Complaint Review: CareCredit - Anaheim California

I can't speak for all dentists, there are obviously unscrupulous people everywhere, but my office presents a pt with their recommended treatment and if a pt asks for advice on how to pay for it we simply inform them that Care credit is available. The decision to apply for Care credit is entirely in the hands of the pt and they are encouraged to apply online in the privacy of their own home. How much they request or are approved for is between them and care credit. We try to stay out of the decision to use a third party for credit as much as possible. Some people have told me before that their credit cards had a better interest rate and others that CC had a better rate, we wouldn't want to be responsible for making a decision like that for our patients. Only they know what they can do or not do. I hope you find an office that has better scruples regarding payment.

Ben: What if a "little white lie" that you mentioned gets you approved and started but then you get the full story and you want to cancel / unwind the deal / quit the program and get a full refund. Isn't the doctor's cooperation imperative?

Ben: What if a "little white lie" that you mentioned gets you approved and started but then you get the full story and you want to cancel / unwind the deal / quit the program and get a full refund. Isn't the doctor's cooperation imperative?

Ben: What if a "little white lie" that you mentioned gets you approved and started but then you get the full story and you want to cancel / unwind the deal / quit the program and get a full refund. Isn't the doctor's cooperation imperative?

Care Credit likes to take advantage of people in dire circumstances. In 1992, my dog was hurt and I was quite hysterical. The vet put a piece of paper in front of me and I signed it. My dog was dying. Thank God, my dog was saved..but then I got Care Credits invoice. 25% interest! I called them and offered a 2 payment plan with 13% interest. They agreed. I waited for my letter of comfirmation. I got the same invoice asking for the monthly payment, same interest and now a late fee. I called again. Same story. They verbally agreed to whatever I asked, then the invoices and late fees kept building. It was crazy making. I told them I flat out refused to pay for usury. I offered them the original amount in one lump sum, no interest, no late fees...by now it was in collection. They of course agreed..verbally. The invoices kept coming..monthly payment and now a couple hundred in late fees. I never paid them. I'm grateful to them for being there when I needed them, but they really jerked me around like no credit company ever has. Avoid "we don't care credit" if you possibly can.

If you've ever been "pre-approved" by a credit card company, i.e. visa or mastercard, they're doing the same thing CareCredit is doing. Lists of people are taken from credit bureaus, which are approximately three months old. When a name and address match up against this list, an individual's credit rating at that time is what can result in a pre-approval. There is about a 1% chance someone who is pre-app'd won't be approved for a standard account. This could be because something was reported during that time, or something catastrophic like a bankruptcy takes place. If a dentist knows someone's been pre-app'd, then it's easier for them to present the program to the consumer. Put yourself in a dentist's shoes or an office worker and imagine that situation for yourself. Should someone be pre-app'd and decide to take advantage of the program, there is a formal application done and THEN credit is pulled. But, like I said earlier, it's the same as any credit card company. Someone can be pre-app'd for a certain dollar amount, and after completing a full application, receive more than they were pre-app'd for. Hope that answers your questions. Did you look at the website or call customer service?

In response to Ben's rebuttal. Ben said that when the dentist does a pre-approval "it's not checked against your private credit information.." If the pre-approval is not checking against credit information then what is the purpose of the pre-approval? It is my understanding that the dentist uses pre-approval to determine the credit limit that CareCredit will extend to the patient. You said "all they're looking for is a name and address?" Why does the dentist need to use a pre-approval for a credit card to get a name and address? Please clarify.

Here's the deal with CareCredit to answer your questions. When the doctor does a pre-approval, it's not checked against your private credit information, and it does not impact your credit rating. There is no violation of HIPAA, and no, the doctor or dentist doesn't inform the patient they're checking this. All they're looking for is a name and address. When it comes time for treatment, payment plans are calculated on total cost. People who work in the office don't always present things properly, so please feel free to call the customer service number! You will certainly get the truth. See, in person a little white lie isn't a big deal. On something like this, it's called "fraud", and that normally doesn't go over well with anyone. People can fill out the application in person or online. You can even call customer service again and they'll walk you through the application if need be. If you decide to discontinue treatment, and have been billed up front for all charges, a partial refund is certainly possible. If you haven't even started treatment, a full refund should be in order. You should call the customer service number you can find on the website http://wwwcarecredit.com for any questions you have and get the scoop from the horse's mouth.