Oceanside Veterinary Hospital Inc

Hello: We have been dealing with this client's complaint since November This owner found a cat and insisted it was hers even though there was some issue with the microchip confirmationWhen the company that manufactures the microchip could not confirm that the cat in question was definitively
this client's cat, I recommended we wait until Monday when the regular staff was available at the microchip company to sort out the issueThis client then told me personally, "the only reason I am checking the microchip is to appease my mother, I am sure this is my cat regardless"She then authorized that testing be done, signed an estimate for the services we wanted to perform, and left the clinic happy.
Of course, her happiness turned to anger, when the true owner of the cat turned up to claim her cat and then she blamed us for "coercing" her into doing the testingReally, nothing could be further from the truthShe was informed that there were issues at the microchip hotline, and she was counselled to wait until Monday (this visit occurred on a Saturday)She did not want to wait and wanted the tests run
After the fact, and solely as a gesture of good will, I offered to reimburse the client 50% of everything she paid that day (see the letter that follows)This, apparently, was not satisfactory in her eyes as she has been disputing her credit card charge with us monthly for the last months.
Again, my original offer still stands, but we all need to be responsible for our actions See my letter below.:
Hello: We are all very sorry to hear that the kitty you presented to us on Saturday did not turn out to be your dear "Kitty"and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and mental anguish this entire episode may have caused you
With all due respect, however, I hesitate to say that we were 100% at fault
I think we all need to be accountable for our actions and the decisions we makeHindsight being 20/20, it might have been better to sort out the microchip discrepancy before running the blood and urine, but you were given that option and wanted to run the blood and urine anyway
We are stepping up here and believe we are being very fair in agreeing to reimburse you 50% of your total billTrue, there were some issues Saturday trying to get confirmation of the microchip number, but you were informed of that, and wanted to run the blood anywaySo you have to be somewhat accountable for the decisions you make too.
You seemed extremely certain that the cat you presented to us was your catIn fact you told me that you were only checking the microchip because your Mom wanted you to do so and that you were quite certain the cat was, in fact, yours.
So, as a gesture of goodwill and in trying to help you out, ***, the other doctors, and I think a 50% reimbursement is more than fair.
If this is acceptable to you, please let *** the office manager know and she will take care of it by either putting a credit on your account, crediting back 50% of your bill if paid by credit card, or by check if the first two are not acceptable.
Let's put this unfortunate episode behind us and move forward in a positive directionThank you for your time and consideration.*** *

Review: I took "my" cat who had been lost for over a month for a check up and health tests to be sure she hadn't contracted anything. Despite at the time having evidence to the contrary, they let me believe the cat was mine and performed very expensive tests. Due to a slip-of-the-tongue by one of the techs and my own research, I discovered that the cat was, in fact, not mine. The doctor admitted fault, but only offered to refund a portion of the costs. Have been disputing it, but he has switched to admitting no fault on his part.Desired Settlement: I would simply like a refund on the costs of tests.

Business

Response:

Hello: We have been dealing with this client's complaint since November 2013. This owner found a cat and insisted it was hers even though there was some issue with the microchip confirmation. When the company that manufactures the microchip could not confirm that the cat in question was definitively this client's cat, I recommended we wait until Monday when the regular staff was available at the microchip company to sort out the issue. This client then told me personally, "the only reason I am checking the microchip is to appease my mother, I am sure this is my cat regardless". She then authorized that testing be done, signed an estimate for the services we wanted to perform, and left the clinic happy.