Please help, have been misquoted and now being billed a huge amount

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Hello, I wonder if anyone has expertise in this sort of matter.

I'm really shaken after calling at the vets this morning, in order to buy some post op medicine for our rabbits.

The receptionist asked whether we had paid for the operations (they were all three neutered on Thursday) and I said we had.
She noted that we have an outstanding balance of something like £175. I was really puzzled and it transpired that the amount we had paid was actually for ONE rabbit (just over £80).

I am so shocked. I rang to book them in on Monday, actually I rang to ask what it would cost and the woman I spoke to said £35 per rabbit. I was pleasantly surprised and booked them in at the time. If it had been much more I'd have taken them elsewhere.

On the day I rang to confirm this in the afternoon, after they had been operated on I should add - and was told the total I'd been charged according to the computer was £80-/.

I made the receptionist check and she came back saying yes, that was all it was. 'Great' I thought - they are very small rabbits so I thought perhaps that was why it was less.

Anyway today it seems they have charged us £80 + each. My receipt, which I didn't check (I collected all three and presumed I was being charged for all three) states it is for one of them, but it could have meant all of them under one name...

The receptionist seems to believe me and says I was booked in possibly by one of the nurses, another nurse was there and said 'we're not allowed to book in'. It appears she got the price wrong. The receptionist today was the one who confirmed it at £80 on Thursday afternoon, and had to look up their fees to confirm it's meant to be £80 per rabbit - she didn't even know.

She was kind and said 'try not to worry' but of course I am now guaranteed sleepless nights until Monday.

Can someone please tell me where I stand? I know I was misquoted but will they accept my word on this? I didn't even think about asking for a written quotation.
I don't want to underpay and £35 each would still be fine - but not £240 total, that's just outrageous

Thanks.

That's the spirit!

Well, nothing so far...wondering if I ought to ring them instead of sitting here on tenterhooks.

If everything is through writing (letter is better!), it makes things easier, rather than "he said this on the phone and then I said that".

Patience, enjoy the lovely day!

Thanks

well, I haven't sent in a letter yet but I did just ring them before I saw your post

Got the same woman (Barbara is her name, so I know that now anyway)

She said she remembered me (I bet she does!) and she hadn't had a chance to sort it out for me yet but she promised she would talk to someone and get someone to call me back today.

So I'll just have to wait. I'm tempted to take in the letter anyway but tbh don't want to go off on one if it can be simply resolved...it might just get their backs up.

Still, I have it clearly in writing from this end, at least, and I'll be all set to send it in if they play games.

I'll update when I hear anything.

Take in the letter anyway - it'll make it so much easier if Barbara is telling her bosses what's been going on and she has your letter to refer to.

It's not going off on one, it's being assertive

Problem being Barbara was one of those at fault.

Part of me feels concerned for her in case she should somehow be reprimanded for this - could she lose her job? I don't care too much about the sautrday girl who got it totally wrong but I like Barbara and she is roundabout my mum's age. I'd hate her to get into trouble.

Heh!

I suppose you need to look at what you want to get out of the complaint, and at what cost. Barbara will need to say her part in this, and unfortunately that will be that she was incorrect in her quote. She made a mistake, it happens. I am sure her employers will not hold this against her. But please don't hold back from complaining because you feel a bond with the lady who made the mistake that has now cost you a shedload!

(Yes, I just read that back and I sound really mean.. but we rarely complain about bad service when we like the individual who's cocked it up. Complain about the service, not about the person).

That makes sense.

What I want from this is an acknowledgment that they made a mistake, better information available on their website would be a start - there's no price list at all, so I couldn't check - and for them to waive the sodding bill.

I also want to be able to go there again - we have six animals registered with them. But that can be a bonus if it happens.

Hoping they won't sack her over this - it's not going to be a case of her having to pay them for the mistake, I shouldnt think. I'm certain they overcharge on almost everything and they won't have to close down because I refuse to pay them what is it? about £135 on top of the original quote.

i'll give it till early afternoon then I'm going in. Rabbits are meant to have their three day post op check today anyway, so I could go in to discuss that I suppose- though I bet they'd charge us a fortune for it.

Hmm. Have now realised there is no email facility on their rubbish website.

However they are seemingly accredited by the Royal College of Vet Surgeons so have rung up those guys, and they said yes, how appalling, give us their name but we can't do much, erm, ring back if you have further problems.

But at least I have got in there first and so on. I can namedrop a bit.

You can't prove they said the smaller amount but they can't prove they said the proper amount either..

True.

However I feel an increasing sense of being brushed under the carpet.

I can imagine Barbs not being really keen to talk to the Practice Manager about it. But I have to know what their stance is likely to be, or I shan't be able to relax at all.

I don't think they even HAVE a Practice Manager actually...nothing on the website.

Oh dear. I'll probably get no callback then an arsey letter tomorrow demanding I pay the full amount I 'owe' them, albeit in a lovingly packaged installment plan.

I had better go in and sort it out I suppose.

How is this? I have a four page version but thought initially keeping to the point might be best.

April 19th 2010

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I was quoted a price of £35 per animal over the telephone on Saturday 10th April for having our three rabbits neutered, and made bookings accordingly. I had tried to check the price on your website prior to this but could not find a price list, and had no reason to think your staff would not be aware of the correct price.

I paid the total advised by your receptionist on collecting them on Thursday 15th, which was below the original amount, leading me to query this at the time but I was assured that was the total. I have since received two further invoices which would seem to indicate there was an administrative error made when I was initially given the price, as well as later when I made what I thought, and your receptionist informed me, was full and final settlement of the bill.

I was considering offering to pay the remainder of the original amount agreed by phone, which was after all our verbal contract so it does not seem out of the question that I should honour that, however to my knowledge (and on consultation with consumer services) this is not a legal obligation on my part.

I await your response; please understand that I have used your practice for many years and currently have six animals registered with you, so really do hope to conclude this matter amicably and to our mutual agreement.

Yours Faithfully,

Gosh, £80 per rabbit is expensive. And I am used to Swiss prices

Your letter is good but I would stick the amounts in there so that it is clear how much the discrepancy is.

Great letter and I agree with MmeLindt that you mention the amounts.

Thankyou very much, I am encouraged

They do seem to have a unique pricing scale, it's a bit like 'these are not just prices. They are [insert name of practice] prices'

I think I am meant to feel gratified that I am paying a bit extra.

Try this:

"I am writing with regards to an administrative error made by one of your receptionists that has resulted in me being overcharged for a service you provided last week.

On Saturday 10th April 2010, I contacted your clinic via telephone with regards to booking three female rabbits in to be neutered. Your collegue Barbara ___ quoted the price of £35 per animal, I accepted and booked them in for the operation which took place on Thursday the 15th.

I paid the total amount asked which was ___ and queried this at the time, I was assured this was the correct amount that I had to pay. (Enclose a copy of the credit slip if you have one, and receipt).

Since that date, I have received not one, but two invoices requesting an extra amount, indicating that an error has occurred on your part with regards to the amount charged, despite me being told that it was full and final settlement of the bill.

I cannot be expected to pay an extra amount when I was told the price was £35 per animal, and especially when the difference in amounts is so dramatic. Had I been made aware of the full correct amount, I would have sought treatment for my animals elsewhere.

Please let me know how you would like to resolve this issue. I currently have six animals registered with you, and up until this point, have been very happy with the service provided.

I can be contacted on __.

Yours faithfully"

You can also put a time limit on it. If they start being arsey, then you can start writing letters to Trading Standards (I think it applies in this case) and start pulling out things like "legal contract". Up until this point, this is a friendly interaction that will hopefully be resolved amicably ;)

Hope that helps!

Ooh thankyou so much. That's really good.

Yes, I hesitate to mention legal contracts as well because they might kind of get heavy in return, iyswim?

oh I dunno. I think I'll just turn up and stand there and say 'well?'

...or wait for this promised phone call.

Okay...well, I went round there about half an hour ago, because I still hadn't heard anything. The only person available was a different receptionist who said Barbara was still at lunch, and yes, there was a practice manager but oh, he has just left for 2 days How convenient.

But she knew nothing about the situation apparently so flung her arms up in the air a bit and said she'd get Barbara to ring me back.

We came home, it's a 5 minute walk - no call as yet.

I'm just betting that she didn't manage to speak to the manager before he b*ggered off on his little trip, and therefore will have got nowhere in sorting out this mess.

I wouldn't mind, but I am so stressed about it. It's rubbish of them to think it can wait, it really cant.

Please stop worrying. You have done nothing wrong. Put aside the money you are willing to pay and then forget all about it (or try too.)

Thankyou Fab, you're so lovely.

It isn't so much the dosh, iykwim - it's the terror I have of conflict and the constant feeling of not daring to eat or go out or whatever, in case they ring up and tell me I'm in the wrong, and I need to get angry and fight it.

I don't care about the money if I'm in the wrong, but I know like you've said it isn't my fault, so I'll have to fight if there is a conflict.

In some ways it would be so much easier just to be in the wrong! But even if I pay I'll have sleepless nights for years.

They have this power at the moment, to make me feel rotten, and it's horrid. It probably means very little to them.

Take the power back for yourself.

You acted in good faith, they have cocked up. They don't have any power as they are wanting your money and you are within your rights not to give them any.

Thanks...i will try, have been trying to feel OK all day but it's hard. I feel intimidated by them in a way because they have had the cheek to demand this money with no rationale.

I suppose it rings bells with past experiences and I'm preparing to be bullied. Hopefully though they are not that unreasonable and won't be nasty - but I guess all I can do is try and be calm until I know for sure.

Right - off into the garden. with phone just in case!

They are probably worried too as they don't know what you are going to do. They would expect you to just pay up the extra money and are probably a bit that you haven't.

well I think you're right Fab. Hooray hooray hooray! Just had a call - actually two calls. First call..'did the manager ring you?' 'no' 'Oh dear,he has just left for two days'

'We can't figure out who told you it was £35, and the actual price IS £80'
'yeeessss...'
'The only person who can sort this out is the manager'
'Okay but I called at 9.02 on the 10th'
'Oh that helps, I may be able to figure it out'
'Okay, bye'

Second call, once i have PUT my four page document in an envelope and am preparing to go and throw it at them.
'Hello, Mrs Flight. One of us has managed to TRACK down the vet and he has agreed that if you pay the original quote, then we will leave it at that'

'Oh how wonderful yes thankyou very much and here is my card number'.
I asked for a receipt and something in writing to confirm this was final. She will send it in the post.

Then she said 'We do want to keep you as a customer'

LOLOL they have no idea what I am capable of, mwah ha ha ha ha

thankyou so much for all your support - you have no idea how much you have helped! Seriously...sending you all big kisses

glad it's sorted! was lurking on this thread