An Answer to the Potty Patch mystery!
April 4, 2009 · Print This Article
I did a boatload of research today and finally tracked down the owner of the Potty Patch business. Many of you have wondered what was going on with this company, since you sent in your credit card information, but never received your product. See my previous post here. (Special note to VPinTenn: Thanks for the phone number! Unfortunately, I could never get through – kept getting “all circuits are busy”.)
After buying a couple of searches on Intelius.com, I was able to find both a phone number and an e-mail address for Christian Darby, the registered owner of the PottyPatch.com website. I left a message for him, and he was nice enough to call back and give me the scoop on what is happening.Â
Their company is currently test-marketing the Potty Patch in several different ways. One way was the e-mail blast, which is what I originally blogged about. Next, they did a TV spot, which several of you saw on Animal Planet. However, because they are simply test-marketing to see what brings the best response, they were not totally ready to ship products at the time.
Mr. Darby assures me that the small size Potty Patch will be shipped in about 2 weeks, while the larger size may not be ready until June. If you have any questions or concerns about your order, he is willing to address them if you email him at christiandarby(at)earthlink.net. (If you don’t know how this works, he would have been flooded with spam if I had entered his complete e-mail address here, so just replace the (at) with the traditional @ sign when you go to address your e-mail.)
He sounded like a nice person, and understands your concerns about identity theft. Please let me know if you don’t get a response from him after you contact him. He appeared to be very willing to clear this up.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
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70 Responses to “An Answer to the Potty Patch mystery!”
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[...] UPDATE!:Â See resolution information here. [...]
I,m trying too find some info about the potty patch like
is it reuseable how big is it,do you have too use any chemicals
too ativate this product, I called the 800-945-5617,but they
don,t do questions, I may order this product if I can find out
about it.
thank you gary
phone 1-775-751-5176
I alreadtvdid that
Thanks for doing all that research for us! I was intrigued by the website when I came across it. I naturally always Google things that seem like they’ll be a lifesaver, because usually their pieces of junk. My heart sank when I started reading about scams, because I really wanted to try the potty patch out, but now that I found this post I feel a little more relieved and I might order one now.
hi, i heard about great potty patch indoor but what about the poop??????? potty patch is for dogs pee. nothing saying anything about poop. huh. j.g.
So is this issue cleared up? And if it is does anyone know if it works?
After getting on this website and finally finding a phone number to call, I found that the order I placed on the Potty Patch site wasn’t recorded with the office. This may be a fluke, or this may have effected many orders. If your order is super late, you might call their office and find out if they ever received it.
[...] this is legit Considering buying a potty patch for your dog? Read this first! – Doggies Dog Blog An Answer to the Potty Patch mystery! : Doggies.com Dog Blog __________________ He Gave Them to Us to Use in Times of Need…NOT…to Abuse for Greed [...]
Has anyone actually used this product and does it work.
has anyone gotten theirs yet? i placed my order on march 22 and still havent received mine. there were people ahead of me that hadnt received theirs yet. just curious
Just tried to reach Christian through websie you offered and returned undeliverable…for sure won’t try again. Thought product terrific if real, but evidently not.
Ordered Potty Patch on June 3rd. Called Customer Service @ 866-518-2294 on June 23rd. Was advised it was shipped June 22nd & would arrive by July 1st. We’ll see….
I also requested a confirmation # and the name of the rep. I spoke with. Document, document, document.
hi, I just spoke with customer service who said there is a 3-6 week delay in shipping due to backorders. She said her company just took over customer service for the company so perhaps thats why in the past there were problems getting through to the. She was super nice and helpful with product questions.
What about male dogs? My puppy is already lifting his leg. Seems as if potty patch is not including them.
Nobody ever got their potty patch. Why are there still people ordering?
I am getting unsolicited spam for potty patch and I don’t even own a dog! But thanks for posting his email address…. he will be getting his spam back!
I don’t think that this would work for male dogs. It does not have sides. I am sure that my may YORKIE will pee right off of it and onto the walls. I am going to look around at other dog litter prooducts.
Has an yone ordered this that has a male?
Also, from reading other comments it seems that there is quite a delay in shippng. I want to train my puppy while he is still young enough.
I thought that this was a great idea when I saw the commercial. Called the 800 number provided and went through the automated system…..then, and only after my order was placed and my credit card info was given, the automated voice informed me that if my dog was not a puppy and weighs more than 15 lbs, I should “upgrade my order for an additional $40.00.” Now this became an $80.00 item.
