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Bad Guy Bad experience with Family Reptiles

M

mmarie341

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Hey guys,
This past weekend I went to Repticon in Gainesville, FL I spent over three hundred dollars including a bearded dragon tank set up from Family Reptiles. When I got home right away the red heating lamp bulb did not work, then today the daytime heating bulb went out, only two days after I purchased them. I called Family Reptiles and spoke to someone who wanted me as a customer to bend over backwards to get a replacement or refund on a broke light bulb that they sold me.

After the bad customer service with Family Reptiles, I then called Zoomed who were extremely helpful and exhange the light bulbs for free no questions asked. From now on I know to purchase all products straight from Zoomed, because of their fantastic customer service.
 
They are a small shopen that I bought from at Repticon. He wanted me to return it to Petco so he wouldn't have to deal with it. But really I'm complaining because of the way the store owner handled it, he was rude and unhelpful. I ended up calling Zoomed directly and they helped without a problem.
 
mmarie341 said:
They are a small shopen that I bought from at Repticon. He wanted me to return it to Petco so he wouldn't have to deal with it. But really I'm complaining because of the way the store owner handled it, he was rude and unhelpful. I ended up calling Zoomed directly and they helped without a problem.
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I understand returning the broken item before getting a refund or replacement, but I can't understand why he'd want you to return it to petco when you didn't buy it there. As the business owner, it is his responsibility to take the damaged product from you and refund you. Then he can take it to petco if that's where he bought it from. Seems weird that he would buy a light bulb there to resell when they are so expensive. Glad Zoomed was willing to help you out.
 
He is buying from Zoomed but he wanted me to return tHem to Petco so he wouldn't have to deal with it. Either way Zoomed would have paid for it in the end. Also when I asked for a refund he simply said he doesn't have the sales volume like walmart so he can't just hand out money to everyone. I had the defective bulbs but he didn't ask for them, at that point he was being so rude that I decided to call Zoomed.
 
It is highly disturbing that Family Pets told the OP to return the bulb to a store it didn't come from. That is return fraud, which is a form of theft, and in fact a crime.
 
mmarie341 said:
Hey guys,
This past weekend I went to Repticon in Gainesville, FL I spent over three hundred dollars including a bearded dragon tank set up from Family Reptiles. When I got home right away the red heating lamp bulb did not work, then today the daytime heating bulb went out, only two days after I purchased them. I called Family Reptiles and spoke to someone who wanted me as a customer to bend over backwards to get a replacement or refund on a broke light bulb that they sold me.

After the bad customer service with Family Reptiles, I then called Zoomed who were extremely helpful and exhange the light bulbs for free no questions asked. From now on I know to purchase all products straight from Zoomed, because of their fantastic customer service.
Click to expand...

How much was the tank setup? How was the customer service when you bought it? How much money did you lose? Have they been notified of this thread? Can you itemize what the 300 bucks was spent on?
 
I believe the tank set up was $130 not sure now it's been a while. The customer service was great when I purchased from them, it was after two days when the light bulb went out that the owner of the store was very rude and un helpful. I do not belive they have been notified of this thread but I posted on their Facebook page and he quickly deleted my post. I spent $300 all together I bought the tank setup and a Lesser plat. Ball python.
 
mmarie341 said:
I believe the tank set up was $130 not sure now it's been a while. The customer service was great when I purchased from them, it was after two days when the light bulb went out that the owner of the store was very rude and un helpful. I do not belive they have been notified of this thread but I posted on their Facebook page and he quickly deleted my post. I spent $300 all together I bought the tank setup and a Lesser plat. Ball python.
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So you spent 130 on Family Reptiles or 300?
 
I'm also curious who you spoke to at the store. Are you sure it was the owner?

I've had TERRIBLE experiences with employees (what do you expect when they're getting paid crap) but had the owner completely take charge and make things right. I've also had employees who were amazing and had the owner be a complete piece of crap, you never know. It's hard for me say anything either way at this point.

If it was the owner, it would make sense for him to simply replace the bulbs and speak with zoomed himself, since he was the one who sold them to you, but without any sort of transcript of the conversation it's very hard to discern what was actually said and by who. It sounds like the situation was fairly easily resolved, but I agree that he shouldn't make you go out of your way to take care of it.
 
Having been to Family Reptiles before - and recently - their store is often crowded, and usually with frequent patrons. I second the above question: Are you sure it was the owner you spoke to? Or even an employee? A lot of the people in that store answer questions and help the customers... but 2/3s are actually just customers or Reptile enthusiasts, not actually members of the staff. I got confused just this weekend for the same reason, and since they don't usually wear name tags or uniforms (it is a very small establishment), it's easy to make that mistake.
 
I was the owner because I called the store and the man I spoke to said he was the owner, when he wasn't helpful I emailed the store owner and the man I emailed said you talked to me I am the store owner. So yes I am sure it was the owner.
This is why I was upset because it was a simple fix he just was being lazy/ cheap or whatever.
 
elena said:
It is highly disturbing that Family Pets told the OP to return the bulb to a store it didn't come from. That is return fraud, which is a form of theft, and in fact a crime.
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Again! This is one of the reasons this made me so mad! He sold the product so why would he not take responsibility!
 
Chris Kennard said:
Would you please post correspondence regarding the rude conversation?
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I don't think I kept the emails. Basically, he told me that I was rude to him on the phone. I wasn't rude. On the phone he told me to either pay to have it sent back or to bring it into the store, I was short with conversation because I did not believe that the owner/manager could be so unhelpful. Then I emailed him where he told me to take it to a bigger name store like Petco/ Petsmart and return it. Then in the email he said something along the lines of "you want me to bend over backwards for you when you were rude to me on the phone"
 
mmarie341 said:
I don't think I kept the emails. Basically, he told me that I was rude to him on the phone. I wasn't rude. On the phone he told me to either pay to have it sent back or to bring it into the store, I was short with conversation because I did not believe that the owner/manager could be so unhelpful. Then I emailed him where he told me to take it to a bigger name store like Petco/ Petsmart and return it. Then in the email he said something along the lines of "you want me to bend over backwards for you when you were rude to me on the phone"
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Why didn't you "bring it into the store"? Also, what did you write on their fb page?
 
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