ComplaintsforBark Busters Pinellas County

• Initial Complaint

  05/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am writing to file a formal complaint against Bark Busters, a dog training company, for their refusal to provide any type of refund for their services. Before the first session, I informed the trainer, ******, that my dog was sick, and we were both up the night prior. She assured me that it would be fine. I found the session to be unproductive and felt it really should have been rescheduled. After two sessions, I realized that these techniques were not working for my dog, and I asked for some type of refund at this time. Additionally, I informed ****** that I was moving to another part of the ****************.She provided me with the name of another trainer in the area I was moving to, ******. Unfortunately, my dog still did not respond to their techniques. When I asked for a refund, ****** told me to reach out to ************** sent a letter to their main headquarters and spoke with a representative, ****, who also informed me that I needed to reach out to ****** to request some type of refund since she was the original trainer. I have since reached out to ******, but they are refusing to provide me with any type of refund. They say its a lifetime guarantee but they are not providing the services that were promised. As a customer, I had high expectations for Bark Busters' training services based on their advertising. I paid a total of $1600 for three visits, and despite following the techniques and guidance provided by their trainers, my dog continues to exhibit the same behavioral issues. I am dissatisfied with the results and believe that I did not receive the service that was promised to me. I believe that I deserve some type of refund as I dont think 3 sessions is worth $1600. I am very disappointed with their customer service and lack of willingness to help me resolve this issue. I would appreciate it if you could investigate this matter and help me obtain a refund.Thank you.

  Business response

  05/08/2023

  This complaint has been directed to the wrong Bark Busters location with the Better Business Bureau. As noted by *******, she has a service that was provided by a trainer (******) in ******* as shown on her invoiced receipt.

  The business profile with the BBB to which ******* has directed this complaint does not conduct training with clients - we did not receive payments from her, and the receipts she provided would likely be records of payments made to her trainer.

  We did hear from ******* and spoke to her by phone, and as she noted, we directed her to contact her original trainer ****** about this hoping she would be able to get this resolved together with her.  ****** has tried reaching out to ******* by phone, and we understand that ****** has tried calling ******* her on multiple occasions and left voicemail, but those calls have gone unanswered and unreturned. 

  ****** indicated she has additional information and communications that can provide additional insight on the training provided during the two ******s she conducted and the ****** ****** conducted.

  We hope this can be redirected to the proper business listing with BBB to help get this resolved between ******* and *************
  

   

  Customer response

  05/11/2023

   
  Complaint: 19990513
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The home office is listed on the BBB, the original trainer,******, is not. This raises a concern for me as ****** represents Bark Busters,and it is important for customers to have access to information about the specific trainer they are working with.
  
  I initially reached out to Bark Busters headquarters, as listed on their website, to resolve the issues I was having with ******. I did not receive any satisfactory resolution from her, hence my decision to contact the Bark Busters home office in which someone did call from their office and again did not offer any kind of assistance or help with the issue at all but just to contact ****** for a refund after receiving and listening to my complaint. I do believe including them in this complaint is important since they are listed as the Bark Busters Head Office.
  
  Contrary to their statement, ****** did reach out to me, and I responded but I explicitly expressed my preference for written communication.We did have corresponding text messages, but unfortunately, they did not lead to any resolution of the problems I was experiencing.
  
  Again, After the second session with ******, I communicated to her that my dog was not responding to the techniques their company uses, and I requested some form of refund. However, she has been unwilling to provide any sort of compensation. I find this disheartening, especially considering that I paid $1600 for the training services without any improvement in the areas I specifically requested assistance with. This lack of progress is particularly frustrating given the substantial amount of money I invested in their training program.

  I think the main home office should be included and somewhat accountable sine they are listed on the BBB and ****** is not. So in other words no one can file a complaint against them and they will not take any responsibility for the trainers that supposedly have trained and who represent their company. I don't agree with this at all. 

  Thank you for your time.

   

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  05/23/2023

  Bark Busters' mission is to promote clear and open communication between owners and their dogs using simple and effective training methods that appeal to the way dogs act and think. Further, our company was founded to reduce the rehoming and euthanasia of dogs due to behavioral problems. This is why we give a support guarantee and not a money back guarantee. This was clearly stated in the confirmation email sent to *************** upon booking and is also in our contract. 
  Anytime our clients require more help, they may request another session. We have encouraged *************** to schedule another session if she does not know how to get the behavior improvements needed. 
  At each session so far, her dog ***** responded beautifully to a range of behaviors that *************** was interested in working on. This includes behaviors in the home, in the yard and dock, and while walking on leash. I have text messages indicating he is doing great on leash and our offers to do more sessions. 
  We offer a life-of-the-dog service guarantee because we are confident that we can teach dog owners how to improve them if the client is willing to do the homework. Often when clients think something is not working, they will find that another session reveals what is required to address the behavior issue. We look forward to giving ***** and *************** the help they need if they are willing to accept it. 

  Customer response

  05/28/2023

   
  Complaint: 19990513
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I believe the services rendered did not meet my expectations and the lifetime guarantee offered by Bark Busters has not been upheld.

  
  During our training sessions, it was made clear that the main area of concern for my dog, ****** was his aggressive behavior on the leash towards other dogs and bikes. ***** never had any issues with general walking or needing attention at home. I told you in the text he is fine with walking but not with aggression. And you are taking credit that he is doing well in an area he didnt need help.  He never had issues with general walking.  And your response to His barking at the waves on the deck was not the area I sought help for. And there was no improvement in that area either. He still tries to attack the waves.
   I carefully reviewed all the text messages exchanged between us, and I could not find any instance where it was stated that ***** had shown improvement in his aggression, which is the reason I sought help from Bark Busters. Therefore, I would appreciate it if ****** could point out any evidence suggesting otherwise.

  
  I recall expressing my dissatisfaction with the lack of progress during our training sessions, and ******* suggestion to simply avoid other dogs by going the other way. However, this approach has proven to be extremely challenging due to the high number of dogs in my current living area. Furthermore, there was an incident where ***** got loose and went after another dog, highlighting the persisting ongoing problem.

  
  Again,a refund was requested right after the second visit. ****** connected me with another trainer who attempted to work with *****. Unfortunately, he did not respond positively to the "bah" technique the Bark Busters uses. I expressed my concerns once again, and it was at this point that I was advised by both the other trainer and the main Bark Busters company to reach out to ****** regarding a refund.

  
  I want to emphasize that I am not seeking a full refund but some type of refund.I paid a significant amount of $1600 for the dog training services, and unfortunately, my dog has not shown any improvement whatsoever in the specific area that required attention.
  Considering the lifetime guarantee provided by Bark Busters and the unsatisfactory results we have encountered; I believe it is only fair to request some form of compensation. I am even willing to accept half of what I paid, which I think is more than fair. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  06/09/2023

  Customer satisfaction is extremely important to us. We can always help our clients learn how to improve their dogs behaviors when our clients are willing to accept our help in the necessary settings and situations where the behaviors occur. Despite our attempts, our client in this case is not willing to accept our help in all of the settings and situations where the problems occur, so we were not able to teach her how to resolve one of the behaviors. We agree that based on her unwillingness to allow us to help, the program is no longer a good fit. So we are willing to offer a partial 50% refund

  Customer response

  06/12/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I don't agree with the statement made but I will accept the 50 percent refund. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