Complaints
Responding to NAEB complaints is a good Breeder industry practice and “the right thing to do” whether or not a Breeder is NAEB Member. A majority of non-NAEB Breeders cooperate by responding to complaints. Cooperation by non-NAEB member Breeders is voluntary. Unlike NAEB Breeders, non-NAEB Breeders have not made a commitment to respond to NAEB complaints.
When you file a complaint
Everything you submit will be forwarded to the Breeder . You will be notified of the Breeder’s response when we receive it (or you will be notified that we received no response). Complaints are generally closed within 30 days.
Timeline
1. Complaint is filed.
2. NAEB works to get the complaint processed within two Business days.
3. Breeder will be asked to respond in 14 calendar days from the date you filed the complaint. If a response is not received, a follow-up letter will be sent to the Breeder.
4. Consumer will be notified of the Breeder response when the NAEB receives it and will be asked to respond.
5. If the Breeder fails to respond, the consumer will be notified. Complaints are generally closed within approximately 30 calendar days from the date filed.
If the Breeder responds to a complaint but the customer remains dissatisfied, NAEB may request a second response from the Breeder. NAEB staff will also consider whether mediation or arbitration should be offered.
Once a complaint is closed, NAEB will assign one of the following closing statuses:
1. Resolved = The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
2. Answered = The Breeder addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either (a) did not accept the response, OR (b) did not notify NAEB as to their satisfaction.
3. Unresolved = The Breeder responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
4. Unanswered = The Breeder failed to respond to the dispute.
5. Unpursuable = NAEB is unable to locate the Breeder.
Failure to respond to a NAEB complaint may have a negative impact on the NAEB rating or membership status of any Breeder, because being responsive to customer complaints is a core element of both NAEB Accreditation Standards and NAEB Reporting Standards.
A complaint can be filed by one of the following methods:
1. Via NAEB website
2. Or by submitting a written letter of complaint to your NAEB (please include your name, address and phone number, email, the Breeders name, address and phone number, a brief summary of the issue, and your desired resolution.
The following criteria should apply before proceeding with the complaint process:
1. The consumer should have contacted the Breeder at least once to resolve the issue
NAEB handles disputes that relate to marketplace issues experienced with the services or products a Breeder provides. We do NOT handle the following types of complaints (please note this may not be a complete list):
o Complaints about discrimination or violation of similar statutory/constitutional rights
o Complaints seeking criminal penalties or alleging criminal violations
o Cases that are already in or have been resolved by a previous court action, arbitration, or settlement between the parties
o Complaints against companies that are out of business
o Collection of payment owed for goods or services provided (NAEB cannot act as a collection agency)
o Issues based solely on dissatisfaction of price
o Buyer’s remorse
o Anonymously filed complaints
Important Notice
1. Your complaint cannot be changed, edited or deleted once it has been submitted.
2. An exact copy of your complaint will be sent to the Breeder.
3. Once a complaint has been closed, the text of the complaint may be publicly posted on NAEB website. Please do not include any personally-identifiable information. By submitting your complaint, you are representing that it is a truthful account of your experience with the Breeder.