Have you ever been criticised or insulted because you could not pay on the spot?
By sharra1
@sharra1 (6340)
Australia
December 21, 2008 9:03am CST
That happened to me once when I rushed my cat to the vets. I did not realise she was dying and all he did was put her to sleep and then complain because I had no cash on me or a credit card to pay him for killing her. I was so upset and I have hated that vet ever since.
I did not know at the time that all bills had to be paid on the spot and there was no sign saying this but even if there had been there was nothing I could have done as I had no cash on me, well not enough to pay a vet any way and it was not as if he did not know me as I had been a customer for years with all my animals.
I got my first credit card because of him. He said I should not have come if I could not pay. I said I could pay but not till the banks opened. This was on a Saturday and there were no teller machines in those days. He was so insulting and he made me feel awful as though I was expecting him to work for free. I got a credit card so I would never have to go through that again.
Have you every had a problem like this?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@AnakSuNamun (2084)
• United States
21 Dec 08
That hasn't happened to me,at least not to that extent. I've been in the situations where my bank card got declined and that caused a whole lot of embarrassment and frustration,as well as not-so-friendly looks. But most times I either had nother card or cash or just left quietly. That's what I would do but,of course,if your pet is sick that's an emergency and they should give you at least some options.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
22 Dec 08
Ah well this was in the days when I did not have a credit card and there was no eftpos. I rarely ever carry cash of any sort and the banks were closed. I was just devastated that he acted as those I had no right to ask him to look after my animal if I could not pay on the spot.
I could pay with no problems the next day and did. He was angry that I did not have a credit card. I got one after that so I would never be insulted like that again but I was so upset. He treated me as though I wanted him to do it for free.
@AnakSuNamun (2084)
• United States
22 Dec 08
Yeah.that was definitely not a kind doctor. I understand what you mean,I rarely have cash as well so it's quite troublesome when you get to the parking and they take cash only. People don't trust you with $5,let alone 50!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Dec 08
That really sucks, considering you had been going to that particular vet before and knew he could trust you to pay him. Think he was only money hungry. Most vets will understand if one can't pay the full amount right away. The vet I used to have (he retired) since we were frequent "customers" often let us run a "tab" and we would pay it off little by little.
I have a bit of a different story about a vet....this was the very first vet we (my grandmother, mother and I) used...he was nearby and we took all our cats to him beginning with my very first cat when I was only five and a half years old..so yes he gained our trust. Then one day, years and years later one of my cats (Friskey) had a health problem. I have no idea what was wrong...I was away for a few days when this happened but according to my grandmother Friskey had problems with his hind legs...like he collapsed or something...she rushed him over to the vet where he was to be boarded for awhile while supposedly being "healed" When I came back from being away for a few days I asked what happened. So now some time passes by and Friskey is still at the vet's...we kept asking if we could visit him, but the vet said no..it might upset the cat....Huh? But see, like I said, we stupidly had faith the vet knew what was best for our cat. Now more time passes, and still nothing...finally we demanded to have Friskey come home. So he was released to us, with no real explanation of what was wrong with him no medications, and he had a bandaged up leg....his front right leg...like Huh again? No explanation. But at least he was home. But he got worse and a few days later we raced him over to veterinary hospital...the news wasn't good. Somehow his leg (the bandaged one) had turn gangrene...there were two options...one to amputate the leg, then Friskey would have to have extensive therapy so he could get used to living with only three legs....and all this would have been at an astronomical cost to us (thousands)...the other alternative which was the one we unfortunately had to choose...put him down.
You better believe though that we never went to that other vet ever again....if we could have sued we would have...and years and years later, I was to hear of other "horror" stories of other pet owners who had similar experiences with this vet.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
27 Dec 08
That is really strange. I wonder if he was experimenting on your cat. It is strange for a vet to board a cat and not let you see it. I would have been very suspicious but then there are not many people I trust these days.
I am naturally suspicious of anyone who behaves in a strange manner, especially if they want me to trust them while hiding things from me.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
27 Dec 08
Well see that was one of the main problems. We had been going to this vet for about thirteen years! So naturally we trusted him after all that time...think this was a clear case of where he abused our trust
1 person likes this
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
22 Dec 08
Yes, it seems this vet was in it for the money. But then, in America a human can be dying, and if they can't show they have money before they are admitted, most hospitals won't take them. A large proportion of the medical profession, human and vetinary, seems to believe that their qualifications are nothing but a license to print money. But then the whole of our society today seems to be like that. The famous Free Enterprise system, as it has come to be now, institutionalises greed, and aloows humans only one motivation, self-interest.
Lash
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
24 Dec 08
Yes I have found over the years that some are in it just for the money and some really care about the animals they treat. Finding the ones that care can take a while but it is worth hanging on to them when you find them.
I have seen that in America and I cannot understand why someone who really cares about medicine changes this. They do not have to charge such fees. But maybe they are the ones working for charities overseas instead of caring for people back home. I can't help thinking that they could work out a system for helping people who are poor. The way Australia has bulk billing for people who are on welfare.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
26 Dec 08
Hi sharra..One time a bill collecter called me over a hospital bill I owed for one of my kids and at the time I just did not have it to pay. I wanted to set up payment arrangements but they sid I needed to make payment right away to avoid further action.I explained I had to but food for my children and pay my electricity bills with the little money I did have but I would give them payments.They told me this bill is just as important than the ones I had just mentioned and I needed to pay them promptly.I felt terrible I couldn't just pay the bill and worse that they wanted to take food out of our mouth for it.I'm glad those days are over for now.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
26 Dec 08
I agree and I wonder what would have happened had they taken further action. You only have so much money and no matter how hard they harass you it will not fill your purse any more.
I wonder if they had taken you to court what would have happened? You tried to make an arrangement to pay and they were being inflexible.
I paid the vet the next day. In this case it was not that I did not have the money I just did not have it in my pocket. He was just being nasty and I have never forgiven him for it.
