i couldn't wait for it to come. it's from k9carts. i put her in and she turned her head and looked at it and took off smashing into my coffee table. they stated in their ad that it could be used in the house if the pet was under 40 lbs, she's 31 lbs and no way could this be used in the house. we took her outside and she walked in it but shook the entire time. she looked at us like 'what are you doing to me now?'. i guess i'll be sending it back but i'm a little upset at their return policy. they only reimburse you 65% of the cost and i also bought the poop catcher for $25 and they want a $10 restocking fee. bad enough i have a handicapped pet but i feel like everything i try to do for her, i get ripped off.
also, i changed her diaper today and noticed that she has 2 sores - one on each leg. i put on medicine and have now put the diaper in her piddle pants with out the stress of it over her thighs. i hope it heals up. i might try 'no diaper' while she's resting in her room and only use it when she's in the main part of the house.
she's still trying to walk on her own. she takes maybe 3-4 steps at a time and when she eats or drinks - she stands. you can tell one leg is so much stronger than the other and i had hoped the wheelchair would be great therapy, but she wants no parts of it. it's really getting to me today.
thanks for listening,
susan
Dogs: Molly Got Her Wheelchair and Hates It!
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Paul Coover
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:18 am
- Location: Houlton, Maine
- Contact:
Try This
Susan, I'm sorry that you are having such a hard time. We have had the same problems with 2 dogs before, so I'll let you know what we did.
Riley hated his chair at first. We played with him while in the chair and gave him treats. He started to associate being in the chair with getting treats and attention, so he got used to it. It did take several days and many hours, so maybe this will work.
We also have Pork Chop, who also had much difficulty with his chair. He was much more difficult. It took several weeks to get him used to it, and he still isn't really crazy about it. He uses it and tolerates it, but not for a long time. Our guys use their chairs more inside than out, and we have to keep the floor clear of everything so they can navigate.
With the leg sores, we have Johanna that had sores on her legs from diapers. We decided not to put diapers on her and her legs have completely healed. She sleeps in a playpen with blankets and sheets. When she goes, I just take them out and wash them. I would rather wash sheets and blankets every day than have her get infected from diaper sores.
When she is in her cart, we do not put any diaper on her. She does go on the floor, but we have all tile and hardwood flooring. We just mop it up when she goes, no problem.
I hope that this was helpful. Good luck!
Riley hated his chair at first. We played with him while in the chair and gave him treats. He started to associate being in the chair with getting treats and attention, so he got used to it. It did take several days and many hours, so maybe this will work.
We also have Pork Chop, who also had much difficulty with his chair. He was much more difficult. It took several weeks to get him used to it, and he still isn't really crazy about it. He uses it and tolerates it, but not for a long time. Our guys use their chairs more inside than out, and we have to keep the floor clear of everything so they can navigate.
With the leg sores, we have Johanna that had sores on her legs from diapers. We decided not to put diapers on her and her legs have completely healed. She sleeps in a playpen with blankets and sheets. When she goes, I just take them out and wash them. I would rather wash sheets and blankets every day than have her get infected from diaper sores.
When she is in her cart, we do not put any diaper on her. She does go on the floor, but we have all tile and hardwood flooring. We just mop it up when she goes, no problem.
I hope that this was helpful. Good luck!
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Weeble's :o~ mom Beth
- Posts: 336
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 1:48 am
- Location: Los Lunas, New Mexico
Re: Dogs: Molly Got Her Wheelchair and Hates It!
Susan~ I'm so sorry about Molly & the cart. I had a very simalar expirence with k9 carts have shared some of it here, but have been very reluctant to share because so many people are happy with their carts from k9, but I had ALOT of problems with the company just trying to get them to listen to what my Weeble's needs were. I wanted to order from the east coast company, was told I HAD to order from the west coast company cuz I was in N.M. Never had heard of that. They only spent about 15 minutes on the phone with me, just getting his measurements. I told them he needed a quad cart, they argued & said he'd be fine in a front extension cart. He couldn't even stand up in it as he had no support. Called them back & was questioned by the owner of the company, she asked if my boy was happy or if I was just doing this to keep him around for myself. Was told they would have to "scrap" the first cart & start all over again. I told them of the program here to help other pets & was told this extension cart would fit noone but Weeble.
Yes the 65% that you get back sucks(sorry 'bout the languge) but I think that is pretty standard with all the cart companies. Got told when I called to tell them I was returning the cart that "If they had known how bad my dog was they never would have suggested a front extension cart" I did point out that I had told them what he needed, but they seemed to know better than myself, even tho they had never laid eyes on Weeble.
Called Eddies Wheels next & what a differance! Both Eddie & his wife Leslie spent over an hour on the phone with me discussing Weeble's needs. After I got the cart, called them & ordered a head rest, as I though it would help Weeble hold his head midline(he has CP)they sent it free of charge! Will my boy ever be able to zoom around? Probably not as his disability is very severe, but it gives him such joy to be able to just stand like a regular dog, the money was well worth it.
Again, I'm so sorry for your negtive experience with k9 carts. Don't give up tho, before you send it back try taking Molly to a place she loves to go,I've heard that dogs will suddenly realise how great it is to be able to run again. Also try some of her favorite treats to get her to move.
