I walked in with no intention of getting rats or adding any more animals to our already zoo of a house, but we don't often find our animals they find us. 3 rats in a tank where already such a tight knit group with a hierarchy, I've been coming to this petco since I was 13, Now 31, I have never seen a group of rats so already taken with each other. That was rare, a unicorn. I couldnt stand the idea of them being separated or worse any of them precious ending up snake food, when rats bond like that the loss of one can kill the others, rat can die from heartbreak, they are extremely emotional creatures.
Keeping these guys together was my goal at any cost. Rats are the pitbulls of the rodent world and they need people to fight for them. I started out asking the manager if it was possible to purchase them and inquired if need be if they could be returned and done as an adoption to ensure they stay together but dont end up as food, (future warning for any rat owners who need to put up for adoption,) The manager told me they cannot ensure that, they can put them up for adoption but once they leave the store they cant be sure, (understandable, and reasonably not their fault its not like they can follow them home or do home checks, but fair warning non the less.) This is when I made the decision, to take them myself, I would have taken all 4 that they had but the 4th was avoidant of the others very lethargic and 'puffing' this doesn't always mean they are sick but better safe then sorry. This is where things took a weird turn. I went to tell the manager (a different manager) I was going to take them, they informed me that if one is sick they had to quarantine them, which meant i couldnt take them, they then told me that even if they wherent sick they where already spoken for by the Sterling Store, that they had a shortage, and the transfer papers where already in order,I asked to speak to the previous manager and ask if there was anything she could do who then informed she, she herself had just learned of the transfer, and that it was already in the system. I asked for the number for corporate and if I could call them and see if they could approve or change this, since here they now had a guaranteed customer, they brought me the phone number to call, and I did I explained the situation, and the lady told me she would speak to her supervisor, she came back and said she had gotten permission from them to approve me taking them, and informed me she'd be calling the store and put me on hold, here my hope soared and I got really excited, this was happening, they came back on the line, and very apologetically told me something about the store policy and not being able to go against it. Which seemed a weird response to the context of 'transfer', I then spoke to the manager in store, and they informed me that because of my inquiry of the potential adoption return that they didn't feel like they could allow me to buy the rats, and that they where being sent to sterling anyways, and where going ahead with that, my heart sunk... I pleaded my case, in tears no less, and explained that if I only was going or thinking in terms of temporary I wouldnt be jumping through all of these hoops. Heart sunken I asked if it would be ok to try and get them tomorrow at the sterling store upon delivery, they told me that would be up to that store.
As we where leaving, I called the sterling store in hopes to have them put on hold for me, at which point I was informed by that stores store manager, there was No Delivery from Leesburg. At this point I was very confused, I told the store manager everything that had transpired what they told me how they even helped me contact the cooperate customer service line, they took that lie that far... played me like an emotional yoyo, gave me hope pulled it away, gave me hope pulled it away, They should have been up front with me, If the animals best interest where in heart I can get behind that, but I can't feel confident that was they case here. They assumed things about my life based on snippets of conversations, made comments about how two previous great managers probably got fired for not 'following rules' (at least they didn't lie to customers and throw another store under the bus.) Just that though, I can't feel confidence in people who would so blatantly lie, and manipulate a customer like that, let alone toss coworkers under the bus. What really did it though, is the call to corporate (its no wonder I had no idea what corporate was talking about in context to why I was calling.)... That took it way to far. This was so wayward from professional behavior, nothing about this sat well with me. Yet it was my character they felt weary of...
Disclaimer: though my experience was bad please any one reading this considering about going there, go anyways. My experience doesnt need to be yours, and those animals need homes and love, dont do it for the people, do it for the animals inspite of the people. read more