topic Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!! in Customer Care

UPDATE: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!! Santa's Best ok!

OnlyShopsOnline — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 17:29:18 GMT

I purchased a flocked Christmas tree during Christmas in July, on sale. This evening, I read a couple of articles online stating that the flocking on trees is toxic to pets!!! I had no idea, and gave it no thought! I really think this information should have been shared. How many people purchased this tree that have pets in their homes?

Is selling merchandise more important than providing all of the necessary information that people need to have regarding a product, especially when it concerns the health and safety of our family members...even those with fur?

Now, I'm out almost $400 for a Christmas tree that I can't use, and have no tree to put up this weekend. And, this Gram and Pop aren't going to have a Christmas tree at their house this Christmas!!!!

I have no idea how I will send this back, and I'm probably going to be out $50+ in fees for delivery and return.

QVC, help me fix this mess!

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

Barbara-QVC — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 08:15:46 GMT

@OnlyShopsOnline wrote:

I purchased a flocked Christmas tree during Christmas in July, on sale. This evening, I read a couple of articles online stating that the flocking on trees is toxic to pets!!! I had no idea, and gave it no thought! I really think this information should have been shared. How many people purchased this tree that have pets in their homes?

Is selling merchandise more important than providing all of the necessary information that people need to have regarding a product, especially when it concerns the health and safety of our family members...even those with fur?

Now, I'm out almost $400 for a Christmas tree that I can't use, and have no tree to put up this weekend. And, this Gram and Pop aren't going to have a Christmas tree at their house this Christmas!!!!

I have no idea how I will send this back, and I'm probably going to be out $50+ in fees for delivery and return.

QVC, help me fix this mess!

Hello @OnlyShopsOnline

I looked at the information that was provided to us from Santa's Best and this is what it says:

Q: Is the flocking pet safe if they eat it?
A: We checked with the manufacturer. It is non-toxic. It is not harmful to
pets if they eat it.

I do hope that this information will be helpful to you. If you still wish to return the tree please let us know.

Barb

Customer Care

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

x Hedge — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 09:30:02 GMT

@OnlyShopsOnline, when flocking was NEW, at least 50 years ago, it was done with a substance that was dangerous for pets to chew on.

I'm quite certain those chemicals aren't used on flocked trees anymore. The whole tree appearance, safety, and set-up has been improved so very much over the years.

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

Caaareful Shopper — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 12:28:16 GMT

@OnlyShopsOnline Can you source the article you mention? All credible information I can find on the subject says flocking is not harmful to our pets.

Like anything else, try to keep pets away from the tree in general if they have a tendency to bite off large chunks of stuff to chew (like a branch itself, or an ornament), but that has nothing to do with the flocking substance.

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

Mominohio — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 12:36:51 GMT

If you bought this during CIJ it is easily returnable, and if you contact customer service, you could probably talk them into waiving the shipping charges, based on documenting the information you found.

Anyone with pets should give careful consideration to all the things that now 'fall off ' of Christmas decor. Glitter, flocking, beading, and all the small parts things are made up of. Having pets is like having toddlers around, you can never be to careful.

Thanks to OP for the reminder at this time of year to think about what different things we are putting up in our homes, and the effect that might have on our pets.

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

GSPgirl — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 12:42:30 GMT

@OnlyShopsOnline wrote:
I purchased a flocked Christmas tree during Christmas in July, on sale. This evening, I read a couple of articles online stating that the flocking on trees is toxic to pets!!! I had no idea, and gave it no thought! I really think this information should have been shared. How many people purchased this tree that have pets in their homes?

Is selling merchandise more important than providing all of the necessary information that people need to have regarding a product, especially when it concerns the health and safety of our family members...even those with fur?

Now, I'm out almost $400 for a Christmas tree that I can't use, and have no tree to put up this weekend. And, this Gram and Pop aren't going to have a Christmas tree at their house this Christmas!!!!

I have no idea how I will send this back, and I'm probably going to be out $50+ in fees for delivery and return.

QVC, help me fix this mess!

Please always give a source when you post something like this. The internet is full of rumors.

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

PamfromCT — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 12:58:53 GMT

If I am not mistaken, someone recently posted about a cat who almost died after licking or eating this flocking. While I do not have a flocked tree, I appreciated this info and will never buy anything with flocking on it. I cannot imagine my kitty on an IV fighting to live because of something I bought to decorate the house. Yes, that was how bad the reaction to that stuff was.