Good luck & let us know how it goes
Yes the 65% that you get back sucks(sorry 'bout the languge) but I think that is pretty standard with all the cart companies. Got told when I called to tell them I was returning the cart that "If they had known how bad my dog was they never would have suggested a front extension cart" I did point out that I had told them what he needed, but they seemed to know better than myself, even tho they had never laid eyes on Weeble.
Called Eddies Wheels next & what a differance! Both Eddie & his wife Leslie spent over an hour on the phone with me discussing Weeble's needs. After I got the cart, called them & ordered a head rest, as I though it would help Weeble hold his head midline(he has CP)they sent it free of charge! Will my boy ever be able to zoom around? Probably not as his disability is very severe, but it gives him such joy to be able to just stand like a regular dog, the money was well worth it.
Again, I'm so sorry for your negtive experience with k9 carts. Don't give up tho, before you send it back try taking Molly to a place she loves to go,I've heard that dogs will suddenly realise how great it is to be able to run again. Also try some of her favorite treats to get her to move.
Good luck & let us know how it goes
Very, very long
Hi Susan,
I can relate so well to your frustration. I, too, felt a crushing disappointment when my dog did not like her wheelchair. She is a chihuahua and I knew the famous chihuahua Wheely Willy had a cart from K-9 Carts so I ordered one from them against the advice of the physical therapist who recommended Doggon'. I just *knew* when I put my dog in, she would take off running like Willy did in the book and it would be a moment of pure joy. I was so excited about the cart that (I've never confessed this before) when the delivery truck pulled up to our door, I ran outside and ran up to the driver and actually scared him because he wasn't expecting it. I told him, "It's the wheelchair for my dog" and I guess he thought I was nuts. I took it in the house and could not even use it that day because it needed adjustments, which required reading the instructions, and there wasn't time. When I finally got it adjusted the next night, first I had trouble getting her into it, then she just stood there. The look on her face was like, "OK, I'll stand here but why do you want me to?" No racing around, nothing.
I would like to think I gave it a fair try. We tried it in the house a number of times. The problem was, she had no interest in going off exploring the house on her own, she just wanted to stay in the kitchen with me. I thought, "Well, at least now she can eat standing up like she's probably done all her life." No interest in eating though. I put food down and she did not eat it. There was one bright spot when I had her in the cart and the doorbell rang, and THEN she ran to the door. I hadn't realized that one of the things a paralyzed dog misses is the ability to run to the front door and bark! So that was good. That made me happy. But even though she is small, and the wheelchair was small, she couldn't navigate well. She caught the wheels going around through the doorway and didn't know the trick of backing up. When she caught herself, the chair seemed to pull on her back just above where the injury was, I didn't like that. So we pretty much gave up on using it inside because she didn't have anywhere to go and got caught on things when she tried.
But there was still outside. When I bought it, I thought one thing she would like to do is go out in the back yard and run back and forth along the fence like the other dogs do. However, it turned out that being so small, it was a lot of effort for her to pull the wheelchair over normal sized tufts of grass. Too much effort. The backyard is clumpy and it's going to continue to be clumpy, so that was out. But then there was the front. She liked that much better. If I put her in her chair on the driveway, she had the world to explore and was more interested in walking. She would walk down the drive, across the street, etc., and also roll across the smooth lawn in front a little. We would go up to the corner (4 houses and back). But she did get tired, I could tell. It was like asking Bambi to pull a haywagon. And being a chihuahua she likes to do everything fast and she couldn't. I felt they made the wheelchair sturdy enough to hike the Grand Canyon, but what we needed was something light and delicate like my petite, slender, long-legged 7-lb little friend. It was clunky! And the last straw was that it was difficult to pick her up while in the chair without having it put pressure by her fusion. I need to be able to pick her up because we do sometimes get charged by larger dogs. So eventually I gave up on the chair and donated it to the physical therapy place she goes to, where they lend it to people just to try for a week, then they advise people to buy Doggon'(!)
Susan, I've got a different situation than you in that my dog is so small, there was no reason why I could not continue to sling walk her. It was no trouble for me, we both enjoyed it. So maybe I didn't try hard enough with the chair. I have often thought of ordering her another chair from another company. Beth says Eddie's really listened to her. They might listen to me, I don't know, I'd like to get someone to make her a really really light chair. I don't want it to last forever. I don't want to be able to hike the back country with it. I want it to be so light she hardly knows it's there. But I guess I felt so much disappointment over the first chair, I was reluctant to try again. Then I feel a little guilty because maybe if I could get the *right* chair, if such a thing exists, her life would have an added dimension. Maybe I should try again. Will I look back someday and say, "Why was I so cheap, why didn't I at least try?" I don't know.
But our situations are the same in another way. Your dog is walking. She's walking 3-4 steps. That's walking!!! That's WALKING!!! It only gets better. It hasn't been long since your dog's injury. It took my dog 9 months to get to where your dog is. At 9 months she could walk about 4 feet going downhill, and could *not* stand to eat.
I think if it was me I would go ahead and give it more time, and try the advice Paul gives. He's done this several times. I think he's had dogs in all 3 major brands of wheelchairs. Bobbie with CorgiAid also has a lot of experience with putting dogs in carts, including K-9, and she says K-9 works along with the other brands. Supposedly corgis can be stubborn about carts, so if K-9 didn't work, she would know.
There is alway the question of whether it is adjusted correctly. You'll probably have to do like I did and keep looking at the pictures in the brochure, and looking at your dog in the cart, and keep changing the adjustments till they're as good as they can be. It may take half a dozen sessions with the toolbox.
