Jennifer M.

PetsMarket is pricier than some other websites, but they have great customer service and selection. I purchased a personalized hoodie for my cat "Ollie The Good Kitty" that took a while to ship (because it was being customized and shipped from overseas), but it's incredibly good quality and fits him like a dream! It does seem like they offer everyone the 20% off pet influencer code, which is probably why they've inflated their retail prices, but I'm pleased with my purchase and would shop them again for the great service and selection.

Oy. Where do I even start?

I found Abe's of Maine via a web search when shopping for a Canon T3i camera. I'd never heard of them before, but the website looked legit and they had the best prices. I placed the order right away using my PayPal account. I should have researched the company before ordering but I didn't, which was a big mistake.

Right after placing my order, I Googled Abe's of Maine out of curiosity and came across a couple of reviews that mentioned their notorious follow-up call and aggressive up-sell tactics. I didn't read further, but I prepared myself to have some hiccups with my order going through.

The next day, I got a call from David telling me I had ordered the import model. My first thought was "aren't all Canons imported?" He said if I wanted my camera to be compatible with US chargers, I needed to upgrade to the more expensive camera. He mentioned something about needing an adapter for the import model, but the crazy thing was he also said the "European" cameras have "pounds" displayed in video mode. As in the currency? That one still baffles me. Oh, and the lens I also ordered was an import model and incompatible. Okay...

I actually told him I'd been expecting his call since I'd read about these calls in some reviews. That seemed to set David off and he got argumentative, asking if I'd read those reviews why order the "import model" anyway? I said I never saw anything saying these were European-only cameras. He said it's clearly listed in the description (the only thing listed is "brand new factory fresh import model." There's nothing in any description saying chargers won't work in the US, or British currency is displayed in video mode... Lies, lies, lies. I kept asking him to cancel my order, mainly because he was being a jerk (and I've since read in reviews that David is supposedly the company's VP -- so that should tell you a lot), but he kept offering me deals. He acted like he was losing money on these deals but he was doing it because he didn't want to lose me as a customer. They'd earn more loyal customers if they'd quit bullying them and write honest product descriptions.

So I finally told him okay, I'd take the deal. He tried to throw in even more extras. I asked him how much the total would be, and he quoted a price that wasn't too much over what I'd paid online. I agreed and we hung up.

When I got home and checked my PayPal account, I found that he had authorized a charge that was over our agreed upon price. It was only then I researched Abe's of Maine reviews and read everything I could about this company, and I was appalled! Not only had they charged me more than we had agreed upon, but other customers had encountered issues like never having received their items, receiving the wrong items, or even suspecting that Abe's is touting knock-offs. After reading all this, and battling with this jerk over the phone, I didn't want them to have my business at all. Abe's was already closed for the day, but I contacted them via their website demanding they cancel my order first thing the next day and give me a refund.

By the next afternoon, my message had gone ignored and they'd updated my Abe's account to say that my items had been sent from the warehouse. I called the customer service number and David's extension several times and could never get through, so I immediately called PayPal and filed a dispute. They handled it from there. I sent another email to Abe's informing them of my dispute, and I said if they stopped the shipment of my order (because they collect restocking fees if you refuse a shipment -- which they can't do according to the PayPal representative) AND refunded my money right away, I wouldn't leave negative reviews all over the web, contact the BBB, or file a complaint with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.

It wasn't long after sending my email that a much more pleasant man from Abe's named Frank left me a voicemail message saying he had personally pulled my items off the UPS truck (seriously?) and that he was sending my account to their "refund department." The order cancellation was soon updated in my Abe's of Maine account, but I didn't receive my refund for a week (6 days, to be exact). I stipulated I would go peacefully if my refund was prompt, but it wasn't, so that's why you're reading this review. I honestly don't know what I would have done if I hadn't of paid with PayPal -- they took care of everything.

These people are sharks. Abe's of Maine is an aggressive bait-and-switch operation, so stay away! You won't save any money by the time they call you with the up-sell, and you can avoid a hell of a lot of hassle by making your purchase elsewhere.