Wobbler
Bremen,#2Consumer Suggestion
Tue, December 08, 2015
Treating parvo is an expensive undertaking, and the $300 quoted to you was most likely based on a simple, uncomplicated case. Your case most likely became complicated and involved, especially since it took 6 days instead of 3 to get her well enough to go home. I find it hard to believe the staff at Price Creek didn't say that $300 was the minimum, and the final total would depend on what other treatment your dog needed.
The extra time your "baby" spent in the hospital was to make sure she got over the parvo completely. Did you expect it to be for free? Rest assured, your dog was "touched" in those last 3 days. She didn't just sit in her kennel, unfed, unwalked, unwatered. She stayed 3 more days because she was still sick -- if Price Creek had turned her loose to you before she was completely well, she could have died. Would you have wanted that?
When you left your dog there to be treated, you agreed to pay any and all necessary charges incurred to treat her. If that meant she stayed 6 days instead of 3 so that she could be cured, then that's just life. They accept CareCredit, which approves just about anyone for enough money to pay for what you need done, at low or no interest depending on what special they're running. And you can use CareCredit for your own medical bills, too, or dentist bills.
The most important thing, though, is that you could have avoided the $300 and the $600 by doing one simple thing: paying $45 to have your "baby" vaccinated against parvovirus. One little shot.
I can't believe you left your dog at the vet because you got in a snit over her case being more complicated than anyone expected. Would you leave your child at the doctor because the sprained wrist turned into a broken bone, and costs more? If you call your dog your "baby", the implication is that you think of her as your child.
Shame on you for treating your dog this way, and on treating a caring, wonderful veterinary practice this way.
Robert
Irvine,#3Consumer Comment
Tue, January 22, 2013
I didn't deceit anyone
- Yes you did deceive someone, when you stopped payment on the check. In many cases this is actually a criminal(arrestable) offense. Especially if they can prove in some way that you had that intention when you first gave them the check. If law enforcement has actually contacted you, you have a serious problem that is not going to go away. Will it actually end up in you getting arrested..impossible to tell you, but at the very least you are probably still going to get letters from them and they may decide to sue you.
You said you had $150 in the account..that doesn't matter. Do you know how many shoplifters have the money to pay for the items they steal? No, I am not calling you a shoplifter, just pointing out that your claim doesn't really matter. You basically owe about $400, and say you had $150 of that. This leaves you with about $250. Now, this happened two months ago and if you are really going to pay it..have you done anything in that 2 months to not only put the $150 aside, but save up the remaining amount to pay them. If so you may want to try something like sending them a Certified Letter(with Return Receipt and Signature Required) with a check for the partial amount and a promise to pay the remaining amount, and even better a schedule in which you will make the payments. If they cash the check it would then be just about impossible for them to claim that you aren't making an effort that they would accept. If they return it, you could keep that as proof as you are at least making a reasonable effort.
One other thing that you didn't mention. In some jurisdictions if you write a bad check(and yes stopping payment qualifies) entitles the company to not only go after you for the amount of the check but "penalties". Depending on the jurisdiction it may just be a return check fee, but in others it could be as much as 3 times the amount of the check. So if they are still only going after you for the face value with no extra fees..you may want to think about what your delay may actually cost you.
Good Luck...