# Petcetera can KMA!!



## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

So after I got off work I decided to do my weekly visit to Petcetera and IPU. I went to Petcetera first. When I walked in the door , no-one was at a register but as I walked to the the fish supplies I heard someone say HI & you'll have to leave your "BAG" up front. Thought to myself, first off it's a backpack like the other million people here wear, not a bag you moron. I don't even take it off in stores until I pay for whatever and then put it in there to carry home and not have to waste a plastic bag as well. I looked around the corner and said "reallly"? as I noticed the person he was helping at the time was wearing a backpack. I was pretty steamed as I felt centered out from others and seen as a possible thief in front of other people. At any rate I said to myself whatever & asked where he would like me to put it since no one was even at a register. As he started walking toward me and telling me to just put it on top, my aggravation level went up, since he was so worried about me stealing something yet was ok to leave MY backpack in plain view for someone to just take. At that point I said "screw it, I don't need that kind of treatment considering the cash I have spent in there. I then walked out the door hung my backpack on my bike (which I ride to the skytrain everyday to go to work) and went back in just to buy 1 last thing as I am pretty sure they just lost me as a customer permanently. I got what I went there for, which was a 1/4" check valve. Which if I was a thief, I'm pretty sure if I was going to steal it, it would have went into my pocket as opposed to a backpack that I would have to take off to do. As I went to that isle, I heard the front door open and 2 more people walked in with backpacks and not said one word to. I decided to walk around the store and have a look, guess what? 6 backpacks were being worn or carried. Least to say frustration level went thru the roof. I went to go pay for my part and the lady in front of me had a backpack on. SO here I am standing in line without my backpack because I felt humiliated and went and put it on my bike cause of the jerkoff dude who was about to ring me out and get a good piece of my mind. I let him know that that they just lost a good customer. I'm sure when he punched my name in the computer and seen all I have bought there he just may have misjudged me. Granted I just got off work and didn't have my 3 piece suit on due to they are a little uncomfortable to wear in my line of work(laminate floor installation) but regardless of that & no matter how I looked, if you ask one person to do that, you damn well better make it a policy, being as the next few people (within minutes of him doing that) walked in and around the store freely with theirs on. Sorry to rant here about this but wow I'm mad . Friggin judgmental people just piss me off!! I'm glad nobody form this site is that way,that I know of anyway. I read a thing in the 24 this morning about some gal was walking to work downtown somewhere, she seen a guy laying in the middle of the sidewalk and asked him if he was ok. Turns out he just had a seizure and was in need of medical attention. So she called 911. Cheers to her !! She made a comment about all the people who just walked by and did nothing. Probably cause they simply thought he was an addict or homeless or something. No matter what his deal was he was in need of help, less than 2 minutes was all it took to ask if he needed help and call 911 for him. WTH is wrong with people?? My fish have better judgment and more class than some of the Idiots on this planet.

ps: IPU Rocks!! Never have had a problem there. Great , knowledgeable staff that actually remember the people they see in there atleast once a week lol almost feel more like friends than a customer there. Felt better just walking in the door, felt even better when I left with my first Pleco


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## BettaGuy (Apr 22, 2010)

wow. I'm completely with you. You did not deserve that ill-treatment! I'm glad you're feeling better after letting off that steam


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Did you forward this to Petcetera and let them know? This is why they go bankrupt! Not just because of their crap products and crap fish, it's also their crap staff!
With you all the way, judgemental people sux! I'd talk to their district manager if i were you!


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Sorry that you had that experience. I had a similar experience at the new Canadian Tire on Cambie. I didn't go back for more than a year. I still go there rarely, even though it was only one staff member who was responsible. Humiliation leaves a big fingerprint.


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Morainy said:


> Sorry that you had that experience. I had a similar experience at the new Canadian Tire on Cambie. I didn't go back for more than a year. I still go there rarely, even though it was only one staff member who was responsible. Humiliation leaves a big fingerprint.


Sorry to hear you had a similar expirience Maureen, I totally know what you mean and yes it did leave quite the footprint. Made me wanna leave a footprint in return lol



eternity302 said:


> Did you forward this to Petcetera and let them know? This is why they go bankrupt! Not just because of their crap products and crap fish, it's also their crap staff!
> With you all the way, judgemental people sux! I'd talk to their district manager if i were you!


you forgot crap prices too lol I plan on getting ahold of him and do plan on sending a letter thru the customer feedback which I presume goes to their main office



BettaGuy said:


> wow. I'm completely with you. You did not deserve that ill-treatment! I'm glad you're feeling better after letting off that steam


 Lol thanks, I do feel better now. I'd feel much better If I could do that footprint thing to that moron lol


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

Never been a fan of Petcetera... their prices are stinkin high and they are really nothing special. Plus WTF are they doing cramming all their fish into 1g display tanks?! I don't care if their system has a 1000g sump, its just not right to shove 12 goldfish into a 6" x 6" by 6" cube!!!

