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Bad Guy Big Apple Pet Supply

L

luvzebra3

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I recently ordered UTH from Big Apple Pet Supply? I placed the heat mat under my new enclosure and went to turn it on and the switch would not move. They made me pay to ship it back and then accused me of putting glue into the switch!!! I couldn't believe it! Why on earth would I put glue into the switch? Especially since that would mean I couldn't put my snake into her new enclosure! That is how they sent it to me! Absolutely HORRIBLE customer service - so beware! They will ship you faulty products, then charge you to replace it and then accuse you of breaking it!
 
From: [email protected]
My first email:

Date: 02/25/2011 01:21 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: faulty heat pad


Hello,



On Jan. 18, 2011, I placed an order (order #137810) which included 2 Adjust-A-Temp Heat Mats. I finally finished my new enclosures for which I ordered the heat mats and applied them, unfortunately on one of them the switch that adjusts the temperature does not move. It is completely immovable. I would like to exchange it for another one please.



I also need to order a few other things, so how should we best handle this?



Thank you

Their reply:
Hi Lisa,

If the mat is stuck in the low setting which is normally how it comes 99.9% of people leave it there and never go to medium or high because that is typically too hot. Did you check the temperature production? Of course, we'll be happy to have you send it in to exchange it.

In fact, you can always place a new order for a new one along with the products that you were also looking to get and then we can do a return authorization and refund you for the one purchased on 1/18.


Thanks,

Andy
Customer Support
800-92-APPLE
Big Apple Pet Supply

Can you believe the comment that implies that if is stuck in the low setting, it's ok because I won't need the other settings anyway! And they didn't mention the fact that I would have to pay the return shipping on their faulty product.

Then attached to the email about the credit was this note:
Unit Received with Control switch having glue on the sides of the control box and leaking into the actual slide switch - Glue is not used in the manufacturing of these units so glue was applied and technically voided warranty. However, customer had the unit replaced prior to sending back at no charge.
Umm - no charge? I paid to have it sent back! Have a receipt to prove it!
 
Return Shipping with products like that is usually if not always paid on by the customer.

Try buying something off Ebay or similar sites. Ive never had problems sending something back on my dime to get it replaced.
 
From reading this post it looks like they did everything they were supposed to do. I have been dealing with Big Apple for many years (pretty much since the company formed) and never had a problem that wasn't fixed in a timely and appropriate manor.
 
Well after just speaking to Steve, the owner of Big Apple - the situation has been made better. He agreed it was handled poorly and apologized. He verified that a credit was given (it had not shown up on my bank card yet) and offered an additional credit to make up for the shipping and frustration. I will give them another chance.
 
I understand your frustration, but when purchasing online goods the customer always pays for return shipping for refunds or exchanges. However, they shouldn't have implied that you could be satisfied with a stuck low setting heat pad like other customers or accused you of putting glue in the switch. Obviously the manufacturer glued the switch, and I can understand how that accusation would upset you. I'm glad that Steve took care of you and made it all better. Big Apple Pet Supply is a good company that I personally order from.
 
MajorLeagueReptiles said:
I understand your frustration, but when purchasing online goods the customer always pays for return shipping for refunds or exchanges. However, they shouldn't have implied that you could be satisfied with a stuck low setting heat pad like other customers or accused you of putting glue in the switch. Obviously the manufacturer glued the switch, and I can understand how that accusation would upset you. I'm glad that Steve took care of you and made it all better. Big Apple Pet Supply is a good company that I personally order from.
Click to expand...

