As a loyal Petco customer of over ten years and a Vital Care Premier member for five-plus years with three animals, I’ve generally had a positive experience. However, a recent order has completely changed my perspective, especially regarding their customer service when things go wrong. My experience highlights potential issues you might encounter when needing to use the Petco Customer Service Number, particularly for online orders and shipping problems.
Recently, preparing for an international move from the States to Hawaii, I placed a significant order on Petco’s online store. We needed airline-approved travel crates, and Petco conveniently had the specific sizes required for our pets. The order, totaling over $500 for two crates, was placed with the expectation of delivery two weeks before our departure – perfect timing, or so I thought.
The delivery arrived as scheduled, which was initially a relief. However, this relief quickly turned into frustration when I discovered they had shipped the wrong items. Instead of the ordered sizes, we received two of the largest crates Petco offers. While we needed one of that size, the second was supposed to be smaller. My first thought was to simply call Petco customer service number and resolve this with a quick exchange. I envisioned them shipping the correct crate and arranging a pick-up for their mistake. Unfortunately, this is where my customer service nightmare began.
My call to Petco customer service was far from helpful. The representative informed me that I needed to email photographic evidence of the incorrect items. Following this, it would take 1-2 business days for them to “confirm” the error. Then, they would contact their third-party vendor, who would require an additional 3-5 business days to respond. After all of this, Petco would contact me again in 1–2 days to finally arrange for the incorrect items to be picked up. Only after the incorrect items were received back in their possession would they then ship the correct crate that I had originally ordered and paid for.
I was astounded. Moving pets across continents is already a stressful undertaking. Now, instead of having two weeks for my animals to acclimate to their travel crates, Petco’s proposed process meant there was a real possibility we wouldn’t even receive the correct crate in time for our move. The inflexibility of this policy was shocking.
Seeking a faster resolution, I requested to speak with a supervisor, hoping for an expedited process. I asked if they could, in good faith, send the crate I actually ordered while they sorted out the return of their incorrectly shipped items. I was told a supervisor would call me back within 24-48 hours. After waiting 72 hours with no call, I had to call back Petco customer service number for a third time, insisting on speaking to a supervisor immediately.
To my dismay, the supervisor reiterated the exact same policy. Their “policy,” I was informed, prevented them from shipping the correct item until the incorrect item was recovered. Essentially, Petco was holding my money and my order hostage because of their shipping error. The complete lack of flexibility and customer-centric thinking was infuriating.
This experience has led me to cancel my Vital Care Premier membership. I am now forced to scramble to find a large travel crate from another source that can hopefully arrive within a week, before our move. The level of customer service I received after calling the Petco customer service number was not only unhelpful but actively detrimental to my situation. Even as a long-term customer who has spent thousands of dollars at Petco, there was no offer of expedited shipping, a discount, or any form of compensation for their significant error and the immense inconvenience it caused. If you are considering using the Petco customer service number for order issues, especially involving time-sensitive needs, be prepared for potential policy rigidity and a frustrating experience.
