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WW: Can complaining online make a difference?

Tamsin said:
That's ridiculous, and worse they should know it because their own hutch buying guide has the RWA etc. guidelines. I've emailed them.

Find me some more I'm on a roll :D
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A few more!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Business-Single-Rabbit-Guinea-Shelter/dp/B00CQ7H7MO and http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oypla-Single-Rabbit-Hutch-820x390x700mm/dp/B00HU8SXPE

http://ukpetsonline.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=131

http://www.rabbithutchwarehouse.co.uk/hutches.php (some bigger hutches but also some very small ones)
 
We've been really lucky *touching wood!* not to have any complaints so far. We had a box go missing in the post once. The lady told us politely and we sent another one out. I think if you're rational and polite about complaining it can make a world of difference.

It also depends on the size of the shop. We have an ongoing battle against yogurt drops for rabbits. The likelihood of getting Pets at Home to get them off the shelf however I would say is pretty slim, regardless of how politely we ask.
 
HungryBun said:
It also depends on the size of the shop. We have an ongoing battle against yogurt drops for rabbits. The likelihood of getting Pets at Home to get them off the shelf however I would say is pretty slim, regardless of how politely we ask.
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I'm sure I heard on here that P@H were removing dairy products for rabbits/guinea pigs?? I think I read it around Christmas time, that they were going to stop stocking them in 2015. Am I imagining things? :oops:
 
Lucy-Lou said:
I'm sure I heard on here that P@H were removing dairy products for rabbits/guinea pigs?? I think I read it around Christmas time, that they were going to stop stocking them in 2015. Am I imagining things? :oops:
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Really? Wow that's amazing! They would be setting a big example if they did remove them. I really really hope it's true.
 
P@H stopped stocking muesli so it's possible, that was after a big scientific study though.

I'm taking the line that promoting accommodation as suitable that doesn't meet Rabbit Code of Practice requirements would be misleading as defined by the unfair trading regulations (new version of unfit for purpose/sale of good act). Obviously in a polite way :D
 
icklepxy said:
Yeah. I see how that's probably the best thing. I guess I'm just looking for a way to solve the issue without the total loss to the seller, because that's obviously going to be harder to achieve.

So into the melee! I'll stop the sidebar and go look for retailers to help educate :)
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I guess we could always suggest that the hutch needs to be sold alongside a run since the hutch is too small for a rabbit, so that way the seller will get two sales instead of one. They could say adding a run will meet the RWAF requirement. Then it's win win, educated and an extra sale!
 
Umm.. don't quite know where my post fits.. improving rabbit welfare, or complaining about products ( cos neither of my actions have been carried out online, so far ).. i'll post anyway..

Have taken 50+ RWAF leaflets and booklets to the garden center where i got my Buns from ( they were on their way to 'market' surplus to trade, as some of you will know )

Am building a relationship with staff and had a few chats with senior staff members, ie.. owners.. Looking at all the tiny tiny hutches they have on their shelves with absolutely NO explanation to the public, as to the fact that these should be marketed as 'Hideys' not homes.
Have been wanting to do this for a while.. so went on to deliver said RWAF leaflets and care booklets.. and said it may be in their better interests to keep the 5ft double-tier hutches and get rid of or market the tiny one's as hideys, and promote sheds as Rabbit homes, with more information about runs, bigger runs, bigger, bigger runs !... it's all in the RWAF literature i gave them.

Going in next week to check their buns and say hi. ( spying )
 
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Well here's the response I've just received..........grrrrrrr

We do appreciate your concerns, however we list these with the dimensions and*we offer options of hutches for customers to make their own decision. *Most people using this type of hutch do also have other areas such as a run for the bunny to access and this is as suggested on your link. *There are many guideline published for keeping rabbits and it is entirely peoples choice, smaller breeds can be housed in this type of unit with access to other areas with no problems, and most people know the rabbit needs to have a run or be let out regularly. *There are many sellers of these units in the marketplace not just ourselves. *I have passed the comments on to our web manager and to our directors for their consideration and we thank you for taking the time to write.
 
Mackers said:
Well here's the response I've just received..........grrrrrrr

We do appreciate your concerns, however we list these with the dimensions and*we offer options of hutches for customers to make their own decision. *Most people using this type of hutch do also have other areas such as a run for the bunny to access and this is as suggested on your link. *There are many guideline published for keeping rabbits and it is entirely peoples choice, smaller breeds can be housed in this type of unit with access to other areas with no problems, and most people know the rabbit needs to have a run or be let out regularly. *There are many sellers of these units in the marketplace not just ourselves. *I have passed the comments on to our web manager and to our directors for their consideration and we thank you for taking the time to write.
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It's a shame a reasonable number of their customers will be ignorant of rabbits' needs.

