Comments on: Banfield – The Pet Hospital Run By Con Artists! http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/ Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:14:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Kristy http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/comment-page-1/#comment-16970 Kristy Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:14:32 +0000 http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/#comment-16970 The "Wellness Plan" at Banfield is nothing more than a scam, a way for them to make more money. I previously used a Banfield Pet Hospital for a cat I had years ago, so when we got our puppy "Sam" a few months ago I thought it would be a good place to take her. We were presented with the "Wellness Plan" brochure at Sam's initial visit on October 8th, 2011 and thought it was Banfield's way of making pet care more affordable so as to encourage people to take better care of their pets. We thought it was nice that the plan would include her spay when we were ready to do that. We were not told there would be a penalty if we cancelled the plan at a later date. We paid the initial $99 annual membership fee, the first monthly installment of $23.95, $8.96 for getting her wormed and set up her next appointment. At her next appointment on October 29th, 2011 she was given her next set of shots and her first dose of Trifexis for heartworm and flea prevention for $18.85 and we were charged our next monthly installment a week later. We scheduled Sam's spay for December 6th at which time she would be 5 months old. I dropped her off the morning of December 6th and was told the spay would cost me $39 which was for her E Collar and pain medicine (Carprofen.) They did not give me the option of getting my own E Collar which I could have bought at Petsmart for $5 less. I was called early that afternoon and told Sam would be ready for pickup at 4. Now, Sam showed no signs of being in heat prior to her spay. No bleeding, nothing swollen as are the tell tale signs. I was told that her spay would now be an additional $61 because she was in heat and they had to do an extra suture and it took more time than expected so they had to use more anesthesia. There was nothing in the contract we signed saying anything about extra charges if she was in heat, which we don't believe she really was. I had no choice but to pay it, as they would not bring Sam to me until everything was paid. They called me the next morning to ask how she was doing and I told them she would not drink. They suggested chicken broth, which I promptly bought and gave to her and she did start drinking a little better. They never called back to see if Sam was drinking any better. They gave me the drug called Carprofen on December 6th after her spay for her pain and to help reduce inflammation. The paperwork about the drug said it could have side effects like diarrhea or loss of appetite. Two days after Sam's spay she started having diarrhea and that continued until her follow up appointment on December 16th. When I took her in, they asked if there were any problems and I mentioned the diarrhea. Instead of owning up to the fact that the medication they gave Sam could be causing the diarrhea, the vet suggested she could have Giardia and they could do another fecal exam( this one out of my own pocket since they had done all the ones covered under the "Wellness Plan.") Sam had just had a fecal done the day of her spay which was negative. The vet then suggested she could also give her an antibiotic even though she had no idea what was wrong with Sam, and a probiotic to help her stomach. If I would have done everything they were trying to get me to agree to, it would have been another $100+. I just wanted Sam to feel better so I gave in and accepted the probiotic for $39. I told my husband about everything later that morning and he talked to a friend who's dad is a veterinarian. The friend advised we could give Sam Kaopectate, which is safe for dogs and it would likely help. We had not opened the probiotic the veterinarian at Banfield had given us and my husband I went back there a couple hours after the inital visit and requested our money back and tried to return the probiotic. We were told that because the probiotic was a prescription, we could not return it because that would be breaking the law. The probiotic was not a prescription, it could have been bought online for $19 and is a nutritional supplement. My husband requested to speak to the manager. She came out and proceded to yell saying she would not break the law for him and that our dog needed it. She just kept repeating herself saying she would not break the law for him. My husband advised they would lose our business, tossed the probiotic on the counter and we left. We bought a bottle of kaopectate and after two doses, Sam was completely back to normal. My husband called Banfield's complaint line that same day December 16th and filed a complaint about our ordeal. He was told we would get a call back after they researched everything. I followed up today, December 20th with the complaint department. The representative put me on hold for 25 minutes. I hung up and called back. The representative then told me it was Banfield's policy not to take back products that have been sold. I told him we are very unhappy and want to cancel our "Wellness Plan" as it is not turning out to be what we were promised. He advises I have to talk to the cancellation department and transfers me over there. I speak with a representative and explain my story again, and he advises they won't cancel the plan until everything is rectified. He requests to put me on hold to check on things and I am again put on hold, this time for 10 minutes. He comes back on the line and advises me they will not cancel our plan because services have been provided and we would have to pay for them before they will cancel our plan. He tells me the manager we spoke to on December 16th at the hospital has tried to call me twice to rectify things and that my husband threw the probiotic at her. I tell him she is lying to him just like she lied to us and he tells me she would not lie to him. I tell him I have not received any calls from her and he asks me if I can substantiate that claim, I say yes I have no incoming calls recorded on my phone from the hospital. I tell him my husband didn't throw anything, that he tossed the probiotic on the counter. He argues with me and says that's not what the manager said. It was obvious he was calling me a liar and was going to stick up for the vet who was indeed lying. He says we will have to pay for the services rendered and they will not do anything for us. I advise him they won't get another dime from us because all the hospital has done is nickel and dimed us for stuff we didn't need and charged us for things that were supposed to be included in the "Wellness Plan." He tells me our account will go into default and affect our credit. We were never told we would not be able to cancel the plan at a later date, and no one should have to continue paying for a service that is less than satisfactory. I am going to continue trying to fight for our money back and for anyone considering the so called "Wellness Plan, " DON'T. I wish now we would have done our research because there are so many bad reviews, complaints and horror stories about Banfield and their "Wellness Plans. The “Wellness Plan” at Banfield is nothing more than a scam, a way for them to make more money. I previously used a Banfield Pet Hospital for a cat I had years ago, so when we got our puppy “Sam” a few months ago I thought it would be a good place to take her. We were presented with the “Wellness Plan” brochure at Sam’s initial visit on October 8th, 2011 and thought it was Banfield’s way of making pet care more affordable so as to encourage people to take better care of their pets. We thought it was nice that the plan would include her spay when we were ready to do that. We were not told there would be a penalty if we cancelled the plan at a later date. We paid the initial $99 annual membership fee, the first monthly installment of $23.95, $8.96 for getting her wormed and set up her next appointment.
