Positive Paws K-9 Training

Good Afternoon ***, This letter is in response to the complaint received by the Revdex.com ID# [redacted] Yes, we did have the [redacted] vacuum in for repair under warranty, but the customers issues were not covered by [redacted] warranty, brushroll, belt , etc Also, we did inform the customer that he voided his warranty when he replaced the switch on the vacuum himself ( photo attached ) So, yes we did charge the customer to diagnose his vacuum, it is normally a $feeWhen he came into to pick up his vacuum, he did not want to pay anything for my service technicians time, he got mad and left the storeHe returned to the store a week later to recover his vacuumMy service technician did take the vac apart to see what was causing the noises, and that's when we found out the brushroll was worn out [redacted] nor any other vacuum company warranties brushrolls, it's like tires on a car, you have the warranty but have to pay for your tires when be replaced I certainly hope this resolves this issues, for I stride in customer service at my Oreck StoreIf I may be of anymore help, please feel free to contact me Also, in the photo attached you will see where the customer replaced the on & off switch on the vacuum with a light wall switchSincerely, [redacted] Manager @ Oreck Vacuum Store [redacted] Suite [redacted] , SC 864- [redacted] I am having trouble attaching the photo to this letter, I will send it separateThanks

Good Afternoon ***, This letter is in response to ID# *** ref: *** Vacuum warranty
Ms*** *** dropped off her vacuum at our store on May 28th due to the fact that it was overheatingAt that time , we let the customer know that everything is not covered
under warranty, such as clogs, belts, clogged filters due to customer maintenanceAs each customer drops off their vacuum we inform them there will be a $labor charge for the service technician to detect the problemOur service tech ran Ms*** vacuum for an hour and a half in our test room and it never shut off As my service tech was going over this vacuum he found that the reason for it overheating was due to the filters being clogged and dirtyThis is a customer maintenance situation and *** will not cover it, as it has been seen by many of the *** and *** vacuumsMs*** sent her husband in to pick up her vacuum and refused to pay the diagnosis feeWe strive in customer service in our Oreck store and have had very few complaints , if none at allI have worked for this company for over years and have never had anyone complain to the Revdex.com until I became a *** warranty centerWe service all vacuum brands here and we are also a warranty center for Oreck, ***, and *** and with each vacuum we service there is a $labor charge up front unless it is under warrantyBut we always inform the customer of the charge if warranty is not covered due to customer neglectMs*** called back and told my Asstmanager for us just to keep her vacuum , she would not be picking it upOf course her vacuum is still in the completed section of the service room and I would not dare dispose of it due to it's fine running condition now.So the maintenance we did on the vacuum was clean her Pre & post filters that we clogged, if not her vacuum would have continued to shut off when she used itPlease let me know if I can be of anymore help in this situationI will be out of town until Monday June 15th and will have limited access to my emailsLooking forward to hearing from you and having a satisfied customerSincerely,
*** *** ***
Manager Oreck Vacuums
*** *** ** Suite ***
***, SC 864-***

Good Afternoon [redacted], At this time just have Mrs. [redacted] to pick her up vacuum, I will waive the labor charge due to striving in customer service.  Please inform her that she will need to clean the Pre & Post filters after each use. If not it will cause the unit to overheat and turn off. As this is not covered under warranty. Once again as the manager of Oreck Vacuums I strive in customer relationships and would like to get this matter resolved as soon as possible.
Sincerely, [redacted]
Manager Oreck Vacuums

Good Afternoon [redacted],  This letter is in response to the complaint received by the Revdex.com ID# [redacted].  Yes, we did have the [redacted] vacuum in for repair under warranty, but the customers issues were not covered by [redacted] warranty, brushroll, belt , etc.  Also, we did...

inform the customer that he voided his warranty when he replaced the switch on the vacuum himself ( photo attached ).  So, yes we did charge the customer to diagnose his vacuum, it is normally a $40.00 fee. When he came into to pick up his vacuum, he did not want to pay anything for my service technicians time, he got mad and left the store. He returned to the store a week later to recover his vacuum. My service technician did take the vac apart to see what was causing the noises, and that's when we found out the brushroll was worn out. [redacted] nor any other vacuum company warranties brushrolls, it's like tires on a car, you have the warranty but have to pay for your tires when be replaced.  I certainly hope this resolves this issues, for I stride in customer service at my Oreck Store. If I may be of anymore help, please feel free to contact me.  Also, in the photo attached you will see where the customer replaced the on & off switch on the vacuum with a light wall switch.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Manager @ Oreck Vacuum Store
[redacted] Suite [redacted], SC  29607
864-[redacted]
I am having trouble attaching the photo to this letter, I will send it separate. Thanks

Review: Monday, September 12, 2016

The below email was sent to the owners of Positive Paws K9 Training:

We regret to inform your organization of our dissatisfaction with Positive Paws trainer, [redacted]. This is not the first communication with Positive Paws, and [redacted], regarding this matter. Communication has always been an issue, has only been initiated by my husband and I, and we feel that we have to beg for any answers. We've tried repeatedly to make this agreement work without success.

