Customer Reviews

Global Pet Finder GPS Pet Tracker

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This product is poorly made and has multiple manufacturing problems, which could have been avoided: The idea is to use a GPS transmitter to locate your lost dog. Here is why I returned mine:

1. GPS transmitter is NOT waterproof. The grey plastic case has a 2 inch long gap that would easily allow water to get inside it and destroy the electronics. Even overnight condensation could damage the unit.

2. GPS transmitter easily falls out of the cheap black plastic case that attaches to your dogs' collar. You could find the transmitter (assuming no exposure to moisture), but not your beloved dog, who could be long gone.

3. Antenna was shipped quite loose.

Company was unresponsive when I notified them of these problems. I even offered remedies/inexpensive fixes they could have used, which they did not.

Wait until another company comes up with a quality GPS locator for your dog, then buy it.

GPS,Tracking, LLC (Global Pet Finder) totally blew us off. We contacted technical support 7 times by phone and 6 times by e-mail over a 5 day period and not one person ever returned our call. We only had service for about 6 hours over a 5-day period. Our dog was out of her fence for an hour because we were testing the system and we did not receive one alert saying she was out of fence. The battery went dead after approx. 18 hours and we did not receive an alert. This product is a total waste of money not to mention time setting it up and testing it to make sure it works. We never were contacted by technical support, EVER. What a joke. We returned it and went to VERIZON WIRELESS. Who says it has to be made for a dog? We purchased a Migo (GPS tracking for children) and paid $49.95 for it, you have to have a Family Plan and your phone must be "Chaperone Capable". The GPS Capable Migo weighs about 2.5 ounces and it works! We purchased a back pack case and just clipped it to our dogs collar. We pay $9.99 per month for the tracking service (and we don't get charged for extra "locates" as you do with Petfinder)and for an additional $9.99 we can set "Fences", as many as you want such as "Home", and you get a text message on your Chaperone Capable phone if your pet leaves the designated area. I would give the Migo 4.5 stars. It is called "Chaperone" and would work well for the elderly also, if you have a parent or someone you worry about. Their technical support was great!

This product keeps changing home addresses; none of which are the address I typed in the initial field. It does not stay charged so that it is actually able to function as advertised if you are gone from home any length of time and you put your dog in a yard. Additionally, gravity takes it down to the lower neck area in common use so that when the dog is doing normal dog things, the device sinks downward so that the antenna is pointing toward the ground. The pictures are misleading. We tried all of the advise the company gave us. It's just not a device that works when and where you need it to work. It was a lot to invest to have this many problems.

Hey guys...
I don't actually have this product, but I do know one bit of info that the company tries to hide until you get your heart set on it. There are monthly fees of 18 or 20 dollars a month!!! Don't buy this product unless you want to pay them. Go to globalpetfinder.com for more info. It's under "Activate"

I bought this product with the hopes that it would resolve my worries about my dog getting out of the house without a leash. But this product did not help one bit. First it wouldn't let me login to the site, they had to do it because they said they had to many activations in one day and mine didn't go through. Ok, I went along with that as long as I can get to the site to get this up and running. Then it could not get a lock on a GPS signal, and I am on a complete green area of the coverage map. As for customer support, when I first received the gps, I e-mailed support I never received a response until 3 days later, but yet on the quick start guide it guarantees a response within 24 hours. So After waiting two days I did call and no matter which option I choose I always got a voice mail, which I did leave a message for someone to please call, and no one ever called. Once I did get a response they set it up so I could finally get my product activated, then the GPSA wasn't able to get a signal lock. So I emailed and once again didn't get a response until the 2nd day. So I followed what they told me to do and it still didn't work. So they said I would have to send the product back to them so they could set it up there. This was a big sign to me that this product has many flaws still that need to be worked out; otherwise tech support should have been able to explain how to get this device working correctly. It was picking up a signal, but the device always had the address a block away than where it actually was and the house address always changed. That seemed odd that I could get a signal but yet the device never locked down a GPS signal or went out of setup mode. I sent this product back because any product that has this many problems from the start is not going to be worth the money in the long run. Besides you only have 15 days to send the product back for a full refund. If I would have sent this product back to them to set it up "as they said", it would have ended up after the 15 days and I would never be able to get my money back with a fight. This product sounds great, but it is not a good investment in my opinion, unless you like to hassle with a company and like to wonder if and when you will get an answer. My pet is worth spending this kind of money, but not on a product that isn't going to work correctly.

