Can You Trust working with a Pet Travel Agency “On-Line”?
It was reported by the government recently that “Money lost in Internet crimes hit a new high last year, topping about $240 million”. It also stated that one of the biggest scams on the Internet is fraud that involves pets. You do have to be careful! Any pet shipper and/or pet travel agent in the United States can tell you of stories from clients and colleagues where people were completely ripped off by using an on-line company to purchase a pet. A big part of this scam is the actual shipping of the pet to you the buyer. Scammers have been known to use the names of established pet shipping companies. They tell the buyer that their purchased pet is being delivered by one of these companies…when in fact it is a total lie. As pet shippers we are very aware of these scams and do all we can to sort them out and get them off the internet. If you need to use a pet shipper or pet travel agent here are things you need to look for:
1-Are they a member & in good standing with IPATA-International Pet and Animal Transportation Association?
www.ipata.com
2-Does the company offer references of past clients whom you can contact independently if requested?
3-Does the company that works with the animals have a USDA handler’s license?
4-Can the company answer specifically all questions regarding the transportation of your pet from origination to destination?
5-How long have they been in business and can they document this information for you?
Be careful and do your homework! There are WONDERFUL companies that ship animals all over the world…just make sure you know who they are!
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:08 am
I really enjoyed your site, and wish I had found it sooner. I had a really poor experience with a Pet Shipper (in fairness mostly at the end), but would like to get some feedback on how “normal” some of their advised practices were. Worst offense in my mind was shipping our pets from Atlanta to SanFran then calling and telling us they would not complete shipment without new payment as they goofed up getting this to start. Who would not get their own payment right then demand a client fix it from half way around the world with banks closed? I’d like to put a link up to your site to educate others from our experience as I really think a Pet Shipper is a good idea for most everyone, given they get the service right and you have some great candid comments to help people understand both sides of the business. Please check my blog and if you are ok, I will put a link up to yours. www.petshipping.wordpress.com
Regards,
Niels
May 14th, 2008 at 8:05 am
WARNING FOR PEOPLE TAKING PETS TO THE UK: I’ve been preparing to return to the UK with my cat for the past few years and thus have probably spent nearly $1000 in fees to Vets and Defra to get keep rabies shots up to date and to conform to all the requirements. I was aware of these costs from the outset but never once thought of check the cost of the travel from New York to the UK. Domestic US airlines charge from $0 to around $100 for carrying a small animal. However, a cat with all its health documentation in order, is required to travel in cargo to the UK and Defra has mandated the service to BA, Continental, Virgin & Zoom. As a result of this monopoly, these airlines are fleecing pet owners - charging a minimum of $750 all the way up to (for Zoom) $1500!