What follows is the entire correspondence between our Broken Hartz affiliate, Rite Aid Corporation and Hartz Mountain Corporation.
You’ll see how the repeated negligent dismissal of our affiliate’s concerns by Rite Aid Senior Counsel, combined with the lies piled on by Hartz Mountain Corporation to an individual with no prior knowledge about the dangers of Hartz products are responsible for causing the launch of brokenhartz.wordpress.com.
Names have been removed to protect certain individual entities involved in this matter but, you’ll notice, Hartz associates were not afforded this courtesy. No other details have been removed or altered.
You may also notice the error in which our affiliate mentions Frontline as being FDA-regulated. This was later corrected in the affiliate’s official response to Hartz as well as in the Broken Hartz post “Hartz Claims Advantage Doesn’t have FDA Approved Drugs”. This error has been left in the interest of providing the correspondences as they exactly occurred.
Enjoy!
INITIAL EMAIL CONTACT FROM BROKEN HARTZ AFFILIATE
On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 5:34 PM, [Broken Hartz] wrote:
Hello [Rite-Aid Category Manager],
I left a voicemail for you today, but would like to follow up with an email to ensure my message is properly communicated.
I purchased Hartz Ultra Guard Flea Egg & Flea Larvae Treatment for Cats and Kittens on Sunday, January 15, 2012. I followed the directions and gave this treatment to my cat. Within an hour, he was vomiting, had diarrhea and was lethargic.
I called my Vet who informed me they do not, under any circumstances, recommend this product for any animal. They advised me to remove it immediately by bathing him with baby shampoo and to watch him for other symptoms.
I researched this online and was horrified at the plethora of information available regarding the horrible side effects of this treatment, as well as other Hartz products and similar inexpensive flea treatments. There are literally thousands of accounts, reviews, YouTube videos, etc. claiming these products harm and kills animals. Other symptoms include hair loss, seizures and, in several cases, death.
Needless to say, I am outraged that not only are these products allowed to be sold anywhere, but are available at my local Rite Aid. I have been a loyal customer of Rite Aid for more than 10 years and would trust that when I saw an item for sale on its shelf that it was safe to use. Rite Aid has an image of Wellness and providing medical treatments that are safe for families, pets included.
I encourage you to research this issue further and urge you to contact me with updates on progress towards having these products removed from Rite Aid’s shelves.
Please respond to me as soon as possible. I would like to know what steps you will be taking to move forward with my request.
If you would like me to speak to someone else, please let me know or have them call me at [number withheld].
Regards,
[Broken Hartz Affiliate]
FOLLOW UP EMAIL FROM [Broken Hartz Affiliate] AFTER A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH [Rite Aid Category Manager], DURING THE PHONE CONVERSATION, [Broken Hartz Affiliate] WAS PROMISED PERSONAL DETAILS WOULD NOT BE SHARED WITH HARTZ
On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 6:58 PM, [Broken Hartz Affiliate] wrote:
Hi [Rite Aid Category Manager],
I just wanted to respond to the Hartz Rep’s claim that the medicine may have been given to an animal that was underweight for the treatment.
The package does not mention a weight restriction, only that it is intended for cats and kittens over 12 weeks of age. As I mentioned on the phone, my cat is 12 years old. He is large framed and weighs 19 lbs. I find it hard to believe this was intended for cats larger than this. In fact, I think his large size saved his life.
The product was applied exactly as directed, directly on the skin between the shoulder blades.
To reiterate, my veterinarian was very concerned to find we had used this product and made it clear the dangers of this product are well known. I don’t believe vets and thousands of pet owners around the country are making this up. I just don’t think it’s worth the risk for Rite Aid to continue carrying it. To be fair, Hartz is not the only product in this boat. There are many in the flea and tick control market who exhibit blatant disregard for pet safety.
There’s no need to respond to this email. I’m confident after speaking with you that you are addressing the situation. I look forward to hearing what you find.
Thank you again for your concern. Feel free to forward on this email as well.
Regards,
[Broken Hartz Affiliate]
RESPONSE FROM [Rite Aid Category Manager]
On Jan 20, 2012, at 5:18 PM, [Rite Aid Category Manager] wrote:
[Broken Hartz Affiliate],
I forwarded the body of your emails to Hartz. They sent the brief response below. In my conversations with them, they stated they need to get as much detail as possible and would even like to speak with your Vet if possible. First, let me say that it is not my intention to pressure you into speaking with them and I would be happy to be a conduit to pass information along. However, I do think it is difficult to get details communicated through a third party. In any event, if you are still opposed to speaking with them but are willing to answer questions through me, I will be happy to do that. Aside from understanding what happened, they report problems such as this to the EPA. Please let me know what you decide.
