ComplaintsforVeterinary Emergency & Specialty Hospital

• Initial Complaint

  12/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 9/2/2022, I brought my cat to VESH. He started to drool, and it was thick. I called them, they told me to bring him in. They took him right in when I got there. They did their estimate, and I gave them my credit card. I told them to hold onto it, since I would need to pay when I left. They did an exam, they saw a lesion near his right tonsil & something under his tongue. They did a needle aspirate & the cells came back diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. They told me that the lesion near his tonsil, was inoperable & I should have my primary vet do an actual biopsy, & get him in to see an oncologist. I was in one of the exam rooms, They told me, the vet tech would be in to see me, to bring me my cat, & go over things with me & paperwork, with the information, with my cats test results. The tech came in with my cat, we talked about my cats diagnosis, she said she was going to see if my bill was ready. I told her, the front desk had my credit card. We chatted a bit, and I told her that I wasn't happy with my vet, because he had just seen him 2 days prior, and removed a tooth, that he thought could be causing the drooling. He was sedated, it was easy for him to look around and these vets couldn't understand how he couldn't have seen the cancer. The lesion under his tongue was making his tongue curl and it was on the same side where he removed the tooth. I waited aprox. 30 minutes for the bill, & my credit card. They told me I was all set and could go home. This hospital, is like a prison when it comes to paying your bill. They won't let you have your pet if you don't pay. There was never any mention of more charges. I was all set. This Brett emailed me another invoice, saying I owed $223.67, I told him I waited to pay my bill they told me I was all set. The estimate was lower than what I was charged, he is saying it isn't. He is also saying, they wouldn't have known how much I owed, until they were done with the appointment. The attached emails state this also.

  Customer response

  12/16/2022

  The additional charges were not done to my knowledge. They were added a month after the service. I was told, that my bill was paid in full when I left. I was never told there may be additional charges. I waited for the full invoice and paid it before I left. I don't know what the charges are for, I was originally sent an email. I never spoke with this person Brett on the phone, it was all through email. Nothing was ever done after the bill was paid. I don't believe they were done to my cat. 

  Business response

  01/03/2023

  Dear ******************,
  
  I apologize for any billing confusion from your September visit with *******. Upon reviewing your account, I can confirm that all the charges on your outstanding bill are accurate and were products and services provided to *******. 
  The final amount of the bill did fall within the range of the estimate we provided to you and that you approved. The payment you provided was for the low end of the estimate, the amount we require as a deposit at the start of treatment. In almost all cases, including your visit with *******, additional payment is due at discharge from the hospital. Should you require additional explanation of these charges or of the balance due, please feel free to reach out to the hospital directly and I am happy to provide you that information. 

   

  Sincerely,

  *************************
  Operations Supervisor and HR Manager 

  Customer response

  01/03/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the amount that I paid, was after ******* was treated. It was not prior to him being seen, it wasn't part of the estimate figuration. I called VESH in the  morning, they told me to bring him in at 7 or 8 AM. I don't recall which time it was. His drool was thick and I knew this was not a good sign, and he probably had cancer. When I signed in, I handed my credit card to the receptionist. I told her to hold onto it, I knew that the amount would change, after the veterinarian saw *******. I knew this was an estimate, and instead of taking my card back, it would be easier to just let them hang on to it, as I always do, in cases like this.

  The vet came and spoke with me about *******, she said someone would be in with my final bill. I told her that my card was with the receptionist. The vet tech came in after the vet left. She said she was going to check on my bill, and bring me *******. The bill wasn't ready, we chatted a bit and I asked her if she could recommend a new vet for me. *******'s regular vet had just seen him 2 days prior as well as in May for symptoms he was having, he missed the cancer cells that were very obvious, or should have been by a vet. Without saying anything out loud it was obvious that the vet tech and vet were thinking the same thing.

  The vet tech went to check if ******* and my bill was ready, she came back with ******* and my credit card. It was the final bill, it was what was agreed upon. VESH does not give you back your pet when there are charges pending, they have always wanted there money before releasing any animals from their care. I waited 30 minutes or so before I was given my card back. As well as *******. I was told that was my final statement. I was never told there were other charges pending. I received an email stating I owed more money 2 months later, with no explanation. This person also claimed that we spoke on the phone, which never happened. VESH doesn't even have clear documentation on these charges. If these were indeed my charges, I would pay them. I am not, however, going to pay for charges that are not mine, when I was told the bill was paid in full when I left.