[redacted] has never communicated with us on a regular basis. We've initiated appointments when not hearing from her for weeks at a time, we've had to ask how our dogs were progressing, we were promised videos, pictures and input while dogs trained with her during the day. We never received even one of what was promised! Unfortunately, she did not follow through on any promises made. For example, we were told that training would be done weekly for an hour. This has never been the case. In fact, we haven't heard from [redacted] since July 20, 2016 and it's now September 12, 2016. Most appointments have been 30-45 minutes in length. During these appointments, she continued to do the same teachings repeatedly - even though the dogs had mastered basics like sitting, staying, etc. My husband and I always attended sessions together, took notes, purchased all items that she recommended (treats, thunder shirts, non-retractable leashes, 50 ft. leashes, harnesses), we followed her teachings at home and did all that she suggested. At our last meeting in July, we met in [redacted] attempting to leash-walk the dogs. This did not happen as [redacted] felt it was too hot for the dogs. This was the last that we have seen or heard from her - or anyone at Positive Paws. In the normal business world, when a client signs a contract and pays an amount exceeding $1,700.00, that organization would follow up and take care of its clients and communicate on a regular basis. Not the case.

See below email to [redacted] concerning the same issue on June 3, 2016:

Hello [redacted],

Just touching base as we haven’t heard from you these past 2 weeks since we’ve been bringing dogs to daycare for training purposes. Would like to know how it’s going. Have you been able to work with them at all? If so, how are they doing and what do you have them working on so we can work on these things at home? Haven’t seen any videos from you that you mentioned you would send. You also mentioned that you may want them to attend daycare a 3rd week. Please advise us on these questions.

I have texts, as well, reflecting the same. We feel that it's pointless to continue the training when it's now been almost 2 months and we're dealing with the same problem - terrible lack of communication. We don't know if [redacted] is still employed with Positive Paws or if she fell off the face of the earth. But, we're weary of tracking her down. We will chalk this up to a very valuable lesson learned. Our dogs have learned nothing for the kind of money that we've spent.

Because we don't want others to make the same mistake, we will be sending this complaint to the Revdex.com and all applicable review sites in the area - including newspaper letters to the editor. It's very unfortunate as we were so excited about our dogs training only to find that we've written a check for nothing, which is no different than throwing money into the wind - a complete waste. We realize that the contract states no refunds. Otherwise, we certainly would request our money back - or at least the portion that was never used. We feel very used, betrayed and completely taken advantage of. Buyer beware of this bait-and-switch trap!!!

On a side note that has nothing to do with your organization, we left our 3 dogs in [redacted]'s care for 6 days while away on vacation in late July. When we returned to pick up our dogs, they smelled terrible as if they had all been left in a kennel the entire time and were reeking of urine. We could hardly be in the same car with them on the short trip home and had to bathe them all immediately! The beds that we brought with them had to be disposed of also as they smelled like urine as well. How did this happen? Again, promises were made of pictures, texts, and updates but nothing. We've left our dogs with others many times and this has NEVER happened. So sad as she promised this week would be "Disney World for Dogs". Didn't happen. Someone like this should not be working with dogs if she's going to lock them up in a kennel all day - just for the money (and she was paid very well). You need to know this.Desired Settlement: Correction of business policies so that these issues do not happen to other consumers in the future and refund of part of our payment (even though contract states no refunds). Services were not provided in a proper manner and in accordance with contract.