At her next appointment on October 29th, 2011 she was given her next set of shots and her first dose of Trifexis for heartworm and flea prevention for $18.85 and we were charged our next monthly installment a week later. We scheduled Sam’s spay for December 6th at which time she would be 5 months old.
I dropped her off the morning of December 6th and was told the spay would cost me $39 which was for her E Collar and pain medicine (Carprofen.) They did not give me the option of getting my own E Collar which I could have bought at Petsmart for $5 less. I was called early that afternoon and told Sam would be ready for pickup at 4. Now, Sam showed no signs of being in heat prior to her spay. No bleeding, nothing swollen as are the tell tale signs. I was told that her spay would now be an additional $61 because she was in heat and they had to do an extra suture and it took more time than expected so they had to use more anesthesia. There was nothing in the contract we signed saying anything about extra charges if she was in heat, which we don’t believe she really was. I had no choice but to pay it, as they would not bring Sam to me until everything was paid. They called me the next morning to ask how she was doing and I told them she would not drink. They suggested chicken broth, which I promptly bought and gave to her and she did start drinking a little better. They never called back to see if Sam was drinking any better.
They gave me the drug called Carprofen on December 6th after her spay for her pain and to help reduce inflammation. The paperwork about the drug said it could have side effects like diarrhea or loss of appetite. Two days after Sam’s spay she started having diarrhea and that continued until her follow up appointment on December 16th. When I took her in, they asked if there were any problems and I mentioned the diarrhea. Instead of owning up to the fact that the medication they gave Sam could be causing the diarrhea, the vet suggested she could have Giardia and they could do another fecal exam( this one out of my own pocket since they had done all the ones covered under the “Wellness Plan.”) Sam had just had a fecal done the day of her spay which was negative. The vet then suggested she could also give her an antibiotic even though she had no idea what was wrong with Sam, and a probiotic to help her stomach. If I would have done everything they were trying to get me to agree to, it would have been another $100+. I just wanted Sam to feel better so I gave in and accepted the probiotic for $39. I told my husband about everything later that morning and he talked to a friend who’s dad is a veterinarian. The friend advised we could give Sam Kaopectate, which is safe for dogs and it would likely help. We had not opened the probiotic the veterinarian at Banfield had given us and my husband I went back there a couple hours after the inital visit and requested our money back and tried to return the probiotic. We were told that because the probiotic was a prescription, we could not return it because that would be breaking the law. The probiotic was not a prescription, it could have been bought online for $19 and is a nutritional supplement. My husband requested to speak to the manager. She came out and proceded to yell saying she would not break the law for him and that our dog needed it. She just kept repeating herself saying she would not break the law for him. My husband advised they would lose our business, tossed the probiotic on the counter and we left.
We bought a bottle of kaopectate and after two doses, Sam was completely back to normal. My husband called Banfield’s complaint line that same day December 16th and filed a complaint about our ordeal. He was told we would get a call back after they researched everything. I followed up today, December 20th with the complaint department. The representative put me on hold for 25 minutes. I hung up and called back. The representative then told me it was Banfield’s policy not to take back products that have been sold. I told him we are very unhappy and want to cancel our “Wellness Plan” as it is not turning out to be what we were promised. He advises I have to talk to the cancellation department and transfers me over there. I speak with a representative and explain my story again, and he advises they won’t cancel the plan until everything is rectified. He requests to put me on hold to check on things and I am again put on hold, this time for 10 minutes. He comes back on the line and advises me they will not cancel our plan because services have been provided and we would have to pay for them before they will cancel our plan. He tells me the manager we spoke to on December 16th at the hospital has tried to call me twice to rectify things and that my husband threw the probiotic at her. I tell him she is lying to him just like she lied to us and he tells me she would not lie to him. I tell him I have not received any calls from her and he asks me if I can substantiate that claim, I say yes I have no incoming calls recorded on my phone from the hospital. I tell him my husband didn’t throw anything, that he tossed the probiotic on the counter. He argues with me and says that’s not what the manager said. It was obvious he was calling me a liar and was going to stick up for the vet who was indeed lying. He says we will have to pay for the services rendered and they will not do anything for us. I advise him they won’t get another dime from us because all the hospital has done is nickel and dimed us for stuff we didn’t need and charged us for things that were supposed to be included in the “Wellness Plan.” He tells me our account will go into default and affect our credit. We were never told we would not be able to cancel the plan at a later date, and no one should have to continue paying for a service that is less than satisfactory.
I am going to continue trying to fight for our money back and for anyone considering the so called “Wellness Plan, ” DON’T. I wish now we would have done our research because there are so many bad reviews, complaints and horror stories about Banfield and their “Wellness Plans.

