Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  10/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  I contacted Blue Collar Pet Transport (BCPT) in June 2024 to inquire about ground transportation for my dog, ******, from ********* to **********. They quickly assured me they could do this for a cost of $3000 and then promptly asked me for a deposit of $810 which they assured me was refundable. Once I made the deposit I continued to explore other alternatives for transport and was able to fly the dog instead. I never made reservations with Blue Collar or set a pick up date. When I asked them to refund my deposit they said they would and then went silent. They never refunded the money. I have made a claim with my credit card company and Blue Collar is actively fighting my claim. I've been able to reach their employees who side with me. The owner, ******* Hardy, refuses to return my funds even though he signed an agreement that clearly says the deposit is refundable. He will not return my calls or emails. He is lying and has stolen $810. Please review the information with care - specifically the email chain - where you can see NO DATE for the animal's pickup was every agreed to or confirmed. I did NOT finalize the dog information or pickup date thus a full refund should be due based on the terms and conditions signed by ******* Hardy.

  Business response

  11/06/2024

  Your refund options are based off of your contract sign between you and Blue Collar Pet Transport. Your refund is based on the contingency of your cancellation timeframe. You decided to dispute your payment, put that relationship on getting your refund back between your bank and our merchant. Once our contract is submitted in regards to your dispute, whatever your bank decides is based on the contingency of the service agreement. Please respond back with the decision made by your bank on the behalf of the agreement.

  Customer response

  11/09/2024

   
  Complaint: 22377648
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This business refuses to contact me directly and work with me to resolve this dispute. I have called multiple people at this business multiple times. I have written. I have done everything I can to work with them. I gave them weeks to refund  my deposit BEFORE I contacted my credit card company to dispute the transaction. They fought the dispute with my *********** Why? They say one thing and do another. This is very simple: a person who represents this business and who has the authority to resolve this complaint can easily contact me at **************. That person can confirm they have refunded my deposit, as the contract both parties signed says, they will if their service is not used. This company plays endless games. ******* Hardy is the person who has not been honest. Since he signed the contract, he should call me and discuss this issue and refund my deposit. What kind of business takes an $810 deposit and then refuses to refund that deposit even though they did not provide any services described in the contract? This transaction occurred in June...it is now November. I'm STILL dealing with these crooks. This company, ******* Hardy, has still NEVER called or emailed me to confirm what he will or won't do. One word: Fraud.    
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *******

• Initial Complaint

  05/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  375 dollar deposit

• Initial Complaint

  01/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On November 21 2023 I entered into a contract with Blue Collar Pet Transport service to transport my small dog from ********* ** to ****** *******. I made a ****** deposit. Date of pick up was to be within 4 day window before Jan 10 ****. Blue Collar was supposed to cal me with pick up date. I started calling Blue Collar Jan 3 ****. Called 5 times leaving messages for call back. No response from Blue Collar. I went on their website chat feature And made complaint. Chat person said I had not provided insurance. Contract did not contain insurance requirements. No one notified me of any such requirement. Despite my repeated requests to speak with someone from Blue Collar no one has called me. I want my $400 back. This company is running a scam operation.

• Initial Complaint

  12/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On 11/20 I made a deposit of $2,000 to have my dog shipped for PR to AK. The day before my dog was scheduled to leave I received an email from *************************** stating that the flight nanny canceled last *************** plan also failed. She sent me a courtesy refund contract to sign - which I did. Here it is 12/17 and I never received my money back. I was told **** business days. This company is a scam!!! I would like my money back ASAP.