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

NickNack — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 13:32:38 GMT

@PamfromCT wrote:
If I am not mistaken, someone recently posted about a cat who almost died after licking or eating this flocking. While I do not have a flocked tree, I appreciated this info and will never buy anything with flocking on it. I cannot imagine my kitty on an IV fighting to live because of something I bought to decorate the house. Yes, that was how bad the reaction to that stuff was.

I just read that post about the cat almost dying this morning. I would be very afraid of using a flocked tree.

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

Lipstickdiva — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 16:13:21 GMT

A Christmas tree in and of itself can be dangerous to pets whether it is real or fake. Ornaments, tinsel, garland, etc. also pose a risk to pets.

The Mod already answered this question but if you are still uneasy, the tree can be returned because it was purchased during CIJ.

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

OnlyShopsOnline — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 17:21:42 GMT

@Barbara-QVC wrote:
@OnlyShopsOnline wrote:
I purchased a flocked Christmas tree during Christmas in July, on sale. This evening, I read a couple of articles online stating that the flocking on trees is toxic to pets!!! I had no idea, and gave it no thought! I really think this information should have been shared. How many people purchased this tree that have pets in their homes?

Is selling merchandise more important than providing all of the necessary information that people need to have regarding a product, especially when it concerns the health and safety of our family members...even those with fur?

Now, I'm out almost $400 for a Christmas tree that I can't use, and have no tree to put up this weekend. And, this Gram and Pop aren't going to have a Christmas tree at their house this Christmas!!!!

I have no idea how I will send this back, and I'm probably going to be out $50+ in fees for delivery and return.

QVC, help me fix this mess!

Hello @OnlyShopsOnline

I looked at the information that was provided to us from Santa's Best and this is what it says:

Q: Is the flocking pet safe if they eat it?
A: We checked with the manufacturer. It is non-toxic. It is not harmful to
pets if they eat it.

I do hope that this information will be helpful to you. If you still wish to return the tree please let us know.

Barb
Customer Care

Barb, thanks for your quick reply. I did call Santa's Best this morning and spoke with a representative. She told me that the flocking on their trees is made from cotton and the trees are not sprayed with any toxic chemicals. She said that if an animal were to injest large amounts, it could upset their stomach, and that cats were more of a concern than dogs.

Thanks again!

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

OnlyShopsOnline — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 17:23:39 GMT

@Caaareful Shopper wrote:
@OnlyShopsOnline Can you source the article you mention? All credible information I can find on the subject says flocking is not harmful to our pets.

Like anything else, try to keep pets away from the tree in general if they have a tendency to bite off large chunks of stuff to chew (like a branch itself, or an ornament), but that has nothing to do with the flocking substance.

@Caaareful Shopper PetMD had a very good article about dangerous holiday substances. I googled the information, and lots of articles came up in the search. HOWEVER, I did call Santa's Best this morning, and was assured that their flocking was made from non-toxic cotton and the trees were not sprayed with any chemicals.

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

OnlyShopsOnline — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 17:24:37 GMT

@GSPgirl wrote:
@OnlyShopsOnline wrote:
I purchased a flocked Christmas tree during Christmas in July, on sale. This evening, I read a couple of articles online stating that the flocking on trees is toxic to pets!!! I had no idea, and gave it no thought! I really think this information should have been shared. How many people purchased this tree that have pets in their homes?

Is selling merchandise more important than providing all of the necessary information that people need to have regarding a product, especially when it concerns the health and safety of our family members...even those with fur?

Now, I'm out almost $400 for a Christmas tree that I can't use, and have no tree to put up this weekend. And, this Gram and Pop aren't going to have a Christmas tree at their house this Christmas!!!!

I have no idea how I will send this back, and I'm probably going to be out $50+ in fees for delivery and return.

QVC, help me fix this mess!

Please always give a source when you post something like this. The internet is full of rumors.

I

@GSPgirl PetMD. However, I have posted an update on the information I have found out.

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

Caaareful Shopper — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 17:27:22 GMT

Good to know! Thank you so much @OnlyShopsOnline for the update.

Re: Flocked Christmas Trees Dangerous to Pets!!!

OnlyShopsOnline — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 17:28:07 GMT

UPDATE: After I read the response from Barb, from Customer Service, I did call Santa's Best this morning. They assured me that their flocking is made from 100% cotton and the trees are sprayed with no chemicals.

Our dog is young, and doesn't have free roam of the whole house yet. So, I'm feeling much more comfortable about using the tree.

The Santa's Best rep did say that cats tended to eat the flocking. And, any animal that injested too much would probably get sick......of course.