About the man on the sidewalk... did anyone see the news back in March about a homeless man who was knifed in the states by a mugger when he intervened between the mugger and potential victim?! It was caught on CCTV: A mugger comes up behind a lady, a homeless guy sees her in distress and confronts the mugger. Lady escapes, mugger knifes homeless guy and the good samaritan lays bleeding out for an hour in the street as about 30 people pass without calling for help!

They have done studies that show that people are significantly less likely to help a person in need in a busy area. We subconsciously ignore cries for help, thinking that in such a busy area someone else will help him. But if nobody else is around, we feel obliged to help because we are the only ones who can do so.

Reminds me of a poster in my Grade 6 classroom:

This is a story about four people: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

_There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it.
Everybody was sure Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody
wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when actually Nobody asked Anybody._


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## Theratboy_101 (Apr 27, 2010)

That sucks big time! I totally feel for you. I get hassled all the time because of the way I look (dress in almost all black, wallet chain, and a face full of piercings) but I've leaned to deal with it and some times even have some fun.

I often ignore or even tell off clerks. If security starts fallowing me I’ll walk in circles for a few then do a 180 and walk rite in to them, maybe say hi... they hate it when you let them know you know who they are. If they do stop me I start on about dissemination based on the way I look... that seems to work about 95% of the time... 

In short when someone goes out of their way to give me crap I take joy in making their life just a little bit more difficult. Let them get stressed… I’d rather smile!


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## wsl (Apr 21, 2010)

That really sucks how you got singled out like that. I remember at least one occasion when I've gone into petcetera with my backpack on, and I didn't have any problems.


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## budahrox (Apr 21, 2010)

Hey John
Sorry about your experience there Bud!!
I'd of told the bastard that I'd be more than happy to once he made everyone else remove theirs as well!! Then wait til he does so & then leave without removing mine or purchasing anything & let him know what an ignorant prick he is. LOL
Just another reason to never darken their doors. Petcetera, Morons!!
Cheers!!


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## plantedinvertz (Apr 21, 2010)

Yes that indeed was unfair and rude towards you....JUst leave them be, they will become bankrupt sooner or later


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## BigFatLyre (Apr 22, 2010)

That is also why I "vote with my dollar" and buy only from site sponsors and other club members!
Petcetera has a clear on-line feedback process; they should hear about it. 
Also, there is a lot of turnover in these retail outlets; you could have run into someone that got the security training from the Olympics and thinks that makes them a cop!


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

You just reminded me of Petsmart in Surrey!
I went in with my girlfriend and we have a little pomeranian that's trained off leash! He doesn't bite, doesn't bar, doesn't even sniff other dogs, all it does is follow! But right when I went in, they asked us to put a leash on him or leave. I looked inside petsmart, TONS of people have their dogs off leash!! I figured it out right when I walked in... young.. middle age asian dude... lets just screw around with him! All i felt wuz racism at the moment, as we all know, Surrey doesn't have too many chinese dudes, I guess they didnt' like me stepping on their property or something! Cuz as I looked around, not another chinese, but everyone else have their dogs running and barking around! I doubt I'll ever go back... all I wanted to do wuz get some treats for my dog~


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## Smiladon (Apr 23, 2010)

I am really sorry to hear your experience. I hope they shut down again and NEVER come back.


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## catgoldfish (Apr 21, 2010)

Petcetra was actually not too bad when they first opened. They had some good sales and the fish were not too bad. Not sure what happened after that. I took advantage of their close out sale and picked up some air pumps. But their fish looked horrible. It hard to say why you were singled out and everyone else was wearing their backpacks. When something like that happens to me I just never deal with that place again and let everyone else I know what happened.


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## dwarf_puffer (Apr 25, 2010)

some stores are so retarded i was asked by security in the mall once to take off my hat!? i laughed and walked away cause i thought it was a joke but he then grabbed me and flipped my hat off my head. by this point i was also quite mad and cant say exactly what i said on this forum but like seriously... under my hat?? its not even a large hat it fits like a baseball hat??


