Banfield Pet Hospital

Thank you for forwarding a copy of the complaint from our client.  Banfield Pet Hospital works hard to provide exceptional client experience and quality medical care for Pets.  Although we appreciate the opportunity to resolve any and all client concerns, we do not feel that this avenue...

of communication is appropriate for concerns of a medical nature.  This concern would be best addressed directly with the attending Veterinarian.  We have passed on your concerns to the hospital and we highly encourage you to communicate with them directly regarding this matter. Local hospital and field leadership will review your concern and reach out to you with 3-5 business days.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: Let's be clear here. When I initially set up [redacted]'s plan on February 15th, 2014 I had already had a dog on your plan and had a payment drafting out of my account on the 19th of every month. Not to mention, when a customer sets up this account with your plan they are asked what date they want the money drafted out of their account. So which is it? The date the money is drafted out of their account or the date the plan is effected, because if I remember correctly, this plan automatically renews unless given a 60 day written notice. So you are telling me that because I came in to a Benfield 4 days prior to the day my money was drafted from my account, I had to pay an additional 32.95 for the plan, because no matter when the plan renewed on the 15th or the 19th, the money was coming out of my account on the 19th for my monthly payment. If I did not come in until the 20th of February, I would not have had to make an additional payment what so ever. So, telling me this is to pay for February's payment and then the 19th payment is for March's payment is false and you are making people pay double. Stating that you are not going to debit my account at all for March, is this just for [redacted] or for the entire account, since there are 2 dogs? Lets be very clear up front. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:  I do believe that Banfield could understand that without a vehicle at this present time, getting m pets to Rockford is impossible.  There are instances in life that we cannot control.  I had to find an apartment that would accept my 4 pets.  This is the one I could find and it is a blessing as I do not want to ever have to give up my pets.  I have asked if Banfield could split the cost with me since I am on a limited income due to being on disability.  I would also think they would be more reasonable.  I DO NOT accept this.  It is unfair and would require me to NEVER be able to get my pets vet care if I am only able to go to Rockford, Il. which is the closest hospital.  Exceptions should be made in events such as this.Sincerely,[redacted]

Thank you for forwarding a copy of the complaint from our client, [redacted].  Banfield Pet Hospital works hard to provide exceptional client experience and quality medical care for Pets.  Although we appreciate the opportunity to resolve any and all client concerns, we do not feel that this...

avenue of communication is appropriate for concerns of a medical nature.  This concern would be best addressed directly with the attending Veterinarian and local hospital leadership as they have necessary background and education needed to thoroughly review this medical matter. We understand that Ms. [redacted] has already been in contact with the hospital leadership regarding this matter, and as a client service gesture, they cancelled out the remaining payments owed on her Optimum Wellness Plan (6 payments @ $39.95) for a total of $239.70.
We have passed on Ms. [redacted]’s additional concerns to the hospital management and leadership, and we highly encourage her to communicate with them directly regarding this matter.

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Sincerely, [redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I had previously spoken to Dr. Dyke and had requested to speak to his supervisor, I feel that I was justified in cancelling my plans. Dr. Dyke stated that he would have his supervisor call me and refused to provide me with the name or phone number of the supervisor on October 15th. I have still not received a call back from the supervisor to discuss what all took place. I have also contacted the client advocate team on October 16th and again today but have still not received a call back. This is a perfect example of the horrible service that caused me to cancel my  pets plans. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Thank you for forwarding a copy of the complaint from our client [redacted]. Banfield Pet Hospital works hard to provide exceptional client experience and quality medical care for Pets. Although we appreciate the opportunity to resolve any and all client concerns, we do not feel that this...

avenue of communication is appropriate for concerns of a medical nature. This concern would be best addressed directly with the attending Veterinarian. We have passed on these concerns to them and they will be following up with the client within the next 3 business days.

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. They may take the money from my account now for [redacted] and [redacted] a of total 234.60.Sincerely,[redacted]

Thank you for forwarding a copy of the complaint from our client [redacted]. Banfield Pet Hospital works hard to provide exceptional client experience and quality medical care for Pets. Although we appreciate the opportunity to resolve any and all client concerns, we do not feel that this avenue of...

communication is appropriate for concerns of a medical nature. This concern would be best addressed directly with the attending Veterinarian. We understand that Mr. [redacted] has already been in contact with the management and leadership of the North [redacted] Banfield Pet Hospital regarding these concerns. We have provided them with the additional information Mr. [redacted] has submitted, and we encourage him to communicate with them directly regarding this matter. They are the most appropriate persons to address Mr. [redacted]’s medical concerns as well as his request regarding his Optimum Wellness Plan. In this case, [redacted] received services and discounts with a retail value totaling $867.34. Mr. [redacted] has paid $269.85 (2 payments @ $71.45; 1 payment @ $74.00; and 1 payment @ $52.95) towards the services received. As a client service gesture, $105.90 (2 payments @ $52.95) was waived. The amount owed to cancel the Optimum Wellness Plan is $370.65. According to the agreement signed by Mr. [redacted], he is responsible for fulfilling his obligation under the Optimum Wellness Plan. Until Mr. [redacted] details an alternative payment plan with the hospital leadership for the services provided, the payments on the Wellness Plan will continue to be withdrawn per the agreement.