Yes, it is s-o-o-o-o disappointing. It hit me so hard. I just felt defeated. I was exhausted and stressed out at the time anyway. I am always encouraging other people, but I sometimes have trouble encouraging myself. I was crushed. I just sank into a feeling of disappointment and didn't really climb out. I hope you won't do that. Yes, send it back if you don't like it. Or try it longer to be sure. Yes, it totally sucks (Beth you're right!!!) that not only do you have to be disappointed with the cart, but then you take a hit financially. I felt I certainly had money for something important like a cart and gladly spent it, but nobody wants to throw away money.
I try to remind myself that it isn't just K-9 Carts. If Bobbie has had luck with them, and Paul has had luck with them, then don't blame yourself for which company you chose. I don't blame myself. But even when I am reasonable and say they made the cart to the proper measurements, which was their part of the deal, I still sort of feel cheated because I was led to believe it would produce happy results and it didn't.
Molly is going to walk. If I remember correctly, you have a shoulder problem and are better off not doing a lot of lifting? Is there any way you can take her to a place with sloping pavement? Like a school with a sloping sidewalk or someplace? I discovered somehow that my dog could walk better if going downhill. After that I took her to everyplace I could find with sloping pavement. I would set her down at the top and we would walk down the slope together. Then I'd carry her back to the top and we'd go again.
It is very hard to explain this just right, but it wasn't simply a case that she needed her nerves to recover so she could walk. It was also that by the time her nerves were recovering, she was already used to assuming she could not walk so it simply didn't occur to her to try. It isn't like the nerves came back and she started taking steps on her own. I had to keep finding things she could do, such as short walks down a slope, so she would see she could do it. And furthermore, just because she could walk down the slope at the school did not mean she assumed she could walk down a slope somewhere else! I had to encourge her when we found new slopes, too. It's called "learned nonuse". We had a lot to overcome, NOT so much in terms of realizing her nerves were recovering, but in regaining the idea that she could DO things now. It's like the nerves were recovering but now she wasn't going to do anything with the ability she was regaining because she did not realize this was even an option. She was fully adjusted to not walking.
I am sorry you are having such a problem here. I've had a problem getting a harness that will work for my big dog. I have ordered 3 harnesses and none of them worked. That was $35, $50, and $60-something. The first one I decided to keep because I thought I needed something, even something that didn't work too well, in a pinch. So I've got that one, but it's pretty useless if you want the truth. The second one was like the first and I planned to return it, but they had a 2-week return period and I missed it so I ate that one. The third one was never received. The company says they shipped it to the wrong address, but I asked at that address and nobody there knows anything about it. The post office claims they delivered it and it must have been stolen off my porch. I don't know what happened or who's to blame, all I know is I spent over $60 on a harness I never received, and I'm screwed again. And to top it off, I've now bought 3 blankety-blank harnesses, spent about as much as you're going to lose returning the wheelchair, and I still don't have a harness that will work. It gets to where you're ready to scream in frustration, how hard does one person have to try to get what they need???
Hmm. I guess you're not the only one who's frustrated. I hope Paul's advice will be helpful. Fortunately, since Molly is beginning to walk (good girl, Molly!), there is a bright spot in all of this. I'm just sorry it all has to seem like such an uphill battle. Sometimes it seems that way to me, too.
I can relate so well to your frustration. I, too, felt a crushing disappointment when my dog did not like her wheelchair. She is a chihuahua and I knew the famous chihuahua Wheely Willy had a cart from K-9 Carts so I ordered one from them against the advice of the physical therapist who recommended Doggon'. I just *knew* when I put my dog in, she would take off running like Willy did in the book and it would be a moment of pure joy. I was so excited about the cart that (I've never confessed this before) when the delivery truck pulled up to our door, I ran outside and ran up to the driver and actually scared him because he wasn't expecting it. I told him, "It's the wheelchair for my dog" and I guess he thought I was nuts. I took it in the house and could not even use it that day because it needed adjustments, which required reading the instructions, and there wasn't time. When I finally got it adjusted the next night, first I had trouble getting her into it, then she just stood there. The look on her face was like, "OK, I'll stand here but why do you want me to?" No racing around, nothing.
I would like to think I gave it a fair try. We tried it in the house a number of times. The problem was, she had no interest in going off exploring the house on her own, she just wanted to stay in the kitchen with me. I thought, "Well, at least now she can eat standing up like she's probably done all her life." No interest in eating though. I put food down and she did not eat it. There was one bright spot when I had her in the cart and the doorbell rang, and THEN she ran to the door. I hadn't realized that one of the things a paralyzed dog misses is the ability to run to the front door and bark! So that was good. That made me happy. But even though she is small, and the wheelchair was small, she couldn't navigate well. She caught the wheels going around through the doorway and didn't know the trick of backing up. When she caught herself, the chair seemed to pull on her back just above where the injury was, I didn't like that. So we pretty much gave up on using it inside because she didn't have anywhere to go and got caught on things when she tried.
