ComplaintsforMeowtel

• Initial Complaint

  07/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Prior to booking my cat sitting reservation with Meowtel, I spoke to someone at the company and confirmed the policies regarding cancellation. I was told (as per the website) that I could cancel dates within 24 hours, should my plans change. When I booked this reservation, I not only spoke the sitter ********** on the phone, but I also paid her for 2 jobs to see how she got on with my cat. I explained to her that I would be in the hospital for a minimum of 10 days for chemotherapy, but I would let her know if anything changed. She said it wouldnt be a problem. Unfortunately, my treatment schedule changed, and I no longer needed her for the remainder of the days. Still, I offered to keep her on here and there over the next few weeks when I was having my medical appointments. This was a kindness on my end, and I am and was entitled to have my plans change. Furthermore, I am entitled to a refund for the days she did not work.******** states that she stayed on standby for me ( not sure what she means, but I never had that arrangement). I had initially scheduled her for 1 appointment in the mornings, and 1 appointment evenings. I also allowed her the freedom to choose her own times. This standby nonsense was shocking to say the least. This was a business transaction that involved a service for a fee. Im not friends or family with ********. People are entitled to have plans canceled. I did not ask for my chemotherapy plans to change. I attempted to cancel all future dates more than 24 hours in advance, but she rejected my cancellation request. Im not sure how Meowtel can allow sitters to steal from customers. ********************** has ignored my request to file a formal complaint against the sitter.4 Meowtel failed to tell me that once you book a sitter, you are basically signing your name in blood, and sitters are entitled to money without completing the job. This is not only a breach of contract, but nasty and dishonorable practice.

  

  Business response

  08/09/2024

  Thank you for sharing your concerns. We sincerely appreciate your patience while we reviewed your case.
  
  We understand that you were undergoing a challenging time and needed flexibility with your cat sitting arrangements. Our priority is always to support our clients as best as we can.
  
  After thoroughly reviewing your reservation details and communications with your sitter and our team, we found that the terms of the agreement and the Meowtel Cancelation Policy were followed appropriately. 
  
  Specifically,
  
  1. Cancelation Policy: Meowtels Cancelation Policy allows for cancelations to be made more than 24 hours before the start of the reservation for a partial refund, and more than 48 hours before the start of the reservation for a full refund. Our cancelation policy can be found here: ****************************************************************************************
  
  In your case, the cancelation requests for the remaining dates were unfortunately made within the 24-hour window, and the reservation was already in-progress, which is why the refund could not be processed.
  
  Additionally, per our Modification Policy, all modification requests are routed to the sitter for their approval. Since the reservation was in-progress and the sitter had spent hours on this situation, she declined to accept the modification request.
  
  2. Standby Status: Your sitter indicated that she remained on standby for the days you initially booked as well as provided evidence of flexibility and a significant amount of time for taking your phone calls and text conversations, and accommodating any last minute changes you had. Communication was further hampered when your sitters responses to you went unanswered. Your sitter also provided you with a Meet and Greet, which lasted over two hours, when typically these complimentary meetings should run about ***** minutes.
  
  While this arrangement might not have been explicitly discussed, we understand that her availability was reserved for your needs, which impacted her ability to take on other clients. 
  
  Given these circumstances, we regret that we are unable to process a refund for the unused days. We understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for; however, we truly appreciate your understanding and respect for the sitters time.

  Customer response

  08/10/2024

   
  Complaint: 22062992
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. The meet and greet did not last for over 2 hours. The sitter had another appointment across the street,  and I also had an appointment. Everything was detailed. I also scheduled the sitter for 2 additional sitting jobs so my cat could get used to her.  

  It was made very clear why I needed her,  and the status of my hospitalization and health could change at any time.  

  She said it wouldn't be a problem, and I just needed to keep her posted,  which I did. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  11/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I had a credit in my account from a pet who passed away a while ago. I got a new cat, reactivated my account, and asked for a refund of the credit.Meowtel says they can only refund to the original payment method, and uses a company named Stripe as their payment method. Unfortunately, the original payment method was a debit card linked to an account which has been closed for nearly a year.My banker tells me that there is no way to deposit money in a closed account, and, if Stripe had tried, it would have been rejected immediately.Its been 3 weeks and Meowtel is telling me we have to wait and see IF Stripe will refund the money to them, so they can return it to me.*** told them that the credit was with them, not with Stripe, and they, not Stripe, are responsible for seeing to it that my money is returned to me. The choice to use Stripe was theirs not mine, and I certainly should not be penalized because of it.So, either Meowtel or Stripe has been withholding my money, and I would like it returned.

  Customer response

  11/30/2023

  I made a mistake when entering the amount owed to me by Meowtel. The correct amount should be $332. I apologize for my error.

  Customer response

  12/01/2023

  Good Morning,
  
  Meowtel paid the disputed amount yesterday.
  Thank you,
  
  *********************
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  05/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I performed a service for this company and I have not been paid. I tried resolving this issue with them but they've failed to compensate me. I performed this service in February of this year. I have been in contact with them and with *****, both entities continue to blame each other. I just want the money that the client paid me. Thank you.

  

  Business response

  05/11/2023

  Hi *******,
  
  Were truly sorry to hear that you were not successful in receiving your earnings for the Meowtel reservation that you completed in February 2023 after you requested your payout to another person's account. 
  
  As independent contractors, Meowtel sitters receive their earnings which are deposited through the platform. Sitters are responsible for requesting their earnings through the platform, and also for the integrity of the data provided to process those requests, including providing the correct Venmo and/or PayPal credentials. Meowtel has no control over the sitter's Paypal/Venmo account information. Whenever a sitter requests a payout, our platform prompts the sitter to confirm the account they're requesting their payout to, with the intention to help prevent any issue like this from occurring.
  
