Pet Store Tricks

We all know, that we are brainwashed in some(if not most) pet stores. So to avoid being screwed by stores let's share our experiences, what to avoid.
Last weekend we was in one pet/something store for cookies for my bf's dog. It's normal, that later we gone to the birds area, and here is a situation.
I see GCCs for more that $300, one worker there, who is chasing the bird with huge gloves, and two potential buyers. One was buying GCC, one was with her. The sticker with a price is saying something like that: " Cute, Green Conoures babies, perfect companion bird". Nothing wrong with that, but when I stay longer and saw chasing that GCC by the one of the workers, I got slowly pissed of. First of all, she didn't have any experience to do it, and she stress out that poor bird to maximum.
Instead of paying any attention what she was doing, she just was doing that, and meanwhile have a conversation with potential customer on the side, telling her, that "bird is hand-train, but he doesn't know her and that's why he is running. He needs a time to get used to the hand, and believe me, he won't leave your shoulder then"- something like that.
Bird start finally scramming and that was it. My boyfriend exploded finally.
First of all, he asked the worker, if she knows, what she is doing, and later polite way make her cry, which make her stop chasing the bird.
Then it was whole affair with somebody, who seemed to be "higher" in position than that girl, but she wasn't manager. I know that my bf is Mexican, but it doesn't give a wright to assumed by personnel, that he is absolutely dummy. He got more pissed off, and he said, that if he won't see any manager here, he won't leave the store until finally one will show up anyway and then he will make a hell for a treating birds like that and customers like idiots.
Then it came manager, then he file official written complain.
Manager words: "I'm sure it's some kind of misunderstanding" made it only worst for all of them.
We have spend there more than good two hours. On the end they offer us discount on buying things, which was finally too much for both of us. My boyfriend finally said, that he doesn't care about cheap services, only because he see what they don't want nobody to see or react.

Offer cheaper services to shout somebody's mouth? New experience for me...

Margaret wrote:

conversation with potential customer on the side, telling her, that "bird is hand-train, but he doesn't know her and that's why he is running. He needs a time to get used to the hand, and believe me, he won't leave your shoulder then"- something like that.

What a crock.
http://staringatbirdsandgoats.blogspot.com/2011/01/bird-tip-handfed-does-not-tame-and.html

I'm afraid that with some people(stores) it's all about a dollar and will tell you anything to get it.

Need me to call and complain?

Roz, we both know that difference, that's why we was both pissed

Complain was been send today via normal post office in written document. The last argument, offering cheaper price for being quiet made it finally for both of us.

I stopped selling my birds to a friend of mine's pet store because he'd let the birds get all crazy wild and biting and still sell them as tame. I got pissed at him about it. We're still friends. I just don't let him have any of my birds. He's not mad at me because he knows I'm right.

Margaret wrote:

Complain was been send today via normal post office in written document. The last argument, offering cheaper price for being quiet made it finally for both of us.

If the store sent the complaint, you won't get anything done. Even if you mailed it yourself, you're unlikely to get anything done unless you're incredibly persistant. You'll need to call the store, ask for the manager to have their animal care specialist contact you, and then you'll need to complain to the animal care specialist. Aside from that, you can contact the humane society or SPCA in your area to investigate if you think they're harming the animals, the Better Business Bureau because of their poor service and animal handling, and the state attorney general if there's abuse.

Hey Ma , put the pit bull on it.

We will see. I mailed it personally. They have to answer for complain, which has notary stamp on it and I have a copy. I don't expect a lot of changes after that, but we was pissed to maximum for the last argument.

I try to avoid stores that give me those sort of vibes. The Petsmart I got Scooter from is not like that. Actually they've stopped selling anything bigger than budgies anyway, and the budgies are not being sold as tame. There is a Petco that's occasionally convenient that I rarely go to because they got a bunch of GCCs just before Christmas and the whole dynamic did not appeal to me. So I try to buy my cat supplies at my local Petsmart and for bird supplies, what I don't get online, I go to dedicated bird stores where I believe the birds are well treated, properly handled, etc.

I know, but we stoped there only for cookies for my bf's dog.
The whole "bird thing" just happened there.
For birds I don't go to any bird/chain stores.

No, I totally understand, and I think you did the right thing.