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This is just not right!!!

post #1 of 29
7/7/05 at 12:08pm
Thread Starter 


Vets like this should not be vets!!!
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post #2 of 29
7/7/05 at 12:16pm
Obviously the Vet's brains and his arse have switched places, cuz sounds to me like he has poop for brains.

Apparently he's forgotten why he became a Vet in the first place... to care for sick PETS... this pet belongs to someone, is part of a family, and for him to say he's going to give it to some other family or put it down!!! UGH!

I think Vets should have payment plans. I know full well what that nice, big unfriendly sign is like, staring you in the face, while you're holding your baby wanting to take him home. "PAYMENT DUE IN FULL AT TIME OF SERVICE"... I'm thankful human hospitals aren't like that or I'd be up a sheet creek right about now due to all the sudden illnesses in my household this year.

Anyhoo the Vet has poo for brains. BLAH on him.
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post #3 of 29
7/7/05 at 12:22pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, can you imagine if pediatricians had this rule?!

I know vets need money, but I thought at least they should also have compassion! I don't understand why all vet don't have payment plans either!
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post #4 of 29
7/7/05 at 12:31pm
That should be illegal!! Why doesn't the hospital accept post-dated checks. Half now and half next month. All vets should know that people with pets consider them their babies. That's just plain cruel. There are other ways to make sure they get paid. Duh, there's a way they can get their money when people don't pay. It's called a collection agency!
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post #5 of 29
7/7/05 at 1:14pm
They can also make arrangements to farm out financing if they choose ... my dentist does this. He doesn't want to absorb the cost of having someone keep track of the accounts due so he farms it out to an independant company which specializes in financing his larger accounts.

I have had a similar situation occur at the local ER vet ... I once had a very sick kitten who needed to be seen at oh-God-thirty and so into the car we packed - I had the forethought of packing along both my checkbook and my credit card but if I hadn't paid the bill in full after services were received, they would have held my kitten hostage until I did. They did NOT, however, threaten to place her in a new home though ... but they DID threaten to tack on a whopping $50 a day boarding fee for each day payment wasn't received.

I guess I understand WHY they are forced to do these things even if I think it is just plain wrong. What we ~all~ seem to forget is that while we like to believe that vets become vets because they care about animals and I do think the vast majority start out this way, the truth is that they are in business to make money, just like the rest of us do our jobs to make money - so they are naturally going to be very concerned about "the bottom line".
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post #6 of 29
7/7/05 at 1:55pm
Ok I can understand the vet's frusteration with unpaid bills. But you can't expect people to pay $400+ in an emergency. Offer a payment plan. Take the 1/2 payment now and expect the rest in a few days/weeks. Of better yet payments stagered over 6 months or something... geez!!
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post #7 of 29
7/7/05 at 1:57pm
I took a cat to a vet who was really , really sick and the vet would only take care of it if I was able to pay the bill. I have a friend with 15 cats and she can't take them to the vet because the vets here demand the bill be paid the same day. I understand the reasoning behind it,but I think there should be a policy of monthly payments for those of us who can't afford to pay on the spot or do not have a C.C.
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post #8 of 29
7/7/05 at 4:15pm
the cat and this situation must be pretty famous by now. shame on the other family who are willing to 'adopt' it.
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post #9 of 29
7/7/05 at 5:02pm
That is horrible.

I have noticed that vets are EXTREMELY money hungry - at least, all of the ones I've been to have been, perhaps there are some that are not. And the prices they charge are ridiculous, frankly - when Meeko had his teeth cleaned recently, I was told that if he needed any teeth removed, I would be charged $75 for every TEN minutes it took to remove the teeth - $75 for ten minutes of work - can you imagine?! That's just obscene. Perhaps people would be willing to pay their bills in full without payment plans if the cost of care wasn't so ridiculously high that only the rich could possibly afford it without hardship. I think it's so sad that the people caring for our animals are, in too many cases, more concerned with getting rich than caring for the animals.
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post #10 of 29
7/7/05 at 5:30pm
My vet has a nifty credit plan through some national company. I would think that would make sure they got their money, plus give people the opporunity to make payments if need be. Who hasn't been in that situation? Lord knows we would have been when Abby first started getting sick. We just lucked out and won the scratch off lottery- which covered her bills.
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post #11 of 29
7/7/05 at 6:32pm
I am NOT siding with the vet, however, the man did sign the agreement. Did he really read the agreement? I guessing not, when you are worried over your pet you tend not to. However, the article seemed to say that they verbally told him the payment was expected. It was then the owner's responsibility, to say "ya know, I can't pay you all at once, can we make a payment plan?"

