Marlboro Village Veterinary Hospital

Review: My cat needed to be seen for a swollen paw so I called around to get prices for the visit and x-rays. Marlboro Village was the was reasonable pricing (while calling the new [redacted] location I was told the price for two x-rays were about $110 dollars ). The veterinarian discovered it was a bite wound from another cat. The final bill costed $572.00 and I noticed the cost of the x-rays were $275.. over $100 more than I was quoted over the phone and even asked the vet before hand (also I was not notified on the estimate that he was going to cut the cat's nails for $80 when it was not necessary).

On Friday August 2nd I had an appointment that I called in for two shot which over the phone I was quoted $40.00(which is an average price for [redacted]). When I came to the front desk the cashier said, "I was there for a follow up." I said, "I only wanted the two shots, unless the follow up was free." She told an assistant to ask but he was in with another client so she said she would ask once he was done. We were brought to the room and the assistant started checking his temperature and weight for his exam. Then the vet came in and finish the exam. Once everything was over I went to pay and they said I owed $110.00. Displeased with the amount for the second time I actually spoke up. I spoke with [redacted] and he told me that I needed to pay him for his time and the cat would have needed to be examined before his shots either way. I informed him that I asked the staff pricing and told them I was quoted $40.00 over the phone, so he reduced my total cost to $91.00. I think I should have been told that either over the phone or at the desk while discussing prices.Desired Settlement: I would like to have at least $40.00 back on my debit card used on the visit from August 2nd.

Business

Response:

August 14, 2013

RE: Revdex.com Complaint

Dear [redacted]

In response to your complaint we would like to review the services you received during your 2 visits at our hospital. Quality of care is what we strive for at Marlboro Village Veterinary Hospital. [redacted] also took into consideration your budgetary constrictions and economized your bill.

Your beloved cat “[redacted]” was hospitalized for the day and surgery was performed with no hospitalization fee. Most veterinary hospitals would not have performed surgery on a Saturday. Normally, a patient would have been admitted to the hospital on a Saturday, given antibiotics and hospitalized until Monday to perform surgery. [redacted] considered your financial constraints and completed the surgery on a non-surgical day thus saving you a substantial amount of money. The hospital remained open for an additional hour to accommodate your cat with no additional fees. Since “[redacted] is an indoor/outdoor cat, [redacted] also performed a blood profile to check for underlying disease including Feline Leukemia and Feline Aids. The blood work normally would cost $97.68 but was done at no charge. Additionally, [redacted] did not charge a fee for thoroughly cleansing and bandaging the cat’s wound; the fee was quoted on the estimate but ultimately was not charged on your final invoice. The written estimate for services you signed was exact and at the low end of the quote.

The second visit was a recheck, we call this a “Treatment Progress” examination, at a fee of $47.49. You never asked [redacted] if you would be charged an examination fee and the vaccines were administered per your request. For liability reasons an examination must be performed prior to any vaccinations. [redacted] wanted to ensure “[redacted] was healing properly from the surgery as well as being healthy enough to receive the vaccines. Again, [redacted] understood your financial burdens. He further discounted the exam services an additional $17.50 due to your financial concerns.

A complaint was made about our x-ray prices. We called other Veterinary Hospitals in the area. We found our prices were comparable to other Clinics in the area. However, [redacted] in [redacted] has a price of $100 for a single view x-ray. Maybe you confused our prices with [redacted]

We feel services were provided in a professional manner, with emphasis on quality of care. A receptionist is unable to predict and diagnose an animal over the phone. Prices quoted over the phone are subject to change based on physical examination findings. We were very generous with our fees and services that were discounted over $100. At this time we are unable to grant your request for a refund of $40. Furthermore, a refund would be inappropriate due to the deeply discounted services rendered.

Sincerely,

[redacted], Office Manager