I completely disagree here. If you are sold a faulty or broken product, it's the responsibility of the seller to pay to return it, plain and simple. If you buy an item and want to return it because you don't want it, customer pays return shipping. That's how it works with Amazon, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, etc when I buy from them online and get the wrong item or a broken item.
 
it's also the buyer's responsibility to read the terms before purchasing anything. this is directly from the seller's site...

http://www.bigappleherp.com/site/content/customer_service.html#4

RETURNS

If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase please return it for a refund, exchange or credit. All returns must be made 30 days from date of purchase. Any product not in original packaging or in sellable condition will not be eligible for a return. Additionally, return items that are received back damaged are not refundable. Please make sure to insure your return as you are fully responsibile for making any claim to the shipper you used for the return. 10% restocking fee is applied on all refunds but is waived for house credit returns. Original Shipping and/or handling charges are not refundable and shipping costs for the return of any item/s is the full responsibility of the customer.
Click to expand...

again, rush judgement for a bad guy BOI thread, but at least the owner made it right. make sure you read the terms before purchasing anything from anyone. once you make a transaction, you are agreeing to those terms...
 
RachelSS said:
I completely disagree here. If you are sold a faulty or broken product, it's the responsibility of the seller to pay to return it, plain and simple. If you buy an item and want to return it because you don't want it, customer pays return shipping. That's how it works with Amazon, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, etc when I buy from them online and get the wrong item or a broken item.
Click to expand...

:iagree: 100%
 
A warning about Big Apple

These people are very bad to deal with. My experience related to living materil. Very expensive lizards that resulted in a receiving a shipment that would require me to ship the poor animal back at MY EXPESNSE as well... Had I done that it shourly would have perished. Not only that if in fact by some miricle I would have received a replacement, I would have been obligated in paying the shipping A SECOND TIME, when in fact had these people just delivered what they promished , and had the quality been there, we would not be having this conversation...

Big Apple is notorious for this kind of operation. As it turned out, the animals were shipped from an entirely different location where the owners WHO ASSURED THE QUALITY, never ever saw the animals in question shipped....

I charged back $ 550 dollars for one expensive lizard, and I lost the case because credit card companies willNOT ACCEPT PHOTOS and I refused to ship back an animal that would never had made it... Had arrived DOA, i probably would have been accused of shipping back a dead lizard.....

Thats the wonderful BIG APPLE with there great policy, a blind, sickly poor animal that eventually passed away. What comes around goes around...
 

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While I do agree that the terms should have been read prior to ordering, making customers pay for the shipping when the dealer sold a faulty product is piss-poor customer service.
 
KingBowser said:
While I do agree that the terms should have been read prior to ordering, making customers pay for the shipping when the dealer sold a faulty product is piss-poor customer service.
Click to expand...

Exactly! :shrug01: It's one thing if a customer just isn't satisfied and the product is fine. But when a customer is sold a faulty product, the seller is at fault and should pay for return shipping. If they want a customer to keep spending money at their business then they should take responsibility for their faults. Just my honest opinion.
 
oh i agree with you both 100%, and their terms are crappy IMO, but doesn't change the fact that those should have been taken into consideration before purchasing. im glad the owner made this right though and the OP was credited.
 
The terms are only for if the customer isn't satisfied, but does that include is they sell a faulty product? I don't think they took that into consideration when writing their terms. I think the terms should be voided if the fault falls on the company, but not everyone does this. But if they want return customers they should. If it's their fault they should fix it. Looks like that has been done here :)
 
I have been ordering producst from big apple for the past couple years, all hard goods like thermostats, UTH, ceramic bulbs, etc. Never had a problem, although i've never ordered livestock from them. I don't like the fact that you can't see the actual animal your purchasing ( a few sites are like this). I do agree, that if the customer just flat out dosnt like the item, then yes it should be sent back on the buyers dime. However, a faulty product was sold and the buyer should NOT have to send it back! I have been seeing more and more faulty products and animals in poor health (granted, they go threw suppliers and dont breed their own stock)... I will definatley think again from ordering with them.
 
I've ordered a few things from them, not a lot but it adds up over time. Anyways, I ordered some ceramic heat bulbs and one came in broken out of the 4 i ordered, i called them in the hour and they sent me a new one without having to send the broken one back, show pics of it broken or anything.

Maybe I got a new guy.. maybe you got an @ss..?

As for the animals, I wouldn't buy anything i didn't see first.
 
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