ComplaintsforWorld Pet Travel, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  10/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We contact WPT to find out the cost to bring our boys home from **********. We paid $6463 to bring dogs home on October 9th 2023. WPT assured us that everything was in order. When I arrived in CR, Fri Oct 5th I got their necessary health certs as directed by WPT but I received a msg from WPT that there was a prob but their vet in ************ can fix their health certs. I'm told the airline wasn't going to transport ********, but WPT was working on it and be patient. We drive to ************ on Sun. set to send ******** off early Mon morn to the vet to fly out Tues and I fly out Tues. I hear nothing from WPT after Fri. Once we arrived in ************ on Sun, I reach out to the vet to find the dropoff time for the dogs, the msg is interrupted by WPT saying hold off because the problem with the airline hasn't been resolved. Can't stay in the hotel another night, my flight is leaving on Tues morn early. I hear nothing back from WPT until I msg them Mon morning, I'm told to be patient and they are working on it. At noon on Mon with assurance that it will be only overnight, we drop ******** off at the vet. I get a few msgs from WPT saying "we haven't forgotten you", "we're all working on it", or "we'll have a solution soon". Finally they come back to me Mon night to offer a different solution. Once we arrived home, on Thurs Oct 12th, we receive a msgs from WPT that there has been another prob. We are now told they are going to fly with the original airline but that they are flying into ** where they will be boarded over the weekend, then transp to our home by Tues Oct 17th. This will have been 7 days. They do fly out Fri. and after almost 14 hours we receive a message that they have arrived in **, have been walked, fed and watered. Nothing further. They arrive Tues w/o their blankets and with a multitude of sores and scabs on their bellies/legs from being on concrete and wood for over a week. I msg to let them know ******** arrived. I receive an emailed invoice for an add'l $4525.

  Business response

  10/30/2023

  Dear *****,
  
  I want to take a moment to address some of the issues and concerns that have arisen regarding the recent transportation of your pets. We understand that you've had some questions and doubts about the process, and we appreciate the opportunity to clarify the situation.
  
  First and foremost, please know that our team at World Pet Travel is dedicated to ensuring the safe and timely transport of your beloved pets. We fully understand the importance of reuniting pets with their owners, and we always strive to meet our commitments to the best of our abilities.
  
  The recent delay in delivering your pets was indeed an unfortunate situation. As a pet transportation service, we are at the mercy of airlines and their ever-changing policies, especially when dealing with certain breeds such as Pit Bulls. Despite our best efforts to secure a booking with our trusted broker of over a decade, we were met with an unexpected refusal from the airline, forcing us to explore alternative options. This unexpected turn of events did result in additional time and effort spent on our part, including extensive negotiations with the airline.
  
  Regarding the charges, we understand your concerns about the amount billed. It appears there may have been some confusion, as we never issued an invoice for $4,525.00. The additional fees of $2,180.00 were incurred due to damage sustained to our clinic and the crate used for transporting one of your pets. We apologize for any lack of clarity in our communication.
  
  In terms of communication, we made every effort to keep you informed throughout the process. We utilized WhatsApp and messages from our driver to ensure you were updated on your pets' status during their journey. We acknowledge your acknowledgment of these updates as they were given.
  
  Regarding the sores on Yoyo, it seems possible that she may have developed a sensitivity to the cleaning agent used for her crate and kennel. We're aware that white dogs, in particular, can be more sensitive to certain cleaning products, and we suspect this might have contributed to the issue. However, we are currently conducting a more in-depth investigation to confirm the cause.
  
  We genuinely value your trust in World Pet Travel and your understanding of the complexities involved in international pet transportation. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced during this process, and we are committed to improving our services wherever possible.
  
  If you have any further questions or require additional clarification, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Your satisfaction and the well-being of your pets remain our top priorities.
  
  Thank you for choosing World Pet Travel for your pet transportation needs.

  Customer response

  10/30/2023

  Here are the invoices and total for the amount they are asking me to pay. I'm not asking to be reimbursed for my vet bills for the dogs.  Just don't think I should have to pay more for their shortcomings.

  Customer response

  10/30/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:   As early as Sept 29th they knew there was issues with the airline but said they could get it all arranged. We were told all was well at the vet when it wasn't and ******** were being left alone in a room,  allowed to tear up and eat drywall which could have killed them. They arrived home with sores, scabs, and painful callouses from being on the concrete and plywood. They didn't arrive in new crates as one had a different dogs name on it.  I previously paid for the health certificates and wasn't advised that they would have to have new ones rather lead to believe it was al taken care of. The fees are exorbitant. 

  Business response

  10/30/2023

  I want to address the concerns you raised in your recent communication. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced, but I would like to clarify a few points as it seems there might be some misunderstandings.
  
  1. Regarding the airline issues: We were indeed aware of the airline-related concerns that emerged on September 29th. However, our team did its best to manage and resolve these issues promptly. At the time, we assured you that everything would be arranged to the best of our abilities and we continued to work on this daily for over 2 weeks to make this happen.
  
  2. The situation at the vet: I am truly sorry if there was any confusion about the condition of your dogs during their stay at the vet. Because the dogs were tearing up their crates that you purchased we kept them in an open area of the veterinary clinic in hopes they would settle down, thinking they were cage aggressive and this might solve the issue. We always strive to ensure the well-being of the animals in our care and feel that they were better off outside of the crates rather than destroying those and not having any mode of travel.
  
  3. The condition of your dogs upon their return: Again, we feel that these were a result of cleaning agent and not something that could have happened over 7 days as they were all given bedding to sleep on and were not subjected to concrete or wood floors without the proper bedding as required by IATA and USDA. The fact that their blankets were not returned to you suggests that they were soiled during transit and thrown out for sanitary reasons.
  
  4. Crate discrepancies: As explained to you prior to this complaint being filed, **** chewed through the door of her crate and it had to be replaced in the 11th hour, just before travel so we purchased a used custom made kennel for this reason and so that all 3 dogs could fly once we got flights for them approved.
  
  5. Health certificates: You were traveling when this call was made so instead of holding the dogs back for your approval, per the terms of our contract, we proceeded with what was required so they could fly.
  
  6. Fee concerns: I understand that you find our fees to be excessive but we suffered exorbitant costs that we may never recover because you misrepresented yourself to our company. We made a one time exception to our rule of all charges due in advance because we felt for your situation and you did not have the funds to make the trip once we had to change directions with the airline, we agreed to float you $1120 which you promised to pay once the dogs arrived. Now you refuse to pay the $1120 you promised and the balance due because of the damage done to the clinic by *****

  You received your dogs, not as scheduled but against the odds and they were delivered to your door (9 hours from the airport), which you did not pay for. We do not feel that this is fair and a ploy to resist paying what you promised to pay or for the damages your dogs did to our clinic. It is not fair and unconscionable that you would take to this method of media to complain knowing it does damage to our company after all that we did do to get your babies home. We cried together and spoke daily for weeks only to be attacked in this way.

  Our signed contract states that you are responsible for any charges, fees related to damage caused by your pet. We have in writing that you agreed to pay the $1120 but now you are backing down from the promise. Again, we do not feel that this is fair and is totally unacceptable behavior from a fellow pet lover. 

  Customer response

  10/30/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:   if you agree that the only charges are the $1120 pre agreed upon, I'll pay this.  I would like a reply that no other charges will be pending.  My loan fell thru because of the additional charges above the $1120.

  Business response

  11/17/2023

  *****, we acknowledge your perspective on the additional payment, but supplying images of the damage to our veterinary clinic and your crate only address a fraction of the expenses we've encountered. As explained earlier, we had to obtain new health certificates since the ones provided had expired. These certificates are essential for your dogs' travel requirements and were not an optional expense. The revised invoices now accurately reflects our incurred costs. Failure to settle this adjusted total will compel us to involve our attorney to pursue the outstanding balance between your proposed payment and the actual amount owed to World Pet Travel.

  As previously agreed upon prior to your relocation, you have the option to establish a payment plan to settle the outstanding amount gradually. However, accepting a settlement of $1120, despite the actual owed amount being $3300, is not acceptable. Our incurred expenses surpass this figure, encompassing various costs such as the private ground transport of three large pit bulls. This transportation spanned over 9 hours, transporting the dogs from ************* to your location in *********, MOan arrangement that went beyond your stipulated payment. While we acknowledge our shortcomings, it's important to note that we fulfilled our promise of delivering your dogs. We kindly request that you cover our incurred costs, excluding the expenses associated with the ground transport, which we have already covered.  

  We currently have two outstanding invoices. One amounts to $1120, which aligns with the agreed-upon payment. The second invoice, totaling $2180, covers expenses related to damages at our veterinary clinic, crate replacement necessitated by ****'s actions, boarding in **********, issuance of new health certificates and s**** worm letters, boarding in **, as well as vaccines and medication required for the relocation of your three Pit Bulls. At this juncture, we kindly request the prompt payment of the $1120, and we propose establishing a payment arrangement for the remaining expenses associated with damages and additional costs. Our intention is to avoid escalating the matter to the next level, but without a commitment to honor our contract, we may have no alternative.

  Customer response

  11/27/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:  As I said, I'm pay the original $1120 that was agreed. I too understand your perspective but none of the damage, the additional health certificates and other costs would have occurred if not for the fault of your company. You say that you foresaw the issues with the breed but those were not voiced to me.  I warned that ******** would chew and they should never have had to be held for five nights at the vet. My dogs came home with ringworm (that they didn't have before), flinching from being hit, and under fed. 

  Your bio says that you do this job so that bad experiences, like you had, won't happen to other people but you are doing that to us and from reviews you do it pretty regularly to other people. 

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