KahluaGrl

Yeah, I took out all of Harley's paperwork and it said nothing about a yearly charge unless I wanted insurance. It never said only 60 days free. It seems like a scam to me. I think I will just get them all registered with AKC and be done with it. I'll have to see if I can get 24PetWatch to just remove the info from the system.

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Hank

Can anyone tell me exactly how they look up your info with a microchip?
I have 24petwatch. I do not want to pay their fees so I registered a new account with his microchip with CAR.
I called 24petwatch to cancel my account/delete his microchip out of their system and they said, they can not do that, and that his microchip will automatically come up with their info, and not CAR.
This sounds like BS to me, how does it really work?


They had no issues deleting Hank out of their system because he is deceased. About to call back and say the same for Bronsons info.

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KahluaGrl

I've contemplated doing the same with Harley but I'm not sure what will happen and how the CAR works. If it just pulls up the 24petwatch info, in the unfortunate event that Harley got lost, he would never get back to me and all 24petwatch cares about is the money.

I even went and pulled my original paperwork and it mentions nothing about the annual fee. It's like a bait and switch almost. The "shelter" that Harley came from doesn't seem to care that the info doesn't match and it "isn't their problem". So yeah. Thankfully the rescue group that Maverick came from is much more understanding and will keep updating it from their end.

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Hank

I looked up his microchip on here Pet Microchip Lookup - Powered by AAHA
and CAR came up and NOT 24petwatch. Dunno, what most vets use.

24petwatch was trying to say that only their phone number would come up with his 'unique chip number' and that they would only know to look up CAR if he was wearing a microchip tag with CAR on it.

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KahluaGrl

Thanks for the site!

24petwatch also told me that ALL microchip companies charge annual fees and there isn't just a one time fee for any company when you have the microchip inserted so I'm not sure I believe anything they say.

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interrobang

What a timely thread. Ive been going around and around with this all day. It appears 24hourwatch also has access to my other animals that were chipped with Home Again chip. I didn't register them on their site, but there they were. I think I will check out the AKC site. Does anybody know if you can only register AKC registered animals on that site? I have a couple of rescue kitties and just rescued a DoberGirl that doesn't have papers.

KahluaGrl

You can register non AKC animals with AKC CAR.

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avianantics

You can register any chip and any animal that is chipped with CAR. If you register online one-time fee is $17.95.

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Shelly Wing
AKC GCH/UKC CH Lyndobe's Wheel of Fortune, "Wheeler"
AKC Ptd Lyndobe's Loquacious Charm, "Lola"

honda123

You really should.

Most Vets are not business saavy.

I can not tell you how many ads in a professional Vet magazine are targeting for "business consultants to handle your business affairs/incoming financial receivables or manage your real estate."

There was an associate DVM that signed up for an alleged new microchip company as a rep, or installer, and was all excited.
I asked him, "Do they have a toll free #?"
He asked me, "Why? Is that important?"

OHHHH MY GOD!

Rouleaux

My cat is microchipped through HomeAgain. I paid for the initial microchipping and almost 1 year later I got a paper stating to renew his membership. I still update his info from time to time, but never pay the fee because, lets face it, I paid for a service, it scans and gives my information regardless of membership status.

Rouleaux's chip is a Datamars/res-q chip.

Many veterinary practices have universal scanners- my cat's chip is international even though he really doesn't leave the road I live on.

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KahluaGrl

If I could update the info without paying a ridiculous annual fee that was never in the original paperwork I would be fine with that. 24petwatch basically said give us money or have out of date information. I was furious. How can you change what was originally promised in original paperwork?

Oh well. They all have AKC CAR, so Harley and Maverick at least have something with correct info since 24petwatch could care less. I wish more shelters would start moving away from 24petwatch. I don't think a lot of people are willing to pay a ridiculous annual fee, when there are other chips that just charge a 1 time fee and are a lot nicer to deal with.

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Rouleaux

Call them and have them change your information. I would demand it. If nothing else, make your emergency contact your veterinary clinic

Do you know how many people aren't paying. If you can't log on and do it, I would call and have it altered- then try not to change it too much- i.d.tags are very useful in this scenario.

and I like HomeAgain- they send e-mails and faxes in the area your pet was last seen/missing.

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KahluaGrl

Yup, I called and they said we will update after you pay, I talked to more than one person, the last guy is the one that ticked me off though. They told me EVERY microchip has an annual maintenance fee and this chip was only free for the first 60 days. I couldn't even register Maverick unless I paid for Harley.