There was no option to cancel, or ask for customer service, just a voice pitching more items to tie into the sale.
On the Web there is a small link to customer service and a phone number: 866-518-2294. I called and cancelled.
I
i would like to also buy this product, if it works. but we hear from them about the peeing. but what ablout the poop? if not what good is that , i would rather pick up papers, when my dog can’t go outside. how can we find out, does anyone know the answer?
I was on the internet all day about the Potty Patch. Whoever is behind this is pretty smart and is a scam. e-mails and phone calls mostly are not answered. People stop sending for it. I was watching his ad on the TV and all you need is a large boot tray somekind of a grate to fit on the top and some astro turf on the top of that.You can get some of tis that is just like grass. I am looking into this right now and see what I find. I have a small puppy and she is at her full growth now at 10 lbs. She is a Shiranian ( designer puppy) Part Shitzu and part Pomaranian. I have trained her with pee pads and I never take her out unless we are going someplace. I am in an apartment on the 5th floor so I don’t think we would make it outside. Good luck everybody but I think you are out some bucks. Before I forget I was also into E Bay. Potty Patch is selling for 90 bucks there.
hey guys I shoulduv saw this sites before ordering one. I am moving next week and instead of using newspaper at night when my little dogs need to go pee i thought of this potty patch and order it without thinking. today is july 4th so they are closed but if i call tomorrow can i cancel my order? since its not charged and not going to be ready to ship I can cancel right? PLEASE CANCEL my order!! will call tomorrow. I feel so dumb…..
I seen this product at walmart a few days ago got 39.98.
Thank so much to every one who followed up on this scam. I was beginning to think I was the only one who fell for this .
Tamara, that’s impossible. They don’t sell this particular product at Walmart. It might be a spin-off of it, but it’s not the Potty Patch. They don’t sell the Potty Patch in stores.
I know Frontgate has a version of this, but it’s much more expensive. I go back and forth with buying the Frontgate version. (for a large, it’s around $190….the small is $130.) It’s called the Pet Loo. But, you do have to replace the ‘grass carpet’ @ $60-$65 a piece and then there’s an odor eliminating agent for $6.50 for a 17oz bottle. Depending on how often the grass needs to be replaced, it might be worth it to just eat the cost and go for it.
My miniature poodle is used to going outside, but as everyone knows, it is not always easy to get up in the middle of the night or rush home to make sure the dog doesn’t make a mistake. Do any of you think it would be easy or difficult to train our five year old Foxy to go inside on the Potty Patch? Does anyone have the experience of training a dog to go inside – when its used to going outside?
Do you think this would work for me? I want to buy one to put next to my bed incase I’m to lazy to walk to the bathroom. Its a good 15 feet from my bedroom, I MAY order it. I don’t own a dog, it would be for my personal use.
-Taint
Taint – Depends on how good your aim is!
I think at this point the Attorney General in the state they are being sold form needs to be contacted by those that have been scammed.
Sheila
connemaraterrier.com
I bought the Rascal Dog Litter Box (www.rascaldoglitterbox.com) because it has sides and my male doesn’t miss. Also, my female can’t hang her butt off and pee on the floor. I received my Rascal Dog Litter box in just a few days and was able to talk directly to the owner. This is the best litter box on the market!
the phone number I found right on the website for Potty Patch is 866-518-2294. If you scroll down the web page, you’ll see “Customer Service” click on it you got the number.
I emailed to Christian Darby, for the past 2 days, he never replied!!! Pls help, I really want to receive this product asap and I live in canada! Help me!!!
I have had the Potty Patch for 2 weeks. My dog has been using it for a week & I am very unhappy with it. It smells worse than a cat’s litter box & I clean it 2x a day! I am going back to puppy pads. I have emailed Mr Darby about a return & refund & will await his reply.
I did receive the Potty Patch as promised. It took a long time, however. I also posted on June 23rd. Again, the number to call is: 866-518-2294. Good luck!
I need a protable potty of some kind, living in a condo, walking my dog 2X per day before and after work is fun during these summer months.
I have a 5 year old Beagle who is very good about waiting to potty outside but I have to work late at times and need an option for her.
I have reserached the PupHead, Doggie Potty.Com, and the Potty Patch we need help in selecting the best option.
Help please.
Yvonne
ou might want to try the Rascal Dog Litter Box. It’s one of the few boxes that has sides which keeps the mess inside the box. I had the box delivered in just a few days and am very pleased with the product.
