One of the common horror stories involves the lack of proper veterinary care. Pets in mall stores are sometimes sold with underlying health issues that could have been easily treated if the store had a vet on call. For example, I knew of a case where a puppy had a heart condition that the store didn't disclose. Also, poor living conditions are very common. Dirty cages, no clean water, and bad air circulation are things that often happen in these pet stores.
One horror story is about a pet store in a mall where the animals were kept in very cramped cages. The poor little puppies were piled on top of each other, and there was not enough space for them to move around or play. It was really sad to see them in such conditions.
One of the most frequent horror stories is related to the Apple Store's return policy. Customers sometimes face difficulties when trying to return a product within the return period. The store might claim that there are signs of misuse or damage that the customer doesn't believe they caused. There are also stories about the Genius Bar. Some technicians seem to lack the necessary expertise. For instance, a customer with a software issue might be told that they need to replace a hardware component instead of getting a proper software fix.
I think theft and security issues can be a grocery store horror story. You might be shopping peacefully when suddenly there's a commotion because someone is trying to steal. It can be scary, especially if the thief gets violent or if you're worried about your own safety during such an incident. Also, seeing a food spill on the floor that has been there for a while and no one has cleaned it up is quite gross.
One common horror story is getting bad customer service. Like the salespeople being pushy or not helpful at all. For example, they might try to sell you something you don't need just to make a commission.
A common one is being short - staffed. Employees have to handle a large number of customers all by themselves, which leads to exhaustion and mistakes. For example, a cashier might take a long time to serve each customer because they are also trying to restock shelves at the same time.
Late or lost shipments are quite common. Sellers might ship the item on time, but the delivery service messes up. Then the buyer blames the seller, and ebay often holds the seller responsible.
Poor inventory management can also lead to horror stories. Customers go to a store to buy a specific item, and it's not in stock even though the website or the store display says it is. Also, issues with store layout can be a problem. If it's too confusing and customers can't find what they need easily, they get frustrated. For instance, I once went to a big store where the signs were all wrong, and I wasted a lot of time just trying to find the section I needed.
There was a case where a pet store was keeping the animals in really dirty and overcrowded cages. The small animals like hamsters and guinea pigs were living in their own filth. It was a very cruel and unhygienic situation. They didn't have proper food or clean water either. The animals looked very weak and sickly.
Strange noises are very common. Like something is being dragged across the floor or tapping on the glass. Another element is seeing things move on their own, such as products falling off the shelf without any obvious reason.
One horror story could be when an employee had to deal with a large and aggressive snake that escaped its enclosure. The snake slithered around the store, scaring customers and other animals. The poor employee had to try and catch it without getting bitten while also calming down the panicked people. It was a nightmare situation.