FAQ

FAQ

FAQ

About our Mail Order Service

How much does it cost to have my order delivered outside of Melbourne?

Our shipping and handling prices are based upon the total weight of your shipment and the distance your order will travel from our Melbourne warehouse. You will be given up to 3 choices. These will be either one of our Courier partners, Australia Post Express Post or Australia Post Standard Parcel Post. When you click on Cart Contents enter your State & Postcode details under "Estimated Shipping Cost" & you will be given the postage cost. 

Can I work out for myself how much it will cost to have my order delivered?

Yes you can. Our website calculates the cost of postage based on the weight of the items you are purchasing & the postcode it is being delivered to.

To get a delivery cost click on "Cart Contents". From here submit your State & Postcode details & then click on "Calculate". You will be given a number of delivery prices & options for your postcode.  You don’t need to submit your credit card details. This way you’re able to view postage before you checkout. If you’re happy with the calculated postage then enter your credit card details & submit your order.

What if I’m not at home when my order is delivered?

From experience we've found that most customers are not home when we deliver. We therefore require you to provide us with delivery instructions. There is a space in "Checkout" under "Order Comments & Delivery Instructions" for you to provide us with this information.

Pets Pantry uses a combination of our own drivers, courier companies & Australia Post to deliver orders. If you are not at home to receive your order we will abide by the delivery instructions you provide.

Unless you have provided us with delivery instructions we assume that permission is granted to leave goods at unattended premises. We accept no liability for goods delivered that are subsequently damaged, lost or stolen from premises. We reserve the right to charge a re-delivery fee should we not be able to deliver to an unattended premise for any reason. In the case of orders delivered by Pets Pantry personnel the re-delievry fee will be a minimum $10.00 or 15% of the order value (whichever is the greater). In the case of orders delivered by our courier partners (eg Toll) the re-dlivery fee will be the cost of the re-dleievry fee charged by the courier company. We will provide you with documentation to substantiate this claim. In some cases, for orders delivered outside of Melbourne, where Australia Post has been nominated as the courier, a card may be left so you can pick it up your order from your local post office. Sometimes cards get accidentally discarded, so if you believe your order should have arrived, check with your local post office first.

FAQ

About our Online Store

How do I place an order on-line?

It’s easy. Each time you find an item you want to buy, simply click on the “Add To Cart” button and when you’ve finished shopping, go to the check out section and your order will be waiting for you to review. Once you have filled out your address and shipping information, simply click “Confirm Order” and your secure order is completed. It is that easy. No lifting, no trips in the car, no hassle.

Can I place my order by phone?

Of course you can. Simply call our 1300-30-40-34 number and one of our customer service representatives will be happy to take your order. Our manned hours are 8.30 AM to 7.00 PM Monday thru Saturday, Eastern Standard Time. Out of hours you can leave an order on our recorded message service. We’ll return your call to confirm your order & details as quickly as possible.

If for some reason you can't reach us, please email us at orders@petspantry.com.

I’m after a product that’s not listed on your website, are you able to source if for me?

Contact us with your enquiry at admin@petspantry.com. We’ll let you know within 24 hours whether we can source it for you or not & give you a price indication & cost for postage & handling.

What happens if a product I’ve ordered is out of stock?

At Pets Pantry we try & ensure that every product we carry is in stock. If for some reason a particular product is not available we will notify you by phone or email. If we are unable to source the product within a few days we will provide you with the following options.

  1. Are you are prepared to wait till the product is available ? We will provide a time frame & get it to you as soon as it arrives.
  2. Would you like to substitute if for a similar product ?
  3. Would you prefer a refund ?
I don’t live in Australia, can I order on-line?

Yes you can. The postage & handling costs will differ as well as delivery times. International orders can take up to 2 weeks to arrive.

I’m an International customer, what’s the cost of your products in my currency?

Pets Pantry website prices can be altered to selected currencies from around the world. You can select you currency from the list provided under the “Currencies” tab, which is located in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. The conversion rates are calculated regularly using daily foreign exchange data. Once you have completed your order, your card provider will charge your credit card in your currency.

Pets Pantry is not involved in the currency exchange process.

The currency converted price on our website is an indication only of the actual price you will be charged.

How are International orders sent?

