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Over the years, I’ve had more than my fair share of disappointing experiences with Petco, especially with their vet services under Vetco. I told myself I’d stick with them only when I absolutely had to, but to be fair, their retail side had always been decent to me. Up until recently, I never really had a problem with their order-online, pick-up-in-store service. It was usually a straightforward process: find a deal, place the order, and pick up the items the same day.
But this time, what should have been a simple purchase turned into a frustrating, time-consuming mess—and it made me start questioning whether chasing small deals and credit card points is worth the stress when companies can’t get the basics right.
The Deal That Lured Me In
Like many people who take personal finance seriously, I like to maximize my spending. I don’t just walk into a pet store and buy food or supplies at retail price. Instead, I’ll do a quick check across multiple stores—PetSmart, Chewy, Amazon, and of course, Petco—to see which one has the best deals.
This time, Petco was offering a 20% discount if you ordered online and picked up in store. That’s a decent offer, especially considering how expensive pet supplies have gotten. I thought, why not save 20% and grab the items locally?
On top of that, I also think about which credit card to use. Normally, I’d use my Bank of America Custom Cash card, which earns me 5.25% cash back on online purchases. But since I’ve been trying to build up more Chase Ultimate Rewards points, I went a different route.
Here’s the strategy: buy a Petco gift card at Staples using my Chase Ink Business Cash card. That card earns 5X points per dollar at office supply stores, and Staples frequently sells store gift cards. So, I bought a $100 Petco gift card, essentially stacking rewards—20% off from Petco and 5X Chase points on the purchase. In theory, it was a win-win.
The Order That Went Wrong
I placed my order online using the Petco gift card. The total was over $100, so I paid the remaining balance with a credit card, it seemed simple enough. But here’s where things started going sideways.
When I went to pick up the order, I found out that not everything I had ordered was available. Petco canceled half the items, leaving me with only a portion of what I wanted. That was annoying, but I wasn’t overly upset. This happens sometimes with online-to-store orders—it’s not the end of the world.
The bigger issue came later. A week after the canceled order, I tried to use the remaining balance on the Petco gift card for another online purchase. To my surprise, the card showed a zero balance. The funds from the canceled items were never returned.
The Runaround with Customer Support
At that point, I reached out to Petco’s customer service via chat. The representative told me they’d fix the issue and return the funds to my gift card. I felt reassured, but days went by, and nothing happened.
I contacted them again, this time explaining that I still couldn’t access my funds. The new representative apologized and told me it would take 24 to 28 hours for the balance to be restored. That sounded reasonable, but of course, another day passed, then another, and the money still wasn’t there.
What was supposed to be a quick transaction turned into a drawn-out nightmare of back-and-forth messages with support. Instead of saving time and money, I was wasting energy just trying to get back the balance that was rightfully mine.
When “Deals” Stop Being Worth It
I’ve always enjoyed the game of stacking discounts and maximizing rewards. There’s a certain satisfaction in knowing you’re squeezing every bit of value out of a purchase. But situations like this make me stop and wonder: is it really worth it?
Yes, I earned 5X Chase points on the Staples gift card purchase. Yes, I technically got 20% off from Petco. But if I’m spending hours chasing down customer service just to get my money back, the math doesn’t work anymore. My time and peace of mind are worth far more than the few extra points I gained.
And it’s not just about me—it’s about what this says about Petco as a company. If their system can’t even handle basic refunds for canceled items, how can customers trust them with anything more complicated?
Comparing to Other Retailers
This whole ordeal also highlighted how much smoother things are with Petco’s competitors. For example, Chewy has consistently given me excellent customer service. They’re quick to respond, proactive about fixing problems, and they often go above and beyond.
Amazon, for all its flaws, is also incredibly efficient when it comes to returns and refunds. You can literally process everything online in a few clicks and see the funds restored within days.
Even PetSmart, which isn’t perfect, has given me fewer headaches with online orders. When they cancel items, the refund usually processes automatically without me having to fight for it.
Petco, on the other hand, left me chasing support just to recover my own money.
The Bigger Picture: Trust and Loyalty
Retail businesses today rely heavily on trust and customer loyalty. Petco may think they’re saving money by dragging their feet on refunds or making customers jump through hoops, but in reality, they’re driving people away.
I’ve already had bad experiences with their Vetco services, and now their retail side has burned me as well. That’s two strikes in different areas of their business. At this point, I can’t see myself prioritizing Petco for future purchases, even if they dangle discounts in front of me.
The hassle just isn’t worth it.
Lessons Learned from This Experience
Looking back, here are a few takeaways from this frustrating ordeal:
- Gift cards are risky. When you pay with a gift card, refunds can get messy. If something goes wrong, you may be stuck waiting—or worse, losing access to your funds altogether.
- The chase for points has limits. Yes, maximizing rewards can be fun, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of your time, sanity, or financial security. Sometimes, paying directly with a credit card (and having protections through the card issuer) is the smarter move.
- Customer service matters more than discounts. A 20% discount means nothing if the company doesn’t stand behind its transactions. I’d rather pay full price somewhere else and know that refunds and issues will be handled properly.
- Reputation is everything. Petco has damaged its reputation with me across multiple areas of their business. Meanwhile, companies like Chewy and Amazon continue to strengthen theirs by treating customers right.
Final Thoughts
What started as a simple online order for pet supplies turned into yet another reminder of why I’ve grown increasingly frustrated with Petco. Between their lackluster vet services and now this botched online order with a gift card refund nightmare, my trust in them is basically gone.
Yes, I still enjoy the thrill of stacking discounts and maximizing rewards. But this experience forced me to reconsider the bigger picture. If a retailer can’t provide reliable service, then all the deals in the world don’t matter. The time wasted and the frustration endured simply aren’t worth it.
From now on, I’ll be far more cautious about chasing Petco’s promotions, especially if they involve gift cards. And honestly, I’ll probably just take my business elsewhere whenever possible.
At the end of the day, my pets deserve the best—and so do I. And unfortunately, Petco has shown me time and time again that they’re not willing or able to deliver on either front.