  Your earnings in the amount of $71.40 for the reservation you completed 02/06/23-02/10/23 were available to withdraw on 02/12/23. You also received a tip in the amount of $16.10 on 02/13/23. On 02/13/23, you requested a standard Venmo payout in the amount of $87.50. As ***** explained in the screenshot you sent to ** on 02/17/23, you had not updated the phone number associated with your Venmo account before requesting that payout. As a result, the payout was sent to another Venmo user who once had your phone number. Though ***** suggested that you reach out to ** to retract the payout, we do not have that option, as the payout already cleared. Additionally, its important to note that this suggestion provided by ***** directly contradicts the info provided by Venmo on their own website: *****************************************************************
  
  We provided you with the contact information for the person who received your payout, and were sorry to hear that you were unable to reach them regarding this. Were attaching a PDF with additional details and screenshots.
  
  While we truly wish we could help, were unable to provide further assistance at this time, and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

• Initial Complaint

  09/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  ****************** facilitating sitter gigs. After leaving an honest negative app store review they deactivated my account and withheld my pay out including tips.

  

  Business response

  10/03/2022

  Hello, *****. We are sorry to hear about your disappointment due to not passing the New Sitter Trial period. When reviewing your performance as a Meowtel sitter, we saw that you did not respond to a client for 6 days; as you know, one of the requirements to successfully pass the trial period is to answer 100% of client messages you receive. When your client reached out to you to arrange a Meet and Greet, he waited for six days for a response, requiring a second message before receiving one. Another one of the requirement is to keep an acceptance rate of 75% or more; unfortunately, your acceptance rate was 50% as you initially declined the first reservation request he sent on 09/10/2022, which was counted as part of your acceptance rate since it was not declined for a valid reason. We take sitter safety and comfort seriously, and declining or cancelling a reservation for safety or security concerns will always be supported by us. However, it is also important to at least give the client the opportunity to respond to a message before declining.
  

  Regarding your payment, since you had not confirmed your PayPal nor Venmo on your Meowtel account before the night of 09/28/2022, we couldn't process your withdrawal until you confirmed your preferred method and the e-mail address linked to that service. Just as we confirmed on the e-mail we sent you on 09/29/2022 at 2:41 pm CST, your $54.30 payout was processed to your PayPal at that time, and we covered the express payout fee of $1.50 to get it to you within 2 hours instead of the standard 48 hours.
  

  Your Meowtel sitter account was not terminated because of the negative review you left us; your sitter listing was deactivated due to not meeting our sitter expectations during your trial period as a Meowtel sitter, by not responding to a client message for 6 days, and due to not keeping an acceptance rate of 75% or more, both of which are necessary requirements to successfully pass the New Sitter Trial period. These requirements were shared with you on the email you received after your Sitter Activation Call on 07/11/2022.
  
  Once again, we are sorry we werent the perfect fit, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My cat almost died under the care of a Meowtel Employee. The lady did not come and feed my cat when she said she would, she got locked out of my home and had a stranger come into my home to let her back in my home. She was supposed to feed my cat and give her medicine in the food. The cat stopped eating after the stranger had been in my home. The cat also started vomit repeatedly and was even vomiting up bile. The Meowtel employee did not let me know the cat was VERY SICK! When I got back home I found my cat was sick and I took her to the vet. The vet was concerned if the sitter had poisoned or abused the cat. My cat ALMOST died and had to be hospitalized for several days. Meowtel should never have let a stranger in my home and the Meowtel sitter should have let us know that the cat was sick. I submitted numerous videos of the cat sitter screaming at my cat and of her cleaning up some of the vomit and of her scrapping food that the cat didnt eat in my sink. (I did not have cellular service where I was vacationing) but when I returned home the videos showed everything I have stated. I submitted those videos to Meowtel and asked them to pay medical bills because of the neglect of my cat and the possible abuse from the stranger or the sitter. The cats pancreas stopped working (possibly due to trama). The cat was fine except for asthma when we left her in the care of a Meowtel. Now my cat will have health issues the rest of her life the vet said. Meowtel has been making excuses about paying the $688.82 (from the first vet) and the $3,725.31 from the hospital. I would like for Meowtel to pay these bills in full. My cat almost died and was in severe pain due to Meowtels care. Please let others know that not to trust their animals with Meowtel.

  

  Business response

  07/01/2022

  Dear ******: Please find attached our case resolution regarding Reservation #****** which was also sent to you via email from bellhop@meowtel.com. We did not find any evidence of cat neglect, abuse, or trauma directly caused by Kymberlys actions during your reservation. Per the vets diagnosis, Bitty suffered an untimely sudden illness which was most likely due to natural causes, although a variety of underlying health conditions or predispositions can contribute to pancreatitis. Should you have any questions regarding our resolution, you're welcome to review our Insurance Terms and Terms of Service. 

• Initial Complaint

  12/02/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Why is my account said I got a warning for Meowtell this is lame. Can you please reinstate my account for meowtell I did not harassment any people on this site.

  

  Business response

  12/06/2021

  Hi Will,

   

  Thanks so much for your concern! Based on the phone conversations you had with our support team on December 2 at 11:59am PST, this issue was resolved and your account was reinstated. 

   

  To prevent your account from being deactivated, please follow our guidelines in our Terms of Service as well as our Harassment policy which can be found on our website. Please see attached for the recording of your call with our team member, *****.

   

  Thank you!

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