Business

Response:

This client signed the Contract on April 9th 2016 (not May as stated in their complaint). They came to us because their 2 dogs have fear issues and to learn basic commands. When we began their training we did start out with approximately 30 minute classes. The dogs were so fearful that they would not come out from under the chair except to go to the owners. This does not mean that you lose the time that you have paid for, as it would carry over to be used later. The dogs just couldn't train for 30 minutes initially. And it is very important to stop on a positive note and not push the dogs over their thresh hold.We felt that our doggie day care could greatly benefit these dogs with both confidence building (helps with the fear issues) and socialization with other dogs. We charge $540/dog/month, but we gave them 2 weeks of FREE day care because we really wanted to help these dogs. It was a while before they would "come out", but eventually they did and we were all so happy and proud. Even the Dad stated, at one point, that the dogs were finally happy to come and not fearful about coming to day care.As far as no communication about the training during the day...day care was for the confidence building and socialization....not training with [redacted]. Whichever parent picked up the dogs would have had communication about the day with whomever was working in day care. So, there was daily communication during that period. And we encourage all clients to see their dogs on the cameras that can be accessed on our website.As far as videos that were supposed to be sent, we do encourage clients to video during the training class to have for their homework. However, we do not take videos and send them to clients. So, there was a misunderstanding there and I am sorry for that.The clients never mentioned any dissatisfaction of training and actually made comments that they were seeing progress, especially in [redacted]. Unfortunately, she was typically late for classes which had started on time with the Dad and the dogs. This is a big setback as the excitement from the parent entering becomes the total focus for the dogs and it can take a bit of time to get them back into training mode. Maybe this is why she felt we "repeatedly went over the same teachings".Another factor was that they did not do their homework, which was obvious when the training class starts. They said they had been too busy to train with the dogs at home except for short periods. When asked if they were keeping the leashes on for their homework training they stated - sometimes. It is important to have the leash on during this time to let the dog know that you are the one in control.Dog training is a long-term commitment. There are no quick fixes and daily homework is imperative to success.I cannot address the Boarding issue as this is not part of Positive Paws. However, my dog has stayed there and was happy and well taken care of. Also, we have Positive Paws clients that take their dogs there time after time. I have been to [redacted]'s house and it is clean and the dogs are well cared for and loved on. I believe that see wants to address this with you as they were very upset about the accusations. I do know that the boarding was during the time they were training, so why wasn't something said then?!The last class was July 20th at the park and they did have the class. This means that 2 trainers leave this facility and meet the client at the park, which is not normal protocol. The reason for the meeting in the park was to work on leash walking and their concern about distraction control.At the end of that class, she stated that they were getting ready for some trips coming up and a family reunion and it would be a while before they could schedule their next class. She said she would contact us and that it would likely be September before they were ready to continue. So, I don't understand the statement that they had not seen or heard from us....she was the one that said she would be in contact when she was ready to return to training.We would very much like to continue with the training and continue the good progress we were makingResolutions:1. Continue training with [redacted] (Manager & Head Trainer) and be sure everyone is on the same page2. Restart training with a different trainerWe look forward to resolving this!Positive Paws Team Appointments are made at the end of each training class, so I don't understand that she had to "initiate appointments after not hearing from her for weeks at a time".

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.First, I would like to point out that we can no longer trust this business as most of their reply for resolution is dishonest and completely false. I provided an email sent to [redacted](the trainer) on 6/3/16 asking for answers as we had received no communication at all and wanted answers to how things had progresses and what the next course of action would be for our dogs. I also have text messages where I had asked [redacted] for information. We always had to track her down and appointments were not made after each session. [redacted] repeatedly made statements that she would send us photos, videos and updates on our dogs. She stated this. We never received one. Period. As for saying we would get back to [redacted] in September, completely false. Never stated such a thing. We went on vacation for 1 week. [redacted] had our dogs while we were away. Last weekend in July. She knew we were back. Why would we need to wait until September to schedule our next session from July 20th? Makes no sense. Our entire complaint is based on lack of communication from Positive Paws along with what we were "told and sold" did not match up with actual training of our dogs. Never signed up our dogs for fear issues. We brought these 2 puppies in for behavioral training and never mentioned "fear issues". What we were sold was simply bait and switch. Once money was paid in full, no communication at all and the agreement was not adhered to at all. As I stated before we don't want others to be sold and convinced as we were. It's wrong and dishonest. This is not the way to do business. Also , I was late by a few minutes 1 time at our last sessions and NEVER any other time. Totally false! Oh and NEVER was there any form of communication when my husband picked up dogs from daycare. NEVER! We never knew our our dogs were doing in daycare - which on a side note we never asked for daycare! The dogs were in fact covered in urine upon pickup following vacation. Period! Why would we make up something like this as we had nothing to gain? All false! Yes, contract was signed in April 2016 and not May! Not a big deal in the scheme of my complaint. Finally, the bottom line is we cannot do business with a company that lies to protect their reputation!

