Pet owners (and pets) prize Kong brand toys for their indestructible qualities and incredible funness. What happens when one of their toys fails? Mike tells Consumerist that if you want a replacement toy when yours breaks, you’d better hold on to the receipt.

I’m writing to warn fellow Consumerist readers about Kong, a company that makes dog and cat toys. They have a reputation for quality products, and are priced accordingly, because they call themselves (on the website) “Nearly Indestructible Dog and Cat Toys”. A good family friend sent a toy to my wife and I, from Kong, to celebrate our adoption of a 5 year old black lab, Jake (pictured below). It was a “Braidz” Giraffe, a tough toy designed for playing tug of war with. Jake loved it immediately and was chasing it all over the house and yard the first day we used it. Then the second day, I’m playing tug with him and the head tore off! I thought that, given their reputation, this must have been a manufacturing defect, seeing that we play tug with all sorts of cheaper toys and towels that never rip, so I gave them a call. This morning, I received a call back from C. in quality control department. C. told me that the “best he could do” was a coupon for “a dollar or two off of a new toy.” When I pressed the issue, he said no exchange could be made without a receipt and terminated the call.

This was my first experience with Kong, and it’s going to be my last. I wanted to warn other readers that Kong is misrepresenting themselves and their products, so buyer beware.

Considering that this toy retails for around $10, a $1 or $2 coupon isn’t much help.

Here is the promised picture of Jake:

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