Pets Pantry has partnered with Australia Post to ensure a fast cost effective delivery solution. Our site calculates the cost of freight automatically once your order is completed, with the charge shown in Australian dollars or the currency you have selected. Depending on the country of destination you are usually given a choice of 3 methods of shipping.

I’ve ordered from Pets Pantry before, but I want my next order to be delivered to a different address. How do I do this?

Order what you require as normal and follow the prompts through the site. When you decide to Check Out you will first be taken to the Delivery Information page. If you wish to change the address, select the Change Address option and fill in the new details, then continue as normal.

What is Pets Pantry’s Return & Refund Policy?

Click on the Terms of Use & Conditions of Sale underneath the Information tab for specific details.

Is my Personal & Credit Card information secure?

At Pets Pantry we want to give our customers a worry-free ordering experience. That's why our site uses Verisign’s Secure Server Technology (SSL 3.0), which encrypts all of your personal information. No one can obtain it as it travels through our shopping cart network. Your credit card number, e-mail address, and phone number are all protected. Your information is sent directly to the Commonwealth Bank’s Payment Gateway and is not stored in our Web site database; therefore it is safe from hackers.

If you’re still concerned about using your credit card over the Internet, simply call us on 1300-30-40-34 and give us the details over the phone.

What do you do with the Personal data you collect?

Pets Pantry uses the personal information you provide to improve our service and capabilities in operating our business. We do not sell, provide, or allow our information to be viewed by any other person other than those employed by Pets Pantry. We only provide Australia Post and courier companies with your address details to assist in the successful delivery of your order.

When I try to checkout my shopping cart is empty?

When you use our site your shopping cart's information is stored in your web browser's cookies. You need to be able to accept cookies to place an order.

We use cookies to track your active shopping cart information.

If you are using Firewall Software like Symantec's Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall, you will need to re-configure it to allow Private Headers and Session Cookies.

If you have your browser security level set to not accept cookies, you can manually add Pets Pantry to your list of accepted websites.

I’ve forgotten my password?

If you’ve forgotten your password enter your email address after clicking on the My Account tab. We will send you an email message containing a new password.

How do I find products?

There are 4 ways to search:

By typing in a Keyword in the Search menu & clicking Go
By Category (eg Dry Dog Food, Canned Dog Food, Dry Cat Food, Wet Cat Food, More Dog Products, More Cat Products).
By clicking on the Brand Name on the Home page.
By Manufacturer

Once I’ve placed an order how long will it take before I receive it?

We cover most areas of Melbourne at least once and often up to three times a week. Generally speaking allow at least 2 business days for Melbourne Metro deliveries. If you’re really desperate let us know & we’ll try & get it to you same day.

Allow 2-3 days for delivery into Country Victoria, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast & Adelaide, 4 days for Perth,Tasmania & other country areas.

If we suspect it will take longer because, for example we are out of stock, we will notify you by either email or phone.

Can I cancel an order?

Yes you can as long as it has not been despatched. Notify us immediately by email orders@petspantry.com or by phone on 1300-30-4034. If you placed the order online using a credit card we will refund your payment back to your credit card.

If you’re order has been despatched you can return it but at your cost. We strongly urge you to use the original packaging we sent your order in. We will check that the goods have been returned in good condition before processing your refund. See our returns policy & procedure for detailed information by clicking on the Information tab containing the words "Terms & Conditions" at the bottom of the page.

I’ve received a Coupon Code, how do I redeem it?

If you’ve received a coupon for use as a discount in our store you will need to enter the coupon code prior to completing the checkout process.

Add the items you require to your shopping cart. Then click on the View Cart link at the top right hand side of the page. This will redirect you into your shopping cart where you can see all of the items you have added to the cart. If you scroll down to the bottom of the View Cart page you will see a box in which you can enter the coupon code. You only need to enter the coupon code once and then we will automatically apply the applicable discount to your order total. When the coupon code has been entered correctly and submitted the shopping cart will refresh and you can see the coupon discount applied to your order total.

Do you offer guarantees on your products?

Yes we do. 

We offer a 7 day Money Back Guarantee (less shipping costs) provided the goods are returned in a saleable condition and are unused, in the original undamaged box including all original packing and inclusions. We reserve the right to charge a restocking fee of AUD$10 or 15% (whichever is the greater) and replacement cost, or refuse the return of items that are returned incomplete or damaged in any way. The purchaser is required to pay all shipping costs incurred in returning items to Pets Pantry except in instances where the goods arrived faulty or the incorrect product was shipped by Pets Pantry.

