hey guys, has anyone else here been screwed over by Good Dogs "Protection & Support" fee? im honestly so livid right now and trying to figure out if im just unlucky or if this is a common thing.
long story short: bought a puppy through Good Dog a few months ago. they charged me for their protection service which explicitly claims "Payment protection", "Lifetime support from our Care Team" and that they will "help resolve issues".
well the puppy arrived super sick. multiple parasitic infections, vomiting, lethargic, underweight, the works. vet bills started piling up immediately. i filed a claim with Good Dog and their response was basically too bad so sad. they denied it saying parasites arent covered and claimed i took too long to see a vet (I found out on friday when I picked him up 3 hours away that we had 3 days to get him seen. Thee puppy arrived on a friday and my clinic was closed over the weekend and first available appointment was 10 days after placement). they just told me to go talk to the breeder.
like, i paid YOU for protection? now youre telling me to handle it myself? the kicker is they only offer email support. no phone number. despite calling it a "SUPPORT" service. they responded citing a lack of documentation and exam records proved the dog was healthy, denied the claim, and that was it. they even ref'd a vet exam from a date after he was placed that didn't happen and stated the lack of paperwork also validated the health of the puppy.
i started digging and it looks like this is their standard operating procedure. i found 60+ BBB complaints with similar issues, and TONS of reviews on other sites saying the fees are designed to be nearly impossible to decline but offer zero actual coverage.
some of the bbb complaints are identical to mine, like people saying "The Good Dog Protection and Support Fee is a joke considering there is no available phone number" and "I paid extra for protection of my funds. If Good Dog can't get my funds back they are supposed to refund according to their policy and have not done so".
it honestly feels like their business model is just charging everyone 15-175 bucks for this fee, making it hard to opt out in the app, and then citing fine print to deny everyone who actually needs help.
my damages are brutal so far. paid the fee for literally nothing, paid full price for a sick puppy they claimed was “tested”, "healthy”, “dewormed”, and “vetted", plus four figures in vet bills and decontamination costs. im out almost 10k at this point.
ive already filed complaints with the ftc and ag, and im talking to some lawyers to see if this counts as systematic fraud for a class action.
i have documentation of everything – marketing, the fees, the denial emails, vet records, etc. just trying to share and protect other families from this.
/rant
submitted by /u/OanonW
[link] [comments]