Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is running some very organized scams at the corporate level to rip off its best customers. Its PALS program, which purports to reward loyal customers with discounts, has at least four different scams going. That is at least how many I have been subjected to.
Free Food Program, Scam 1: You buy 10 bags of food and get one free. Sounds easy, right? What happens here is that they do not give you credit for all the bags you purchase, hoping you will not get to 10 bags before the year is up (you only have 12 months to purchase your 10 bags). I caught them doing this to me twice this year. They did give me credit, but I had to call both times. If you do not get your free bag, you are paying more, since they are priced higher than the competition.
Free Food Program, Scam 2: They do not send you the coupon after you have earned one. The store employees say they send it in two weeks, while the website says they send it within one month. My Petco PALS account says I earned a free bag on 10/24. It is 01/09 and they still have not sent it. Their hope here is that you will never call to complain and get your coupon, causing you to pay more than if you bought from the competition.
Sale Prices Do Not Ring Up Scam: You can read about this in another complaint. I can assure you that it is not an isolated incident. Sale items constantly ring up at the original prices. I am surprised an Attorney General in some state has not gotten hold of this one yet. I always take my ad with me and check every price before I pay.
Expired Coupons Scam: They will give you a coupon via your account on their website, but it is already expired! Their website says, "Electronic Quarterly Rewards Certificates are normally available for viewing and printing one week after the earning quarter ends." I clicked on my 2009 Q4 coupon, and it said it expired in the middle of November! That was before the quarter even ended. Also, there was no option to print, because they do not want the coupon in your hand. It said it would show up on my next receipt.
I am sure they have more scams going. Those are just the ones I have had perpetrated on me.
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