I wish that I had been smart enough to read these comments before I ordered the large potty pad, it is a complete bust and the person who is selling it needs to refund everyone their money,it’s a sham,you can’t reach them by phone or e-mail, I’ve tried and tried.
I agree that the Rascal Litter Box is the best! It is a quality product and the customer service is like none other. Emails are answered immediately, the litter box is shipped right away and the owner is there to help you with all problems you may have. It does have sides on it for male dogs.
I ordered the Potty Patch for my pup early in the year. We have not received it as yet. I wrote to Christian Darby (believed to be owner/president of company) and received a reply from him on April 28 after waiting weeks and not receiving the product. He assured me that I would receive the product in May. It never came. After seeing the ads running again for the product I called Customer Service on August 7. I insisted on speaking to a supervisor. I was told a supervisor would return my call that day. No call was received. On August 8, I called again. This time I was told a supervisor cannot take the call and I must wait 3-5 days for a return call. I insisted on talking to a supervisor and got Diana #667 on the phone. At this time she told me she “could not give the name or other information about the company as she’s been instructed ‘not to do so’”. She also told me that the order for my product was not in the system until July 2. Interesting since I received a response to my letter from Mr. Darby on August 28 concerned about my order weeks earlier. This company seems to have some issues in even knowing what it’s doing and is irresponsible from the standpoint that customer service is “not allowed” to give out information about the company! The fact that they are still taking orders and are so backlogged and haven’t filled orders dating back to the beginning of the year is definitely an indication of either poor or mismanagement where the paying customer is not valued. If anyone is interested, the number for customer service is 1-866-518-2294. Good luck!
Make your own!!!
Back in 1992 when my new Chihuahua’ pups were just 8 week & 10 weeks old, we set out for a week vacation and would be enroute for a 16 hour RV ride to Daytona Speedway, Since we didn’t want to stop frequently, our resolution was to buy 2 large cookie sheets & two pieces of sod. That’s right, real grass at your local co-op for $2.50! The oldest pup has paper trained when we got her and she was an immediate convert and the other pup just followed her lead.
Because that worked so perfectly, in ‘95 when Peso has her first litter, I took two underbed storage boxes, made a cut-through from one to the other and then taped them together. As the pups started moving to the end of their crate to eliminate, their natural instinct to distance themselves led them to the sod. As that piece got ‘dirty’ I would take it outside and replace it with a fresh piece. Later when it came time to teach them to go outside, I took them to the ‘used’ sod and in no time they were ‘outside trained’. I have never had had a ‘paper trained’ dog or house training problems on any pups since! Good luck!
I ordered two large Potty Patches on July 22. Then I found the websites telling about the problems. I waited until today to call and cancel my order. I called 866-518-2294. I got through right away, they were very nice, and cancelled the order. The potties are backordered until the end of August. It would be nice if they would send an email telling you the expected ship date. Apparently there is no one in charge.
I will be making my own, large boot tray with grids, and door mats. My “boys” already seem to like peeing on door mats…
oy sorry about come of that spelling.
I ordered the Potty Patch in June, and I hadn’t received it yet. But this morning, I found it on my bank statement as “pending”, but I was overcharged quadruple! I called customer service, and they said that they had just shipped it (imagine that!) so I could cancel the order. My only recourse would be to return it, unopened. I emailed the owner of the business, and started a paper trail. We’ll see how this goes! I’m trying to give them the benefit of the doubt at this time, but there are many flags raised!
Correction…I could NOT cancel the order. Sorry for the typo!
We have the Pet Loo from Australia. It costs more but we really like it. We do keep it outside as it smells some. We bring it inside if we are going to be gone for several hours. We ordered the small Potty Patch for inside but of course it has never come. The web site is http://www.thepetloo.com
I hope this helps.
i just wish they would stop emailing me
i have to say that i still prefer the potty pads…my chihuahua has been raised with them from 5 wks old…also i can fold it so it goes up the wall (bandit’s a boy) and it’s easy to dispose of…i’m not really into emptying a tray of doggie peepee and having to wash everything every day and if it’s not clean bandit won’t use it…sorry maybe an ok product for people new with indoor dogs but i don’t see how this is adaptable for male dogs who learn to lift their leg no matter what
i got my potty patch… and they answered the phone right away.. i think you all are overreacting…
I dont know if it works or not… but i did receive it.