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

I've boycotted Canadian Tire for the last two years because of the back-pack issue.
They think leaving my stuff unattended at the dirty service counter by the front door constitutes fair treatment. I bus, so everything is in that back-pack:computer camera, emergency meds...Any fool can walk in that store and reach over and do a grab and run from the service counter.

Some stores have a locker set up, which I don't mind, since it's secure and sort of clean.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

Petcetera didnt inprove much apairently...


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

Ursus sapien said:


> I've boycotted Canadian Tire for the last two years because of the back-pack issue.
> They think leaving my stuff unattended at the dirty service counter by the front door constitutes fair treatment. I bus, so everything is in that back-pack:computer camera, emergency meds...Any fool can walk in that store and reach over and do a grab and run from the service counter.
> 
> Some stores have a locker set up, which I don't mind, since it's secure and sort of clean.


Agreed... they want to keep THEIR stuff safe by.... putting their customers belongings in jeopardy?! Yeah no sorry it doesn't work that way. If they'll keep it safe, fine but if not, its not worth leaving your stuff out for the pickins so you can spend money at their store!


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

AWW said:


> Petcetera didnt inprove much apairently...


WHAT? They were planning on improving?  I thought it wuz just another way to torture more fish! Like a 50ml cup for each betta!


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Diztrbd1 I'm totally with you here. This is plain rude. I agree with the other comments too. Just don't go back unless you really have to. That's what I've done with both Fraser Aq and Kind Ed where I also received rude treatment in the past (twice each actually - I gave them a second chance but I won't give them a 3rd one believe me). One could argue that losing a customer won't hurt them, even a good one. Maybe, but we as buyers consistently do this then in the end the places with good customer service (and there are some, thankfully, I agree that IPU is definitely one of them) will be better off and these guys won't have a smooth sailing. Plus it simply feels damn good not to give these guys your business any more. 

Good for you for telling your story here.

Hope you get over it soon.


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## j2daff (Apr 21, 2010)

no store has a legal right to ask you to take off any possession you own be it a back pack or your pants. They do have a right to deny access to an individual if they have cause, which a pack back is not. On top of that it is not your problem they are too cheap or stupid to put in a proper security system and without one your back pack would have been more at risk than their products.

Personally I would have told him to go f*** himself and to call the cops if he really wanted it off. I would make sure I made a big enough seen so that everyone else in the store heard. 

"oh my god 911, there is a guy wearing a back pack in my store..." They'd probably just laugh at him.

If (and that's a big if) I ever go in there I will make sure I wear a back pack.


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## Arghas (May 16, 2010)

Didn't all petcetera close down already?


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## Fish Whisper (Apr 22, 2010)

Yeah that sucks,

But remember it's their store policy and they have the right to refuse service to you and the guy asking you to leave your bag up front is just doing his job, (although the store policy creates potential theft problem) this is same at Superstore and other retail places, 

You shouldn't feel singled out because its a common policy where its enforced selectively on single males


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Fish Whisper said:


> Yeah that sucks,
> 
> But remember it's their store policy and they have the right to refuse service to you and the guy asking you to leave your bag up front is just doing his job, (although the store policy creates potential theft problem) this is same at Superstore and other retail places,
> 
> You shouldn't feel singled out because its a common policy where its enforced selectively on single males


I somewhat don't agree with this, yes, they hold the right, but it's discrimination because he's got alot of piercings, that's why he has a higher chance of stealing in oppose of the others that had bags on them at the same time in the same location?
Yes, stores can refuse to serve customers WITH GOOD REASONS, BUT NOT BECAUSE A PERSON HAS MORE PIERCING THAN OTHERS!!


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

crazy72 said:


> ... Just don't go back unless you really have to. That's what I've done with both Fraser Aq and Kind Ed where I also received rude treatment in the past ...


the guy at king eds was exceptionally rude to me, too... even worse than the PoCo Canadian tire. never been back.


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## plantedinvertz (Apr 21, 2010)

Ursus sapien said:


> the guy at king eds was exceptionally rude to me, too... even worse than the PoCo Canadian tire. never been back.


There was this korean dude there and said i was young to keep shrimp or fish....i was like wtf....and he refused to get any Amano Shrimp for me...luckily this other dude was there and got me the shrimp


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## Fish Whisper (Apr 22, 2010)

plantedinvertz said:


> There was this korean dude there and said i was young to keep shrimp or fish....i was like wtf....and he refused to get any Amano Shrimp for me...luckily this other dude was there and got me the shrimp


Man so much discrimination 

Your not 8 are you?


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

They can kissmy___ too!
Petcetera sucks!


