Central Garden & Pet

Dear [redacted]
It appears there was an error in our records and after further review, were able to find the communication with Mr. [redacted].
Allow me to take this moment and apologize for the error on our part. Although Mr. [redacted] has indicated that he attached a receipt in the previous communication, we did not receive it.
If Mr. [redacted] can attempt to resend the dated copy of his retail receipt along with a physical mailing address, we can work towards getting him the requested refund.
Thanks,
[redacted]

Dear [redacted]
Please consider this the sole response to all previous claims with Mr. [redacted]
Central Aquatics has no record of any communications with Mr. [redacted] regarding his claim that he has been referred to a 3rd party vendor in regards to his newly purchased bio cube...

on 10/4/14. If he were to contact us regarding a problem with a product, our staff would have simply asked for a dated copy of his original receipt showing that the product was purchased from an authorized  dealer and was within its individually stated factory warranty.
It should be noted however, that Mr. [redacted] has a detailed history of presenting claims to Central Aquatics as well as the Revdex.com in an attempt to obtain free merchandise or cash refunds (see Revdex.com case #[redacted]). Since Central does not offer any factory direct sales to the public, requesting proper retail purchase documentation in the event of a warranty claim is standard procedure. We do not have a record of Mr. [redacted] contacting this facility regarding this "new" issue thought to involve yet another bio cube 29 (which is the same product he had issue with 2 years ago and that resolution was reached by shipping him not one, but two new bio cube 29 aquariums).
This company takes issue with Mr. [redacted]'s creditbility and does not show that he has contacted us with regards to his "new" product concern, rather that he has taken to contacting the Revdex.com directly  to avoid supplying proper documentation of the purchase in question, as well as avoiding communication with a company that is very familiar with his previous tactics. The product in question appears to be 11 days old, which would normally be required to be returned to the retailer where it was purchased. This would be the prefered resolution given our history with Mr. [redacted] and a way to ensure a proper retail return/exchange.
If there are further concerns please contact me directly, but we would certainly appreciate an expedited closure of this issue.
Regards,
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.What is your company going to do to help me resolve this matter..
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]

Review: On April 11th, 2016 I purchased an Aqueon Magnetic Algae Cleaner. I used it to clean the front of my tank and when finished noticed that there were large scratches on the surface where I used the cleaner. I double checked to ensure that I used the correct pad for glass surface (I did use the correct pad). My tank is a very large 125 gallon tank that sits as a 6 foot divider between two rooms. This made the scratches very apparent since it situated in the middle of the room. I immediately contacted customer support via the Aqueon Products website.

On April 13th, 2016 I received an email back from [redacted] (Tech/Support Warranty Assistant). She asked for a photo of the entire tank and the scratched area. I sent these photos to her but due to the fact that the tank does not have a background on it, they were difficult to pick up in the photo, however, you could still see scratches. [redacted] emailed me back on April 13th, 2016 and stated "it is difficult to see the scratches on the glass". She went on to explain that it was impossible for the scraper to scratch glass; however she offered some "water care and/or food product in good faith". I was not satisfied with this solution so I emailed [redacted] back indicating my dissatisfaction. [redacted] emailed me back and asked for a picture of the product I had purchased, which I forwarded to her. I did not receive a response back so I emailed a followup email on April 20th to [redacted] asking the status of my concern. [redacted] emailed back on the same day and stated "I am sorry about your tank and would like to offer to send you a 50ft water changer or water care & food products for the inconvenience of your troubles". I once again emailed her back and explained to her that the showpiece tank I have in the middle of my home has been ruined by their product and that I did not need a water changer or any other product. [redacted] emailed me back and stated "I do apologize, but scratches are not covered under warranty and I cannot replace your aquarium. I would be happy to have a supervisor call you regarding your situation. What is the best number for you and the best time to call?". I asked her if it would be worthwhile for me to speak with a supervisor to which she stated "They will mostly likely advised you of the same thing. I do understand your frustrations and am sorry I cannot do more to help."Desired Settlement: Repair or replacement of my aquarium.

