Faulty Product and a Month of Chasing Customer Service
My experience with Petlibro began on 31 May when I received a faulty feeder that malfunctioned on its very first day of use. The hatch only opened halfway during a scheduled feed, meaning my cat missed an entire day’s meals. Although the fault was intermittent and couldn’t be replicated on demand, I reported it immediately and stopped using the product because I no longer had any confidence in its reliability. What should have been a straightforward warranty claim turned into over a month of chasing customer service. Petlibro’s website states that it provides a “straightforward warranty that is processed in a hassle-free way.” Unfortunately, my experience was the complete opposite. Despite Petlibro stating a response time of around three working days, I regularly waited five to six days for replies. Every update required me to chase them, and I repeatedly had to provide information I had already supplied. The responses felt generic and often failed to address the points I had actually raised. Instead of resolving a quality-related warranty claim, I was initially offered a partial refund or told to pay to return the faulty product myself. I formally requested that my case be escalated to management because of the delays, poor communication and unsuitable resolutions. That request was never acknowledged or actioned. After Royal Mail confirmed my return had been delivered to their warehouse on 22 June, I supplied proof of delivery and every piece of information requested. Despite this, I still had to send multiple follow-up emails before my refund was finally processed. Even then, Petlibro failed to address my request for reimbursement of the £9.05 return postage. Instead, they quoted their policy stating that “for non-quality related warranty claims, the buyer is responsible for shipping costs.” My case was never a non-quality return—it was reported as a faulty product from the first day of use—so this response was entirely irrelevant and suggested my case had not been properly reviewed. For a company whose products are now stocked by major retailers such as John Lewis, the standard of customer service is remarkably poor. A faulty product should not require over a month of chasing, repeated explanations and a formal complaint before a refund is processed. This was neither “straightforward” nor “hassle-free,” despite those being the commitments made in Petlibro’s own warranty policy. The product may be appealing, but if anything goes wrong, don’t expect efficient or customer-focused after-sales support. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend buying directly from Petlibro.