To arrange for the return of any item please email us at orders@petspantry.com (quoting your invoice number) or contact us by phone on 1300 30 40 34 to obtain our return shipping address.

No responsibility will be taken for goods returned without an invoice number. We will only accept returns where contact is made within 7 days of receipt of the item from Pets Pantry.

All goods returned to Pets Pantry will be inspected upon their return and in the case of faulty products, a replacement product will be sent at the expense of Pets Pantry or a refund issued to the customers credit card according to the customers instructions.

Pets Pantry offers no warranty on products above that which is offered by the relevant manufacturer.

 

What do you accept as payment & how do I pay?

We accept Mastercard, Visa, Paypal, Cheque or Bank deposit.

You can pay securely on-line or over the phone with Mastercard, Visa or Paypal. Paypal payments attract a 3% surcharge.

We only accept cash & cheque payments on Melbourne metro deliveries where it has been pre-arranged as the payment method. You can also pre-pay by depositing funds into our bank account. Please contact us by email orders@petspantry.com if you wish to make payment by cash, cheque or bank deposit. Allow 2 days for clearance of funds.

Please note that our Melbourne distributor will not leave an order unless payment in some form has been arranged or received. Re-delivery will attract a $10.00 or 15% re-delivery charge (whichever is the greater).

Does Pets Pantry have a Loyalty or Frequent Buyer Program ?

Yes we do. But unlike our competitors we reward our customers loyalty with an upfront discount. Rather than having to wait until you've purchased the required number of bags (which is usually 10 with most brands) and could take up to years to achive, our webprice has a Loyalty discount already built into the price.

Can I arrange for a standing order or regular repeat delivery without having to place an order online?

Yes you can. Simply contact us on 1300-30-40-34 to make the necessary arrangements. We find that with most of our customers purchasing food related products operate on a monthly to six week purchasing cycle. We use this information in conjunction with the sex, weight & life-stage of your animal to calculate your requirements & set up a standing order & delivery schedule.

You can also simply use the Yellow Re-order button on our home page to resubmit a previous order. If you need to make some minor changes this can be done at the same time.

FAQ

About Super Premium Pet foods

Why should I feed a Super Premium pet food?

Super premiums provide complete and balanced nutrition and can be fed as sole diets. They are significantly better than the more popular but generally poorer quality products available from your local supermarket. Supermarket brands are almost always cereal based, with meat meal or meat by-product as the primary meat source. They are generally higher in fibre and lower in palatability and digestibility and contain artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. Larger amounts need to be fed to your pet and many are not complete diets.

Super premiums on the other hand are nutrient dense, highly digestible and palatable ensuring your pet receives the correct balance for the maximum nutritional benefit. Importantly and because of this, there is less odour and mess making backyard clean ups easier. The Pro Plan range in particular contains no artificial colours and flavours and is naturally preserved with Vitamin E. Other manufacturers are in the process of introducing preservative free lines.

What’s the difference between Dry & Canned Diets?

The major difference between dry and canned foods is moisture content making dry foods considerably cheaper to feed. Dry foods contain around 8-12% water while canned diets contain 70-80% water. So, when feeding canned diets you are essentially feeding water. Because of this your pet must eat 2-3 times more of the canned food to obtain the same nutritional benefit as a dry diet. As a rule of thumb, feeding a canned diet of the same quality as a dry diet of the same brand will cost you approximately 3 times more to feed. Dry foods have two other advantages over canned products. They help keep gums and teeth clean and because they are cooked in extruders at high temperature offer significant improvements in palatability, texture and food quality.

I have a young puppy, older adult dog and a cat, what should I feed them?

The super premiums Pets Pantry carry gives you choice for life, from puppy to kitten through to adult and old age and from highly active to less active. Because puppies up to one year of age in most breeds and two years in giant breeds require up to twice the level of nutrition of adult dogs you need a formula which can provide increased fat, calories and protein for growth and energy. The Pro Plan Growth, Performance or Eukanuba, Advance & Hills Puppy formulations will readily satisfy the requirements of your growing pup. For older dogs, Pro Plan Adult, Natural, Lamb & Rice, Eukanuba Premium, Adult Maintenance, Hills Canine Maintenance or Pedigree Conditioning diet deliver balanced diets without the need for supplementation. For your cat the Pro Plan, Iams, Whiskas or Hills adult formulas are the ideal choice. The Pro Plan adult cat formula in particular contains low dietary magnesium, which helps maintain urinary tract health in your cat by reducing urinary pH.