But there was still outside. When I bought it, I thought one thing she would like to do is go out in the back yard and run back and forth along the fence like the other dogs do. However, it turned out that being so small, it was a lot of effort for her to pull the wheelchair over normal sized tufts of grass. Too much effort. The backyard is clumpy and it's going to continue to be clumpy, so that was out. But then there was the front. She liked that much better. If I put her in her chair on the driveway, she had the world to explore and was more interested in walking. She would walk down the drive, across the street, etc., and also roll across the smooth lawn in front a little. We would go up to the corner (4 houses and back). But she did get tired, I could tell. It was like asking Bambi to pull a haywagon. And being a chihuahua she likes to do everything fast and she couldn't. I felt they made the wheelchair sturdy enough to hike the Grand Canyon, but what we needed was something light and delicate like my petite, slender, long-legged 7-lb little friend. It was clunky! And the last straw was that it was difficult to pick her up while in the chair without having it put pressure by her fusion. I need to be able to pick her up because we do sometimes get charged by larger dogs. So eventually I gave up on the chair and donated it to the physical therapy place she goes to, where they lend it to people just to try for a week, then they advise people to buy Doggon'(!)
Susan, I've got a different situation than you in that my dog is so small, there was no reason why I could not continue to sling walk her. It was no trouble for me, we both enjoyed it. So maybe I didn't try hard enough with the chair. I have often thought of ordering her another chair from another company. Beth says Eddie's really listened to her. They might listen to me, I don't know, I'd like to get someone to make her a really really light chair. I don't want it to last forever. I don't want to be able to hike the back country with it. I want it to be so light she hardly knows it's there. But I guess I felt so much disappointment over the first chair, I was reluctant to try again. Then I feel a little guilty because maybe if I could get the *right* chair, if such a thing exists, her life would have an added dimension. Maybe I should try again. Will I look back someday and say, "Why was I so cheap, why didn't I at least try?" I don't know.
But our situations are the same in another way. Your dog is walking. She's walking 3-4 steps. That's walking!!! That's WALKING!!! It only gets better. It hasn't been long since your dog's injury. It took my dog 9 months to get to where your dog is. At 9 months she could walk about 4 feet going downhill, and could *not* stand to eat.
I think if it was me I would go ahead and give it more time, and try the advice Paul gives. He's done this several times. I think he's had dogs in all 3 major brands of wheelchairs. Bobbie with CorgiAid also has a lot of experience with putting dogs in carts, including K-9, and she says K-9 works along with the other brands. Supposedly corgis can be stubborn about carts, so if K-9 didn't work, she would know.
There is alway the question of whether it is adjusted correctly. You'll probably have to do like I did and keep looking at the pictures in the brochure, and looking at your dog in the cart, and keep changing the adjustments till they're as good as they can be. It may take half a dozen sessions with the toolbox.
Yes, it is s-o-o-o-o disappointing. It hit me so hard. I just felt defeated. I was exhausted and stressed out at the time anyway. I am always encouraging other people, but I sometimes have trouble encouraging myself. I was crushed. I just sank into a feeling of disappointment and didn't really climb out. I hope you won't do that. Yes, send it back if you don't like it. Or try it longer to be sure. Yes, it totally sucks (Beth you're right!!!) that not only do you have to be disappointed with the cart, but then you take a hit financially. I felt I certainly had money for something important like a cart and gladly spent it, but nobody wants to throw away money.
I try to remind myself that it isn't just K-9 Carts. If Bobbie has had luck with them, and Paul has had luck with them, then don't blame yourself for which company you chose. I don't blame myself. But even when I am reasonable and say they made the cart to the proper measurements, which was their part of the deal, I still sort of feel cheated because I was led to believe it would produce happy results and it didn't.
Molly is going to walk. If I remember correctly, you have a shoulder problem and are better off not doing a lot of lifting? Is there any way you can take her to a place with sloping pavement? Like a school with a sloping sidewalk or someplace? I discovered somehow that my dog could walk better if going downhill. After that I took her to everyplace I could find with sloping pavement. I would set her down at the top and we would walk down the slope together. Then I'd carry her back to the top and we'd go again.
It is very hard to explain this just right, but it wasn't simply a case that she needed her nerves to recover so she could walk. It was also that by the time her nerves were recovering, she was already used to assuming she could not walk so it simply didn't occur to her to try. It isn't like the nerves came back and she started taking steps on her own. I had to keep finding things she could do, such as short walks down a slope, so she would see she could do it. And furthermore, just because she could walk down the slope at the school did not mean she assumed she could walk down a slope somewhere else! I had to encourge her when we found new slopes, too. It's called "learned nonuse". We had a lot to overcome, NOT so much in terms of realizing her nerves were recovering, but in regaining the idea that she could DO things now. It's like the nerves were recovering but now she wasn't going to do anything with the ability she was regaining because she did not realize this was even an option. She was fully adjusted to not walking.
I am sorry you are having such a problem here. I've had a problem getting a harness that will work for my big dog. I have ordered 3 harnesses and none of them worked. That was $35, $50, and $60-something. The first one I decided to keep because I thought I needed something, even something that didn't work too well, in a pinch. So I've got that one, but it's pretty useless if you want the truth. The second one was like the first and I planned to return it, but they had a 2-week return period and I missed it so I ate that one. The third one was never received. The company says they shipped it to the wrong address, but I asked at that address and nobody there knows anything about it. The post office claims they delivered it and it must have been stolen off my porch. I don't know what happened or who's to blame, all I know is I spent over $60 on a harness I never received, and I'm screwed again. And to top it off, I've now bought 3 blankety-blank harnesses, spent about as much as you're going to lose returning the wheelchair, and I still don't have a harness that will work. It gets to where you're ready to scream in frustration, how hard does one person have to try to get what they need???