I told them that my paperwork says nothing about payment unless I want insurance and I did not and I even pointed out how I changed the info after the first 60 days, I changed it for 2 years and he said I was LYING and that was not the case.

I also pointed out Kahlua's microchip not 24petwatch only had a one time fee and he wanted the microchip number for her. My response: There is no way in he** I am giving you her number. I saw no reason for him to ask for that and there was no way he was getting it, the last thing I need is for her chip to get messed up with them.

So it would cost me $17.95 x 2 since both Harley and Maverick were chipped with these. The whole ordeal and experience with the company definitely was a big turn off. It was just terrible customer service and almost a bait and switch. I updated info for 2 years, then all of a sudden there was an annual fee.

I might file a BBB complaint... I don't know if it would do any good.

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Q734

Find a review site for these various chips and put yours on it.
E.g. Homeagain microchip reviews etc etc.
I'm torqued to have been paying a silly renewal fee all these years!

Important topic thanks for starting it.

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-^-^-^----_^-^-^---^-^-^-^-^-^->
New here looking for a breeder to get your dog from?
Check out links BELOW for health testing behind sires & dams when considering a puppy.

Each link has something different to offer.
> http://dobequest.org/ (<-incomplete but worthwhile)

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>http://www.puppiesonice.com/breed.cfm?breedid=56
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Toby'shuman

Here in Spain it is a requirement by law your dog has a microchip. We pay an up front fee for it (around 40 euros) and that is that.

If your contract, (your documents for the microchip) does not state an annual fee and you have received no letter saying due to this or that they are going to start charging, do you agree, then by UK law they cannot legally require you to pay any such fee. Of course you are in the USA but your laws seem pretty switched on relating to such so I would imagine you are likely to find it is the same where you live.

Whether or not you wish to remain with such a company is up to you, seeing as they are obviously derelict in their duty of care regards giving you all the perinent information at the time of inception of your contract with them. (personally I would drop them like a hot potato burning my hand)

I guess if you are constantly changing your details etc then the company may have included a clause within the contract in which they can start to charge you a fee for administration. But as I personally haven't seen your contract with them or indeed had to do this here I haven't come across this problem so I truly cannot say if this may be the case with your dogs microchip company.
Here we are able to register more than one phone number on our account so my son is listed as am I followed by our house telephone number, is this not available to you in your country, if not then this seems rather gash (IMHO) and not a very good service at all.

Limiting how many times you can change your details (if I understood what you said has happened correctly) is nonsensical, they either have an up to date record of the animals on their books or they don't. Perhaps the fee they are asking for is to encourage you to not change the details at the drop of a hat, ie, I am going to Alaska for x amount of time and so will not be contactable so here is my Aunts number and then x amount of time down the road you come back and want to change it back etc, etc so maybe you could look into putting additional numbers on your account as well as an additional address.

Regards the employee saying that your changing your details prior is not true, I assume you have some sort of record of the changes, ie, you wrote to them, they sent you a new set of paperwork back with the updated details there for all to see in black and white. If not, then unfortunately as obnoxious as this young man may have been you cannot take this argument further, other than to complain over the way he spoke to you.

I believe you were correct in not giving out your dogs microchip number, he has no right to such information and for the life of me I cannot think why he thought he did or why he would ask for it.

Here if you wish you can as long as you are the registered pet/microchip owner remove a microchip from say a company you no longer wish to deal with at any time.
If you choose to replace it using a different companies microchip then this is perfectly acceptable, the only proviso this country has regards doing so is you inform the original microchip company you have had their chip removed so they can cancel the account etc.

I cannot imagine your countries laws would be different. After all it is your dog/pet.

Rouleaux

I wonder if you can give your chip number to a different company??

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avianantics

Indeed you can. My home again chips are registered with CAR. You can register any chip with any company. Homeagain, Petlink, 24petwatch.... etc., they will all take your money and register your chip regardless of where the chip came from.

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Shelly Wing
AKC GCH/UKC CH Lyndobe's Wheel of Fortune, "Wheeler"
AKC Ptd Lyndobe's Loquacious Charm, "Lola"

Rouleaux

I would do that then. Homeagain does't require renewal but they would like it, and res-q hasn't hit me up for any money yet

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Hank

Yes, I just registered Bronsons chip with CAR instead of paying. 24petwatch can suck it

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Rouleaux

^^ well said!!!

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Hank

I left a review on 24petwatch's Yelp page. Seems their insurance has bad reviews everywhere

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