will go the legal route once Petco decides to mess with me and not listen to what I have to say.

 

[Jayson745]

Wow. What a mess. Why wouldn't you just not go back there? Honestly I'm not sure what good a lawyer is going to do. People are aloud to refuse serve to anyone they want. They are also aloud to have bad information, or be stupid about animals. Not really sure anything illegal happened. I understand your pissed off, but I'd probably just let it go and shop elsewhere.

 

[planetkat]

Wow what a messs!!!
I think people are very rude now a days. I wonder what pleasure they get from doing that to people?
I hope all goes well!

 

[saleen89559]

Wow. What a mess. Why wouldn't you just not go back there? Honestly I'm not sure what good a lawyer is going to do. People are aloud to refuse serve to anyone they want. They are also aloud to have bad information, or be stupid about animals. Not really sure anything illegal happened. I understand your pissed off, but I'd probably just let it go and shop elsewhere.

Actually, in legal terms after speaking with my attorney, 3 things have happened in 2 different instances.
1. Defamation of character
2. Discrimination based on a false premise
3. Freedom of Speech violation

These were based around the fact that their comments were solely based around me, not a general advice tactic for everyone else.

 

[ReptileAddiction]

I agree. You do actually have a lot of reasons to take this to court. Ask your attorney about sueing the company. This happens to people all around the world.

 

[fluffpuffgerbil]

Gee how, terrible. =/ I'd be really angry if something like this happened to me.

I'm just lucky I'm blessed with great petstores(petco AND petsmart) all around me with good people who KNOW what they're doing. Your lizard obviously wasn't 100% healthy like they said s/he was, considering it had a seizure. I returned a completely healthy crested gecko and bought a different one(long story) and they were completely fine with it. Washington and Oregon I think just are better about their petstores.

Anyway, I think that vet was really stupid and they Petco peeps shouldn't have taken the lizard to a non-herp vet, but apparently they didn't/don't know much about reptiles. I hope all goes well for you.

I can believe there are terrible Petcos and Petsmarts around, it's just hard to really put a handle on it, never having seen one myself.

 

[saleen89559]

Chain stores do one thing.... They hire people to be salesmen, not to be educated on what they are selling.

Ever since this new store manager at my local Petco has taken the place over, she has run off all the employees that were very knowledgeable by either firing them because they were paid to high for "her personal budget plans" or they quit because they couldn't stand the lady.

People who know the woman remember her from the local Bath and Body Works store that was in our mall. It was well known she was a crude, rude, obnoxious manager there, and she nearly ran that store into the ground before they got smart at corporate and canned her arse.


On another note: I verified my claim that this Vet was not a exotic animal or herpetological certified Vet. I called there and asked a question that was specific about a Bearded dragon, and the receptionist flat out told me that they only handle a small amount of common reptiles because they are not able to treat exotics due to experience level.

 

[bunnyrut]

On another note: I verified my claim that this Vet was not a exotic animal or herpetological certified Vet. I called there and asked a question that was specific about a Bearded dragon, and the receptionist flat out told me that they only handle a small amount of common reptiles because they are not able to treat exotics due to experience level.

Bazinga!

Catching people in lies is fun!

 

[Zeusmybeardie]

And that's why we need your help check this out viewtopic.php?f=1&t=169201

 

[taylorjanisch]

this sounds similar to something that happened to me.. I'm 17 (obviously not old enough to buy an animal on my own) but i had a 19 year old with me to buy it. my mom did approve and i had talked to her before she just couldnt be there to get it with me because she was sick. I asked to buy the bearded dragon and the man started yelling at me telling me i had no permission to buy the lizard and he apparently heard me and my friend talking and told us that he heard us say she said no way and i'd bring it in anyway and she couldnt do anything about it. none of this was said and it was completely made up and they just refused to sell it to us for whatever reason.

 

[bunnyrut]

this sounds similar to something that happened to me.. I'm 17 (obviously not old enough to buy an animal on my own) but i had a 19 year old with me to buy it. my mom did approve and i had talked to her before she just couldnt be there to get it with me because she was sick. I asked to buy the bearded dragon and the man started yelling at me telling me i had no permission to buy the lizard and he apparently heard me and my friend talking and told us that he heard us say she said no way and i'd bring it in anyway and she couldnt do anything about it. none of this was said and it was completely made up and they just refused to sell it to us for whatever reason.

That's when you go back with your mom and let her curse him out. My mom would have had a field day with that!

 

[taylorjanisch]

this sounds similar to something that happened to me.. I'm 17 (obviously not old enough to buy an animal on my own) but i had a 19 year old with me to buy it. my mom did approve and i had talked to her before she just couldnt be there to get it with me because she was sick. I asked to buy the bearded dragon and the man started yelling at me telling me i had no permission to buy the lizard and he apparently heard me and my friend talking and told us that he heard us say she said no way and i'd bring it in anyway and she couldnt do anything about it. none of this was said and it was completely made up and they just refused to sell it to us for whatever reason.

That's when you go back with your mom and let her curse him out. My mom would have had a field day with that!

i did a little of that on my own and bought my beardie somewhere else. i told them they wouldn't be getting my business there anymore and that its ridiculous because they know me and my mom both because we bring my dogs in there and buy crickets every other day from their store and they've talked to us multiple times.

 

[tgolden]

When dealing with chain pet stores we have to keep in mind these folks don't know reptiles like we do. They know what the person who trained them told them so they get defensive over they're ignorance. My Petco for the most part is pretty good and friendly but they're care for they're reptiles is vary poor. I go in get what I need I leave
~ Tommie

 

[ShannyBeard]

If we continue to go to PetCo and PetSmart and we continue to buy their reptiles and their other products, then we are keeping them in business.

I think we all need to take a hard look at who we financially support. It's way past time for people in this forum to stop giving these places their money. It is only allowing them to continue these bad business practices and animal neglect.

 

[tgolden]

I'm by no means taking up for these places but they're in business to make money.
Poop bags and dog food is they're bead and butter. You can't expect much out of a minimum wage employee or a high school kid working the weekend.
~ Tommie