Complaint Review: Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners - Tampa Florida

Blue Pearl is an unscrupulous business that uses its inhouse charity Frankie's Friends to scam people.  The publicist for Frankie's Friends does a great job of getting celebrity names linked to this charity but buyer beware! Their Bait & Switch scams the indigent into acquiring debt with 26.99% interest.  It's noteworthy  that the charity's money is sent directly to the Shaw brothers, one a Dr. Neil Shaw who poses as a pet savior for low income families. The Shaws not only own Blue Pearl and all its subsidiaries but Neil is the director and Darryl the manager of Frankie's Friends.

Families in need are assured on the phone they qualify for Frankie's Friends and that all the paperwork is easy to complete on the day of the pet's lifesaving procedure. On that stressful day however, the pet owner is told they don't qualify but can get help on Blue Pearl's special credit plan with exorbitant interest! Frankie's Friends does cover a few token families in order to keep the pretense that they are a charity.

The details of my experience are as follows:

I emailed Ms. Granger of Frankie's Friends reporting my monthly income and seeking assistance. I followed her instructions to get an appointment with Dr. Mears and contact management.

I spoke with management and staff four different times on the phone during which crucial information was withheld from me.  During the conversations $311 was quoted as the amount I would be required to pay based on my income. I repeatedly asked what proof of income forms were needed and was assured that none were required. I also offered to give info showing I had no assets.  Again, was told to come in and fill out papers on the "day" of the procedure which seemed odd but now I know the reason.

Time was of the essence and it appeared that all systems were go when I arrived for the one time life saving procedure for my pet. Upon arriving, my only anxiety was in regard to my pet's treatment and recovery, little did I know what awaited me. I was instructed,  "Go to the computer and fill out the care credit for Frankie's Friends."  On the screen there was no identifier indicating that it was a GE Capital Retail Bank's credit card application with 26.99% interest. Someone at Blue Pearl made the decision to put this form on its network of computers without its real name.

After submitting the info I waited in the examination room for Dr. Mears to take Cody for his procedure. Instead, the manager appeared and said that I was disqualified because the form I filled out was not for Frankie's Friends but was a "care credit." No one identified the company behind the "care credit" but I was told since I could get the "care credit", I was disqualified from Frankie's Friends. This couldn't have been orchestrated any better, the failure to disclose meant that I would go to Blue Pearl prepared to pay the quoted price of $311 not anticipating the switch to $1350. (Weeks later I would learn that the so called "care credit" was a GE Capital Retail Bank credit card with 26.99%.)

Incredulously, the manager said that there were other people with no income who were refused because they could get this care credit. I asked why this was withheld when I spoke to her on the phone. She simply repeated that others with no income were denied. She had opportunities to give me this information over the phone but intentionally did not, for good reason. Exploiting the emotions of pet lovers makes money. Because of the timing, my choice was to either have my pet euthanized or not pay bills causing bankruptcy. How this was set up strongly suggests that I was not the first person to have this experience. It's despicable that a charity is used as a lure to trap the indigent into making very difficult decisions.

After being had and knowing that the so called "care credit" was a hoax, I demanded that any form I filled out on the computer be expunged. Still, no one identified  the company behind the "care credit". Imagine my shock when I get a GE Capital Retail Bank credit card in the mail weeks later. I promptly called the company and told them I do not fill out credit card applications and requested that this bogus application be expunged from my records. Upon learning how deceptive the process was, I was sent to the fraud division where the application was immediately expunged.

I'm hoping that this information will help others avoid a most stressful and difficult situation.

Everything here has been reported to the Better Business Bureau: #67269811