Business

Response:

Greetings,Please consider this the sole response for all previous communications with Mr. [redacted]. Central Aquatics has reviewed Mr. [redacted]'s claim that the Aqueon Magnetic Algae Scraper, a product designed to remove growing algae on the inside of a glass aquarium, was the sole cause for his unfortunate situation. This product has been on the market for several years and has fulfilled its promise to deliver crystal clear results when used properly. The product has gone through extensive testing before entering the market and on its own, is incapable of producing the results Mr. [redacted] claims to have experienced without some level of contribution from the end user. Mr. [redacted] was advised that if there was a small piece of gravel or debris that is commonly found in an aquarium had potentially gotten lodged between the magnet and the glass and if he continued to use without noticing, a scratch could easily happen. This is why it is necessary for the user to be vigilant while cleaning the tank. Upon looking at the photos of the subject aquarium provided (attached), we see that it is filled with thousands of tiny pieces of gravel that can easily make their way between the pad and the glass if one is not paying attention. Additionally, the Algae Cleaning Magnet is not a unique product to Central Aquatics/Aqueon. In fact, there are dozens of different brands that have the very same product out on the market. It is tank safe proven technology that has been available through retailers for 30+ years. That being said, Mr. [redacted] found our explanation to be unfavorable. In good faith, we offered Mr. [redacted] some gratis product for his trouble as well as a refund for the Algae Cleaning Magnet itself which was met with a stern decline. We are sorry for the unfortunate results that our customer had while using this product and value their continued support. It is for this reason that the previous offer of gratis products and a refund for the Algae Magnet stand.Regards,[redacted]

Manager Tech/Warranty DepartmentCentral Garden & Pet[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

As the company does not sell directly, but through distributors, it is difficult to assign responsibility to any one individual or company.
I have been attempting to purchase an aquarium for over 6 weeks now, and even longer if you consider the time it required to even FIND an active retailer who would sell the desired aquarium.
Six week, unending excuses, shifting blame - but end result is the same. NO product!!!
I was forced to drive 2 hours to pick up order, only after arriving and product was loaded in vehicle by retailer, did I notice that the bottom of the aquarium was cracked.
OK. So, it will be delivered the following week.
oh, so sorry - there was a miscommunication (heard this one several times), and product was not delivered. It will be yet another 2-3 days.
Retailer information:
Animal Ark
Kingwood Texas
Approved retailer by Aqueon (All Glass Aquarium)

Review: I purchased their biocube less than a week ago and have been experiencing issues with the lights, fans, and moon light power. I have requested new parts because their warranty is suppose to replace defective parts. All I have received is links to third party sights (that I have to pay for) and they tell me that this model I purchased has been discontinued. As the consumer it is not my issue or problem if the company discontinues an item, if they no longer wish to honor their warranty they should recall or purchase all the biocubes available. Sending me a third party link that I have to pay for is incompletely inappropriate.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund or an exchange for this product..

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted]

Please consider this the sole response to all previous claims with Mr. [redacted]

Central Aquatics has no record of any communications with Mr. [redacted] regarding his claim that he has been referred to a 3rd party vendor in regards to his newly purchased bio cube on 10/4/14. If he were to contact us regarding a problem with a product, our staff would have simply asked for a dated copy of his original receipt showing that the product was purchased from an authorized dealer and was within its individually stated factory warranty.

It should be noted however, that Mr. [redacted] has a detailed history of presenting claims to Central Aquatics as well as the Revdex.com in an attempt to obtain free merchandise or cash refunds (see Revdex.com case #[redacted]). Since Central does not offer any factory direct sales to the public, requesting proper retail purchase documentation in the event of a warranty claim is standard procedure. We do not have a record of Mr. [redacted] contacting this facility regarding this "new" issue thought to involve yet another bio cube 29 (which is the same product he had issue with 2 years ago and that resolution was reached by shipping him not one, but two new bio cube 29 aquariums).

This company takes issue with Mr. [redacted]'s creditbility and does not show that he has contacted us with regards to his "new" product concern, rather that he has taken to contacting the Revdex.com directly to avoid supplying proper documentation of the purchase in question, as well as avoiding communication with a company that is very familiar with his previous tactics. The product in question appears to be 11 days old, which would normally be required to be returned to the retailer where it was purchased. This would be the prefered resolution given our history with Mr. [redacted] and a way to ensure a proper retail return/exchange.

If there are further concerns please contact me directly, but we would certainly appreciate an expedited closure of this issue.

Regards,

Consumer

Response: