Maybe if I would have seen these on TV first, I would have never have bought them. However, after trying and returning this awful product, I went on to the “As Seen on TV” web site to see what smoke and mirror advertising facade was used in promoting this product. The ASOTV people sure know how to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear.
I had been looking for some dog steps after it was discovered that my 25 lb. mixed breed had a bulging disc and arthritis in his back along with having repeatedly tearing his cranial crucial ligaments in both hind legs. He likes to look out the window from atop a futon and jumping up was becoming too much of a struggle and caused further health complications.
Dog steps and ramps from reputable companies that make devices to assist animals with disabilities are quite expensive. I could not find a reasonably priced set of two-step, carpeted stairs built for a dog less than 30 lbs. for under $70. I found this box of DoggySteps™ at my local discount drug retailer. They were a reasonable $15, and although the measurements were a bit small, I figured I could use them to fashion an obstacle course to the top of the futon using the steps set on a home-made platform.
The DoggySteps™ box felt a bit light to hold my pup, but the box claimed to hold dogs up to 70lbs. so I assumed the plastic, snap together stairs were made from durable materials. After all, I had 35 more pounds to go before I reached the weight limit.
After cutting myself on the sharp, cheap plastic steps and two fascias as I took the pieces out of the box, I proceeded to assemble the staircase. Although the box claims easy assembly with no tools needed, a few pegs seemed too tight for the hole openings and needed an extra tap with a hammer to get them connected. Other openings proved a bit large for the pegs. The resulting structure did not seem too stable, but I thought possibly finishing off with the elastic-secured carpeting may hold the stairs together more solidly.
The carpet covering comes shrink-wrapped into a 2″ ball. That should have been my first clue as to how cheap and thin the covering was. Not only was the material inferior, it did nothing to stabilize the product as the one-piece covering was too stretched out to fit the stairs snugly.
After staring at the finished product that would not prove sturdy enough for a 5lb. tea-cup canine, I disassembled this heinous junk and sustained another cut on the roughly-edge plastic pieces. Fortunately, I saved my receipt, and even the cashier took it back so willingly with a little humor thrown in as if to say “you get what you pay for.” The only thing I got was two lacerations and a tension headache.
Disclosure: Author opinion, purchase, and experience was source for the above review.
As Seen On Tv is sold by Delivery Agent Inc. and is solely responsible for all aspects of purchase. DoggySteps™ is a trademark of Telebrands, Inc.
Sources: riteaid.com, asseenontv.com