Sick Tortoise

mad m

My Son wanted a pet tortoise, we went to a recommended pet shop. Before we picked the little fella we (Well my Son) knew everything there was to know (11 year olds do their research)

So I made up a box and got all the right things that was needed to take care of a tortoise. After the fist week he didnt seem right, put it down to just being in a different environment.

Brought him to a well known Vet who is an expert in exotic pets. They had to keep him in for 3 days now, so plus medical expenses and check up its expensive...

Would I be within my rights to go back to petshop and say to them that they could of given me a sick pet and that they should foot the bill for the Vet?

Now from what I've read about tortoises is that they just don't get sick overnight, it can be a long process...

Cabaal

How do you prove they sold you a sick pet?

You'll have a slim chance of them covering any expenses you've paid out, you took the decision to go to the vet not them.

If you understand that tortoises don't just get sick overnight why didn't you first contact the pet shop?

jor el

If anything, they would owe you the price of a new pet. Vet's bills are yours to deal with, as this was your decision.

mad m

Ok point taken lads, but you try and tell an 11 year old that the pet he picked and named is going back to pet shop...

I did contact the petshop but the owner wasnt there, and I didnt want to leave it any longer for the Tortoises sake...

Also the reason I brought the Tortoise to the vet was for a general check up as I got advise to do so as they can get parasite/worms. I didnt think the Vet was actually going to take Tortoise in to her clinic for 3 days to be tube feed and antibiotics given...I had no problem paying the general checkup fee of €60

Thanks for the comments....

jor el

Have they told you how much it's going to cost? The shop may be willing to do something, especially if the vet that certify that the pet would have been sick before you bought it.

mad m

jor el wrote: »

Have they told you how much it's going to cost? The shop may be willing to do something, especially if the vet that certify that the pet would have been sick before you bought it.

yeah, €27 a day/night....Will be collecting the little blighter tomorrow....

jor el

That's not bad. Perhaps the pet shop will be willing to cover it.

antocann

what type of tortios is it ?

usualy they need more than a box

heat ,uv , proper housing (vivarium or turtle table)

keithclancy

No rights there I'm afraid, unless you were able to prove that the Pet Shop knew that the Tortoise was sick prior to selling it to you (which would be extremely difficult)

Similar to buying a car with a problem, bringing it to a different Mechanic without telling them, then handing them a bill for all the work.

You may have had some chance if you brought him back to the Pet Shop as soon as there was something wrong with him.

mad m

keithclancy wrote: »

.

You may have had some chance if you brought him back to the Pet Shop as soon as there was something wrong with him.

I understand this, but tortoises don't show sickness straight away, it can take a while for it to show....Well will drop into him tomorrow and put my case to him and see what happens....

The Petshop owner seemed a nice bloke to talk to anyway. Tortoise need a health check anyway after buying them for parasites/worms they can pick up in the petshop when they are with other Tortoises. I did this when I had him 2 weeks, I thought the Tortoises behaviour was due to just settling in to his new envoirnment, I was told this by the petshop owner that this might happen. When I brought him for the health check I didnt expect the Vet to admit him when she looked at him.

As I said, my Son did his research before buying him, I made up the right box, got all the right stuff from the same petshop a week before we bought the Tortoise so we would be ready...

keithclancy

mad m wrote: »

I understand this, but tortoises don't show sickness straight away, it can take a while for it to show....Well will drop into him tomorrow and put my case to him and see what happens....

Yes but the difference is if you brought the Tortoise to the shop in the first place and he advised you to bring the Tortoise to the vet on the understanding he would cover the cost then that would be something or he may have replaced it.

However you took the decision on yourself to go to the vet and have the tortoise admitted.

I.E. you have incurred a cost on yourself without consulting the party you purchased the item on.

Go back and see what he says, anything on his part would be a goodwill gesture, legally you do not have grounds to demand refund, replacement or costs

emo72

keithclancy wrote: »

Yes but the difference is if you brought the Tortoise to the shop in the first place and he advised you to bring the Tortoise to the vet on the understanding he would cover the cost then that would be something or he may have replaced it.

However you took the decision on yourself to go to the vet and have the tortoise admitted.

I.E. you have incurred a cost on yourself without consulting the party you purchased the item on.

Go back and see what he says, anything on his part would be a goodwill gesture, legally you do not have grounds to demand refund, replacement or costs

yea but, what your describing is the correct course of action. of course.

but i see where the op is coming from, the problem is he was confronted at the vets by the vet that the animal had to be admitted there and then. this was not expected by the op.

it may have been an animal welfare issue, such as, if you take the tortoise home with you it may die. so the op had no real choice but to admit it to the animal hospital.

but i agree, approach the shop and tell him.

mad m

Well went into Petshop, Owner was more than understanding, very approachable. He said never had a complaint like this before. He said he looks after his Pets really well and that it might of been a one off...

I told him my side and he totaly listened, showed him the receipt of vets and said I've no problem paying the initial fee of the checkup but was shocked to see Vet wanted to keep Tortoise in for 3 days.

He said he would cover the cost of the 3 days as a good will gesture.

So was more than happy with that.

Thanks all for comments....

seagull

Sounds like one to be added into the best/worst customer experience as a rave. I'd say that pet shop has gone way beyond what they needed to.

Nonoperational

Was the pet actually sick? What did the vet say after the 3 days?

looksee

Great response from the pet shop - I would say, name and praise! However I also suspect this was a case of a calm and pleasant approach on the part of the op, rather than demanding rights!