Rather disappointed with our vet ...

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Rather disappointed with our vet ...
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earthyvirgo

Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 7972
Location: creating prints in the loft, Gerlan

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 6:38 pm Post subject: Rather disappointed with our vet ...

One of our moggies went to the vet for 'a dental' today.
When I made the appointment, I asked for the cost in advance because the last time her sister had the same treatment, the bill was a bit of a fright.

I was told around £60 - £70 which was less than last time, so I even checked "... and that'll cover the whole treatment". yep, it would I was told.

Have just been to pick Bella up and had a bill for £140

I said I'd been quoted £70 and was told that was just for the dental procedure and the anaesthetic was another £40, plus injections etc, etc.

I pointed out that they wouldn't have been able to do the teeth work without the anaesthetic so I felt a bit hard done by, especially as I'd asked in advance for an idea of the total cost.

As it was just the receptionist there at 6pm, I couldn't push it any further because all I got was a shrug of the shoulders.

I don't think I'm being unreasonable if I go back and have a word with the practice manager/vet ...am I?

EV

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 6:49 pm Post subject:
I woudln't think you were being unreasonable if you paid the 70 quid and told them you weren't paying the rest

kirstyfern

Joined: 03 Jan 2010
Posts: 1574
Location: Great Dunmow, Essex

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 6:49 pm Post subject:
Usually when you sign the consent form in the morning there will be an estimated cost on it - check with them. Unless she ended up having pre-op blood tests, multiple extractions & antibiotics it shouldn't have been more than estimated x

earthyvirgo

Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 7972
Location: creating prints in the loft, Gerlan

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 6:53 pm Post subject:

kirstyfern wrote:

Usually when you sign the consent form in the morning there will be an estimated cost on it - check with them. Unless she ended up having pre-op blood tests, multiple extractions & antibiotics it shouldn't have been more than estimated x

Nope, the consent form was just to acknowledge that I understood there was a degree of danger as she was 'going under'.

@Toggle.
Have paid

welsh veg grower

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 2030
Location: here today but tomorrow...

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 7:04 pm Post subject:
that does seem a bit unreasonable. What if you didnt have anyway of paying the difference between what you had been told and the actual bill. Hope she is ok anway but yep I'd write a letter stating what you had been told and how its made you feel. disapointed, let down etc and see what they come back with. Worth a go

Spruengli

Joined: 12 Jul 2006
Posts: 537
Location: Dorking(ish)

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 7:06 pm Post subject:
Definitely go back - you took the time and trouble to check the cost, and at the very least they should understand that you have been very misled by their original response. It's an opportunity for them to make sure they don't do it again (hopefully)

Faithmead

Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1228
Location: Carmarthenshire/Pembrokeshire border

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 7:11 pm Post subject:

I would write to the Practice Manager. Express your concern that you had budgeted for the amount you had been 'quoted' by a member of his/her staff and that the resulting bill was double that amount. Tell him/her you don't want to put in an official complaint, and so would appreciate his/her feedback on the subject before proceeding further. Give him/her a deadline for their reply - say 7 days - and state that you've always been very happy with the service (supposing that you have

) the Practice has provided and so you are extremely disappointed with this current situation.

Colin & Jan

Joined: 03 Mar 2006
Posts: 203
Location: Dover, Kent

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 7:25 pm Post subject:

Stand your ground. Vets (and I acknowledge not all) are in the same mold as private dentists - out-and-out robbers. Our terrier had to have an emergency caeserian last year. When told it would be £600+ I said I would take her home, shoot her and then make a formal complaint. The bill was just under £400 which was still steep.

I once heard a vet telling a trainee vet that the lumps on a Labrador should be removed before they disappeared with a grin on her face. I've never trusted a vet since.

Colin

kirstyfern

Joined: 03 Jan 2010
Posts: 1574
Location: Great Dunmow, Essex

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 7:30 pm Post subject:

Colin & Jan wrote:

I am appalled that you said that to the vet to get them to quote you a lower price!
Even though I hope you didn't mean it...
We always charged 'the price of a pup' for a Ceasarian and advised anyone thinking of breeding that this was the case...
This may sound bad but as a breeder myself I always allow for these potential added costs.
A caesarian is a lot of work, you need plenty of staff to deal with the pups as well as mum and they are usually done 'out of hours'.
£1200 is quite normal for a Caesarian done 12am - 6am in Essex!

Yorkshire Lass

Joined: 26 Jan 2011
Posts: 126
Location: York

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 7:35 pm Post subject:

Faithmead wrote:

) the Practice has provided and so you are extremely disappointed with this current situation.

Good bit of advice there!

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 7:49 pm Post subject:

Yorkshire Lass wrote:

Faithmead wrote:

) the Practice has provided and so you are extremely disappointed with this current situation.

Good bit of advice there!

Yes it does. Thanks Faithmead.

Leo

Joined: 25 Feb 2011
Posts: 227

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 8:17 pm Post subject:
I have had cats in the past which required lots of dental work & despite asking how much beforehand the bill was always more than quoted, I think £160 was the average. I lost a bit of confidence in my vets when I had a badly wounded pidgeon (years ago before having chooks). The vet is supposed to euthenase wildlife for free, but told me they would charge £35!

Mustang

Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Posts: 768
Location: Sunny Suffolk

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 11 9:43 pm Post subject:
Move vets if you aren't confident in them. You can get all your records transferred to the new vets easily.

VSS

Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2845
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 11 2:07 pm Post subject:

Earthyvirgo, you're not that far from us, and I think it would pay you to travel down here to our vet in future. Some from your area already do. I can probably guess which practice you went to.

Last week I called out the vet. £12.50 + consultation fee of £9
Last time I had a postmortem done on a sheep (last year) it was £11
Emergency cesaerian on a bitch, at night, £120 (but that was a few years ago). Cesaerian in daytime was £60 (but that was even longer ago - about 6 - 8 years).
Consultation fee in surgery, a couple of months ago, £7.50
Operation with anaesthetic to remove growth from bitch, a couple of months ago, £75

All very reasonable, I reckon!

Last edited by VSS on Sun Mar 06, 11 2:17 pm; edited 1 time in total

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 11 2:11 pm Post subject:

This has happened to me several times. I think vets should be made, by law, have to give you the whole cost in advance. I've got a cat being spayed next week. I've been told it'll be £56 total. I'm going to tell them when I drop her off that I will only pay what I've been quoted and see what they say. The worst one was when I was told that the dogs operation was going to be just over £100 but when we picked him up the bill was just under £500. There needs to be tighter legislation IMO.

eta - 3 different vets have done this to me.

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