Hmm. I guess you're not the only one who's frustrated. I hope Paul's advice will be helpful. Fortunately, since Molly is beginning to walk (good girl, Molly!), there is a bright spot in all of this. I'm just sorry it all has to seem like such an uphill battle. Sometimes it seems that way to me, too.
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Paul Coover
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:18 am
- Location: Houlton, Maine
- Contact:
Cart Comments *PIC*
Yes, I have 3 carts with 3 different companies. Riley used a K-9 Cart, and I had a wonderful expreience with them. I guess that there are always exceptions, so I know that not everybody will always be happy with what they get. I think it's like Coke and Pepsi- everyone has their opinion of which is better.
Personally, I think Johanna's cart from Eddie's Wheels is the best and easiest to use. It is also the easiest one to adjust and to take apart to clean. That is important to us for her, because she spends 12-16 hours a day in her cart.
Pork Chop's cart from Doggon' Wheels is big and bulky, and I think that contributes to his difficulty in using it. Its size makes it harder to use inside as well, as he gets stuck on furniture and in doorways. It is more difficult to adjust, and it has more parts that can become damaged.
I have heard wonderful success stories and horrible failures with every cart company, so it really is just a matter of opinion. Getting a dog to use their cart takes patience and understanding, just like anything else! That is my contribution, hope it helps!
By the way, I included a picture of Pork Chop. We have been fostering him, and because of all of the landlord problems that we havce been having, we arranged to give him back to DRNA to be fostered by someone else. Well, our problems are going to be over and we are moving again soon, so we decided to officially adopt him! He has become a permanent part of our family, so we decided to make it official!
Personally, I think Johanna's cart from Eddie's Wheels is the best and easiest to use. It is also the easiest one to adjust and to take apart to clean. That is important to us for her, because she spends 12-16 hours a day in her cart.
Pork Chop's cart from Doggon' Wheels is big and bulky, and I think that contributes to his difficulty in using it. Its size makes it harder to use inside as well, as he gets stuck on furniture and in doorways. It is more difficult to adjust, and it has more parts that can become damaged.
I have heard wonderful success stories and horrible failures with every cart company, so it really is just a matter of opinion. Getting a dog to use their cart takes patience and understanding, just like anything else! That is my contribution, hope it helps!
By the way, I included a picture of Pork Chop. We have been fostering him, and because of all of the landlord problems that we havce been having, we arranged to give him back to DRNA to be fostered by someone else. Well, our problems are going to be over and we are moving again soon, so we decided to officially adopt him! He has become a permanent part of our family, so we decided to make it official!
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Barbara Boehmer
- Posts: 211
- Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2005 7:39 pm
Re: Very, very long (advice on resolving order problems)
CarolC,
I think everyone else has pretty well covered the topic of which cart company to select, getting used to a cart, and so on. I just wanted to offer my experience and advice regarding resolving delivery problems.
I once ordered some herbal medicine for a horse that never arrived. I phoned the company and they tracked it down. They found that it was delivered to the wrong address. The delivery company delivered it to 3334, instead of 5334 on the same street, although it was correctly labeled. Although it was addressed to me, somebody named "Chavez" signed for and apparently kept it. The company immediately provided a replacement. They said that they would recover their loss from the delivery company. I don't recall whether they used UPS or Fed-Ex or what. And that was the end of it. That is how it should have been with the harness that you did not receive.
I once ordered a carpeted pet ramp that did not arrive. I left a voice message and sent an e-mail and did not get a response. I then sent another e-mail advising that their failure to respond would force me to take more drastic action. I told them that if I did not hear from them immediately I planned to take action which might include things like reporting them to the Better Business Bureau, sueing them for a refund in small claims court, filing criminal charges for theft/fraud, and spreading the word in places like www.handicappedpets.com advising people not to do business with them. I also reported the problem to my credit card company, Discover Card, and Discover Card was extremely helpful. Discover Card temporarily removed the charge from my account, pending resolution, and said they would contact the company I ordered from and investigate it. They told me that if the company also ignored them and did not respond to their letter within a month that the removal of the charge would automatically become permanent and that would be the end of it. Before they ever contacted the company, I got a response to my e-mail. Apparently the person who received the first e-mail and first voice mail forwarded it to someone else and assumed that it was taken care of, but it wasn't. The builder telephoned me as well, saying that it was his mistake. However I have found that a lot of companies and agencies commonly make a huge mistake in assuming things are taken care of and failing to follow up with either the builder, delivery company, or customer. The ultimate result was that the builder rushed me the original ramp that I ordered plus a free smaller ramp. Most reputable companies will do their utmost to satisfy a customer, in order to maintain their reputation, when such an error is uncovered. So, I ended up a reasonably happy customer. It had been months since I ordered it and the pet that I bought it for had died, but I have another pet who is making good use of both ramps and as the others get older they may appreciate them too. I recontacted Discover Card, advised them of the resolution, and had them reinstate the charge, and cancel their investigation. I never had to do the other things, but I would have had it not beeen resolved.