Thanks
[Rite Aid Category Manager]We are very sorry to learn about the problem you experienced. We are very concerned whenever there is a problem and we would very much like to look into this matter further to better understand what happened. Please contact us directly at 1-800-275-1414 or email us at consumeraffairs@hartz.com. Please ask for Ray or Nancy when calling. We would be more than happy to contact you directly, if you could provide us with your name and contact information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Nancy
——–
Nancy Moland
Manager
Consumer Affairs and Information Center
The Hartz Mountain Corporation
Phone: 800-275-1414
Fax: 201-271-1206[Rite Aid Category Manager Signature Removed]
[Broken Hartz Affiliate] RESPONSE TO [Rite Aid Category Manager]
On Sat, Jan 21, 2012 at 3:04 PM, [Broken Hartz Affiliate] wrote:
Hi [Rite Aid Category Manager],
As I mentioned during our previous conversation, I do not feel contacting Hartz will be productive. There have been countless complaints submitted to Hartz on behalf of pet owners over the past several decades. Additionally, the EPA has received over 40,000 complaints about Hartz and other products containing methoprene.
In regards to reformulation, Hartz’ reformulated cat and kitten products continue to injure and kill, and were named in the EPA Public Advisory issued in May 2009. The general findings were: yes, these products are dangerous and, in the case of cats, there is particular concern regarding the inert ingredients as they are the suspected culprit. The EPA is currently determining what actions will be taken. I strongly encourage you to read the full report, paying particular attention to the section on formulant ingredients. Clearly, more testing is needed before these products are fit for use.
If your Rep’s claim is that they’ve reformulated since then, I strongly suggest they try again or cease operation.
Furthermore, based on their decades of unethical behavior, I fear their goal is to find out who I am, who my Vet is and form a plan of attack as to how they’re going to damage control yet another complaint. I do not trust them, their claims, or their attempts to appear concerned for the welfare of my pet. I believe their main objective is to keep as much money in their pockets as possible.
My Vet is familiar with my cat’s health history and sees no reason to question anything other than the product. There is no doubt in my mind that this product made my pet sick because I thought it was safe and followed the directions. As a pet owner, I ask that you talk to your Vet about it.
I would also like to point out there are safe alternatives available, like Frontline or Advantage (which our Vet recommended) and these are regulated by the FDA as true animal drugs, not pesticides. Yes, they are more expensive, but pet owners seek these products out to properly treat their pet, not kill them for the sake of saving some money.
My concern is with Rite Aid’s position on this matter. I’m interested to hear your decision regarding whether or not you will continue to purchase these products and put them onto the shelves for Rite Aid customers.
Regards,
[Broken Hartz Affiliate]
RESPONSE FROM [Rite Aid Senior Counsel]
On Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 6:02 PM, [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] wrote:
[Broken Hartz Affiliate]: I have reviewed your complaints. Please be advised that Rite Aid relies on its manufacturers to make sure the products they sell in our stores meet and/or exceed all legal requirements. As such, I will forward your email to Hartz to discuss and handle with you.
FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE FROM [Rite Aid Senior Counsel], 40 MINUTES LATER
On Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 6:39 PM, [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] wrote:
[Broken Hartz Affiliate]: I understand from [Rite Aid Catgeory Manager], you do not want me to share your information with Hartz. As such, you may contact our business representative directly:
Tim Callahan
215-836-5582 office
267-879-3409 cell
TCallahan@hartz.com
[Broken Hartz Affiliate] RESPONSE TO [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] WITH CC TO [Rite Aid Category Manager], RITE AID’S ETHICS COMMITTEE (HERB, herb@riteaid.com), RITE AID’S CORPORATE BOARD (contacttheboard@riteaid.com) AND RITE AID’S SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES
On Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 11:58 PM, [Broken Hartz Affiliate] wrote:
Hello [Rite Aid Senior Counsel],
Firstly, I am relieved to find that [Rite Aid Category Manager] clarified my desire to keep my information private from Hartz at this time. His professionalism throughout this matter has been exemplary and much appreciated.
Second, it appears my complaint has been handed to the Rite Aid legal team. I understand this action, but feel this makes it necessary for me to clearly state my position. My concern is for nothing more than public safety through education, leading to the removal of products deemed unsafe by the EPA while we await their decision on how they will move forward in this matter.