If they're selling an item as a rabbit hutch people will buy it as such.

It points towards the long term solution to these issues as being consumer awareness. If people know these products are no good, they won't buy them and at that point the drop in sales will cause the companies selling them to react.
 
Mackers said:
Well here's the response I've just received..........grrrrrrr

We do appreciate your concerns, however we list these with the dimensions and*we offer options of hutches for customers to make their own decision. *Most people using this type of hutch do also have other areas such as a run for the bunny to access and this is as suggested on your link. *There are many guideline published for keeping rabbits and it is entirely peoples choice, smaller breeds can be housed in this type of unit with access to other areas with no problems, and most people know the rabbit needs to have a run or be let out regularly. *There are many sellers of these units in the marketplace not just ourselves. *I have passed the comments on to our web manager and to our directors for their consideration and we thank you for taking the time to write.
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The real difficulty here is that the retailer is crediting the "rabbit buying population" with common-sense and understanding. Way back when I got my first two rabbits, I bought a second-hand hutch from the rescue lady I got the pair from - It wasn't huge but it was "acceptable" even in RU terms. She said nothing about a run etc. or feeding or other care; I didn't really expect her to. I just informed myself from a book and did what it said. Regardless of what the book said, they had not only a run but the run of the entire garden for much of the time as it was a totally walled yard. I did that because it seemed obvious to me. No, it wasn't covered and, in retrospect, I wouldn't do that again but it worked for many many years. The depressing feature appears to be not everyone will inform themselves or think beyond what they can buy. After all, I have to accept that I just bought muesli for my first bunnies because that was pretty much all that the shop sold at that time :(
 
Here's another. Not been in there for ages, like a year or two, when I did last time I mentioned to the guy on the till about some of the hutches they had for sale and he hated them, in fact he had had a free range house rabbit. They seem to just stock the rubbish Chinese import style hutches though.
http://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/p/10584...pet-wooden-rabbit-hutch-rhw2009l#.VMEtKfl_uSo
When is a mansion not a mansion? When it's one of these.
http://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/p/10576...nnypet-mansion-hutch-run-rhw3002#.VMEtevl_uSo
 
I've just been to our local independent pet shop. I only go there because it's down the road and sells cheap bags of hay and straw. They were selling 3ft hutches, they only had a 4ft apex run in stock, they had a white Netherland Dwarf rabbit for sale in a 3ft hutch and it didn't even say if it was a buck or a doe, plus they were selling rabbit food in brown bags marked "Rabbit food - no pellets".

I was too nervous to say anything. I'm not sure if complaining would make any difference.
 
Mackers said:
Well here's the response I've just received..........grrrrrrr

We do appreciate your concerns, however we list these with the dimensions and*we offer options of hutches for customers to make their own decision. *Most people using this type of hutch do also have other areas such as a run for the bunny to access and this is as suggested on your link. *There are many guideline published for keeping rabbits and it is entirely peoples choice, smaller breeds can be housed in this type of unit with access to other areas with no problems, and most people know the rabbit needs to have a run or be let out regularly. *There are many sellers of these units in the marketplace not just ourselves. *I have passed the comments on to our web manager and to our directors for their consideration and we thank you for taking the time to write.
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My response to that would be on the lines of:

Thank you for your reply. Whilst I agree there is an element of choice, as a retailer you also have the legal responsibility to ensure that product information is not misleading. The Code of Practice to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 states that the living accommodation of a rabbit must enable it to ''hop three times from one end to another as a minimum'. With a rabbit's hop between 45-60cm this makes a minimum hutch size of 135cm a legal requirement. Therefore any hutch below this size would be unfit for purpose and marketing one as rabbit accommodation would breach the The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Please note the 'hop three times' is specifically for the living accommodation and the Code of Practice also outlines the need for a run space in addition, not included, to this space.
 
Uh. This one. http://www.littlepetwarehouse.co.uk...s-cavies-cages-hutches-runs-c-23_108_118.html The whole site not just one page. This is under the 'rabbits hutches and cages' heading. No guidelines for rabbits or links to what they are or anything.

Also Tamsin I wish I'd had you on my side the few times I'd had disputes with my landlords, I think you'd have been very effective in making them feel very small and wrong :) (I mean that as the ultimate compliment).
 
Hi Tasmin,

I am currently working on a daytime TV show for ITV you may be interested in having a chat about to make a difference, I'd love to hear more about your complaints.

Please contact me on hannah.adams@itv.com

Look forward to hearing from you,
Hannah
 
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