Microchip questions...

Hi!

I've adopted a new cat and since he came from a shelter he is microchipped, but it isn't activated. The shelter people asked me to wait 30 days before sending in the registration, so I looked it over and was a little surprised to see that Home Again now wants a $14.99 annual fee in addition to a $10 registration fee (on top of the $19.00 we paid at the time of adoption for the actual chipping).

Is this new? I have 3 other cats who are all chipped and I remember paying a one-time fee (like $30) that I assumed covered them for life.

Has anyone else run across this fee increase? What happens if I forget to pay it one year? Will they refuse to tell me if they happen to find my cat? I like to do what is best for my cat, but I hate the feeling of being milked for a yearly $15 to maintain a number in a database.

Are there any other pet microchip companies that don't charge an annual fee? I'd rather pay a one-time fee and be able to forget about it.

I'd double check the small print - most companies offer 2 levels of service, the normal service is a one off lifetime fee for registration of the chip ID, and the premium annual fee service is for extra stuff - like printing colour posters and contacting vet offices/shelters if your cat goes missing rather than waiting for them to pick him up and scan him. It may well be the case that they are just splashing the forms with prominent mentions of the annual fee to make it seem as if that's the only deal.

I checked the form well and it looks like there is only one choice under membership activation - the $10 activation + an annual fee. They also share personal info with 'business partners' - spam and telemarketing, ugh. I just want to chip my cat.

Thats the fee for "membership". You dont have to sign up for that. Just the basic service. When you do the membership program, if your pet is ever lost they will fax your pets info to all local vets and such... The only thing you have to pay for registration is the 10.00 fee.

I would call and speak with someone though...

I looked into this not that long ago and it is for extra stuff. You do not need to pay the annual fee, just the one time registration fee. The annual fee is for like keeping your pets medical records on file etc.

We just get charged a one time fee but it is not with the same company

I just signed up for Home Again last week. I didn't see an option for a free basic service so I just paid the $14.99 annual fee, I could have missed it though.

Originally Posted by Shorty14788

Thats the fee for "membership". You dont have to sign up for that. Just the basic service. When you do the membership program, if your pet is ever lost they will fax your pets info to all local vets and such... The only thing you have to pay for registration is the 10.00 fee.

I would call and speak with someone though...

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Yes, I think I will call. There is no other option on the form the shelter gave me. I don't need all those extras.

Originally Posted by ErrantRogue

I just signed up for Home Again last week. I didn't see an option for a free basic service so I just paid the $14.99 annual fee, I could have missed it though.

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I am wondering if they didn't change it recently. Either that or they are making it harder for cat owners to select the cheaper option. I know I've never paid an annual fee for any of my other pets and they're all chipped with Home Again.

Yes, this was a recent new service. I don't think they were offering it two years ago when I chipped Blue. When I had Piper chipped a few weeks ago, I also thought this $14.99 fee was the only option for initial registration. My vet explained to me, though, that even if you don't renew it, your cat will still be registered and you will be contacted if someone finds your lost cat, but you will no longer get the other perks of membership. You could call Homeagain to clarify. They've been very nice and helpful in the past when I've called them with questions.

About Homeagain keeping vet records on file with this new service, I'm guessing that the vet's office has to upload that information to their site? I paid the $14.99 to register Piper, and while her page does have a place for vet records, it is blank, and the site won't let me input that information.