ALERT! ALERT!
DON'T BUY. COMPANY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS 31 AUGUST 2008.

We purchased this item less than a year ago. The batteries have never held a charge more than 24 hours in walk mode, vice the 4-5 days as advertised. The companies website states that a text message will be sent when the batteries are low. This has never happened. We have received erroneous messages on heat conditions saying high heat when it was 45 degrees outside. When a track was sent via the website it took over 45 minutes to receive a text message or for the website to give our pets location. The home location changes and when the correct address is entered in, it shows the home location at about a block away. Customer service is nonexistent. After numerous phone calls (never got a person, only a voice mail) and emailing them they did not feel their customers were important enough to return the calls or emails. We now sit here with a device that is locked in fence mode and won't change on the device or the website and is not receiving a signal. For the same price there are much better products coming out on the market and some don't have service fees. As soon as they are available, we are getting one. Global Pet Finder GPS Tracking Device for Pets

Don't pay $350 for device that doesn't work. GPS location at my house keeps changing addresses, none of which are my actual address. So even if it were to actually text me that my dog is out of the fence (Which he is currently according to the command center) I would never really know where he is. Bad product literature. You have to sign up for 2-3 year service cellular service plan that only gives you a certain number of "out of fence" alerts per month(3 on my plan and then additional charges for each alert) has yet to text me that my dog is out of the fence even though the web site clearly states he is out of fence. Batteries only last a few hours when fully charged. No piece of mind when out of town, or if he gets out and you were to actually know it, you would have very short amount of time to locate a dog that may be within a few blocks in any direction of the address it claims to be.

[owner of siberian husky escape artist]

I have had this product a few weeks. I am still in the learning process of all the settings and getting it to work the way I want. I am very happy with the unit. Customer service has been wonderful. I have received answers to my emailed questions within hours.

If you are considering this unit and you have read the negative reviews you should know that 1) My unit has had no problems with quality or water resistance 2) If you thoroughly read the information on their website you will know that there is a monthly service fee. I did not have to sign up for a 2-3 year plan. 3) You are not a bad pet parent if you get one of these units. You are getting extra peace of mind.

A few comments to the other reviewers:

To "Dog Lover" from Florida: GlobalPetFinder must have taken some of your advice. There is now a rubber seal around the battery opening and an optional neoprene-type holder. My dog tromps through snow and the edges of a marshy pond. We have not had a problem.

To Melinda from Austin: I had some difficulties getting my unit set up the way I wanted. I actually had to set up two small fences to cover my yard. The directions (perhaps online directions - I can't remember) said that the address for the unit may not actually match your address exactly. For instance, my house number is 416 but on the unit it is 422. After I understood that I was okay. I highly recommend contacting customer service. They helped me "tweak" some settings.

To Meg in Cincinnati: I agree with you, people need to be responsible for their pets. I always see stray dogs. I reunite strays pets with their families at least once a month. Buying this unit does not automatically mean the purchaser is an irresponsible pet owner with no sense.

Have you tried the unit? Some people are responsible pet owners and their dogs just get out. I have sense, but my dog only has dog-sense. She loves to run. My husband takes her running more than 20 miles a week. He teaches her different ways to come home. However, she still gets out on occasion. Being that she is a siberian husky, once she is out she RUNS FAST. There is no way to catch her. This unit at least gives me some idea of where to go find her.


***REVIEW UPDATE*** (4/24/2006)
The unit does give an accurate location and is still the best product of its type available. However, I don't always get a location as promptly as promised and the "low battery alert" doesn't work at all. Have sent the unit back to the company twice and have simply been told it is working normally.

I ordered this product and received it shortly after. I ended up sending it back. The unit was very large (much larger than my cell phone) and rather heavy and cumbersome. I have a really, really big dog (130 lbs), and I thought it was too large to leave on his collar. I can't imagine what a person with a smaller dog would do. Also, the "snap guard" that attaches it to the collar won't work on a martigale style collar (the collar must have a buckle). The optional weather resistent pouch option will not fit on a collar over 1" wide, and is only secured with velcro. In any circumstance where my dog was lost, that would not make me feel that it would stay attached. So, until they make this smaller/lighter and have a more reliable way to attach it to a wider variety of collar types, it's not something we would consider using.

I bought the globalpetfinder and couldn't be happier. Finally I don't have to be stressed about where my dog is. When it first came I tested it and was amazed at how accurate the location information is. My dog doesn't seem to mind or even notice that he's wearing it. Its about time someone brought this product to the market!!!!