Regards,

Review: I would like to file an official complaint against and request a refund from Positive Paws K-9 Training for the following reasons, summarized due to character restraints 1)Several last minute scheduling changes, 1 being mutual 2)I drove 1 hr 1 way and waited 20 mins for a scheduled appt., which no staff showed up for 3)I left a note on the door and did not receive a call from anyone regarding the missed appt. on the following Monday 4)Monday at lunch I left a message requesting a call with the owner, wherein I received a call from a first day employee 5)I again requested a call from owner and got an email from the manager 6)It was 1st said that I made the appt. for another date, when I explained I had scheduled vacation and would not have scheduled something for that day, it was then said they had new system 7) After several emails from the manager I left a message for owner at her other business, as I didnt know if she was aware of the situation and I wanted to discuss an alternative option, I again received another email 8) I was accused of using appt. as leverage due to having previously requested to get out of the contract (only a few days after signing up); after the request I purchased everything I needed and showed up for my scheduled appt., which shows my commitment to training 10)the undertone of emails got progressively rude in nature and I no longer feel that there could be a cohesive working relationship.I was assured that they do not do business this way but I continued to get emails vs. one call. One call on Monday or from the owner after I called the other business would have taken care of this situation. Emails are a poor way to do business. I requested a refund and they refused. I did sign a non-refundable contract but, to date, no services have taken placeDesired Settlement: Refund of $3,000 for services not rendered

Business

Response:

On March 26, 2015 [redacted], along with her family, brought their dog in for a free assessment for their dog [redacted].They explained to us that they have had ongoing problems with dog-on-dog aggression issues that have resulted in several dogs left needing serious surgeries as well as a canine fatality.We understood the seriousness of the situation and accepted her dog in hopes of rehabilitation through positive and choice teaching methods with no guarantee that the training would be effective for a dog that has already attacked other dogs.We stressed the importance of the family being a huge part of the training and homework and the hours it would take to train their dog.We explained to her how we came up the $3,000 and how much time was going to be needed by our trainer, as this was not going to be a quick fix, but rather a long-term commitment. Also, there was the fact that [redacted] could not train when other dogs where here and that meant after-hours and/or Saturdays.The Contract was reviewed and it was explained that once the tuition is paid, there are no refunds. She was given EVERY opportunity to walk out without signing a contract. Actually, it was advised that she take the evening to think it over. She stated that she really wanted to make a difference and train her dog using our positive training methods and was willing to give 100%.On April 2, 2015 Positive Paws received a phone call from [redacted]'s boyfriend, asking us for a refund stating that [redacted] did not think things through and wanted to cancel the training completely, He stated that they had understood that our policy is no refunds after tuition is paid and admitted that that was clearly stated at the assessment. He said he understood.[redacted] called the next week to schedule her training with [redacted]. That appointment was cancelled the day of the training because it was raining and she lives an hour away, however she informed us only 30 minutes before the scheduled training and after we had left her 2 messages about confirming her appointment. The second appointment was cancelled due to her being sick. The appointment was rescheduled, and that is where it went south. There was a lot of back and forth with our receptionist and [redacted] on a date that worked for everyone. I don't know who was "in the wrong" with this appointment, but we felt awful when we found her note that she had been there Saturday and no one was there. It is correct that we did not contact her until late morning, but we run a doggie day care and that is a very busy time with drop offs.We sent an e-mail to her to tell her that we would reimburse her for her gas and come to her home to do an in-home training to make up for the confusion. She declined.As far as e-mail not being a good way to conduct business, I take issue with that. First, it is the quickest way to get most people. We do not have time to track people down by phone. Second, it is a written record that can be referred to in a case such as this.I do not think we were rude in our e-mails. It did become frustrating to be asked the same thing over and over. I can fax these to you, if you would like.Thank you[redacted] & [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

There never was a canine fatality, but that is not pertinent to the case. Their response did not provide a resolution, therefore there was no offer to consider. Most of it parralled my summary. After my initial "buyers regret" I took all necessary steps to start training, bought all products suggested, and started the at home training suggested, and I actually SHOWED up for the appointment. I stand by the fact that a call on the Monday after the missed appointment would have solved this issue and we could have moved forward. It was after I realized that I would not receive a call that I decided I wanted my money returned. I also maintain that after my call to other business to 1. Verify the owner knew about the situation 2. To discuss an alternarive, if I would have receiced a call I this matter could have been resolved. Having a record via email is fine but there is something to be said for customer service. No service have been rendered because of their scheduling mix up and this point I do not believe there could be a productive working relationship

Regards,