I have no intention of seeking financial or any other forms of compensation from Rite Aid Corporation, Hartz Mountain Corporation or their affiliates. I have not contacted Rite Aid for a fight. Rather, I have contacted Rite Aid in confidence; as a long-standing, Gold Plus Rewards customer, to appeal to its sense of decency. Furthermore, I have no desire to topple Hartz Mountain Corporation and would be comfortable with distributors resuming stocking of Hartz products once the EPA has deemed them safe.
Moving forward, if I’ve understood your response, Rite Aid intends to continue stocking Hartz products, relying solely on the discretion of the supplier to police itself and notify Rite Aid if there’s a problem.
I appreciate that, due to size, Rite Aid is unable to undertake the responsibility of researching all prospective products but; given the information I have provided, your response seems to be in direct opposition to statements made in Rite Aid’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct (02-2011). It appears Rite Aid even goes one step further by requiring all suppliers to act in compliance with not only this Code of Ethics, but a separate, supplier-specific Code of Ethics.
Given the information regarding Product and Service Safety (page 16 of 20 in Rite Aid’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct):
“It is essential to the Company to provide safe products and services that fulfill Rite Aid’s responsibilities to the public, maintain a competitive position in the marketplace, and retain the confidence of our customers.”
along with information in the About Us section of the Rite Aid website:
“Rite Aid’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct was developed to reinforce and enhance our commitment to an ethical way of doing business. This not only applies to Rite Aid associates and our Board of Directors, but also to the companies that Rite Aid does business with.”
combined with this link to the EPA Public Advisory (published March 2010), stating the unsafe nature of the products in question:
I fail to understand how your reply can be the official Company response regarding this matter, unless I have misinterpreted the information presented above.
Since Rite Aid’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct lists the Board of Directors; Senior Vice President, Human Resources and HERB as being responsible for upholding this document, I have seen fit to CC them in this correspondence. I implore these named entities to review the information I have provided and restore my confidence in the Rite Aid brand.
Regards,
[Broken Hartz Affiliate]
RESPONSE FROM [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] WITH CC TO [Rite Aid Category Manager]
On Wed, Jan 25, 2012 at 10:34 AM, [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] wrote:
[Broken Hartz Affiliate]: May I have Hartz contact you directly? I am not putting you in touch with a general complaint number. I am offering contact with Rite Aid’s business representative at Hartz. I think it is important for you to discuss your concerns directly with Hartz. We do not make the product and rely on the manufacturers in addressing concerns similar to yours. I can facilitate the contact. Thanks.
RESPONSE FROM [Broken Hartz Affiliate] WITH CC TO [Rite Aid Category Manager]
On Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 10:01 PM, [Broken Hartz Affiliate] wrote:
I will not be so easily dismissed.
Stay tuned.
RESPONSE FROM [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] WITH CC TO [Rite Aid Category Manager]
On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 5:51 PM, [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] wrote:
[Broken Hartz Affiliate]: You did not answer my question below. Is your answer no? I am not sure what you mean by “not so easily dismissed.” Are you filing suit? If so, please let me know. Thanks.
RESPONSE FROM [Broken Hartz Affiliate] TO [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] WITH CC TO [Rite Aid Category Manager]
On Tue, Jan 31, 2012 at 2:24 AM, [Broken Hartz Affiliate] wrote:
[Rite Aid Senior Counsel],
You have read my story. You know what happened. I will not bother repeating myself.
I will only add that after researching this product I learned my cat, my dear friend who I love like my own child, could have died from what happened. I watched him very closely for several days; my [spouse] and I took shifts, watching him throughout the nights, to make sure he was okay. If you have pets or children, you’re no doubt aware of what an awful, traumatic experience this was for us.
I’ve since learned there are tens of thousands of others who have gone through what I went through and far, far worse. Many people’s dogs and cats have cried out, lost their hair, suffered terrible burns, experienced seizures and kidney failure. Unfortunately, all too many throughout the country ended in the most tragic of ways; at an emergency care clinic, in their grief-stricken, guilt ridden owners’ arms. Tragically, this is no dramatization.
I called and emailed Rite Aid to let them know my findings, ignorantly trusting this would get me somewhere. I was put in touch with [Rite Aid Category Manager], who I continue to believe was/is genuinely concerned for the situation. He assured me my information would be kept in confidence. None of my personal details would be shared with Hartz.