]]> By: Hali http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/comment-page-1/#comment-8214 Hali Tue, 05 Apr 2011 22:25:57 +0000 http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/#comment-8214 And the plan is not 25.99. Month like they say i was just charged 44.95 for my bill this month wtf?!?! And the plan is not 25.99. Month like they say i was just charged 44.95 for my bill this month wtf?!?!

]]> By: EJ http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/comment-page-1/#comment-7896 EJ Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:52:31 +0000 http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/#comment-7896 My parents dog had to be returned about two weeks after they got it because they were unable to care for it (they're elderly). Since their previous beloved Mini Schnauzer had passed away at 12 from pancreatitis and diabetes we decided a health plan was in order so they purchased the banfield 12 month plan. When they had to return the new dog (a puppy) I called Banfield to cancel the plan and was led to believe they would cancel the plan then and there after charging for the one visit the dog did have. This year while helping my dad (now in his 80's) do his taxes I noticed a charge on his credit card every month for the Banfield wellness plan. Needless to say I called them up. The lady was VERY RUDE and said "you signed a contract it's 12 months thats it". Because I did sign a contract I guess we're stuck for the $25 a month they were taking out. For me though it's not about the money it's about the principle of the thing. I work hard, am very successful and don't take kindly to having my elderly parents taken advantage of even if "legally". Here in Arizona it's common to see protests outside businesses. It's apparently a thriving business to pay a few dollars an hour to an agency and they send out 4-5 picketers to picket a store or company. Just from searching the internet I've found a few such businesses and having seen them in action I've decided a little publicity for Banfield and their practices is in order. Nothing illegal or untrue... just signs saying YOUR DOG DIES... YOU STILL PAY... and the like. Likewise I think a permanent internet tribute, registered with all the major search engines so it's easy to find, dedicated to Banfield and their very un-customer oriented policies. I enjoy html and flash and can put together a pretty decent amatuer website. Sounds like a good project. So Banfield can keep the $250.00 they collected from my elderly parents. I'll just have to be happy knowing I'm doing my part to expose them. My parents dog had to be returned about two weeks after they got it because they were unable to care for it (they’re elderly). Since their previous beloved Mini Schnauzer had passed away at 12 from pancreatitis and diabetes we decided a health plan was in order so they purchased the banfield 12 month plan. When they had to return the new dog (a puppy) I called Banfield to cancel the plan and was led to believe they would cancel the plan then and there after charging for the one visit the dog did have. This year while helping my dad (now in his 80′s) do his taxes I noticed a charge on his credit card every month for the Banfield wellness plan. Needless to say I called them up. The lady was VERY RUDE and said “you signed a contract it’s 12 months thats it”.