  Sincerely,
  

  
  *********************

  Business response

  01/10/2023

  Dear ******************,

   

  I have attached all documentation showing the estimate for the cost of treatment, the payment you made and the final bill showing there is a remaining balance due. 
  
  Sincerely, 
  
  ***********************;

  Customer response

  01/11/2023

  
  Complaint: 18596585
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  The attached document was not processed on 9/2/22. The document I submitted states the full cost and does not show any balance due. I am very sure that altering a statement like this is fraudulent activity.

  One document is blank

  The other document with the estimate is also not the original.

  As I have explained, and keep on explaining, I waited in the exam room for approximately 30 minutes, I was told it was the full bill. I have NEVER left VESH without fully paying any of my bills. You don't allow people to do that. At the very least you would have given me something showing there was more to pay. Maybe these charges belong to a different client. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  01/11/2023

  BBB spoke with the business directly and clarified some information with the business.  The estimate for services provided to the consumer was between $690.58 to $1180.45.  The business always charges the low end of the estimate as a deposit to render services.  In this case, that was $690.58 plus $3.66 in tax for a total of $694.51 which was paid by the consumer.

  The services were rendered, and the final bill came out to $918.18 leaving a balance of $223.67.  The business is unsure how the customer was able to leave the hospital without paying the remainder of the balance on the bill ($223.67) however generally their business practice is to collect the remainder of the bill before the customer leaves.  Because the remaining balance was not paid before leaving the hospital, the consumer was billed for the remaining $223.67.

  The business has confirmed that all of the services that have been billed were services that were performed for this customer.

   

  Attached is a copy of the signed estimate.

  Customer response

  01/12/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The first estimate was the only estimate that I was shown, which is the one that I agreed to. I was never shown, or had anyone discuss the second, unsigned estimate. It was never brought to my attention. I was never asked to sign again and I was never asked to initial the change that was made on the first, original estimate, as well as the only estimate that I was shown. No one from VESH ever called me to discuss this with me, as I said, I waited for the final bill and was told that was it when I left. Just as you have said, people don't leave there without paying.

  I don't know how far your records go, but in 2007, my cat ******* was being treated at VESH. He had intestinal cancer. The oncologist thought they may be able to do surgery. They kept him overnight to monitor him and do some tests to see if they thought the surgery would help. They never did the surgery, they never did any tests, he was too week at that point. The next day they put him down. They had my credit card on file since I was there every week. Not only was I charged for the euthanasia, cremation and the box, but I was charged for the surgery and tests that he never had. My total bill that time was $20,000.00 and caused me to file for bankruptcy. VESH wouldn't remove it from my credit card and I couldn't afford the payments with the interest rate attached. I never looked at my bill when I picked his remains up. It would make me too upset. My trust in VESH's business office is zero. Now you want me to just believe that there were more charges after I left  AND was told that was my final bill. On my statement it also says that there was no more balance due. The error was not with me, if there was an error, it was on your part. If you had called me after I left and told me that there was a problem with the statement and some things were left off, I wouldn't have had a problem with that. 2 months later you decide to bill me out of no where. 

  I was going to have an appointment with the surgeon at VESH, I was having a difficult time getting an oncologist appointment and my general vet said he wasn't able to do a biopsy. The receptionist for the surgeon wanted to charge me just to make the appointment. I don't remember the exact amount, somewhere around $250.00. I didn't make the appointment, I ended up getting an appointment with an oncologist. She was very rude and unpleasant to speak with. Maybe she added charges to my bill. I called her back and told her I was able to get an appointment in Woburn. The appointment with the surgeon wasn't for another week. 

  The veterinarian, vet tech, receptionists, were all very nice, helpful, and considerate. Some of the documents you sent to the BBB I have never seen, and believe were adjusted for your own sake.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  01/12/2023

  Hi,

  We do not have records back to 2007 but at that time we did not have an oncologist on staff nor would we ever charge for a surgery that was not performed. However, we are unable to discuss that case as we do not have those records.

  We do not pre-charge for our visits with the surgery or any department and never have. None of the documents have been tampered with by anyone at our facility. The bill was sent to you a month after your visit when we went through and generated monthly statements for any account that had a balance due, including your statement. 

  Sincerely,

  *************************

   

   

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