I informed Rite Aid of my personal experience. I made the vast severity of the matter at hand known. I cited official EPA documentation and asked if Rite Aid would continue selling this product.
My question was directed to Rite Aid’s legal team.
Instead of being provided an answer, I was met with a cold response, attempting to excuse Rite Aid from the matter altogether and, more insultingly, seemed to suggest my personal information had been negligently forwarded on to Hartz. In the time it took to read this email and begin drafting a response, a retraction statement was made, claiming the error had been caught in time and my privacy had remained intact. I sincerely hope that to be the case.
To this negligent, excusatory response, I referenced publicly available documents on your website in direct opposition to the official response the Rite Aid legal team offered. I implored those who claim ownership of these documents to stand up and restore my faith in Rite Aid and what was I met with?
Silence.
I was fed an unconscionable dismissal of those documents and the same excusatory response, albeit veiled with softer words.
Again, I was asked to allow my information to be forwarded to Hartz. Rite Aid has continued avoiding answering my questions, but I will answer yours one last time. No, you may not, under any circumstances, forward my personal information to Hartz.
Furthermore, your continued persistence in this matter leaves me with doubts as to whether or not there has already been a breach of my privacy. As you know, I am familiar with your code of ethics documents and the section concerning your obligation to save all correspondences in this matter, should the need to reference said documents arise, has not gone unnoticed.
To suggest I have absent-mindedly forgotten to respond to a question that was answered from the outset of this discussion, while my questions regarding the public safety of people and their pets have been completely dismissed, is brazen.
I am mad. Damn mad. I believe Rite Aid Corporation has handled this matter with wanton disregard, exhibiting concern for nothing more than shirking responsibility.
I misplaced my faith in Rite Aid for more than a decade.
Rite Aid sold me this product, Rite Aid has ignored my questions and Rite Aid has behaved unethically.
I have communicated my concerns clearly, calmly and with dignity, but I have had enough. I’ve learned these products are sold en masse by distributors that hide behind fake slogans expressing care and concern. I’ve experienced corruption first hand and will never look at the world the same way again.
So, in answer to your additional question regarding my current position:
You’ll just have to sit tight.
RESPONSE FROM [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] WITH CC TO [Rite Aid Category Manager]
On Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 10:51 AM, [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] wrote:
[Broken Hartz Affiliate]:
Attached is information from Hartz that you may answer your questions. I dispute your allegations that Rite Aid has done anything wrong here.
RESPONSE FROM [Broken Hartz Affiliate] TO [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] WITH CC TO [Rite Aid Category Manager]
On Sat, Feb 18, 2012 at 8:25 PM, [Broken Hartz Affiliate] wrote:
Hello [Rite Aid Senior Counsel],
Sorry to keep you waiting.
The document provided by Hartz indeed answered many of our questions regarding Hartz Mountain Corporation.
Since you’ve had a hard time with this point, we will reiterate: you may not share our personal information with Hartz.
Our response is attached to this email.
Side Note
[The contents of this 35-page response to Hartz 6.5-page "Executive Summary of EPA Evaluation of Pet Spot-On Products" became the brokenhartz.wordpress.com exposé. At the end of this document, the Broken Hartz affiliate revealed the process of disseminating this information about Hartz to the public had begun, but Rite Aid had not yet been revealed, so as to give the Company time to re-think its position in this matter.
Unfortunately for Rite Aid Senior Counsel, having made it weeks without hearing from our affiliate left him feeling as if Hartz' "Executive Summary" had solved his little "problem". Whereas he previously had been in the habit of constantly checking his email, re-reading our affiliate's submissions and forwarding the information to others; the weeks that went by without hearing from our affiliate caused him to let his guard down. The email sent by our Broken Hartz affiliate on the evening of Saturday, February 18, 2012 (8:25pm EST) was not opened by Rite Aid Senior Counsel until mid-morning on Monday, February 20, 2012 (10:35am EST).
The read-receipt above proves Rite Aid Senior Counsel responded to our affiliate only one hour after having opened the correspondence. To read the entire 35-page response and click the supporting evidence links in the allotted time is a distinct impossibility.]
RESPONSE FROM [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] TO [Broken Hartz Affiliate]
On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 11:28 AM, [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] wrote:
[Broken Hartz Affiliate, name misspelled by Rite Aid Senior Counsel]: For the record, the attached document contains your comments within the body of the document. You do not make that clear. In any event, there is nothing further I can do other than forward your response to Hartz. However, you will not let me do that so I won’t. As such, I consider this matter closed and there nothing further for me to do here.
