Would you complain about a vetting ?

[Ceifer]

Hi

Opinions appreciated. I had a horse vetted on the 27th July.
The vetinary practice came highly recommended by a few friends in the area but I had a sour experience.
Called up, explained I'm not a client, would like a horse vetting. All ok, gave them my details including how to spell my name, it's not a weird name but lots of people get it wrong. Receptionist said she'd phone the owners and get some details from them and call me back. She failed to call me and I had to call them the next day. She apologised and called me the incorrect name, so I corrected her again.
I travelled over 100 miles on the day to see the vetting. I explained to the vets that my mother is incredibly ill at the moment and on borrowed time and I need to travel home by 16.30-17.00. I understand that emergencies happen etc but I need a time between 08.00 and 15.00 is this ok? If there is a problem please call me on the day. Yes this is fine.
They said payment would be taken on the day of the vetting.
Day of the vetting arrives, the owners called the vets as I was travelling up and they give an eta of 13.00. He turned up at 16.45. After I've phoned them at 16.00 saying I need to go.
The horse failed the vetting. The vet phoned me the next day saying he was 'on the fence with this one'. It had failed on a flexion and he thought could be unsound behind. But he'd pass it if I was only going to do light work. I had said I want to low level event.
Phoned up the owners who went wild and said he'd flexed it 3 times and made it lame, it wasn't lame blah blah blah. I said look, you have my permission to phone him and discuss.
They do this and call me back saying it's all fine he says its 'unlevel'
Had to phone back the vet and say I wasn't happy with things. I need a clear verdict of what's wrong. To which he said it's definitely failed a flexion and is mechanically unsound but without further examination he can't say where. He then says he'll waive the call out fee and he was sorry. The report arrived this morning. They've charged me for a call out and spelt my name incorrectly. The payment was only taken yesterday too.
Am I being crabby wanting to complain?

 

[muckypony]

I would also be very unhappy. I would complain but not sure what I would want waived... Definitely the call out and maybe even part of the vetting for such a shoddy service!!

 

[Goldenstar]

Well vets are often awful time keepers .
The horse was lame on flexion of course the vendors where upset they are trying to sell a horse carring an issue .
You where paying for a vetting to avoid buying a horse with an issue .
So the vetting did it's job .

 

[Dusty85]

I would also not be happy. Vettings are expensive and all the to and fro-ing would make me feel very uncertain whether the horse had 'failed' or not

Given that its lame I would personally walk away, but id still not be using that vet again!

 

[twiggy2]

a flexion test will not tell anyone where the horse is lame-you need a diagnostic workup for that, it does sound like the vets offered a shoddy service but they did vet the horse and have told you it failed, request the call out fee is dropped if you think that is fair but I am not sure what more you want the vet to say about the vetting. low level eventing is not light work.

 

[Ceifer]

Agreed it would need a diagnostic work out to see where it is lame. Just makes me cross that I paid a lot of money to have to push the vet for an opinion 'on the fence' is not what is paid for. They can't get my name right. The vet text me after to say he couldn't make his mind up about it.

 

[Goldenstar]

Then leave it better safe than sorry .

 

[AmyMay]

Horse was vetted, was lame and failed.

What exactly is your complaint about?

 

[Ceifer]

Complaining about a lack of customer service

 

[Amicus]

Annoying that vet didn't make it while you were there but it is a bit the nature of the job, would you have preferred the vetting on another day which might have been the only other option? Vetting are difficult (it's not a job vets savoir) and I expect vet was a definitive as possible and has said horse is probably not suitable for what you want which surely is all you need to know. You could risk it and it might be fine but it'll be a risk. Personally don't understand why you care about the name issue I have a straight forward easy to spell easy pronounce name like Sarah but regularly answer to Claire Sam Fran etc Doesn't bother me a jot!

 

[AmyMay]

Complaining about a lack of customer service

What lack of customer service? Communication between you and the vet has been satisfactory. Granted they spelt your name wrong, but hey.......

 

[Ceifer]

I know I am picky with stupid things like names. I just like high quality service. But at the same time I'm aware that I sound petty

 

[Pearlsasinger]

As the vet offered to waive the callout fee, which I would take as an apology for being so late, I would ring the practice and remind them he said that to you over the phone.
As for the horse, it doesn't sound as if it's up to the job you want it to do. TBH I would expect a good equine vet to be able to recognise an unlevel horse without a flexion test.
I would be unwilling to even consider a horse so far away, unless I knew something about it personally and certainly wouldn't use that vet practice for a vetting again.

 

[Ceifer]

They failed to confirm the appointment. Failed to inform me the vet was running late (yes yes I know that it's the nature of vets to be late). Had to be pushed to give a definitive answer on a pass or fail.
I Should have explained the flexion. He said any normal horse would have a level of unsound ness after a flexion he expects the horse to come level in 6 strides. This one was 7 so it was up to me how to interpret it as it was close to the wire
I guess the general consensus is I'm being an idiot and to let it lie which is fair enough. I feel like an idiot not spotting it was lame in the first place!

 

[ester]

Hi

To which he said it's definitely failed a flexion and is mechanically unsound but without further examination he can't say where.

Well of course not! He is the vet not the owners so them saying he made it lame is a bit pointless really. The only issue is the timing, someone else will have made the bills up so just ring them and say that the call out fee was supposed to be waived, issue sorted.

