Annoyed - what would you do? (warning: rant)

ncarter

ncarter

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Hi,

Advice please...?

I am at a yard that is closely associated with a vets, so we do not get charged call out fees etc if the vets are on site when we want to see them.

My pony has a splint and my YO says she thinks it may be getting bigger and I should get a vet to scan it to see.

I am dubious and ask YO to find out the cost of getting this done - she comes back to me with a figure of £40 (cash). I think this is worth it for peace of mind and so ask her to book him in for first thing Friday when I can be there to talk to the vets, but it needs to be early as I'm going away.

I arrive and bring pony in for 9am, and am told they have 1 horse to see to and will be 20 mins. I am waiting for 2.5 HOURS until they see me.
They do a quick flexion test and scan for heat - nothing there - it takes about 10 mins in total. Annoyed I had to wait so long but these things happen. I ask YO if I should pay the vet in cash directly but she says no, not if they haven't asked for it.

Today I get the bill - £90!! I would never have had it done if I had thought it would be that much!!! That is more than double what I was expecting to pay!!!
However the £40 quote was never given to me directly (the vets appts are always sorted out by our YO)

Should I challenge the vets on the price?
I don't want to be put on the blacklist for not paying as it will cost me more in the future to bring a different vet to the yard if I ever need anything. But I really don't want to be paying that kind of money. I have text the YO to tell her but have had no response which is making me feel nervous about it.

What would you do???

Tea and cake for getting this far x
 
So you don't normally have a call out fee, and they were there for someone else anyway? And they only scanned the leg for heat? (using what?)

Thats sounds rather extortionate to me to be honest, unless they charged you the call out fee?

Was it the usual vet from that practice? Or a new one?
 
If I had been 'quoted' by the vets then I would challenge. But if it wasn't said by them and it could have been an estimate maybe? But sounds an awful lot for what they did.

Thinking about it I would ask them why it is so much considering you were told £40. See what they say.


P.s You didn't used to have a horse called Pepe did you? :)
 
Yes of course say to the vets!

Chances are they just passed it to the receptioist who worked it out for you at normal rates.

Just phone and say " hi, I have a query on a bill I have received. I was quoted before the work wad carried out. The quote was for 40 pounds. Could you look into this for me please?

No harm in that!
 
The vets practise is on site and yes they were there anyway.
They felt for heat (with her hand) and then I trotted him up. They then did a flexion test on that leg and then used a thermal imaging scanner on it.
I really feel miffed about it as I am worried that now it has gone through the accounts and gone on the books I will not be able to change it.
The YO did ASK the vets the price as she had estimated £20-30 to me, but came back with £40 from them.
It was a vet that normally works there but not the one that gave the YO the quote, however I know the one that gave the YO the quote prepared my bill.
ARGHH. I don't have a spare £50!!!
 
I would see what your yard owner has to say about it first.
If there response is oh well I thought it would be 40, then I think all you can do is treat it as a lesson learned and next time deal directly with the vets.
It is a bit of a shocker though when you get a bill over twice what you were expecting x
 
I would just say to YO that you've been charged £90 when you were expecting £40 as advised. YO might take it up with vet if he/she discussed in first place.

Only other thing I can think is that YO had said £40 for cash which would suggest payment on the day?
 
I would definately query it. The worst that can happen is you still have to pay the £90.

You can definatley get a reductions after the invoice has been raised. I mean you can't query the bill till you have had it. All they have to do is put a credit on the account and either send you a credit note to reduce the invoice to the lower amount, or more likely just cancel the invoice on the system and send you another. Its easy to do.
 
Defintely query it. You won't get blacklisted for querying it.

It could be that it wasn't a proper quote or there is a reason for it being higher which you may have to accept but querying it will not do any harm.
 
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