• Initial Complaint

  07/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  We were hesitant to use BC for a second cross-country trip after our dog was delivered covered in her own feces last summer, but were assured our experience was abnormal and promised a much better one. The second effort was exponentially worse and actually dangerous. The salesperson said our dog would have a pair of drivers to shorten her ride and we agreed on a two-day pickup window over email. Two days before that window, we were texted that a driver would be there in a just few hours. We responded to say they were ahead of schedule and our dog wasn't ready. "No problem," they said. We then repeatedly contacted customer service and their scheduler but struggled to get any pickup info until two days AFTER the window. Half a day before our family was due to leave for the summer, they admitted they wouldn't be able to pick up our dog before we left and we could either cancel the trip entirely or board her until the driver arrived. We had to leave our dog home alone for days and pay a babysitter to walk and feed her. She was picked up four days after the window, and we learned there would be just ONE driver, which would lengthen her trip. The scheduler told us at pickup time that it should take 2.5 days. It took 4.5 days, and our poor dog was crated for nearly that entire time in the back of a crammed, messy minivan. The driver said he was taking cold medicine and could only drive 2-3 hours before his body would give out. We were terrified at how unsafe that sounded and shocked that BC had done nothing about it. When our dog finally arrived, she had chewed one leg raw and a vet said she had a soft tissue injury that required antibiotics and painkillers. BC was informed but offered no refund or vet's or boarding costs. We were then told, alarmingly, that that the driver booked for our dog's return was "removed from her routes." BC said we could only cancel the return and get our deposit back if we signed a nondisparagement agreement, but we can not ethically agree.

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I signed a contract with Blue Collar Pet Transport on 4/20/23 and received a pick-up window for my dog between 6/19/23 until 6/22/23. I called and left three messages on 6/19 seeking updated info about the scheduled pick-up date and no one returned my message. Eventually, I got a hold of two different people. They both told me they'd call the dispatch office and then return my call. This never happened. I was told I'd be called by the end of the day on 6/19, and by the latest 6/20. It's 6/20, and I tried calling the business number that's listed on their website and google. I got the message "You've reached a number that isn't set up to receive calls" IT's literally the same number I called yesterday and spoke with customer service... I paid 200$ for a non-refundable deposit, and they totally broke their contract with me. Additonally, I paid 200$ for a health certification (which my dog needed to take their van service). I've never dealt with such awful customer service.

• Initial Complaint

  01/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  For anyone considering having their dog transported by BLUE COLLAR, please read about our experience first. The experience we had with transporting our dog was absolutely awful. BLUE COLLAR is very communicative when it comes to getting you to sign the contract and make payments. The communication ends there. They talk about making your move easy, acknowledge how stressful it can be and how dogs can pick up on stress---yet there was literally nothing about our experience that was stress free. In their “Values,” they state that you will get regular updates and photos and have communication during transport. The only time any of that happened, was when I checked in. Never proactively. And it wasn’t until a couple days into the trip, that I was able to track the van, or else I would have had no idea where our dog was. We scheduled a group transport from Maryland to California. Our pickup window was Dec 26th-Dec 30th. I was told we would be contacted by the driver…I kept checking in because no one had reached out to us and was told on December 23 that someone would be assigned that day and if not, to call back after the weekend (Xmas). I checked in again on the 26th and was told no one had been assigned yet and that someone would be assigned that day. No one was. On the 26th, I was given a driver’s name and told he would reach out. After I called him twice and sent 2 texts—none of which were responded to—I was told he “had flown the coop” and we would be assigned someone else. On December 27th we were given a new driver and told he would contact us that night or the following morning. He did not. I texted and called him as well. After not getting any responses, I called customer service multiple times to see what was happening and was told that they couldn’t see what dispatch was doing and assured me the driver would eventually call. The driver never called but dispatch eventually did. He was eventually picked up on Dec 31st at 10pm. BLUE COLLAR very clearly states that all times are ETA’s, and they can’t account for weather, car issues, etc. That we totally understood. But what you should be aware of: -You must be avail AT ALL TIMES not only in your window, but any time before or after, until the pickup and drop-off happen. From our experience, even allowing for the fluid nature of estimated time of arrival, their windows were not reliable ..therefore, the person placing your pet to begin the trip and the person receiving your pet must be able to accommodate all notices for pickup and drop off. If you have a job, family responsibilities such as childcare or elder care you must be prepared to drop what you are doing at a moment’s notice. -Our experience with the estimated times were that they changed with each person we talked to. Not by just hours, which would fit into the estimated time of arrival, but by days. This was tremendously stressful, which could have been mitigated with consistent and accurate communication. Along the way we were given 3 different days and times that he would be delivered. And after originally being told the drive would take 3-4 days, it took 6. BLUE COLLAR states that your pet will be driven by experienced drivers and in a BLUE COLLAR van. -What they didn’t tell us, nor is it in the contract, is that they hired a THIRD PARTY to transport our dog. An entirely different company and paid them substantially less than what we paid. -Of the first 2 drivers that picked up our dog, one lasted only a day or 2 into the drive because he couldn’t stay awake for more than 3 hours. -The van was not a BLUE COLLAR one. It was an older model that went into the shop on the way to pick up, once during the drive, and had to circle hours backwards after another van broke down. Which meant our dog was stuck in the crate each time something like this happened. While unexpected things may happen, the consumer is reasonable in believing that the transport vehicle will be reasonably maintained and reliable. -The van was filthy, and our dog smelled awful. -I want to be very clear that I don’t fault the other company---we didn’t have a contract with them, and they were under no obligation to abide by BLUE COLLAR’S contract. BLUE COLLAR states that your pet will be fed per instructions of their normal eating schedule and will give them the food you provide. -We sent 7 days worth of food---and for fear of retaliation, I am not going to post how many days of food we got back, but it amounted to our dog not being fed for days. -I want to be very clear that I don’t fault the other company---we didn’t have a contract with them, and they were under no obligation to abide by Blue Collar’s contract. In marketing materials, BLUE COLLAR claims to “TREAT YOUR PET LIKE FAMILY”. I wouldn’t have wished this experience on my worst enemy, let alone a family member. The stress and anxiety that was caused to my entire family, and more importantly to our dog, was just terrible and unacceptable. Think twice so that no other family has to go through this.

  Business response

  01/26/2023

  Satisfying our customers is very important to us and we are deeply sorry we couldn't meet and fulfill your expectations. Our team here at Blue Collar Pet Transport are doing everything we can to resolve issues that have been presented. A full investigation has escalated on the issue of food for the pet in question. As the customer service manager and Vet Tech for BCPT , I was never made aware of this issue until this concern was brought to me in this complaint ? Can you please provide me proof that this was communicated to us on the concern of food not being properly proportioned daily? I would also request any vet records that you have considering the length of the time that the pet was suggested to have been without food, I am sure with this being a serious concern of pet health that he was taken to be seen upon the completion of his transport? Any diagnosis and doctors notes regarding this will be substantial in our investigation. This is a very serious concern and I will make sure I get every detail and timeline covered to get the facts and solution.  In response to the concern of timing and transport windows, this is covered in the contract that is signed by both parties, which will be attached in this response. It does cover any weather, natural disasters , local, national, and global pandemics or related government shut downs. This covers road closures, contagious sickness of employees or contractors and will be at a manager's discretion. It is unfortunate that this at times causes delays, communication to be interrupted for short periods of time, however as stated in the contract we will not be held liable when subjected to local, state and national government laws and regulations. This particular transport just happened to be in the middle of a national winter weather event. It is our goal to keep Employees , contractors and pets as safe as possible during these times which can include long delays, and changes in transport times and days. It should also be noted that in the contract signed by both parties that no specific day, or time is a guarantee.  As a transport company we do reserve the right to contract agents that we deem professional. When contracted through our company any and all policy and procedures are required to be followed , this is also in a contract presented to our vendors at the time of services, in addition signed by both parties.  We as a team are always collaborating and restructuring  our processes so that we can satisfy our customers. It is our goal to make sure that as we grow and learn that we get better at meeting and exceeding customers expectations. As a PET business our number one goal is to provide safe, healthy and loving transport for any and all animals.
  
  

  Customer response

  01/30/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  RE Food: BC- "I was never made aware of this issue until this concern was brought to me in this complaint. Can you please provide me proof that this was communicated to us on the concern of food not being proper proportioned daily?"

  Response- How could I make you aware of the food when I wasn't in the transport with him. How would I express my concern if I didn't know until he was delivered to us with 12 OUT OF 14 BAGS SUPPLIED. I did not take a picture of the 12 bags, not sure that would make much of a difference here. We watched him for a couple days and didn't feel like he needed to then be taken to the vet. We were lucky, others may not have been.

  RE Timing- I acknowledged in my complaint that the contract says all times are ETAs. What I was highlighting is that you are never consistent with your timing, there is little to no communication and a consumer is reasonable to think that if the van is maintained, that it wouldn't have broken down twice and also go hours back to help another van that had broken down.

  Nowhere in the contract does it state that an ENTIRE DIFFERENT COMPANY could be doing the transport. You do state that pets are delivered in BLUE COLLAR VANS--ours was not.

  You do not address the complete lack of communication and mixed messages through the entire process once we paid. How is anyone supposed to feel secure in using you if nothing you say is credible?

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

• Initial Complaint

  11/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  At the end of September 2022 I used this company to transport my elderly cat from Virginia to Texas. I was told it should take two or three days and would cost $1379.60, $275.92 as the deposit and the balance would be collected after my pet was delivered. I selected this company because I confirmed by phone and email with them that I could give them my elderly cats food prep portioned with his medications and it would be no problem. They arrived with my pet on the morning of the sixth day (10/4) but they charged my account on day three, when my cat should have arrived. Upon arrival, my cat was in appalling condition, noticeably skinny in only a few days. When I collected his things and brought him in the house, I saw the bag I gave them with all his portioned and dated food was untouched, meaning my elderly cat had no medicine for the five full days they had him. I emailed the company and asked for explanation as to how this happened and what they fed my cat. I received an email back with contact information I should call. When I called on 10/6 they basically had me describe the situation in more detail. I was told they would reach back out. On 10/18 I emailed again asking for a refund because the service I received was not the service they advertised. I received an email back saying that the initial response and the phone call we had was them getting back to me and that they had already issued a 30% refund. When no refund appeared I emailed again on 10/24 asking what is the general timeframe for the refund and was told 10-14 business days. I'm writing this on 11/12 and still no refund.

  Business response

  12/20/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/11/16) */ Customer was requested to send in documents of her pets vet bill and notes from the assigned Doctor that seen her pet, if pet was seen. No documents were received , We have issued the refund that was agreed upon. It typically takes 10-15 business days to post, however in some cases it has taken longer. We have been assured from our banking service that the refund has been issued on November 14th and no issues on our end as to why it should not post. I have also followed up with the customer VIA email and I canceled out the original refund, re-issued the refund once more to be sure that everything is processed on our end. Proof of email communication and proof of bank refund being issued can also be supplied. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/11/25) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I have provided pictures of the email chain with the communication I have had with this company. No documentation was ever requested of me from a vet. That being said I have scheduled my cat for the vet as it has now developed a grinding noise when eating and still doesn't eat as much before being moved by this company. A 30% refund seems nice in theory but doesn't change the unacceptable treatment of my elderly pet. It's also not an amount I agreed to but was told was issued to me. One of my biggest concerns is that still no one from this company has explained to me what even happened to my pet. No has told me what he was fed since it wasn't the portioned food I gave them. No one has told me how much he was eating when with them. I paid for a service, that my pet would be safely transported. This company did not provide the service they agreed too. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/11/30) */ Satisfying our customers is very important to us and I am sorry we couldn't meet and fulfill your expectations. Our team here at Blue Collar Pet Transport are doing everything we can to resolve issues and hiccups that have been presented. We as a team are always collaborating and restructuring our processes so that we can satisfy our customers. It is our goal to make sure that as we grow and learn that we get better at meeting and exceeding customers expectations. As a business our number one goal is to provide safe, healthy and loving transport for any and all animals.With that being said, again I have attached the service agreement contract that was signed by **** *******, per the contract as you can see in the Pet Care Authorizations section: I authorize Blue Collar Pet Transport Employees 1. To make decisions for and care for my pet(s) on a day-to-day basis. This includes walking, feeding, bathing, transporting, and providing medication to my pet(s) as necessary. 2. To make emergency medical decisions for my pet(s), including emergency surgery, and emergency medicine. I understand that I will be responsible for the costs incurred, and the Blue Collar Employees will make every effort to inform me of the potential costs and seek authorization prior to deciding. Blue Collar Employees do not need authorization to move forward with life saving care under the advisement of an Emergency Veterinarian. 3. To access past or current medical records of my pet when emergency care is sought or provided during transport. 4. To sign any documents necessary to provide my pet(s) with medical care. If the pet was not given a certain amount of food or the pet was not eating as normal it is at the judgment of the driver to make an appropriate decision on the given situation. It is common for pets to not eat, or want to eat during a transport or long journey. I would also note that this transport was in a prior month, if the pet needed medical care and was diagnosed with a condition that would have been caused by neglect or lack of food we have not received such documentation from a USDA vet in the time frame of supposed accusation. Further if this health issue has continued up until now, without any vet attention until now this would not fall under the time frame of the pet being in our care. To address the communication and conversations: all communication between the customer is not strictly through email or texting. A Pre-Trip phone call is always issued, as well as phone communication between customers and services throughout the duration of the pets journey. We Can also provide a call log. Lastly I have also attached the Refund contract that was signed by ****e *******,As discussed via phone correspondence on 10/17/2022, Blue Collar Pet Transport completed the transportation purchase but has agreed to issue a $413.88 courtesy refund. By signing, you agree to the refunded amount of $413.88, and the remainder of the invoice is non-refundable and non-negotiable, as well as to not disparage BCPT in any way or form whether it be written verbal, or non-verbal. Clearly the contract has now been violated and broken by the customer as negative accusations have occurred. Consumer Response /* (2000, 11, 2022/12/01) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) I would like to be done with this whole thing and not be contacted by this company again. I will accept this business proposed resolution if I can be done with this company and this whole disappointing situation.