Flexions are always an opinion- in the vets opinion the horse failed and has then the given you further details.

 

[rara007]

Vettings are no longer a pass or fail thing either.

 

[Marydoll]

I know I am picky with stupid things like names. I just like high quality service. But at the same time I'm aware that I sound petty

Youre obviously unhappy with the service provided by the vet, it doesnt matter what others say, if youre unhappy email them with your issues about the service they provided and take it from there.

 

[Illusion100]

Vettings are no longer a pass or fail thing either.

How's that?!

 

[Illusion100]

OP, what a pain in the bum!

Walk away from the horse. Any horse that trotted unsound/unlevel after 3 strides would have been failed by the Vets I worked for so after 6-7 strides is something I steer well clear of.

Ultimately, the Vet vetted a horse, albeit not very clearly. So, yes they are due a fee. The call out has been wavered, fair enough but I smell something very off here. I won't say what I strongly suspect on this thread but please dismiss having anything further to do with this horse.

I would call and accept that the call out fee has been wavered and pay the vetting fee.

 

[Achinghips]

It does sound like fairly shoddy service to me. You had phoned beforehand to stipulate a time because you were driving a long way and have a very ill relative that you are responsible for and you explained that carefully to them. An hour or two late is annoying but ok, but most of the day without a call is not. It's good that they agreed to waiver the call out, but illustrates poor organisation and communication at the admin/vet end when they included it on the bill.

On the other hand, the horse failed the vetting. That's disappointing for you and stressful to manage the owners anger and conflict with the vet findings.

You need to separate out the two separate points. Look on the bright side, that vet may have saved you money and further disappointment in the long run, unless you decide to take a chance and go ahead anyway. On one footstep out, I probably would take the chance.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Well he said he would drop the call out so phone them up and push for that to be refunded.

 

[ester]

How's that?!

iirc it is 'suitable for purpose' I have to say I don't see anything unclear on the vetting. It failed on flexion, obv vet flexed more than once as they spotted something they wanted to be sure about and he told OP the exact result.

 

[cobgoblin]

I would wonder if this is more a case of poor communication and a dippy receptionist. However, the horse was vetted and phoned to discuss the results, and as the horse failed on perhaps an equivocal point, that fact that you weren't there counts in your favour really,because you could make your decision without any influence from the vendors.
I would remind the vets about waiving the fees and call it a day. It could have been far worse.

 

[Red-1]

Agreed it would need a diagnostic work out to see where it is lame. Just makes me cross that I paid a lot of money to have to push the vet for an opinion 'on the fence' is not what is paid for. They can't get my name right. The vet text me after to say he couldn't make his mind up about it.

You see, I love this with a vet. They are giving you the best of both worlds. If you had been there you would have had a discussion at the time. If you had LOVED the horse and were not risk averse you would have had a "pass" certificate and gone ahead with the purchase. If you were risk averse you would have had a "not suitable" and could have not purchased and got your deposit back.

As you were not there the vet was "on the fence". It is a grey area and he could not put it quite like that, it is something he had to gauge. One horse I bought was like that and I let the vet know in no uncertain terms that I wanted to buy. If the horse had a MAJOR problem I would not, but a "hmmmmmm" issue I was prepared to accept. I was there, was positive, the horse got a pass, and evented until he was 16, then was a schoolmaster for others until he was 19.

Many vets do not have any grey area in case they get taken to court. Many see even a whisper of a problem, and they will fail just so it does not come back and bite them. To me your vet was flexible and helpful. He did not have a crystal ball, and the level of risk an owner is happy with can depend on purchase price, how much training the horse needs before it is ready for intended purchase, the history and hopes/fears of prospective owners......

So, I would be happy at the grey area, not many will give this now.

I appreciate it was upsetting that he was later than you needed him to be. I guess you could have cancelled the vetting for that day, but offering to waive the call out fee is more than fair if you did not. I am certain the vet did not prepare the bill, so I would call them and remind them of this.

The spelling of my name would not bother me at all.

 

[stormox]

The vet was later than promised- this often happens as its impossible for them to know how long previous calls will take. He spelt your name wrong- so what? A vetting is not a 'pass' or 'fail' nor is it a diagnosis. He did his job, told you the results, and it was up to you to decide whether you wanted to buy a horse that had 'failed' the flexion test. Some people would, some wouldn't. Stop moaning and pay.

 

[Achinghips]

The vet was later than promised- this often happens as its impossible for them to know how long previous calls will take. He spelt your name wrong- so what? A vetting is not a 'pass' or 'fail' nor is it a diagnosis. He did his job, told you the results, and it was up to you to decide whether you wanted to buy a horse that had 'failed' the flexion test. Some people would, some wouldn't. Stop moaning and pay.

What an insensitively worded and confrontational post

 

[fatpiggy]

What an insensitively worded and confrontational post

Well apart from the final sentence, I can't see anything wrong with it. I've spent my life having my name spelled wrong, its no big deal. There is obviously a problem with communication between the vet and the receptionist, but since you aren't going to use them again, just phone up, remind them of the arrangement and ask for a revised bill. As for not being on time, if the previous call turns out to be a major colic or something, is the vet supposed to say, sorry , times up, I've got to go now? The day my horse was PTS the vet actually turned up not far off an hour EARLY which wasn't ideal for me, but he had something important to go on to afterwards so it was just one of those things - the end result was the same whatever the time on the clock.