# Chewy, the pet food company, no longer takes responsibility for shipping damage?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 8, 2023, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274 "2023-12-08T00:37:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274/21 "2023-12-08T20:33:43Z")

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LOL!!! Hubs initiated a chat with a CSR who followed the above script as expected.

Chewy has been forgiven. For now!

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**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274/22 "2023-12-08T23:14:05Z")

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> [@JaneDoe42](#):
>
> As we always order enough for free shipping, dealing with a card reversal for one 20 dollar item would be too much bother. Suck it up and move on

Yeah, I get that. I’ve ordered stuff that wasn’t the correct item but I’m not wasting time over $8. Give it away, into the trash or file it in a drawer.

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**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274/23 "2023-12-09T03:06:49Z")

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> [@Magiver](#):
>
> I’ve ordered stuff that wasn’t the correct item but I’m not wasting time over $8. Give it away, into the trash or file it in a drawer.

We are at the stage in our lives that we are willing to pay for convenience. When it no longer is convenient, we are no longer willing to pay.

We haven’t really forgiven Chewy over this. Yes, it is a minor thing that got resolved quickly, but knowing that we will have to make more of a fuss than we should have to if there is another issue, we have started looking at other suppliers.

The next time I hear that Chewy is requiring the buyers to deal with the shipper instead of doing what we pay them for, all of our auto ship orders will be cancelled.

As it happens, we found the same wild bird seed and suet for much less from a local distributer so that disputed 20 bucks has already cost them money in product we will no longer order from Chewy.

> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> They’re collectively going to be running away from those guarantees absent some sort of consumer protection legislation.

I do understand what your are saying, but I have no sympathy for the sellers. Companies like Chewy depend on happy (lazy) customers who can’t be bothered to get off their butts and drive to the many pet supply places available. If I have to start doing more work to get the results I want…I’ll probably find a different way to get the results I want without the extra work.

Chewy won’t go under because I have left them, but they certainly will suffer if they piss off all of their lazy customers with this sort of folderol.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274/24 "2023-12-09T13:46:58Z")

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> [@JaneDoe42](#):
>
> If I have to start doing more work to get the results I want…I’ll probably find a different way to get the results I want without the extra work.
> 
> Chewy won’t go under because I have left them, but they certainly will suffer if they piss off all of their lazy customers with this sort of folderol.

Oh for sure. I agree with all you said. We consumers have really gotten used to “extremely easy”. Even if it costs a buck or two extra.

My larger point is the whole e-commerce industry has painted themselves into a corner where they’ve been subsidizing “easy” more than is sustainable. And lots of consumers, including me, will be screaming as those subsidies are withdrawn. No major player wants to go first, but they _all_ want to go second.

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**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274/25 "2023-12-09T15:44:30Z")

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Interesting: In UK law, there would be a contract between you and Chewy to deliver the goods you ordered. If there were a problem, it would be up to Chewy to rectify it.

Of course, this doesn’t stop unscrupulous companies from trying it on and consumer forums have many similar complaints from angry buyers.

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274/26 "2023-12-09T15:52:00Z")

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> [@JaneDoe42](#):
>
> Hubs sent them an email saying that we were Chewy’s customer, not FedEx’s so it is Chewy’s responsibility to deal with the issue because FedEx certainly won’t talk to non-paying customers.

I had an issue when a shipment of frozen fish waited by the side of the road in a FedEx van for 3 days in Missouri. FedEx repeatedly told me that they would not deal with me but rather the fish company since THEY we the client, not me.

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**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274/27 "2023-12-09T17:12:22Z")

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> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> As for Chewy, I’ve been using them for years without an issue. They’re fast and efficient, so I’m sticking with them for now.

Yeah-- they supply my dogs prescriptions for half of what they cost from the vet, and about 1/10th of what they cost from a human pharmacy, and that’s calculated including the shipping. The stuff comes right to my front door.

The reason I had a prescription on file at the human pharmacy and occasionally filled it there was that it was open 24/7, and the vet was open mostly while I was at work. Have exclusively bought from Chewy since I learned they carried them, though.

I _have_ noticed that recently, shipments have been coming slower-- used to be about a 2-day turn around, or 3-day if I ordered on Friday-- and now it’s 4-5 days.

Occasionally, I order pill pockets from them, and a few other things, if I happened to need them at the same time I was ordering my dog’s heartworm pills, the savings on which are significant compared to the vet, and since I have to order six at a time, brings me over the top for free shipping.

Now I’m going to check things out-- the way the medicine is packaged, they’d have to pound it repeatedly with a sledgehammer to make it unusable, which is a gamble I’ll take when spending $15 for 2 months worth of her daily pills ($5 each for 2 Rxs, and $5 shipping), but maybe not so much spending $67 for six heartworm pills (albeit, they’re close to $100 at the vet’s), plus $13 on top of that for pill pockets.

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**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chewy-the-pet-food-company-no-longer-takes-responsibility-for-shipping-damage/994274/28 "2023-12-09T17:20:11Z")

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> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> You will find most shipping labels include the requirement that the recipient notify the carrier if there is any damage or shortage. Ideally notify the delivery driver at the time of handover if a face-to-face handover is made.

I guess there’s some sense in this-- if Chewy just keeps resolving shipping issues, and either doesn’t report them to FedEx, or reports them a long time after they happen, it’s harder for FedEx to track drivers or loading/driving sites with performance problems.

If a lot of problems come from the same Zip code, and they are all traced to the same shift at the same place, there’s going to be an investigation.

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