Because I did sign a contract I guess we’re stuck for the $25 a month they were taking out. For me though it’s not about the money it’s about the principle of the thing. I work hard, am very successful and don’t take kindly to having my elderly parents taken advantage of even if “legally”.

Here in Arizona it’s common to see protests outside businesses. It’s apparently a thriving business to pay a few dollars an hour to an agency and they send out 4-5 picketers to picket a store or company. Just from searching the internet I’ve found a few such businesses and having seen them in action I’ve decided a little publicity for Banfield and their practices is in order. Nothing illegal or untrue… just signs saying YOUR DOG DIES… YOU STILL PAY… and the like.

Likewise I think a permanent internet tribute, registered with all the major search engines so it’s easy to find, dedicated to Banfield and their very un-customer oriented policies. I enjoy html and flash and can put together a pretty decent amatuer website. Sounds like a good project.

So Banfield can keep the $250.00 they collected from my elderly parents. I’ll just have to be happy knowing I’m doing my part to expose them.

]]> By: S http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/comment-page-1/#comment-7375 S Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:58:22 +0000 http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/#comment-7375 I took my little dog to them (on the Premium plan) she received fluids. Not the right way! She had fluid around her HEART and was in severe pain after the fluids ...I have never seen her hurt so much...you couldn't touch her!! I will be returning to my old vet where I can actually trust them and see what they are doing....Banfield takes them to another room and No you dont know whats being done!!! I took my little dog to them (on the Premium plan) she received fluids. Not the right way! She had fluid around her HEART and was in severe pain after the fluids …I have never seen her hurt so much…you couldn’t touch her!! I will be returning to my old vet where I can actually trust them and see what they are doing….Banfield takes them to another room and No you dont know whats being done!!!

]]> By: Tannis http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/comment-page-1/#comment-5843 Tannis Sun, 16 Jan 2011 21:45:59 +0000 http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/#comment-5843 Banfield is holding me hostage. I have a diabetic very old sick cat and I took him in to get some antibiotics for his abscess. They wanted to give him their blood test to check for quantity of insulin and regulation. I told them that if this cat survives through the infection and gets through it and recovers we could do it then...otherwise it doesnt make sense. I have a home glucose testing unit at home so they said to do the test, call in the morning and the vet would talk to me about the results. this was a clear option and I also made an appointment for the 22nd (in a week). I took the test, called the vet who wouldnt get on the phone with me and then said she wasnt comfortable with doing this and wouldnt give me the insulin...she didnt know what the result of the test was. Had known this wasnt an option I wouldve had the test done while I was there. This cat is in grave condition. I went to discuss this with her and she contradicted herself by saying she knew the results but couldnt come to the phone because she was in surgery...which was it?! Dont tell me she stopped in the middle of surgery to discuss this with the receptionist! She refused to give me the insulin unless I bring my cat in and I wont do that because of the stress it causes. I honestly dont believe he'll be with me in 2 weeks from now but was willing to try to get the abscess taken care of to see if his quality of life would improve. Now they have me hostage ... Banfield is holding me hostage. I have a diabetic very old sick cat and I took him in to get some antibiotics for his abscess. They wanted to give him their blood test to check for quantity of insulin and regulation. I told them that if this cat survives through the infection and gets through it and recovers we could do it then…otherwise it doesnt make sense. I have a home glucose testing unit at home so they said to do the test, call in the morning and the vet would talk to me about the results. this was a clear option and I also made an appointment for the 22nd (in a week). I took the test, called the vet who wouldnt get on the phone with me and then said she wasnt comfortable with doing this and wouldnt give me the insulin…she didnt know what the result of the test was. Had known this wasnt an option I wouldve had the test done while I was there. This cat is in grave condition. I went to discuss this with her and she contradicted herself by saying she knew the results but couldnt come to the phone because she was in surgery…which was it?! Dont tell me she stopped in the middle of surgery to discuss this with the receptionist! She refused to give me the insulin unless I bring my cat in and I wont do that because of the stress it causes. I honestly dont believe he’ll be with me in 2 weeks from now but was willing to try to get the abscess taken care of to see if his quality of life would improve. Now they have me hostage …

]]> By: ARS in California http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/comment-page-1/#comment-2696 ARS in California Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:02:19 +0000 http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/#comment-2696 I took my 8 week old puppy to Banfield to get his shots that were due on this particular saturday. I was talked into buying the wellness plan and was told I would spend more money if I did not purchase the plan since they charge seperate for everything!! I put $140 down plus my first month of $25 and $25 each month for the rest of the year plus my dog had a yeast ear infection and the medication for that was almost $60. I gave Banfield his records from the breeders Vet which indicated he had Giardia and had been treated and the names of the meds given. I told banfield I wanted him checked again because his stomach looked very distended which is a sign. They tested him for worms but not giardia. 5 days later (Thursday) he is vomiting so I call them and they say to bring him in. When I got there the Dr looked him over and gave me a quote for services totalling $606 I said I cannot afford that kind of a bill what is absolutely necessary and the dr told me Xrays because he may have ingested the vomit in his lungs and he could have parvo or something else but we cant tell without testing for all of that. I said cant we just give him some type of antibiotic and see what happens first and she said he could get really sick overnight and die. Of course I do not want my pet to die so I felt I had no other choice but to let them. The Dr took off a bunch of things that werent necessary and performed her testings that were. Since I had no money I had to apply for a credit card and was accepted of course. So, as I knew, all of his tests came out negative except guess what...Giardia! He had Giardia again. So $428 later for testings he didnt need and his meds I am stuck with this bill and my dog has what he originally had which I told them to recheck him for prior to this. He gets sick again on friday night from the Diet Rx food prescribed and continues to vomit that food so I call first thing saturday morning they tell me to bring him back, I see another Dr and he tells me to stop taking one of the antibiotics given ($60 bucks that he had 2 doses of) and stop the food. He prescribes me an anti vomit med and something for hydration. They gave my dog a fluid therapy under the skin to keep him hydrated and now $118 later I have more meds. My dog has not thrown up since I stopped giving him the diet RX food and now I have paid them to date a total of $800 and I cannot cancel my wellness plan unless i pay them $255 for the services already used. I filed a complaint asked to be let out of my plan or credited for the unnecessary medical testing that they know he didnt need and my answer was NO and this was decided by the office manager of that store. I cannot go above her. This is all a bunch of BS it's a scam to make money off of people and they need to be stopped. Now that I have read all of these other complaints I will be joining the class action lawsuit. I took my 8 week old puppy to Banfield to get his shots that were due on this particular saturday. I was talked into buying the wellness plan and was told I would spend more money if I did not purchase the plan since they charge seperate for everything!! I put $140 down plus my first month of $25 and $25 each month for the rest of the year plus my dog had a yeast ear infection and the medication for that was almost $60. I gave Banfield his records from the breeders Vet which indicated he had Giardia and had been treated and the names of the meds given. I told banfield I wanted him checked again because his stomach looked very distended which is a sign. They tested him for worms but not giardia. 5 days later (Thursday) he is vomiting so I call them and they say to bring him in. When I got there the Dr looked him over and gave me a quote for services totalling $606 I said I cannot afford that kind of a bill what is absolutely necessary and the dr told me Xrays because he may have ingested the vomit in his lungs and he could have parvo or something else but we cant tell without testing for all of that. I said cant we just give him some type of antibiotic and see what happens first and she said he could get really sick overnight and die. Of course I do not want my pet to die so I felt I had no other choice but to let them. The Dr took off a bunch of things that werent necessary and performed her testings that were. Since I had no money I had to apply for a credit card and was accepted of course. So, as I knew, all of his tests came out negative except guess what…Giardia! He had Giardia again. So $428 later for testings he didnt need and his meds I am stuck with this bill and my dog has what he originally had which I told them to recheck him for prior to this. He gets sick again on friday night from the Diet Rx food prescribed and continues to vomit that food so I call first thing saturday morning they tell me to bring him back, I see another Dr and he tells me to stop taking one of the antibiotics given ($60 bucks that he had 2 doses of) and stop the food. He prescribes me an anti vomit med and something for hydration. They gave my dog a fluid therapy under the skin to keep him hydrated and now $118 later I have more meds. My dog has not thrown up since I stopped giving him the diet RX food and now I have paid them to date a total of $800 and I cannot cancel my wellness plan unless i pay them $255 for the services already used. I filed a complaint asked to be let out of my plan or credited for the unnecessary medical testing that they know he didnt need and my answer was NO and this was decided by the office manager of that store. I cannot go above her. This is all a bunch of BS it’s a scam to make money off of people and they need to be stopped. Now that I have read all of these other complaints I will be joining the class action lawsuit.

]]> By: Sucker,sucker,sucker http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/comment-page-1/#comment-1955 Sucker,sucker,sucker Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:01:29 +0000 http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/#comment-1955 If your complaint is related to the care given by a vet, don't forget to write a letter to the school they graduated from!! It's more of an embarrassment for the vet, rather than a judicial punishment however it will get back to the inept vet quickly!!! If your complaint is related to the care given by a vet, don’t forget to write a letter to the school they graduated from!! It’s more of an embarrassment for the vet, rather than a judicial punishment however it will get back to the inept vet quickly!!!

]]> By: Sucker,sucker,sucker http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/comment-page-1/#comment-1954 Sucker,sucker,sucker Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:51:31 +0000 http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/#comment-1954 Started our puppy with the Banfield wellness plan, at an Urgent Care Banfield in the D/FW metroplex. Our baby was spay at 10weeks old, hum, not a successful encounter, we remained on the plan, noticing the end of the contract was near, we looked and noticed some services had not been provided. Ultimately refusing, to complete the contract, then stating we were no longer eligible for a wellness plan because our dog WAS A SICK DOG. (short version, our dog was due a fecal examine, and needed one due to soft stools) During our first wellness plan we met an awesome vet that actually worked at another Banfield hospital, This vet was happy to help our dog, and does an outstanding job. Every now and then, for convenience we attempt the other BAD banfield, for simple things (nails trimmed, flea meds, oh and urgent care) and EVERY single time we are outraged, Every single time we swear to never go back,.. Finally, Finally,.. we will NEVER go back. Being informed by the cute young vet tech that she INTENTIONALLY quicked our dogs toenail while clipping them, just to see where the quick was,,,,,,,,,unF'Nbelievable, sure accidents can happen,.. but to intentionally inflict pain, Seriously!!!! I hope the cute one gets her toenails ripped out for no good reason. Started our puppy with the Banfield wellness plan, at an Urgent Care Banfield in the D/FW metroplex. Our baby was spay at 10weeks old, hum, not a successful encounter, we remained on the plan, noticing the end of the contract was near, we looked and noticed some services had not been provided. Ultimately refusing, to complete the contract, then stating we were no longer eligible for a wellness plan because our dog WAS A SICK DOG. (short version, our dog was due a fecal examine, and needed one due to soft stools)
During our first wellness plan we met an awesome vet that actually worked at another Banfield hospital, This vet was happy to help our dog, and does an outstanding job. Every now and then, for convenience we attempt the other BAD banfield, for simple things (nails trimmed, flea meds, oh and urgent care) and EVERY single time we are outraged, Every single time we swear to never go back,.. Finally, Finally,.. we will NEVER go back. Being informed by the cute young vet tech that she INTENTIONALLY quicked our dogs toenail while clipping them, just to see where the quick was,,,,,,,,,unF’Nbelievable, sure accidents can happen,.. but to intentionally inflict pain, Seriously!!!! I hope the cute one gets her toenails ripped out for no good reason.

