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Report: #1114099

Complaint Review: Petco - San Diego California

  • Submitted:
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  • Reported By: Please Help — Alabama
  • Author Not Confirmed What's this?
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  • Petco San Diego, California USA

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I purchased a large quantity of Petco gift cards online for use with an Aquarium project I am working on( over $1,000 worth) and when I called to verify the balance, they refused to tell me the balance and told me that I could not buy anything online.

The website no longer accepts the cards as payment and even goes so far as to deny even telling you the remaining balance on the card dispite being able to use the card and check the balance a few weeks ago when it was 2013.  The phone support also refuses to tell you the remaining balance on the card and just transfers you to a customer service agent who talks down to you even when the terms are clearly stated on the card which they just decided starting in 2014 to blatantly ignore.

Apparently, they decided that merchandised returns will now receive a special merchandise credit not a gift card starting 2014. This would normally be fine as long as it was for this point going forward with newly returns merchandised starting in 2014 and clearly marked cards as merchandise credit and staring their limited use being instore only(still don't understand refusing to tell you the balance in any situation) however the item which I have is an actual marked GIFT Card which is printed right on the card itself which was created back in 2013 with the follow terms printed on back:


" This card is redeemable for merchandise or service online at Petco.com or at any petco or Unleashed by Petco store. You may check the balance of this gift card at any store location, online at Petco.com or by calling customer service....."

The customer service agent advised me to ignore the terms and conditions that are printed on the card and to take a sharipe and just cross everything out. So they want to go back retroactively and make people cross out the terms and condition on their issued gift card when then try to use the card as described on the card itself printed right on their gift cards.

I feel there are serious  moral as well as legal issue here and would be open to joining a class action lawsuit against the company.

Thank you.

 

 

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 01/08/2014 11:31 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/petco/san-diego-california/petco-petcocom-refusing-to-honor-gift-cards-or-check-thebalance-as-stated-on-their-terms-1114099. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
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4Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#6 Consumer Comment

Petco is bad for customer service

AUTHOR: nvdoug - ()

POSTED: Friday, January 24, 2014

I also received a Petco card, you may not check the balance anywhere unless you go into a store and make a purchase, no if ands or buts, plus rude managers and employees, I see Petco closing this year Nationwide. 

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#5 Consumer Comment

Finally..

AUTHOR: Robert - ()

POSTED: Friday, January 10, 2014

Okay first of all...you seem to be so focused on the words "Gift Card" you are ignoring just about every other fact that is going to cause you an issue.

When they say they are not responsible for cards purchased from a 3rd party, this is referring to if the card is fradulent/invalid and not honored at all.

- Oh really?  I guess I somehow missed that statement.  Can you post where it says they are saying that it won't be honored at all to help us out.

Today, they disabled working at Petco.com, hypothetically tomorrow it could be a Petco store and only valid at " Pooch hotel",etc..  If they can snap their fingers and changed the printed terms and conditions and
representation at will, I mean what the point really of even having them?

- Actually you are correct.  If for some reason Petco sold off one of their stores to another company, that store may no longer accept a Petco gift card.  If Petco as a company went "bankrupt" every gift card they have may be deemed invalid.  There are actually many reasons why a gift card would no longer be honred.  So yes I agree what is the point of having a gift card...just give cash.

Right now if you return items, you receive a special " merchandise credit " printed on a card with a different set of terms and conditions

- I really wonder just how you know that?  This policy according to you went into effect 1/1/14, are you close to a PetCo that you would know this?  Then why don't you just go into a store?

it was issued as a Gift card NOT a merchandise credit and the terms and representation made at the time of the card being issued were that it could be used online.

- How do you know how it was represented when it was issued?  It was NOT issued to you.  It was issued to someone else who sold it to a 3rd party who in turn sold it to you.  You have NO, ZIP, NADA, NONE, ZILCH idea of what was told to that customer when it was issued.  This is exactly why that 3rd party clause is in their terms.  For all you know the person who got it was verbally told that as of some date it would be invalid on-line.  Perhaps the were even given a receipt or something else that has the "revised" terms. 

Oh and No I am not now or have I ever worked for Petco, I don't even shop there(I actually go to a different Petstore).  But you will find that it is pretty much standard when someone doesn't agree with a person they are accused of working for the company.  Unfortunatly all this does is show that they really have nothing to defend themselves and makes them look rather stupid.

Anyways..good luck in your project.

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#4 Author of original report

Gift card was issued not a merchandise credit.

AUTHOR: Please Help - ()

POSTED: Thursday, January 09, 2014

1. When they say they are not responsible for cards purchased from a 3rd party, this is referring to if the card is fradulent/invalid and not honored at all. This would actually be better in my situation since it would give me a valid reason to dispute the charge and return the card. However, this is not the case.

Petco is saying there is nothing wrong with the card they just decided to stop honoring the terms and condition printed on the card itself.  Today, they disabled working at Petco.com, hypothetically tomorrow it could be a Petco store and only valid at " Pooch hotel",etc..  If they can snap their fingers and changed the printed terms and conditions and representation at will, I mean what the point really of even having them?

Changing future returns with new cards and new terms is fine however retroactively going back and changing established  terms and representations already made is not. This is effecting everyone in this situation even and it does not matter if it was 3rd party purchased or original purchaser,etc...

2. Right now if you return items, you receive a special " merchandise credit " printed on a card with a different set of terms and conditions which outline  the limitation however when my card was issued, it was issued as a Gift card NOT a merchandise credit and the terms and representation made at the time of the card being issued were that it could be used online.

