Caveat Emptor
Allerca Lifestyle Pets, the company that claims to sell hypoallergenic cats, may not be out of business after all. But it may be in trouble.
In December, we reported that, according to the Allerca website, it was getting out of the business. (The website has changed, but The Scientist had the story, and that's still online.) On February 24th, however, it was offering a dog as well as two types of cat, at prices ranging from $5,950 to $22,000. Plus -- and this is new -- a $180 escrow fee. Now customers can put their payments into an account run by Escrow.com, which is licensed by California, Arizona and Idaho. Customers can receive a full refund, less the escrow fee, "at any time prior to delivery."
Regrettably, some customers who paid deposits before the current policy took effect have not received refunds (or cats). At least one complained to the Santa Cruz District Attorney's Office, which has subpoenaed Allerca and received "reams of confidential data." Simon Brodie, Allerca's founder, insists that the documents involve "very high-end genetics." The prosecutor, according to The Santa Cruz Sentinel, says that an investigation could take months, and would not comment except to note that:
"Blindfolding someone is not the same as conducting a double-blind study."
What this enigmatic comment means was not clarified. Can it be that Allerca tests their animals with nothing more sophisticated than a bandage for covering the eyes?
Previously on Biopolitical Times: