Pets held hostage. Absolutely shameful. Do not use.

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AnonymousUser12345's review of AirSupply Shipping Agents

“Pets held hostage. Absolutely shameful. Do not use.”

★☆☆☆☆

written by AnonymousUser12345 on 04/06/2017

Spoke to Airsupply at the Heathrow Animal Reception Center to get quotes to get my pets through customs. When I went to select the best bid (over one hundred pounds less than this company's price) I found the process blocked because Airsupply had already booked my pets without my permission. This was the start to a very long and expensive day.

I fought and argued with them and they absolutely would not help me unless I paid them. Absolutely ridiculous! They would not cancel their unauthorized booking, release them or put them on the next plane back unless they received payment in full when all I asked for was a quote. Since they did not have a single piece of paper to fall back on they claimed I gave verbal approval.

Evidently they only take debit transactions from an established UK bank account or wire transfers, which can take several days, so good luck to you if you are the average international arrival. Luckily I had already set myself up with a pounds account and, after having a debate on the morality and questionable legality of what AirSupply was doing, I decided to pay them and cover their extra fees just to get my pets back that day. I attempted multiple times to pay them using their card reader and, although I could see the transaction was authorized and approved, they voided it in front of me stating that it was not valid. Would not sign their statement saying I would not seek any legal action against them.

At this point I ended up getting put on the phone against my wish to the very irate and rude owner, who told me my cards were no good to him and that he did not appreciate being interrupted on holiday. I told him that his company should never have taken it upon themselves to book my pets without my permission and that I wanted to use a different company. His tone immediately changed to hostility and he stated he would charge £100 an hour unless he received cold hard cash in full (£783) within the next half hour, and my pets would simply be held hostage at the Animal Reception Center at my expense until he was satisfied with the payment.

With no way out of this short of this situation sort of calling the police and my embassy I spent the next half hour on the phone getting authorization to withdraw such a large of an amount in cash and rushing around to find an ATM (no banks open this late in the evening), not to mention the personal risk that they put me in having to carry that kind of money as an obvious target in an industrial area with crime. Good thing I had the funds I suppose, otherwise my pets would still be stuck at Heathrow waiting for me to come up with thousands of pounds.

Arrived back at their office to find them closed, although I could see someone working inside and ignoring me. Granted this is not the employee's fault as it was after hours at this point. Called the same man again, interrupting his holiday again, to tell him I had his money and he phoned the employee inside the building to let me in. Gave them the cash and asked for a printed and signed record that they received the money. Even had to tell them they should make their own copy of it for their own protection, at which point the employee told me I needed to sign it and state no more issues before I could leave. There will of course be more issues as my lawyer is eager to sink his teeth into this.

No business should be legally allowed to remain in operation with such horrible practices, particularly no contract, or any documentation for that matter, just their word that I wanted to pay them more than another company for the same service. They did not care to offer me a solution, they just wanted to press me for money. Owner should be ashamed of the way he runs his business, but seems greed-driven and has no qualms about holding people's property for a ransom, or threatening his customers. DO NOT USE THIS BUSINESS.

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