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I'm sorry, but this made me laugh. Too young to keep shrimp? Possibly the staffer had been watching the BBC and saw the story of the woman who was hauled off to jail and fined for selling a kid a goldfish...

It's interesting that he'd think that you were too young to look after shrimp, but not too young to eat shrimp...



plantedinvertz said:


> There was this korean dude there and said i was young to keep shrimp or fish....i was like wtf....and he refused to get any Amano Shrimp for me...luckily this other dude was there and got me the shrimp


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## catgoldfish (Apr 21, 2010)

dwarf_puffer said:


> some stores are so retarded i was asked by security in the mall once to take off my hat!? i laughed and walked away cause i thought it was a joke but he then grabbed me and flipped my hat off my head. by this point i was also quite mad and cant say exactly what i said on this forum but like seriously... under my hat?? its not even a large hat it fits like a baseball hat??


 That is plain stupid. I would have walked out. There is a store on Fraser st called Homewares. It wants your bags at the front also. Thankfully you can wear a hat inside.


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## plantedinvertz (Apr 21, 2010)

Fish Whisper said:


> Man so much discrimination
> 
> Your not 8 are you?


Im 12.....i kept ghost shrimp when i was 8 though


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

catgoldfish said:


> That is plain stupid. I would have walked out. There is a store on Fraser st called Homewares. It wants your bags at the front also. Thankfully you can wear a hat inside.


Actually this is a legit security precaution taken so that your face will be visible on security cameras. Whats the point of installing cameras if a robber can simply obscure his face with something as commonplace as a hat or a hood?

Of course obstruction of the face can also be achieved by wearing a mask.... but if he runs out of the store in a clown mask, people are gonna make a note of where he went and call the cops. If he runs out of the store in a hat nobody will think twice.


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## DavidB (Apr 27, 2010)

I had a similar experience with Rogers Video many years ago.

One weekend after going hiking, my friends dropped me off near Rogers and I thought I would rent a video. But I was asked to leave my backpack at the desk. And, of course, the same people who tell you to do that are also the people who tell you the store is not responsible if anything goes missing. Yeah right!! One of the reasons for going hiking was to practice my hobby of photography. My bag had a lot of Nikon camera equipment in it: F3 body, 50 mm lens, 80 - 200 f/2.8 zoom lens, flash, Minolta M Spotmeter, etc. There is no way somebody is going to tell me to leave my bag in the open and also absolve themselves of the responsibility of looking after it. So I left, and haven't been back for _many_ years. Come to think of it, one wife, three children, and many video rentals over the years, Rogers has missed a lot of my business.

Getting back to Petcetera, I have popped into the one near Lougheed Mall the odd time. Their tanks are always empty. Do they never have stock or what? I usually like to look at their bettas. The one time they actually had bettas, there was one dead one in his cup with lots of fungus growing on him. That's crazy! Obviously, nobody is looking at the fish often enough to note that a fish is dead, let alone long enough for a lot of fuzz to grow on the dead fellow.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

You should try going into the Richmond Petcetera when it wuz still around... 3 girls filing their nails infront of the counter and just yapping! They do not care crap! And budgies flying everywhere and pooping, they dun care! Seriously... how the hell does petcetera stay open?


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## Baos (Apr 22, 2010)

About 10 minutes ago I was in Walmart buying a usb stick for $20. I dinged on the way out. The lady asked me if I made it ding, I said probably. I then said I don't consent to any searches. She said I just want to see the receipt to check what you bought. I told her they checked it when I bought it. Just don't think it's morally right to search the customers on the way out of the store. I had been waiting a long time for them to do this to me again so I could exercise my rights.


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## fkshiu (Apr 22, 2010)

While I completely understand the humiliation of being singled out by a business, you must also understand the difficulty of business owners who suffer vast amount of losses from shoplifting - losses which are passed on to you, the consumer, in the form of increased prices.

If you put yourself in the shoes of a retail business, it's not hard to realize that they have such bag check policies in place for a rational reason. They too realize that they risk alienating some consumers with such policies, but they must balance that risk with the benefit of reducing losses. It's a difficult situation to find yourself in for sure especially since a store owner can't read the minds of everyone entering their establishment.

You have every right to feel insulted and voice your complaints to store management as well as voting with your wallet by choosing to shop elsewhere. Be aware, however, that a store has just as much right to refuse anyone entry because it is THEIR store.

As the OP seems to have gotten this off of his/her chest and the thread has turned into an all round bashfest I'm going to close it now.


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