Last week I took my 11-year-old brother to Petco to buy him a hamster. He already had one and really wanted another. We went into Petco, looked for an employee for 15 minutes, and got the hamster. Once we got to the register, the manager walked up and placed all kinds of hamster "extras" on the counter, and the cashier started ringing them up. I immediately asked him why he had rung up all the "extras," since I did not place the items on the counter. He said, "Well, whenever anyone buys an animal, we have to suggest a few other items to sell with it." I understand the whole suggestive selling thing, and I have worked in retail, but I have never had anyone do that. I told him I did not want or need anything but the hamster, and he turned and yelled for a manager to void it. She came over with an attitude and asked what the problem was. The cashier said nothing. He just looked at me. So I told her that he rang me up for items I did not need or want and that I just wanted to buy the hamster. She started talking about how I had to buy the items in order to buy the hamster because they were necessary items. I told her I did not need extra hay, food and toys because I already had them at home. She turned her back to me as I was talking and started voiding the items. They rang up my hamster and I left.
Three days later my little brother called and told me the new hamster was dead. I called Petco and told them what happened, and the employee said, "Well, just bring the hamster and your receipt and we can replace it." No problem, right? Until I got there. I talked to the same employee I had talked to on the phone, and she got the manager to okay the transaction. As soon as the manager walked up, she said, "I can't replace that hamster. If you want your money back or a replacement, you need to take it to a vet and have them determine the cause of death." The employee walked away (which I do not mind, because it is not her job to defend her boss or me, and I am pretty sure she had other things to do). I told the manager, "This is an $8 hamster. Why would I take a dead hamster to a vet just to determine the cause of death on an $8 hamster?" She then said that is their policy and she could not replace it. I checked my receipt again, because I knew for a fact that it said I have a week guarantee on live animals. She then said the policy is new and she would not give me another hamster or my $8. I asked her if she could get me another hamster out of the cage and I would pay for it. It is only $8, so I could just get him another one. She got upset, asked me to leave the store, and would not sell me the hamster. I even tried going to another Petco to explain the situation, and she had already called to "warn" them not to sell me a hamster. Talk about great service.
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