Bird Cage Pan Rusting - What Can I Do?

Last Updated on October 1, 2023 by Mitch Rezman

Thank you for responding to my request for notification. However, the cage I currently have is the SAME cage purchased from the bird shop we bought our Moluccan 16 years ago. We made the purchase for him exactly one year ago, after a fire we had in our home.

By the way, it was our lovely Moluccan cockatoo that started the fire!!!!! I must say his name definitely fits his personality “Cudjo”. That said, after one year the bottom of the cage has already rusted. We have only used walnut shell which is cleaned nightly. When I notified the owner of the bird store, she said this is a problem with this cage that her customers have been complaining about the same issue.

Might I also add she offered no REFUND or any money to be applied to the purchase of another cage? I found this rather disheartening considering the cage was less then one year old and the money we paid. I did not realize it was the same cage until I watched the video on how to assemble the cage.

My question is what would you do if a customer contacted you regarding an issue such as this??? The reason I ask, I have no intention to EVER purchase another product from her store because of her lack of concern regarding a loyal customer of 16 years. After all, we bought Cudjo from her store 16 years ago – and since that time all of his items including the shell for the bottom (which is not cheap by no means), bird toys, swings, bird seeds, and the list continues.

This is the reason I am asking you before I continue to buy from your shop. So, again I ask is this how you would treat a loyal customer?

Regards,

Ronda

Hi Rhonda,

Certainly no retailer is going to tell you that they will treat you poorly. We’ve been selling bird & parrot supplies to the avian community for 19 years and have been able to do so because we feel we’ve always provided the best possible service available. Your e-mail has a few items that need to be addressed.

Although the bird cage in the video looks like the one you have is quite possible that it’s an off-brand. There are six factories in China that make bird cages some for the well-known brands like HQ and other factories make knockoffs that look very similar but just don’t have the same quality.

If you’d like I can reach out to our HQ bird cage distributor us to see if we can obtain a replacement pan. There would be a charge but we would be willing to help in this area. You can also re-finish your existing pan to avoid replacing the entire cage. Instructions on how to paint a bird cage can be found here.

Unless you receive a warranty card with your bird cage and that warranty card is filled out and submitted to the manufacturer or distributor, your warranty ends the moment you build the cage. If I owned the pet store that sold you the cage I would’ve certainly offered what I offered you in the above statement to see at least up we can get you a replacement pan.

If you talk to people who have been involved in the sale of bird cages for any length of time, they will tell you that using bedding material, in general, is overall a bad idea. The bedding retains moisture and in this case, the moisture is something called uric acid. Acid is acid and will eat through metal. Tomato sauce will eat through a commercial-grade soup pot over time – because of the acid content. Bedding also retains additional material and bacteria. Lastly, bedding doesn’t allow you to view your bird’s poop on a regular basis.

So in answer to your question” is this how you would treat a loyal customer?” Our answer would be “no” We would not have offered you a refund for the reasons stated above but we would’ve worked with you to get your problem resolved because our corporate mission is “to be an advocate for the birds”

The difference between us and your local pet shop is, that we get tens of thousands of visitors to our website monthly. We have a strong Facebook presence. We are talked about on dozens of bird and parrot forums across the planet that we monitor. Because we are primarily a web retailer (with the retail store) the major branding that we offer is predicated upon our perceived reputation. Especially in today’s environment with the ubiquitousness of social media you can either perform at the top of your game or perish rapidly whether you’re selling bird supplies or cellular phones.

Mitch Rezman
General Manager
Windy City Parrot, Inc.