On April 22, I called my regular pet groomers to see by chance if they can groom my Soft-Coated Wheaton Terrier and unfortunately was told that the next appointment available was on the following Wednesday.
I than picked up the phone book and looked through the yellow pages and noticed Elegante advertisement showing a beautiful long hair dog in their ad space. I called and they asked me about my dog, and I told him that he was a Soft Coated Wheaton and asked if they have ever cut a Soft Coated Wheaton before and the assistant was speaking to the owner in the background and told me yes.
She said if I can drop him off within the next 15 minutes that they can take him in. Once I arrived, I noticed that they were a small almost run down like business, but noticed at least 4 other dogs there.
My dog, is approximately 35 pounds and the dogs that were there alot smaller. She looked at him and said wow, he is alot bigger than I expected, and I asked if it is a problem than it's fine, I can go elsewhere. Her point was that she underquoted me on the phone of $40.00, and should I come back again, it would be higher.
I was fine with that and told her same. I went shopping down the block for a few hours and received a phone call about 2 1/2 hrs later telling me that my dog was out of control and that he has pooped 3 times and they can't spend anymore time washing him up, etc., and for me to come pick him up.
From what I understand from many other groomers, this is a typical thing they deal with as dogs get nervous and poop.
I arrived there in 5 minutes and when I walked in, she told me how she had been working on him since I had left and that I would need to pay the full amount of $40 plus tax because of the time she had spent on the dog.
At that point, the only thing I can see from a distance was the he was shampooed and dried. I told her that I didn't think that was fair and offered to pay half, she then started getting very loud, and kept my voice very calm and steady and told her that there was no reason to get nasty and loud.
She said, if you want the dog you have to pay the $42.40 or else she would just call the police. I called my housemate and he heard her in the background and both agreed to just pay her.
After she finally gave me my dog back after I paid, I asked for a receipt and she told me that they didn't have any. I told her if I was paying tax that I was entitled to a receipt and after we got into a heated discussion, I took the dog outside, and called the police.
My housemate, came and met me, and the cops arrived within 15 minutes. I walked in with him and the owner -Maria Cruz asked that I not be on her property. The cop told her that if I paid tax, that I should have something written up.
He came out and handed me her business card with $42.40 written on the back, and than told me that she had said to him that she had quoted me $80.00 and that was 1/2.
Based on what the officer observed and heard, he said to just walk away and report her to the Better Business Beaurea and or Consumer affairs.
Today, is now, May 10th, and I finally got him to my groomers and told her what had happened and she smirked and said, wow, I didn't even know that they were still in business...
I want other people out there to know what a unprofessional place of business and how unethical this place of business is, and shame on me, for not going with my initial instinct upon seeing the facility.
She is obviously a cash business only and since she doesn't give receipts probrably doesn't report taxes.
Maria Cruz should not be in business since she is very nasty and can't handle dogs!
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