I have also had troubles with a contractor failing to finish building a wall and fence and with a plumbing company failing to refund a securty deposit required for a permit. I paid the deposit to the government agency, who refunded the money to the plumbing company after the job was completed, who then failed to refund the money to me, saying they had no record of it. I used the Better Business Bureau, the government agency that issued the permit, and gradually worked my way through the hierarchy of the company until I got to the complaint department of their out-of-state corporate headquarters. In both cases, I won. I got my wall and fence finished and got my $2,000 deposit back.
So, my advice on ordering is:
1. Pay with a credit card from a good company, so that if something goes wrong, you can get a refund easily, and have the credit card company handle most of the investigation.
2. When you order, make a note of the date and time that you ordered, who you spoke to or what method you used, when delivery is expected, and what phone number, e-mail, and address to use if you do not receive it on time.
3. If you do not receive what you ordered, shortly after it is overdue, contact the company you ordered from. I usually start with the simplest, quickest method of telephoning, so that I can hopefully talk to a live person and resolve it simply, making a note of who I talked to, when, and what they said. Save your phone records. If that is not sufficient then I send an e-mail, so that I can save a copy of it and also of any responses that they send me.
4. If it is a large company and you are not getting the response that you should, then insist on speaking to the person's supervisor and, if you have to, keep on going up the chain to the top. Advise them of what additional actions you may take if they do not treat you fairly.
5. If that is insufficient you may need to send a certified or registered letter, so that you can use it in court to prove exactly what you advised them of and when. Be sure to refer to the previous phone calls and e-mails in the letter, so that it does not look like you waited too long.
6. If you cannot resolve the problem through the company, then report it to your credit card company. That may be the last step you need to take.
7. If you still cannot get a resolution, then report the problem to the Better Business Bureau and any other agency that may be appropriate under the circumstances, such as the State Contractor's License Board. You may need to get a lien on their bond or some such thing.
8. If you still cannot resolve the problem, then sue them in small claims court. Make sure that you are well-prepared and have a chronological list of contacts and copies of e-mails, letters, and so forth.
9. If it looks like a company routinely advertises, accepts orders, and never fills them, then criminal charges for theft/fraud may be appropriate. Contact your local law enforcement.
10. Spread the word wherever appropriate, so that nobody else orders from such companies, and they ultimately go out of business. Word-of-mouth and consumer boycotting have a lot of power.
11. Don't be a victim. Don't just let them rip you off and get away with it. Just like learning to care for a handicapped pet for the first time, going through the whole process can be difficult, but once you have done it once, you will be better prepared next time.
12. It helps if you can anticpate when deliveries will arrive and be home. It can help to have a security camera and recording device, so that if you are not home, you can review it, and see if it was not delivered, or if it was delivered and stolen. It also helps if you have a somewhat secure place for deliveries when you are not home. Sometimes you can add specific instructions for the delivery. If I am not home, most non-fragile, lightweight, inexpensive deliveries are thrown over the fence into my yard. More expensive items that require a signature are not left. I get a note that allows me to either schedule re-delivery or pick it up myself at some nearby location.
Regards,
Barbara
I think everyone else has pretty well covered the topic of which cart company to select, getting used to a cart, and so on. I just wanted to offer my experience and advice regarding resolving delivery problems.
I once ordered some herbal medicine for a horse that never arrived. I phoned the company and they tracked it down. They found that it was delivered to the wrong address. The delivery company delivered it to 3334, instead of 5334 on the same street, although it was correctly labeled. Although it was addressed to me, somebody named "Chavez" signed for and apparently kept it. The company immediately provided a replacement. They said that they would recover their loss from the delivery company. I don't recall whether they used UPS or Fed-Ex or what. And that was the end of it. That is how it should have been with the harness that you did not receive.
I once ordered a carpeted pet ramp that did not arrive. I left a voice message and sent an e-mail and did not get a response. I then sent another e-mail advising that their failure to respond would force me to take more drastic action. I told them that if I did not hear from them immediately I planned to take action which might include things like reporting them to the Better Business Bureau, sueing them for a refund in small claims court, filing criminal charges for theft/fraud, and spreading the word in places like www.handicappedpets.com advising people not to do business with them. I also reported the problem to my credit card company, Discover Card, and Discover Card was extremely helpful. Discover Card temporarily removed the charge from my account, pending resolution, and said they would contact the company I ordered from and investigate it. They told me that if the company also ignored them and did not respond to their letter within a month that the removal of the charge would automatically become permanent and that would be the end of it. Before they ever contacted the company, I got a response to my e-mail. Apparently the person who received the first e-mail and first voice mail forwarded it to someone else and assumed that it was taken care of, but it wasn't. The builder telephoned me as well, saying that it was his mistake. However I have found that a lot of companies and agencies commonly make a huge mistake in assuming things are taken care of and failing to follow up with either the builder, delivery company, or customer. The ultimate result was that the builder rushed me the original ramp that I ordered plus a free smaller ramp. Most reputable companies will do their utmost to satisfy a customer, in order to maintain their reputation, when such an error is uncovered. So, I ended up a reasonably happy customer. It had been months since I ordered it and the pet that I bought it for had died, but I have another pet who is making good use of both ramps and as the others get older they may appreciate them too. I recontacted Discover Card, advised them of the resolution, and had them reinstate the charge, and cancel their investigation. I never had to do the other things, but I would have had it not beeen resolved.
