Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  10/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  10/5/22 $207.20 Oral exam, 2 X-rays ,and adjustment on crown Overcharged and not informed of cost of procedure. Was told I was not allowed to leave without paying and if I did the bill would be sent to collections. No the business has not tried to do anything

  Business response

  10/25/2022

  Patient presented to our office Oct 5th 2022 with discomfort on tooth #**. She was informed of procedure needed in order to alleviate discomfort. She approved and allowed doctor to proceed. We did not hold patient against her will nor did we force her to get the procedure done. Patient is aware of our office policy of payment being due when services are rendered. 

  Customer response

  10/27/2022

   I am rejecting this response because: I was the one who asked for the treatment. The dentist listed two other options she thought was wrong. So I asked if she could try something else and she agreed. Billing never went over the cost with me. The dentist also never performed the procedure. When the procedure was done the manager told me the cost , which was outrageous, I said bill me they said you have to pay now . I asked if I dont then the manager said will send it to collections. The manager did say you cant leave without paying. 
  
  
  

  Business response

  10/28/2022

  From: Westside Dentistry <******************************************************>
  Sent: Friday, October 28, 2022 12:17 PM
  To: resolutions1 bbbelpaso.org <*********************************************>
  Subject: Case # ********

   

  Good Morning, 

   

  After further consideration we have decided to refund the patient the amount of $166.20. We have already started the process of reaching out to her.

   

  Please let us know if there is anything else we can do for her. 

   

  Best Regards, 

   

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

• Initial Complaint

  03/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I went to Westside Dental in Feb 2021 for routine cleaning. I have Delta Dental Ins. I paid my portion of the charge. I returned to Westside Dental in July because I broke a tooth and was told I need a crown. The price would be ****** that my insurance would not pay. I applied for Care Credit as I didn't have the funds at that time to pay in full for the crown. After the crown was put in I was told I needed deep-scale cleaning of my gums. I was charged ****** that my insurance did not pay for the scaling. I paid for that. I received a statement saying I owe ****** in Sept 2021. I have called the office trying to have the bill explained to me and all I got was, that was what the insurance did not cover, but I never got a specific answer for what the bill was for. I sat down and tried to decipher the bill myself and I still am totally confused. I always paid the amount I was told I owed when I had anything done. Now I have a threatening letter that Westside Dental is going to turn me over for collection if I don't pay by 2/26/2022. I do not believe I owe this and I have seen complaints online that this dentist does this overcharging to everyone. I am afraid now that I may have not needed the deep scale procedure and do not know what to do. I have a credit score in the 800's. I have never NOT paid my bills. But at this point, I am 78, and I believe this office is trying to take advantage of me and my insurance company.

  Business response

  03/03/2022

  Our office has attempted to contact ******* via email, mail and phone to discuss her balance. She has yet to contact us. 

  All patients are informed on the time of presenting treatment of insurance benefit being an estimate. Insurance can pay less or more once claim is reviewed. 

  I have attached her signed treatment plans where it states "If you have dental insurance, please be aware that THIS IS AN ESTIMATE ONLY."

  I have also attached a copy of her ledger showing where her balance is coming from. 

  Please let me know if there is any additional information  I can provide.

  Best Regards,

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

  Customer response

  03/04/2022

   I am rejecting this response because: The invoice sent into the BBB is not one I have ever seen with the numbers all down the right-hand side. I did call the first time I received the invoice through my email in September that just had the amount of ******, pay no detail. After a very confusing phone call with *******, she mailed a copy to me. My sister (who has permission on file at the dentist's office) to speak to them on my behalf, tried to decipher the statement. I never received a detailed amount until Jan 17, 2022, through email. I received numerous calls to come in and have the work I had done checked. Yes, I ignored them. It got to the point that it became harassing.  I didn't answer and the voicemail would just remind me to call for an appointment to get my cleaning done. I did not want to go there ever again. The statement made by ******* that I never called to discuss the bill, is false. It is very easy for this office to send the BBB paperwork I have never seen. I never left that office with an invoice explaining what I had done. Only a verbal amount I had to pay when I came up to the desk, and I always paid. If you look at the statement, there is a total of $432.80 in "write-offs". Please show me where this credit is given in the bill. There is also a "discount" of $230.60 on the last page of the statement. Where were these "write-offs" and "discounts" applied. I think it is very easy for an office to fabricate a bill to send into the BBB with what they describe as an explanation of the bill. I have never seen the amounts typed in on the right side of the bill that was sent to the BBB. I do not have copies of the papers with my initials on them either. This is why I am reporting this business to the BBB, they are dishonest. Again, I believe I am being taken advantage of because of my age and my good credit. Just go to ****** and put in Westside Dentistry and read the bad reviews. Some name ******* as being like a used car dealer trying to make a deal and being very aggressive. Others have the same problem I have, being billed higher amounts than agreed upon. 
  

  Business response

  03/04/2022

  
  Patient states she initially received only and invoice. I have attached a copy of all emails that were sent her that include her detailed statements. We used the same email we used to send her invoice.
  Our billing protocol is to mail and email statements every month. We also send an invoice to make paying balances more convenient. 
  The only difference between the one I attached on my previous response to the ones I sent her is that I did the math (in red).  
  Im not understanding the question of where the credit shows from the write offs. I Labeled them.
  We provide all copies of all signed and or initialed forms to patients. We also scan them for our records.
  Our office stands by the decision to collect the outstanding balance. Patient was fully informed of her responsibility for services provided in our office and signed consent. However,we can offer her a payment plan of 9 payments of $50.00 a month to help her in resolving her balance here in our office. 

  Customer response

  03/10/2022

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is NOT satisfactory to me, but I will pay the $50.00 per month for 9 months to the office. I value my credit and I see not other way to keep this dentist from trying to bring my score down. I do want assurance that I will not be reported to the credit bureau before I send a payment into the office and want to request that the billing start in April. Once I receive verification that I will not be reported to the credit bureau I will send in my first payment on April 5th and will continue until December 5th being my last payment and wish to receive a paid in full statement at that time.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