What varieties do you carry?

Most brands Pets Pantry carries are based on chicken because of its exceptional taste and digestibility. However should your pet require a change of diet you have a choice between turkey & barley, lamb & rice, salmon & rice in Pro Plan, lamb & ocean fish in Eukanuba, turkey & tuna in Advance, lamb, pork, salmon & duck in Eagle Pack & lamb & duck in Nutrience.

How much does it cost to feed a Super Premium pet food?

Because of their low moisture content, high digestibility and the quality ingredients used in their manufacture super premiums while expensive to buy compared to supermarket brands are very economical to feed. They are excellent value for money.

With reference to Table 1 below, a 35kg Labrador for example would cost just under $3.00 a day to feed on a super premium like ProPlan. A 15kg pack if fed as the sole diet should last just over 5 weeks. Similarly for cats a 3kg adult cat would cost just $0.58c a day to feed. A 7.5kg bag lasting 4 months if fed as the sole diet.

Table 1 How much does a super premium cost to Feed ?

Adult Dogs                                                                         Adult Cats

Body Weight    Grams/Day   Cost/Day   Days                    Body Weight     Grams/Day   Cost/Day   Days 

5kg                  100g             $0.68c       150                      1.5kg                 30g                $0.29c       250
10kg                175g             $1.21c        85                        2kg                   35g                $0.34c       215
15kg                225g             $1.53c        67                        2.5kg                53g                $0.51c       142
20kg                280g             $1.91c        54                        3kg                   60g                $0.58c       125
25kg                325g             $2.23c        46                        3.5kg                70g                $0.68c       107
30kg                350g             $2.39c        43                        4kg                   75g                $0.73c        100
35kg                410g             $2.78c        37                        4.5kg                88g                $0.85c        85
40kg                470g             $3,23c        32                        5kg                 100g                $0.97c        75
45kg                510g             $3.55c        29                        5.5kg              110g                $1.07c        68
50kg                550g             $3.81c        27                        6kg                 120g                $1.17c        63
55kg                600g             $4.12c        25 
60kg                650g             $4.48c        23 
65kg                700g             $4.90c        21 
70kg                750g             $5.15c        20 
75kg                800g             $5.42c        19 
80kg                850g             $5.72c        18 
85kg                900g             $6.06c        17 
90kg                950g             $6.43c        16 
95kg                1kg               $6.86c        15 
100kg              1.05kg          $7.35c        14 
110kg              1.15kg          $7.92c        13 
120kg              1.25kg          $8.58c        12

Based on 15 kg pack of ProPlan Adult Formula for Dogs and 7.5 kg pack for Cats - recommended daily feeding guidelines. Serving sizes may need to be adjusted according to age, activity levels & body condition.

FAQ

Our Home Delivery service

What is Pets Pantry?

Pets Pantry is a retail pet supplies home delivery service operating its own fleet of delivery vans in the Melbourne Metropolitan area & Mornington Peninsula.

Outside of Melbourne we offer customers a fast mail order service utilising Australia Post. We specialise in super premium pet foods, animal health preparations and pet accessories for dogs, cats & horses.

The business is operated by a team of trained professionals qualified in the fields of animal health & nutrition. Michael O’Hara, the proprietor, holds tertiary qualifications in Marketing (Monash) and Agricultural Science (Melbourne). Prior to establishing Pets Pantry he held senior sales and marketing positions with The National Australia Bank (Rural Markets Manager), Hoechst Australia (Veterinary Product Manager) and Bayer Australia (Technical Sales Manager).

A team of veterinarians & technical representatives from major pet suppliers including Nestle Purina, Eagle Pack, Advance, Hills Science Diet, Iams, Merial & Bayer supports him & his distributors & franchisees.

How many years has Pets Pantry been in business?

Michael established Pets Pantry in Melbourne, Australia in December 1996. Our Sydney operation commenced in June 2009.