I have also had troubles with a contractor failing to finish building a wall and fence and with a plumbing company failing to refund a securty deposit required for a permit. I paid the deposit to the government agency, who refunded the money to the plumbing company after the job was completed, who then failed to refund the money to me, saying they had no record of it. I used the Better Business Bureau, the government agency that issued the permit, and gradually worked my way through the hierarchy of the company until I got to the complaint department of their out-of-state corporate headquarters. In both cases, I won. I got my wall and fence finished and got my $2,000 deposit back.
So, my advice on ordering is:
1. Pay with a credit card from a good company, so that if something goes wrong, you can get a refund easily, and have the credit card company handle most of the investigation.
2. When you order, make a note of the date and time that you ordered, who you spoke to or what method you used, when delivery is expected, and what phone number, e-mail, and address to use if you do not receive it on time.
3. If you do not receive what you ordered, shortly after it is overdue, contact the company you ordered from. I usually start with the simplest, quickest method of telephoning, so that I can hopefully talk to a live person and resolve it simply, making a note of who I talked to, when, and what they said. Save your phone records. If that is not sufficient then I send an e-mail, so that I can save a copy of it and also of any responses that they send me.
4. If it is a large company and you are not getting the response that you should, then insist on speaking to the person's supervisor and, if you have to, keep on going up the chain to the top. Advise them of what additional actions you may take if they do not treat you fairly.
5. If that is insufficient you may need to send a certified or registered letter, so that you can use it in court to prove exactly what you advised them of and when. Be sure to refer to the previous phone calls and e-mails in the letter, so that it does not look like you waited too long.
6. If you cannot resolve the problem through the company, then report it to your credit card company. That may be the last step you need to take.
7. If you still cannot get a resolution, then report the problem to the Better Business Bureau and any other agency that may be appropriate under the circumstances, such as the State Contractor's License Board. You may need to get a lien on their bond or some such thing.
8. If you still cannot resolve the problem, then sue them in small claims court. Make sure that you are well-prepared and have a chronological list of contacts and copies of e-mails, letters, and so forth.
9. If it looks like a company routinely advertises, accepts orders, and never fills them, then criminal charges for theft/fraud may be appropriate. Contact your local law enforcement.
10. Spread the word wherever appropriate, so that nobody else orders from such companies, and they ultimately go out of business. Word-of-mouth and consumer boycotting have a lot of power.
11. Don't be a victim. Don't just let them rip you off and get away with it. Just like learning to care for a handicapped pet for the first time, going through the whole process can be difficult, but once you have done it once, you will be better prepared next time.
12. It helps if you can anticpate when deliveries will arrive and be home. It can help to have a security camera and recording device, so that if you are not home, you can review it, and see if it was not delivered, or if it was delivered and stolen. It also helps if you have a somewhat secure place for deliveries when you are not home. Sometimes you can add specific instructions for the delivery. If I am not home, most non-fragile, lightweight, inexpensive deliveries are thrown over the fence into my yard. More expensive items that require a signature are not left. I get a note that allows me to either schedule re-delivery or pick it up myself at some nearby location.
Regards,
Barbara
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Petey H.'s mom
Re: Dogs: Molly Got Her Wheelchair and Hates It!
Susan,
I'm awfully sorry that you're having such a hard time with Molly's wheels, but I was really glad to have read your post.
I'm getting ready to order wheels for Petey (Corgi) and, like you, am anticipating him tearing around in them. I am trying to decide which company to use and am really confused. A friend loaned me a Doggon cart that we tried. It is too small for him (she said I could alter it any way I needed to) but the harness (?)is small for his butt I didn't like the way the it hooked in. It seemed to be a lot of trouble snapping all the buckles in. Maybe it would go faster with experience, but....(It may be an old model, though.) Did you order from K9 carts East or West? I looked at K9 East's web site and the carts there look different than the ones on the West. I like the East better. We live about 2 1/2 hours from their shop in Maryland and are planning to go down next Monday to be measured and I will certainly check the wheels out!! I'm hoping now that they have something that might fit Petey so I can get a good look at them. I'm having second thoughts now. On looking at Eddie's Wheels, they seem really easy to put on. I hope someone who is experienced with these various wheels will be able to give me some good info. It's so hard to tell from pictures and, you're right, it's expensive, and so disappointing when you're anticipating something good!
But,hey, did you say that Molly is walking? (Yay, Molly!!!) I'd take that in a flash!!
You've gotten this far, might as well give her a little more time to adjust to it. Maybe it will work out! I'll be keeping good thoughts for you guys!
I hope to read some good news soon!!!!
Kathy
I'm awfully sorry that you're having such a hard time with Molly's wheels, but I was really glad to have read your post.
I'm getting ready to order wheels for Petey (Corgi) and, like you, am anticipating him tearing around in them. I am trying to decide which company to use and am really confused. A friend loaned me a Doggon cart that we tried. It is too small for him (she said I could alter it any way I needed to) but the harness (?)is small for his butt I didn't like the way the it hooked in. It seemed to be a lot of trouble snapping all the buckles in. Maybe it would go faster with experience, but....(It may be an old model, though.) Did you order from K9 carts East or West? I looked at K9 East's web site and the carts there look different than the ones on the West. I like the East better. We live about 2 1/2 hours from their shop in Maryland and are planning to go down next Monday to be measured and I will certainly check the wheels out!! I'm hoping now that they have something that might fit Petey so I can get a good look at them. I'm having second thoughts now. On looking at Eddie's Wheels, they seem really easy to put on. I hope someone who is experienced with these various wheels will be able to give me some good info. It's so hard to tell from pictures and, you're right, it's expensive, and so disappointing when you're anticipating something good!