I ordered my potty patch on Aug 24 and still have not received it nor have I had a charge to my account or any contact from the company. It has taken me a few hours to finally find a customer service number on the net. I called and they said everything is on backorder now and I will receive my product in the specified 4-6 weeks. I told her that I was looking at blogs on the internet that said people ordered in April and earlier and still haven’t received their product and she basically said, “So?”
So far, I am highly disappointed with this company and product. I went to the website to try to find some sort of customer service info, and found nothing there. When I tried to leave the website, the “special offer” pop up ads would not let me navigate away. My computer locked up completely and I had to shut it down manually.
I’ve been on more than a dozen sites today and every single one of them is full of hundreds of complaints from people saying this is a scam, they never got their product, etc. If they never take my money, then I’ll be fine if I don’t get the product. But I have a bigger problem here – $3000 worth of new carpet and a supposedly “house trained” new dog who pees and poops on the new carpet EVERY DAY! I want a remedy for this problem whether it’s the potty patch or whatever.
Has anyone used this for a housebroken potbelly pig?
Well, B Black, I am happy to share with you e-mails from the company specifically telling me that I canNOT cancel the order. I have been battling this company personally now for nearly two months, I recently filed a fraud complaint with the Better Business Bureau in CT, have disputed the charges with my bank, am in the process of filing a fraud complaint with the Attorney General’s Office, posted complaints with the advertising departments of as many TV networks I could find and, if I am not able to remedy this problem through these actions, I would certainly be happy to work with some of the rest of you in putting together a class action suit against this company. I assure you that I would NOT spend my time to go to any of these extremes if this company appeared to be even slightly legit! With the volumes and volumes of complaint postings, I have t wonder if the random one or two positives are being posted by someone connected to the company. I even stumbled on a review website yesterday that had only 4 postings but all positive…interestingly enough they were all posted “By Admin”.
I emailed the Christian Darby? listed in this article.. he answered immediately and someone from the company called me ….. I was the one that was wrong… the payments they collected from my account were correct and it was no problem…..i think this webiste is creating a bit of a frenzy and causing people to overreact… …… in retro tho… i am wondering if it is ever a good idea to encourage the dog to pee in the house… how does my dog know if the carpet is green or tan .??? peeing on the carpet is still just that .. peeing on the carpet….
but I had no problem with the Potty Patch company…and i do not work for Potty Patch nor am i connected with the company in any way..
So glad I found this blog. I too would have became a victim of this scam! I ordered the Rascal Dog Litter Box. The company promises same day shipping which they did follow through on. I was determined to litter box train my puppy since I work long hours. I spoke with the owner of the Rascal Box company and she assured me that my box would be shipped that day. It was refreshing to speak directly to the company and not an anwering service.
Good Luck to everyone. I hope you get your money back.
Jim
Thanks to all who have posted and shined the light on this scam. I was about to buy the potty patch also, but after researching this product I found this blog. You save me $40 and a lot of grief!!
I checked out the Rascal Dog Litter Box website and was very impressed with the design of this litter box for dogs. I will be ordering one in a few days and will post my review of this product. I have a male Maltese puppy who is 3 months old and 95% trained on the wee-wee pads. He should make the transition from the pads to the litter box with out any problems. Also I was told once he gets snipped he shouldn’t lift his leg to wee. But even he does the sides should be high enough to stop him from hitting the walls.
Here is a link to the site: http://www.rascaldoglitterbox.com/home
Thanks again!
Dominic
Both of my dogs are litter box trained. I didn’t go the expensive route, just a $15 doggy box from Petsmart or Petco. Then again, both of my dogs are girls so there is no leg lifting issues
I was looking at something to have at my mom’s house. It seems though that this is not the answer. I guess I need to save myself the money and grief and go get another box.
Just buy a Potty Patch on Ebay ….duh Then you wont have to worry about this company ripping you off. I’m ordering one right now. You are all ridiculous.
I purchased a large-sized potty patch several months ago. I have 4 Miniature Pinschers. Previous to the potty patch, my dogs were litter trained. I used a dog litter product made by Purina. The day I set up the potty patch, I put several pieces of litter on the potty patch. My dogs used it without fail right from the start. I love it because it keeps my dogs from having to “hold it” during the day when I am at work, and I am not spending $40 per week in dog litter. I put puppy pads in the bottom tray, and that keeps down the odor and makes clean-up much easier. However, the grass mat has to be cleaned at least every other day, if not every day. This, and the fact that the edges of the mat are not finished, so the mat is slowly unraveling, are the down sides to the product. I would like to buy a replacement mat, but I cannot find one anywhere.