The issue is not that it was purchase from a 3rd party, its not that the card is somehow considered invalid or suspect.


The only issue here is that a Gift card was original issued(In fact printed on the card in bold letters in large font    "GIFT CARD" and well layed out terms and condition on the card saying they can be used online.

" This card is redeemable for merchandise or services online at Petco.com or at any Petco or Unleashed b Petco store or at Pooch Hotel...."

without any qualifications, IF, AND OR but,etc... No reference to a website or 3rd party or being changed,ec...

Furthermore, I believe this was done without warning. People just woke up January 1st 2014 and found their gift cards not working. In fact, many Petco employees told me that nothing changed then later admitted that starting in 2014, they just stopped the gift card from working.

I don't think you should be able to change the terms layout of the back of the card and representations made to the customers just becuse you feel like it.

If you don't mind my asking, do you work for Petco or affilated with the company?

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#3 Consumer Comment

You as they say...

AUTHOR: Robert - ()

POSTED: Thursday, January 09, 2014

....are up the creek without a paddle..sorry.

You could possibly, on a good day when all the stars align make a claim that because your card says it is a "gift card" and not a card from a "merchandise return" that you should be allowed to use the card on-line.  But here is your problem and why you are probably out of luck.  One term I posted and the reason I specifically asked where you got the card from.

Petco is not responsible for Gift Cards purchased through a third party with which Petco is not affiliated.

You purchased the card(s) through a 3rd party NOT affliated with Petco so as much as you probably don't want to agree they are actually under zero obligation to honor the card at all.   Oh and I can just about guarantee that that term has been in place for quite a while. 

The card is 100% legal and valid to own.

- They are not saying it isn't legal to own.  They are not saying it isn't valid.  They are just saying that it is only valid in a store.

Now, I will throw you at least a small paddle.  If you bought your card from a legitimate site they should have some sort of guarantee that says if the merchant doesn't accept them they will guarantee them and give you your money back.  Since PetCo is not accepting them on-line perhaps you should actually be going after this company for selling you invalid gift cards..after all they are NOT a real gift card they are a merchandise return that just happens to say "gift card".

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#2 Author of original report

Retroactively refusing terms printed on Gift Card created from returns.

AUTHOR: Please Help - ()

POSTED: Thursday, January 09, 2014

 

1. I am setting up a few large tropical Aquarium in my house & I also periodly feed some hungry cats around the neighboorhood. Large tropical aquariums is not a cheap hobby, but not sure how that comes into play with the terms being ignored?

2. I purchased the gift card from a 3rd party which deals with unwanted gift cards. If the card are somehow invalided, I have options such as credit card dispute or returning the item. However, they are not questioning the money on the card, only suddenly refusing to honor the terms printed right on the back of the card saying how the card can be used.  They are now telling me that I am unable to check the balance or use the card anywhere other than in-store which is directly conflict with the information printed on the card.

3. The gift card I have appearly was created from a returned items. In 2014, Petco wants to now issue a merchandise credit for return items instead of gift cards(not the issue)  However, they are going back retroactively and saying that they will not honor a past gift card created from merchandise returns and refuse to honor  represented terms and condition printed right the card because of how how they started to treat merchandise credit starting in 2014. In other words, I can't use the gift card at the placed advertised on the card.

So, like I was saying. Its one thing if you return an item today and was given a merchandise credit with a set of limitations printed on the card however its another issue if you were issued a gift card made with representations of being able to used them online and have it actually printed on the card itself.

To basically say that you must just take a sharpie and cross out all the information on the card is unethical and possible unlawful.

" This card is redeemable for Merchandise or service online at Petco.com or at any Petco or Unleashed by Petco store or at Pooch hotel. It is not redeemable for cash, except were required by law,. You may check the balance of this gift card at any store location, online at Petco.com or by calling customer service at 1-800-853-7055. Lost or stolen cards will not be replaced. NO value until purchased and activated. Valid only in the United States and Puerto Rico"

The question is if Petco can just snap their fingers and decide to ignore these representations printed on the card and made to the customer at will. The card is 100% legal and valid to own.

The issue is can Petco just decide to ignore their own terms retroactively on gift cards already printed, issued which were created out of a merchandise return?

 

 

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#1 Consumer Comment

Does not make sense..

AUTHOR: Robert - ()

POSTED: Thursday, January 09, 2014

I purchased a large quantity of Petco gift cards online for use with an Aquarium project I am working on

First of all why would YOU purchase $1000 in Gift Cards for a project YOU were doing?  How come you didn't just pay for the items as you needed them?

The website no longer accepts the cards as payment

- Nope it still accepts payments with Gift Cards. You enter your Gift Card Number(s) right after the Shipping Method selection.  All you need is the Gift Card and PIN Number for the card.

I posted some of the terms that you can get from their site currently. 

The purchaser will need to be registered with Petco.com to purchase a Petco Gift Card online and the recipient will need to be registered with petco.com to redeem it online (registration not required to redeem in stores).

A Petco Gift Card may be applied toward the purchase of any items on petco.com except donations, backordered items, or the purchase of another Gift Card.

The recipient must retain the Gift Card and PIN for future use, if an unused balance remains.

Gift Cards can be purchased in Petco stores, Unleashed by Petco stores, online and other select retailers. Petco is not responsible for Gift Cards purchased through a third party with which Petco is not affiliated.

 

- So a few questions.  Are you registered with petco.com?  Are you trying to order backordred items?  And I think what may be a very important question just where did you purchase these cards from?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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