Thank you for forwarding a copy of the complaint from our client [redacted]. Banfield Pet Hospital works hard to provide exceptional client experience and quality medical care for Pets. We appreciate the opportunity to address this matter. Wellness Plans are not insurance they; are discount...

membership plans designed to help make top quality veterinary care convenient and affordable. Unlike insurance, plan services should always be used; not only if the Pet is ill or injured. Wellness Plans include only the discounted services listed on the agreement, so there is no need to list exclusions, deductibles or co-payments. Wellness Plan services are provided at deep discounts under an annual agreement. Agreements may be cancelled at any time. However, if an agreement is cancelled before the end of its term, the client is responsible for the remaining payments on the plan or the full retail value for services and discounts used under the plan, less payments received (whichever is less) regardless of Pet status including Pet death or Pets given away. In this case, [redacted] received services and discounts with a retail value totaling $496.91. Mr. [redacted] has paid $0.00 towards the services received. The total cost of the Optimum Wellness Plan package is $407.40. According to the agreement signed by Mr. [redacted], he is responsible for fulfilling his obligation under the Optimum Wellness Plan. A copy of this signed Agreement has been included for reference. For clarification, our records indicate that Mr. [redacted] initially signed his pet, [redacted], up on an Optimum Wellness Plan agreement on June 13, 2013. Payments were drafted accordingly for twelve months. The last payment on the first year of [redacted]’s plan did not successfully draft on the May 12, 2014 billing date, and was then paid at the San Jose Downtown hospital on July 24, 2014. On that date, which is the visit in question, whereupon Mr. [redacted] brought [redacted] in to Banfield for the purpose of vaccinations, Mr. [redacted] signed up on a new plan year. After that time, no payments were successfully drafted from his provided payment information. A copy of the invoice with a breakdown of provided services and the actual balance paid by Mr. [redacted] at the time of the visit has been included for reference. Our records indicate that calls were placed to the number on file (415 967-8176) regarding owed payments for the current plan year on the account on the following dates: 09/02/2014, 09/09/2014, 09/17/2014, 10/02/2014, 10/28/2014, 11/04/2014, and 11/25/2014. Letters were sent by mail to the address on file ([redacted] Monte Rio, CA 95462) regarding missed payments on the following dates: 07/28/2014, 09/01/2014, 09/29/2014, 10/27/2014, and 11/24/2014. Mr. [redacted]’s account was then cancelled to the third party collections agency, IC Systems, as of December 11, 2014 for non-payment, per the terms of the signed Agreement. Per the Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov) regarding consumer protection “no one can legally remove accurate and timely negative information from a credit report” therefore it is unethical and illegal for us to remove information regarding a valid debt from a credit report. As this was a valid debt it was reported appropriately we cannot remove it from [redacted]’s credit report at this time.
[redacted]SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REDACTED BY Revdex.com[redacted]

Thank you for forwarding a copy of the complaint from our client [redacted]. Banfield Pet Hospital works hard to provide exceptional client experience and quality medical care for Pets.  We appreciate the opportunity to address this matter. In regards to the concerns about the client’s...

plans, our Wellness Plans are designed to be yearly bundled packages of preventative care services that are recommended for pets throughout the course of a year. In some cases pets with underlying health issues may be denied an enrollment onto a wellness plan at a doctor’s discretion if the plan is deemed to not be a good fit or beneficial in their case. If enrollment is denied then the client would be responsible for any costs for services already provided.
Wellness Plan services are provided at deep discounts under an annual agreement. Agreements may be cancelled at any time. However, if an agreement is cancelled before the end of its term, the client is responsible for the remaining payments on the plan or the full retail value for services and discounts used under the plan, less payments received (whichever is less) regardless of Pet status including Pet death or Pets given away. In this case, [redacted] and [redacted] received services and discounts with a retail value totaling $498.41 and $419.56 respectively. Mr. [redacted] has paid $59.90 (2 payments @ $29.95) towards the services received for each pet. In this case amount owed to cancel the Optimum Wellness Plan is $299.50 for each pet for the remaining installments. According to the agreement signed by Mr. [redacted], he is responsible for fulfilling his obligation under the Optimum Wellness Plan. However, as a client service gesture, we are offering to waive 3 of the remaining installments for each pet in an effort to help with the cost of cancelling the plans. The plans for [redacted] and [redacted] have already been cancelled at no cost as services had not been utilized.
We understand that Mr. [redacted] may have received a sympathy card in error from the hospital under the assumption that the pet [redacted] had passed away when that was not the case. We deeply apologize for this confusion and would like to clarify that this was not meant to intentionally inflict any emotional distress on the client. We are looking into finding out how this miscommunication happened and ensuring that it does not occur again. We have been in contact with the client directly regarding these concerns and have provided Mr. [redacted] with the contact information for the appropriate person to handle his concerns should he wish to discuss this with us further.

These plans havebeen paid for and cancelled by Mr. [redacted]. All accounting was done with Mr. [redacted] several times via phone and he was sent an accounting via mail in January 2016. We consider this matter closed.

Thank you for forwarding a copy of the complaint from our client [redacted]. Banfield Pet Hospital works hard to provide exceptional client experience and quality medical care for Pets. Although we appreciate the opportunity to resolve any and all client concerns, we do not feel that this...

avenue of communication is appropriate for concerns of a medical nature. This concern would be best addressed directly with the attending Veterinarian. We have submitted Ms. [redacted]’s concerns to the N. [redacted], ** Banfield Pet Hospital and their field leadership for review, and Ms. [redacted] should expect contact from them regarding her medical concerns soon. Wellness Plans are not insurance; they are discount membership plans designed to help make top quality veterinary care convenient and affordable. Unlike insurance, plan services should always be used; not only if the Pet is ill or injured. Wellness Plans include only the discounted services listed on the agreement, so there is no need to list exclusions, deductibles or co-payments. Wellness Plan services are provided at deep discounts under an annual agreement. Agreements may be cancelled at any time. However, if an agreement is cancelled before the end of its term, the client is responsible for the remaining payments on the plan or the full retail value for services and discounts used under the plan, less payments received (whichever is less) regardless of Pet status including Pet death or Pets given away. In this case, [redacted] received services and discounts with a retail value totaling $1037.70. Ms. [redacted] has paid $429.50 (10 payments @ $42.95) towards the services received. The final two payments owed were waived as a client service gesture. According to the agreement signed by Ms. [redacted], she is responsible for fulfilling her obligation under the Optimum Wellness Plan. Any further discussion regarding refunds must take place with the local hospital leadership in response to Ms. [redacted]’s documented medical concerns. Please also note that we do not have any record of Ms. [redacted] having spoken with the Client Advocate Team. We do, however, have on file that a representative of the Wellness Plan Relations team waived the final two payments of twelve owed towards the plan for services previously rendered. This is typically done as a client service gesture towards our clients who experience the loss of their pet. Ms. [redacted] has also expressed concerns that her fiancé was unable to discuss the account or make changes when contacting Wellness Plan Relations. While her fiancé may have been authorized at the hospital, the home office requires separate authorization from the signee on the agreement before anyone else can make chances. The agreement on file is under Ms. [redacted]’s name only, and her name is the only one listed in the billing information on file. It was appropriate for that team therefore to not discuss confidential information with anyone other than the signee on the agreement, without prior authorization.

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: Making top quality veterinary care, which was not top quality, more affordable by inflating the regular prices that you are supposed to save on by choosing the plan is purely unethical.  Sure, when you say that a spay or neuter originally costs $1000, the monthly bill would be a savings.  But when an average spay/neuter costs UP TO (which would mean most are under this level) $200, the client is not saving and should just have scheduled and went through with a traditional vet.  The supposed $1000 to spay a cat or $1000 to neuter a cat simply cannot make sense when an animal shelter can do it just as professionally for $30-60.  The plan is an unethical way to rope individuals into purchasing something they don't need by showing them what it would cost at an original price.  That original price?  Ridiculously over-inflated.  I am still requesting to not be required to pay on the last two months of their plan.  Word of mouth can do wonders or be extremely detrimental for a business.  Social Media can help spread the word.  I don't want to have to even get this into the major public eye, but in order to help others from being treated as such, I would take action to protect others from Banfield.  Not only is the over-inflation and unethical payments a problem, the fact that I cannot and would not be able to travel over 120 miles to the next Banfield to take my pets and that isn't considered when trying to cancel my plan is ludicrous.  I am extremely dissatisfied with Banfield.  Surely, with Banfield's pricing, they can absorb TWO months.Sincerely,[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:Banfield has refused to refund the money that I paid for a wellness plan that did nothing for my cat. The services I used with the wellness plan (I.e. The free doctors visits) is the least they can do for the missed diagnosis of a COMMON HEPRES VIRUS, further suffering of my cat, and the wasted time I had to take off work to bring her up there multiple times. They gave her vaccinations while she was still sick and due to overlooking her diagnosis, she ended up getting a reactive polyp that was obstructing her airway. If I had waited for them to figure it out instead of going to someone who knew what they were doing, she would have died. Therefore, I want a full refund. That's the least they can do after having to watch my poor baby suffer for almost a YEAR. Sincerely,[redacted]

Per our last response - the local hospital team did contact [redacted] and discuss her concerns. They had agreed (on 2/24) to waive the remaining balance on the plan for [redacted]. This was completed but does take a few days to reflect in the account. When reviewed today the plan shows as cancelled with no further monies owed. We believe [redacted] was called in error during the processing time frame. Again there are no further monies owed and the OWP has been cancelled.