But,hey, did you say that Molly is walking? (Yay, Molly!!!) I'd take that in a flash!!
You've gotten this far, might as well give her a little more time to adjust to it. Maybe it will work out! I'll be keeping good thoughts for you guys!
I hope to read some good news soon!!!!
Kathy
-
terry
Re: Dogs: Molly Got Her Wheelchair and Hates It!
Hi Susan. Everyone else has pretty much covered what I had to say. My boy also hated his wheels at first, the one thing I didn't realize was that he couldn't sit down while in them and he really wanted to sit and rest. I found out how much he liked to be in them in certain circumstances tho, started when we would go to rehab, large waiting room and lots of new things to see and smell. He zooms around like crazy on the tile floor, loves it. After that I started taking him to the pet stores that welcome animals. He loves to be in his wheels there, easy to "go", lots of diversion, and everyone loves to see him, thinks he's so cute and brave, lots oh oohs and ahhs and attention. This has helped him to like his wheels better. Good luck, give it a fair try. Terry
Re: Cart Comments
Hi Paul,
I think you're right, it's partly opinion, and partly different dogs are built differently, but also I think we may not be all comparing the same models of wheelchairs even if they are from the same company.
Here is a picture of Wheely Willy's K-9 Carts wheelchair from www.wheelywilly.com.
Do you see how delicate and willow-thin the wires are? The small little wheels? The saddle area that isn't even *visible*?
My dog's wheelchair was nothing like that. No resemblance whatsoever. It's almost like when we talk about wheelchairs, we need to say, "I have a K-9 Cart from the 2003 model year" or whatever.
*****
I am *so* glad to hear you were able to make arrangements to move to a better place. And congratulations on adopting Porkchop. I am so glad things are working out. You guys are great!
)))
P.S. Yeah, that does look like an awful lot of framework on Porkchop's Doggon' wheelchair for such a streamlined dog.
I think you're right, it's partly opinion, and partly different dogs are built differently, but also I think we may not be all comparing the same models of wheelchairs even if they are from the same company.
Here is a picture of Wheely Willy's K-9 Carts wheelchair from www.wheelywilly.com.
My dog's wheelchair was nothing like that. No resemblance whatsoever. It's almost like when we talk about wheelchairs, we need to say, "I have a K-9 Cart from the 2003 model year" or whatever.
*****
I am *so* glad to hear you were able to make arrangements to move to a better place. And congratulations on adopting Porkchop. I am so glad things are working out. You guys are great!
)))P.S. Yeah, that does look like an awful lot of framework on Porkchop's Doggon' wheelchair for such a streamlined dog.
-
Paul Coover
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:18 am
- Location: Houlton, Maine
- Contact:
Re: Cart Comments *PIC*
I agree. Pork Chop's cart is difficult and bulky. Here is Johanna's cart which she has no problems using. In fact, she is the fastest of all 5 dachshunds that we have, no matter how many legs work!
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Paul Coover
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:18 am
- Location: Houlton, Maine
- Contact:
Re: More Cart Comments *PIC*
This is Riley in his K9 Cart from 3 years ago. This is the last time that he needed to use it.
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Weeble's :o~ mom Beth
- Posts: 336
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 1:48 am
- Location: Los Lunas, New Mexico
Re: Cart Comments/Carol C
One thing I noticed rigt away is the they have fleece to hold up the back legs. When we had ordered a cart from them years ago for my girl Baby, they were still using the fleece. Now they are using neoprene, just don't think it looks as comfortable as the fleece.
Re: Dogs: Molly Got Her Wheelchair and Hates It!
Kathy, if the Doggon cart fits except for the saddle, you can get one of those made to fit easily, for about $50. If you keep the saddle snapped onto the cart, putting a corgi in the cart is pretty easy, you just lift his back end in as you would with the other carts.
Bobbie
Bobbie
Re: Cart Comments
Wesley (corgi) had no problems with the Doggon Wheels cart; we loved it. The new ones are a bit different as the bar in back tilts up so it isn't a problem hitting the ground. CorgiAid has lots of the old style K9carts, many with lots of wear, so I know they were well-used. I like the Eddie's carts, too, but my only caveat with them is their zero refund policy.
As for getting used to a cart, we have an Eddie's cart out on loan and it took four months for the corgi to start racing around in it- but when she finally accepted it and started moving, she went to town. The owner put her in the cart daily, gave her treats, and finally the dog decided to go. So don't give up! K9carts will extend the return period if you communicate with them and tell them you are trying to make the cart work. Some dogs never learn to back up around corners or furniture with them, but others do fine and can use them in the house.
Bobbie
As for getting used to a cart, we have an Eddie's cart out on loan and it took four months for the corgi to start racing around in it- but when she finally accepted it and started moving, she went to town. The owner put her in the cart daily, gave her treats, and finally the dog decided to go. So don't give up! K9carts will extend the return period if you communicate with them and tell them you are trying to make the cart work. Some dogs never learn to back up around corners or furniture with them, but others do fine and can use them in the house.
Bobbie
Re: Dogs: Molly Got Her Wheelchair and Hates It!
I got our previously tried on saddle from Doggon' for $35, and you couldn't tell it had ever been used.