WoundWear, Inc A-TraC Dynamic Brace RIPOFF Kennett Square Pennsylvania

Purchased: A-TraC Dynamic Brace (aka A-TraC) from WoundWear.

All information and quotation is based on facts digitized and saved as proof on 3/21/2014 or before, lest the company changes their policies in the future to make inaccurate counterclaims.  No opinion is intended to be rendered, implied, or shared.  You are more than encouraged to please purchase this device if you feel it is appropriate in your specific case after appropriate medical consultation with the correct (veterinary) licensed medical practitioner.

The short story:

Knee brace purchased, knee brace did not fit, no exchanges possible, no refunds possible, out hundreds of dollars as a result with a non-working product.

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The long story:

Joel F. Spatt, a human medical practitioner with no verifiable advanced medical education or training in veterinary medicine (as defined by professional education, licensing, and examination) boldly makes a wearable device for a canine medical problem.

Problem #1:  No actual expertise or specialization in veterinary medicine is shown by the designer as certified by appropriate veterinary education and training.  Imagine a board certified veterinary orthopedic specialist (despite 12 years of medical education/internship/residency) selling you a human knee brace.

Problem #2:  Due to the nature of the online purchase, the device is not allowed to be tried on by the patient prior to purchase.  Imagine buying a ready made shoe at your local store but being told you can't try it on before you buy it.

Problem #3:  Once this knee (stifle) brace is purchased, returns and refunds are made impossible under all *normal trade circumstances.  This means, you can't return that shoe for a refund if it doesn't fit after not being allowed to try it before buying it.

Problem #4:  The knee brace purchased indeed did not fit this patient.

Problem #5:  A requested appropriate alternative is not available according to the company.  But their own guarantee claims: “Exchanges are available for sizing issues or for defects in materials and workmanship.”

The company replied with the following in an e-mail after an appropriate alternative size was requested after the product did not fit: “We offer Exchanges but is some cases like this one due to the height there may not be another size to exchange to.”  They contradicted their own guarantee policy.

*Normally, a company allows a return at this point given problems #2, #4, and #5.  Imagine any credible company being this predatory and not following their own guarantee policy or normal trade tactics.

Their guarantee policy further says: “The customer must make a good faith effort to implement the fitting procedures provided by technical support prior to returning the garment/s for exchange.”  Laughable.  I, according to them, don't even have an exchange option based on #5.  Nevertheless, I tried their initial requests at modification in hopes of making their defective product fit the patient since they need it.  These fitting procedures did not work.  Photos of a good faith effort exist as proof thereof.

Problem #6:  After showing these photos to the company, the predicament I find myself in is deemed “tricky (sic)” by staff in an e-mail.  As a result of the company being unable to exchange the brace for an appropriate size, the company makes only more ridiculous demands via e-mail to customize their end product even more than before in order to make the product that was supposed to, but didn’t on its own, finally fit the patient.  Being a medical practitioner of the appropriate field (veterinary medicine), I do not deem their requests to be safe nor effective without further veterinary medical literature on such modification techniques.  I will not put patients at risk due all of the aforementioned.  Their product should not have to be customized for hours on end because it doesn't work as a result of their own design flaws.

Problem #7:  Customization techniques suggested have no verifiable veterinary medical evidence they will work for the patient and most importantly will not harm the patient as a result of post-manufacture and post-purchase modifications.  Company falls silent upon requests for appropriate medical evidence for the effectiveness and safety of #6 and ceases contact with me.

Problem #8:  Ironically, their "guarantee" says: “Any alterations to the garment/s made by the purchaser shall be at the purchaser’s risk, shall void any guarantee and is not exchangeable. “  See problem #6.  Company actually advised me to modify the end-product despite it not fitting and having no viable exchange option.  Thus, they push the customer to make a return even more impossible by forcing them to modify the product in the face of this action eventually negating a return.  Further proof of their predatory policy and tactics post-purchase.

As a result: product purchased, product doesn’t fit nor work, no exchange is possible, no return is possible, company modification techniques made at the request of the company may result in medical harm to patient and impossibility of a sales return, rendering the purchased device useless and the hundreds of dollars spent on the device utterly wasted as a result of a defective product and predatory sales tactics.

Signed,

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine