When planning to transport your pet, you want to ensure that they’re as safe and comfortable as possible. The best way to ensure that your furry friend is successfully transported to their destination is to place them in the care of a pet transport company. The main goal of a pet transport company is to keep your animal protected from harm throughout their entire journey. These specialists monitor weather, road conditions and other relevant factors to provide your pet with a safe and hassle-free experience.
Not all pet transport companies are created equal, though. Unfortunately, it isn’t uncommon for pet owners to fall victim to pet transport scams when attempting to bring their pet to their preferred location. As a pet owner, it’s crucial to do your research on your chosen pet transporter and make sure you can trust them to take care of your beloved pet. First, though, be sure to watch out for these warning signs of fraudulent pet transport.
Feigned Legitimacy
When a company is behind a pet transport scam, it will typically go out of its way to appear legitimate to potential clients. In addition to stealing the names of trusted pet transporters, these scammers also tend to copy their logos and website.
Because this fraudulent behavior isn’t immediately obvious, it’s your responsibility to put your detective skills to work and search for any red flags. A good place to start is by locating the company’s contact information. If their email address contains a third-party domain instead of the name of the company, this usually means they aren’t a legitimate source that you can trust.
Low Costs
If the price of pet transport seems too good to be true, it probably is. Fraudulent pet transport companies often charge clients at a very low cost for transportation. Seeing these temptingly low costs may make you think you’ve just struck an unbeatable deal. In most cases, however, this means you’re dealing with a pet transport scammer. Be sure to find a different company before you end up losing precious time and money.
Unrecognized Payment Methods
Most pet transporters rely on trusted payment methods like PayPal or a reputable credit card company to complete transactions. Fraudulent pet transport companies, on the other hand, typically stray from the norm in this respect.
If you notice that your chosen pet transporter only accepts payments through Western Union, Money Gram or another unrecognizable payment method, avoid putting your pet in their care. Not only do these payment methods tend to be untraceable, but they also don’t accept refunds in the event that you want your money back for unsatisfactory service.
Corrupt Website Listings
Before you reach the payment stage, it’s well worth your time to avoid searching for pet transport companies on websites that are notorious for scams. Facebook, Craigslist, free websites or even local newspapers are often home to fraudulent pet transport advertisements. In many cases, the transporters who advertise on these sites don’t intend on transporting your pet as promised. Avoid giving away your money to these scammers by searching for pet transporters on more reputable sites.
Poorly Written Emails
A simple way to spot a pet transport scammer is to send them an email. If their response is poorly written or teeming with spelling or grammatical errors, there’s a good chance it didn’t come from a reputable pet transport company representative. It may seem like a simple step, but paying attention to the way the company communicates with its clients says a lot about them and whether they can be trusted.
Additional Charges
The job of a pet transport company is to safely bring your pet from one destination to another. These professionals have no intention of cleaning and grooming your pet or giving them a checkup. However, some pet scammers have been known to charge customers for unnecessary services, such as grooming or veterinary services. These fraudulent companies don’t actually plan on performing these services, though. This is just a method for obtaining more of your money.
When you read the listing from a pet transport company, be sure to confirm that they only charge for the cost of transport. Any other costs that are included in a company’s transport services are only there to trick you into spending more than necessary.
No Phone Communication
Many fraudulent pet transport companies are based outside of the United States, and they don’t want customers to find out. As a result, they go out of their way to hide their foreign area code and insist on communicating exclusively via email. Other transporters will only speak to their clients via online chat in an effort to conceal their identity.
If the pet transporter you choose turns down any request you make to speak over the phone, be wary of its legitimacy. A reputable pet transport company be happy to answer all of your questions and address any of your concerns over the phone. Speaking over the phone also helps grant you peace of mind that the company will take care of your pet and ensure that they arrive at their destination safe and healthy.
Keep Your Furry Friend Safe by Guarding Against Fraudulent Pet Transport
Pet transport scams are an unfortunate reality for many pet owners. The best thing you can do for your four-legged friend is to take your time doing extensive research on your chosen pet transport company before you make that call. At Blue Collar Pet Transport, we provide our clients with pet purchase fraud protection resources so that they can steer clear of scams. Not only will your pet be safe and healthy when you place them in our care, but we’ll also help ensure that you don’t fall victim to any misleading claims as you work on finding a safe transporter for your pet.