I forgot to mention that my dogs don’t understand that it’s their butts that need to be on the patch. Often times, they will have their whole body on the patch, but their butts are actually off the patch, so their feces fall on the floor right next to the patch. Finally, my two male dogs, both neutered, often stand next to the patch and “aim” for it. Sometimes they miss. They did both of these things with their litter pan as well, so this is not necessarily a problem with the potty patch.
Patricia,
My dogs do the same thing in the litter box. The older one used to be small enough that she could stand completely in the box and her butt would still be in the box. Now, she’s a little bit bigger, and we end up with poop on the floor quite frequently. That, or she will jump out before everything has um… fallen out, and it drops right on the floor
I ordered the Large Potty Patch about 2 months ago and received it about 4-5 weeks later. When I ordered it did say it was backordered but the delay was worth it.
My dogs love it! We moved from a house to an apt and my pups missed their lawn! I put one pee pee pad on each side just cuz it’s easier to keep clean that way and less odor. The large is 2 small bottom parts with a one piece 27 X 34 inch grass patch. The most I’ve done is rinse it with water about once a week, maybe spray some windex or clorox clean up on it. The potty pads help a lot to decrease odor as well. I imagine if the pee just laid there… pew.
The poop couldn’t be easier to clean up. The grass blades are thick and do not stick to the poop at all, and if a bit does, water or wipe and it’s gone.
I have a Jack Russell, as well as a sweet pup, and he even uses it. He prefers to soil whatever nice carpet I have out there but actually uses this without hesitation. Great product, works great, stays dry… but where will I find a patch replacement??
Sorry you all have had trouble. I ordered, I waited, I received. Dogs are happy boys!
I ORDERED THE PATCH POTTY OVER A MONTH AGO. THANKFULLY I USED PAYPAL. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE PRODUCT NOR HAS THERE BEEN A TRANSACTION MADE FROM THE WEBSITE. SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG WITH THIS COMPANY. I WAS ABLE TO CLOSE MY PAYPAL SECURE CARD TODAY SO THERE WILL BE NO CHARGE.
I also ordered the potty patch. I keep getting dates of delivery but they are changed periodically. I’m going to try to call today and cancel. This is nuts that people like this are able to keep advertising a product they cannot supply.
I LIKE THE POTTY PATCH THE PRODUCT IS GOOD FOR SMALL DOGS. THE BIG DOWN FALL OF THE COMPANY IS THEY WERE NOT READY FOR ALL THE REQUESTS . WE THE CUSTOMERS NEED TO BE ABLE TO BUY REPLACEMENT PARTS. ESP. THE GRASS PADS. PLEASE KEEP US INFORMED AS WE WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE THEM. CONNIE AND ABBY A 5LB MALTESE.
My husband and I just cancelled our order today after waiting almost a month with no updates except that each time we’d login to find out when the estimated delivery time was, it would postpone another week. My husband called this morning and cancelled when he learned that it’d be another month because they were on back-order. We are still very interested in the product. Just not comfortable with paying money for something and waiting months for the product.
well i just wanted to know my dog is 2years old and i wanted to get a potty pad thing i seen on tv for the winter my question is would it mess her up on her potty training that she has done so well with so would it be fine if we got a potty pad for her though the winter time ? so if you would get back to me that would be great thanks
michelle
michelle21102@yahoo.com
I ordered a Potty Patch from Carol Wrights Gifts via the phone, asked for a discount and got it. It was back ordered once, but I received it before the expected date anyway. My 4 month old wanted to chew the grass, so I removed it until she was comfortable going on the plastic grate placed upside down. After only 3 days, I put the grass back on and she hasn’t had a mistake since.
I ordered from carol wright and got mine in a matter of days.
My only question, is how in the world do you get your dog to use it.
He’ll lay on it, sit on it, but won’t poop on it. Anybody out there, please
explain????
sorry won’t pee or poop on it.
Try putting a used pee pad underneath the grate or transplant some poop onto the grass. Hope it works–it’s so worth it especially ’cause I put the potty patch in my walk-in shower and just clean it and rinse it off before I use the stall to shower myself…
I finally got the potty patch. My dog is afraid of it. Will not go within 5 feet of it.
Anybody want a potty patch?
i want to get a potty patch but i dont know what size i should get i have two mini dachhounds would that small one be big enough?? and also is the shipping crisis fixed is everyone actually getting them now??