Most vets are good-hearted people but they have a business to run, and they have to pay their employees. What should the vet say to his employees if he can't make the payroll. What would you say to your boss on payday if he said, "Sorry Mary, I can't pay you this week." I doubt you would tell your boss, "Have a nice day!"

Gone are the James Herriot days (All Creatures Great and Small) where you could pay your vet with a case of pickled peaches, they have very expensive medical equipment, surgical supplies, lab equipment, and a payroll and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

A lot of people default on payments and an outside finance plan requires good credit to begin with.

I think this vet could have thought of something besides holding this cat for ransom, but it sounds as if he has been burned more than once.
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post #12 of 29
7/8/05 at 8:00am
I think this is pretty standard.
A vet once threatened to hold my toy poodle for three days and then give him to a shelter if I didn't have the full amount.

I borrowed it off a friend that very day.

But not many friends have an extra $400 laying around.

Or are that good of friends!
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post #13 of 29
7/8/05 at 11:25am
We've been going to the same vet for almost 23 years. For years, she gave you a bill to be paid within 14 days (30 if it was a very large amount). About 6 years ago, she and her partner started to demand payment in full in cash or by debit card, because far too many people never bothered paying. It's a busy practice with lots of employees, including a full-time cleaning lady, high rent, expensive machinery, and so on, so I understand why they changed the policy. I can't imagine them "confiscating" a pet and finding another family for it. I actually believe that would be illegal here.
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post #14 of 29
7/8/05 at 1:39pm
Thread Starter 
http://www.nbc10.com/news/4694444/detail.html
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post #15 of 29
7/8/05 at 1:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by stormy
I had a feeling that would happen
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post #16 of 29
7/8/05 at 2:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mom of Franz
I am NOT siding with the vet, however, the man did sign the agreement. Did he really read the agreement? I guessing not, when you are worried over your pet you tend not to. However, the article seemed to say that they verbally told him the payment was expected. It was then the owner's responsibility, to say "ya know, I can't pay you all at once, can we make a payment plan?"

Most vets are good-hearted people but they have a business to run, and they have to pay their employees. What should the vet say to his employees if he can't make the payroll. What would you say to your boss on payday if he said, "Sorry Mary, I can't pay you this week." I doubt you would tell your boss, "Have a nice day!"

Gone are the James Herriot days (All Creatures Great and Small) where you could pay your vet with a case of pickled peaches, they have very expensive medical equipment, surgical supplies, lab equipment, and a payroll and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

A lot of people default on payments and an outside finance plan requires good credit to begin with.

I think this vet could have thought of something besides holding this cat for ransom, but it sounds as if he has been burned more than once.

I couldn't have said it any better. All of our vets are very compassionate people. We always think of the animal first and do everything in our power to help people take good care of their pets. It is extremely frustrating for us when people can't pay for the services that they agreed to. Most of these people then get angry at US for the cost. But I wasn't the one that let the dog out of the yard was I? I am NOT the one biting your cat and giving it abscesses! If you really can't affort the treatment then keep your cat indoors! I am notthe one that failed to provide appropriate vaccines and let the cat get sick in the first place! It is not our fault that people can't afford the pets they have. If my clinic doesn't get paid then I don't get paid. Then how am I supposed to feed my animals and pay my rent? Having said that we do extend credit to good clients and provide payment policies. As a result, unfortumately, we have a HUGE accounts receivable, which is money taken out of the employees pockets. It is because of all the people that don't make good on their words that we have made tougher policies and are now enforcing the "payment upon services rendered" sign. After all you don't get away with walking out of the grocery store or mechanics shop without paying do you?
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post #17 of 29
7/8/05 at 2:21pm
Hmmm.... James Herriot was awesome!
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post #18 of 29
7/8/05 at 3:07pm
I have to agree with Mom of Franz and Dr. Doolittle -- I know everyone here has their heart in the right place but you wouldn't imagine the amount of people who promise to pay a bill but never do. For instance, a woman tried to come in the other day. She currently owes us about $300. She just purchased another dog for $400 and wanted to bring it in. So she hasn't been able to pay off her previous bill but went and bought another animal which she wanted to bring in and have more money added to her bill.

I think right now there is atleast $30,000 in unpaid bills. That could be a much needed raise for all of us employees or new diagnostic equipment to take better care of the pet of the people who do actually pay.
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post #19 of 29
7/8/05 at 4:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GratefulBear629
I have to agree with Mom of Franz and Dr. Doolittle -- I know everyone here has their heart in the right place but you wouldn't imagine the amount of people who promise to pay a bill but never do. For instance, a woman tried to come in the other day. She currently owes us about $300. She just purchased another dog for $400 and wanted to bring it in. So she hasn't been able to pay off her previous bill but went and bought another animal which she wanted to bring in and have more money added to her bill.

I think right now there is atleast $30,000 in unpaid bills. That could be a much needed raise for all of us employees or new diagnostic equipment to take better care of the pet of the people who do actually pay.

I HATE that! Like the other day when this lady brought in two cats that the humane society was paying to spay. SHe reeked of smoke! Cigarettes are expensive, but she would rather abuse the generosity of a non-profit society than cut back a little to pay her own way. And we constantly have people buy $1500 dogs and then complain about the $50 consult fee! If you can't afford the health care- you should have got the $100 dog from the SPCA- then there would be $1400 left over for health care!
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post #20 of 29
7/8/05 at 6:38pm
My favorite example of this was a woman who asked whether or not declawing was covered under Lost Cost Spaying (supposed to be for people on medicare/welfare/ssi/etc) because the cat was destroying her brand new $4,000 carpets.
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post #21 of 29
7/9/05 at 1:31pm
I once had a guy say that he would pay his bill in a couple of weeks... after all he couldn't afford it now, he just payed for a trip to the bahamas! And the bill was for an elective surgery that could have waited! So in the meantime the clinic is out hundreds of $$$ but he is living it up on a trip none of us can afford.
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post #22 of 29
7/9/05 at 3:14pm
I for one am glad my large animal vet takes payments. Horsey vet stuff is even more expensive than small animal IMO, i dropped a cool $150 just to have one mare checked in foal, and one cultured, and i thought that was a DEAL. I am in good standing, so they said just send the payment (i forgot my check book) but i went in the next weekend before i got the bill in the mail and paid.

I can understand vets points of view, but i can also understand a person who does pay their bills ontime (like myself) and such..getting a bit upset at a sudden change in policy.

My small animal vet does not do payments, that being said i have their pet insurance, and have been given a few deals since i spent over 100 bucks a month on the insurance. But it pays for itself in the long run.

I do most of my own vetting on my horses. But that being said..again I am glad some vets have not become inbittered to their good customers. Its not hard to wrack up a large bill unexpectedly. I had a friend whos mare had a hard time deliverying...and she had a 4,000 bill in a few hours. the vet of course..took payments.
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post #23 of 29
7/9/05 at 3:44pm
I love the people that come in, know that they are on a tight budget, but then agree to do every test/treatment the vet recommends. Then they go up to the front desk, get told what their bill is, and they freak out!! If you are low on income, ask how much the blood work/xrays/etc. will cost before doing it!! No reasonable vet would mind stepping out of the room and making up an estimate. We can't read minds!
Of course, it gets even more frustrating because often it is a preventable problem, ex. the 5 year old UNSPAYED Chow Chow from hell today who had a pyometra..............
Sorry, just had to vent.
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post #24 of 29
7/9/05 at 5:03pm
It is so hard to judge sometimes. It never fails- every time you take a chance on someone they disappoint you. I totally understand that not everyone is like that. It sucks that good people pay the price for this.
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post #25 of 29
7/9/05 at 8:25pm
Vets have to keep really detailed medical records. So why could they not put a little line on it that says customer can make payments, or this person must pay in full! that way the vet knows and customers in long term good standing dont have to worry about coming up with the money right away. We have been going to our vet for almost 10 years and if she started this policy I think we would be offended, although I think for the most part we did pay in full, except when I brought my parents cat in for them when I was 16. Then she just sent a bill the my parents.
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post #26 of 29
7/9/05 at 8:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roxy_loves_CJ
Vets have to keep really detailed medical records. So why could they not put a little line on it that says customer can make payments, or this person must pay in full! that way the vet knows and customers in long term good standing dont have to worry about coming up with the money right away. We have been going to our vet for almost 10 years and if she started this policy I think we would be offended, although I think for the most part we did pay in full, except when I brought my parents cat in for them when I was 16. Then she just sent a bill the my parents.

Hmmm that is a good idea.
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post #27 of 29
7/9/05 at 8:40pm
I like that idea too...

I had to make payments that i couldnt make but before I moved away I stuck a check with intrest under the vets office door ...

My vet now will work with me ( crosses fingers) but I always make sure the yearly things are done and $$ is there for them...
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post #28 of 29
7/9/05 at 11:00pm
[QUOTE After all you don't get away with walking out of the grocery store or mechanics shop without paying do you?[/quote]

I have to agree with the above statement, even though I have been in some tight spots with vet bills myself, and I am not comfortable with the vet holding the pet hostage.

My vet has a payment in full at time of service policy, but I think he is a very kind man. I have no doubt in my mind that he cares for animals, but like all of us, he has bills to pay, for the business as well as himself and his family.

It would be great if there was a national health care system for pets (and people). Unfortunately there are some people who just have more pets than they can afford.
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post #29 of 29
7/10/05 at 12:10am
That's just plain MEAN!!!!
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