]]> By: admin http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/comment-page-1/#comment-1631 admin Mon, 12 Jul 2010 02:33:44 +0000 http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/#comment-1631 Katy, You obviously didn't read the article completely, so let me summarize it for you. 1. I had 2 eight week old Brazilian mastiffs. 2. I signed BOTH of them up for the puppy Wellness plan (which said it covered spay/neuter and DID NOT mention any extra charges for size of the dog in the paperwork or the website. They have since added this to their literature). 3. It was $140 to sign up and 25.99 per dog each month for a year. So after one month, I had already spent over $300.00 4. The Veterinarian recommended having the pups spay/neutered at the 5 month mark. Because of their size (over 50 pounds), he said it would cost $86.08 extra for EACH PUP to have them spayed/neutered. NOWHERE IN their contact did it say anything about extra charges based on size. You are bound by contract to pay off the rest of the contract regardless of whether you use their services or not. The veterinarian CAN charge extra for things if he feels it is necessary (according to the Banfield Corporate Office), and you will pay it if you want that procedure done by him. Other veterinarians often charge less if you ask around. When I sign a contract for ANYTHING (pet plans, cell phone, etc) I expect to pay the price listed and have any possible extra charges DOCUMENTED before I sign the contract. Are you a veterinarian? Probably not, unless you work as one for Banfield. So I guess your opinion isn't worth anything either, by your own definition. Katy,

You obviously didn’t read the article completely, so let me summarize it for you.

1. I had 2 eight week old Brazilian mastiffs.
2. I signed BOTH of them up for the puppy Wellness plan (which said it covered spay/neuter and DID NOT mention any extra charges for size of the dog in the paperwork or the website. They have since added this to their literature).
3. It was $140 to sign up and 25.99 per dog each month for a year. So after one month, I had already spent over $300.00
4. The Veterinarian recommended having the pups spay/neutered at the 5 month mark. Because of their size (over 50 pounds), he said it would cost $86.08 extra for EACH PUP to have them spayed/neutered. NOWHERE IN their contact did it say anything about extra charges based on size.

You are bound by contract to pay off the rest of the contract regardless of whether you use their services or not. The veterinarian CAN charge extra for things if he feels it is necessary (according to the Banfield Corporate Office), and you will pay it if you want that procedure done by him. Other veterinarians often charge less if you ask around.

When I sign a contract for ANYTHING (pet plans, cell phone, etc) I expect to pay the price listed and have any possible extra charges DOCUMENTED before I sign the contract.

Are you a veterinarian? Probably not, unless you work as one for Banfield. So I guess your opinion isn’t worth anything either, by your own definition.

]]> By: Katy http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/comment-page-1/#comment-1627 Katy Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:20:11 +0000 http://www.crustyorange.com/2008/01/28/banfield-the-pet-hospital-run-by-con-artists/#comment-1627 This article is complete bullshit...it's all common sense when you sign your pet up on the plan. I had 3 animals on Wellness Plans and they saved me an astronomical amount of money...as long as you aren't retarded they make perfect sense. Also, of course they are going to recommend heartworm medication, and unless you are heartless and cheap it isn't that expensive compared to the amount of money you will spend on the treatment, which your pet probably won't even survive. Unless you are a trained veterinarian I don't really see your opinion on any of this of being worth anything. This article is complete bullshit…it’s all common sense when you sign your pet up on the plan. I had 3 animals on Wellness Plans and they saved me an astronomical amount of money…as long as you aren’t retarded they make perfect sense. Also, of course they are going to recommend heartworm medication, and unless you are heartless and cheap it isn’t that expensive compared to the amount of money you will spend on the treatment, which your pet probably won’t even survive. Unless you are a trained veterinarian I don’t really see your opinion on any of this of being worth anything.

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