Side Note
[Below is a screenshot of the first page of our affiliate's response to Rite Aid and Hartz Mountain Corporation. Rite Aid Senior Counsel's confusion as to how the affiliate's "Regarding" document was laid out proves he was unable to make it five sentences into the document before losing focus, giving up and taking the far easier route of sending the lazy, negligent, inaccurate response above. Hysterically, when responding to our affiliate's remark about his lack of comprehension (found below), Rite Aid Senior Counsel's rebuttal does nothing but further solidify our affiliate's assertion.]
RESPONSE FROM [Broken Hartz Affiliate] TO [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] WITH CC TO [Rite Aid Category Manager]
On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 12:44 PM, [Broken Hartz Affiliate] wrote:
[Rite Aid Senior Counsel],
Your lack of comprehension is not surprising at this point.
We are quite clear in the introduction of our regarding document as to how the information has been laid out. We state the maroon, italicized text comes from us.
Thank you for clarifying Rite Aid’s intent to hold its position in this matter. We now see fit to attach Rite Aid’s name to all information provided to the public, or did you not even get to that part?
Lastly, you can easily attach the “Regarding” document to Hartz in an email, drafted by you. This will keep our personal information private while still allowing you to share the details of our response to Hartz.
RESPONSE FROM [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] TO [Broken Hartz Affiliate]
On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 1:45 PM, [Rite Aid Senior Counsel] wrote:
I will provide the attachment to Hartz without your personal information. As I have consistently informed you, this is not a lack of comprehension by Rite Aid—this is an issue between you and Hartz.
Side Note
As you can imagine; when news of what was going on finally hit the Hartz camp, they flew into panic mode, as outlined in this post.
RESPONSE FROM [Broken Hartz Affiliate] TO [Rite Aid Senior Counsel]
On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 3:09 PM, [Broken Hartz Affiliate] wrote:
Don’t worry, [Rite Aid Senior Counsel]. You have made Rite Aid’s unconscionable, negligent, liable position quite clear. Every bungle on your end has only made our side stronger. We look forward to whatever ridiculous crap you throw our way next.
There you have it. The story of how two of the largest, most corrupt corporations in America, with their armies of lawyers and decades of practiced deception, had war boldly declared upon them by a small group of determined, resourceful consumers who didn’t appreciate being handed flagrant lies.
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March 5th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
Thank you for posting this. It prompted me to send a message to Rite Aid informing them I will not be shopping at their stores until their customers concerns outweigh those of corrupt manufacturers.
March 5th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Thank you so much for your support. We encourage others to do the same. If you missed it, here is our post on Rite Aid’s “unique” relationship with Hartz Mountain Corporation.
http://brokenhartz.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/rite-aid-corporation-still-in-bed-with-hartz/
March 6th, 2012 at 12:49 pm
They gave me a pretty generic reply:
Carolyn,
Thank you for taking the time to contact us. I have filed the concern, for the proper individuals to be made aware of.
I appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
Carrie
Customer Support
March 6th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Thank you for sharing. We imagine the “proper individuals” are the above named entities and the “filing” cabinet bears a striking resemblance to Rite Aid Senior Counsel’s trash can.
We’d love to see more people contacting Rite Aid like Carolyn.
May 1st, 2012 at 4:09 am
After reading the entire posting of details, I believe that Hartz needs to make some serious adjustments with their product. But I think it is ridiculous that Rite Aid’s image is being dragged along with it. So many stores sell the same product. They are no different than us. They trusted Hartz just like the rest of us. I am sure they have Hartz on a very, very short leash now and are looking into it. I appreciate this organization trying to keep our pets safe, but they need to go after the company that creates it and not drag in everyone else who has no more knowledge than you do.
May 1st, 2012 at 7:50 am
Hi Tawny,
Thank you for taking the time to read this page and for commenting.
Sadly, Rite Aid is not innocent in all this, however.
They are keenly aware of the dangers of Hartz, they simply don’t care.
Rite Aid is known as one if the most corrupt organizations in the country and they even share a unique history with Hartz. Please read “Rite Aid Corporation Still in Bed With Hartz” for more details:
http://brokenhartz.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/rite-aid-corporation-still-in-bed-with-hartz/
Lastly, we keep an eye on Rite Aid and, so far, they are still stuffed to the gills with Hartz products.
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