Our web store was one of the first on-line pet retail sites in the world & has been running successfully since 1997.

What brands do you carry?

We carry Australia’s most comprehensive range of pet products including super premium pet foods such as Eukanuba, ProPlan, Hills Science Diet, Advance, Eagle Pack, Royal Canin, Iams, Nutrience & Nutro. Our animal health preparations include Frontline, Advantage, Advocate, Revolution, Drontal, Sentinel, Proheart & Heartgard. Choose from our wide range of accessories from manufacturers such as Plush Puppy, Fidos, Dermcare, Hagen, Weatherbeeta, Sprenger, Black Dog, K9, Snooza, T&S, Nylabone, Petmate, Breeders Choice & Kong.

Do I need to be home to accept delivery?

No you don’t. As long as you’re happy for us to make the delivery to a designated address & there’s a safe place for us to leave it (ie your front porch, veranda, carport, garage, next door neighbour, friend, relative etc) there is no need for you to be there.
If it looks like it might rain or if we feel the need to disguise your delivery it will placed it in a black garbage bag.

Be assured by our track record. In the 13 years we have been in operation we have never had a delivery lost or stolen.

I live in a flat or secured apartment, how do I get my order?

Let us know this in the comments section when you place your order. Also give us an indication of when you might be at home for the following week. We’ll call you to make suitable arrangements.

We can also drop your order off to another location of say a friend, neighbour or relative if this suits.

Why should I use Pets Pantry instead of my local petstore?

There is no easier way for busy people to get what they need. Pets Pantry is a virtual Pet Shop in your home. Let your fingers do the shopping and discover everything you need for your family pet without moving from the comfort of your home.

No need for you to ever carry a heavy bag of pet food home again!
No need to fight traffic congestion & fight for a park !
No more waiting in queues !
No need to get wet or sweat it out in the heat !

We home deliver right to your door when it suits you.

No more worrying about the store being closed when you get there.

Our website store is open for shopping 24 hours a day seven days a week, so order online when it suits you.

How many times when, after you’ve battled the traffic, fought for a park & you’ve managed to get in the door of your local store, just before it closes, you find they’re out of stock of what you wanted ? And, what’s more they don’t care !

We carry 1,000’s of products with our more popular brands available for immediate delivery. If we haven’t got it in stock we’ll tell you quickly & let you know when we’ll have it. What’s more we can usually get it to you within 24 hours.

No more looking around for assistance or relying on untrained shop assistants who have no idea.

Call us or email us for friendly, intelligent and helpful service and advice from trained professionals when you need it.

We realize that we are not for everyone, but in today’s world of two-income, time stretched families …the convenience of our home delivery service, simply saves you time!

If I use Pets Pantry will I miss out on any special deals that are offered at my local store?

Absolutely not! How many times a year would you visit your local store to see what’s on special ?... do they notify you as soon as they find out about a special manufacturer’s deal or do you just happen to be there at the right time ?

Because of our ability to notify you immediately of special offers via email, as a Pets Pantry customer, you will be aware of more special deals than from your local store.

Can you answer questions about my Pet’s Diet & Health?

Yes we can. Our trained staff will be able to answer most of your questions. If not we’ll refer you onto someone who can. However the information we provide is of a general nature only & we do not provide technical veterinary advice. Customers should always seek a second opinion.

Are there employment opportunities with Pets Pantry?

Yes we’re on the lookout for good people to act as State distributors for us. We're currently looking for distributors for the Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Wollongong, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth & Tasmania.

How much does it cost to have my pet’s requirements Home Delivered by Pets Pantry?

We charge $5.00 for our Express delivery service in the Melbourne Metropolitan area. The delivery fee is a flat rate regardless of the dollar value or number of items in your order. Customers in other states are charged for freight based upon the total weight of their shipment and the distance their order will travel from our Melbourne warehouse. You are given up to 3 choices. These will be either one of our Courier partners, Australia Post Express Post or Australia Post Standard Parcel Post. To obtain an estimate of the cost place the product you wish to order in your Cart, then click on "Cart Contents" enter your State & Postcode details under "Estimated Shipping Cost" & you will be given the postage cost. 

As more franchisees come on board we will be expanding our Express delivery service into other State capitals & Provincial centres. Bookmark this page and keep coming back to check on changes.