• Initial Complaint

  08/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  5/29/22 Received very poor service/breech of contract. Paid over half requested amount. Stopped payment on the remainder and now they are hassling me for payment. Something shady happened to a portion of my payment. I'm still researching to find it. Full timeline and details attached.

  Business response

  09/09/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/04) */ We are very confused as to why this complaint has been made. This client was having issues making their final payment at the completion of their transport, so we allowed them to make a partial payment with their credit card and accepted a personal check for the remaining balance. This client then placed a stop payment on BOTH payments. They still owe us the remaining 80% of their balance. We have reached out to them multiple times to A) find out why they did this and B) collect on the amount owed to us for the services rendered. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/08/05) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I did not stop payment on the******* card partial payment. It mysteriously disappeared from my account after it posted. I haven't been able to find it. I stoppped payment on the check portion after I saw the condition of my pets. I would have paid in full and just been annoyed by the lack of pick up and drop off notice and all the problems it cause but the treatment of my cats was deplorable. The only reason I agreed to pay the very high price for Blue Collar to move my pets was because of their asurance that my beloved pets would be well cared for. If I wanted them deprived of food, water, litter boxes, and bedding for 2 days, I could have just shipped them for way cheaper.

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I hired Blue Collar Pet transport to transport my dog from CA to TX. The experience was unsettling to say the least: we consistently received pictures and updates for a different dog, and were with inexperienced drivers as their first transport. At one point, they estimated a two-week delivery after mis-calculating the drop-off route. The sales consultant also miscommunicated our travel timelines and had the dog scheduled to be picked up before we would arrive to our destination. At around 9:30PM after being 45 minutes late on the delivery date, one of the handlers texted me to "please call the police" and completely LEFT transport van, leaving the other inexperienced handler by themselves. After being in constant communication with the dispatch supervisor (Shawn) explaining the situation, the van finally showed up at the destination, the handler opened the crate and let the dog out with out leashing him. The dog was bit thin, itchy, and most of the food was returned that we shipped him with. Thankfully my dog seems to be okay, but I am concerned about how the company handles business judgement and the employee's safety. I need a partial credit from the business, acknowledgment of the situation, and I need to report that that safety, timelines, and communication lack considerably.

  Business response

  08/15/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/19) */ We do apologize for the occurrences that happened during this transport. As the client have stated, they were in constant contact with our dispatcher, who kept you alerted as to what was going on at the time. We can assure you that this is something that has never happened before, and even though the driver that left the vehicle had been run through a thorough background check, she apparently had some sort of nervous breakdown. Thankfully, she was not driving at the time and has since been released from our employment. We will happily offer the client a discount, however they have not yet paid your bill which as stated in their contract, was supposed to have been paid before the drop off of their pet occurred. We will reach out to this client, to try and reach some sort of agreement.

*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. ↩