dentists

Brooker_Dave

Dentist wants to charge me full fee for missed hygienists appointment (10 month wait) because of the long waiting time, I forgot.

I know this is my fault.

But today they send me a letter wanting the £15 fee, telling me they plan to add 25% and get debt collectors on the case.

What legal framework allows someone to charge in full plus interest of 25%! for work that has not been done.

McKneff

Are you an NHS patient or private.
If NHS since a few years ago they are not allowed to do this.
If private - i think they can charge you what they like.
Not sure about the extra charges though.

and if they are threatening you with debt collectors at this early stage i would report them to a higher authority.

Brooker_Dave

McKneff wrote: »

Are you an NHS patient or private.
If NHS since a few years ago they are not allowed to do this.
If private - i think they can charge you what they like.
Not sure about the extra charges though.

and if they are threatening you with debt collectors at this early stage i would report them to a higher authority.

I'm NHS, woman from consumer direct told me I'm in breach of contact so do owe money, so I'll have to pay through gritted (but healthy) teeth.

Just seems a bit unfair that they can charge the full amount, it's like me quoting for a job, and then demanding payment from someone who didn't have any work done.

Still at least it's only £15.

RadoJo

In fairness, I suppose they could have had someone paying the full fee in your appointment slot if they had known you wouldn't be there, so it seems like they are ensuring they don't lose out. I'm not surprised to be honest - with long waiting times between appointments, there has to be some incentive to remind people, otherwise they could potentially lose a lot of money over no shows.

pinkshoes

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Just seems a bit unfair that they can charge the full amount, it's like me quoting for a job, and then demanding payment from someone who didn't have any work done.

DEMAND COMPENSATION!!

(It's not quite like your above example, as in this instant you were booked in a highly demanded time schedule, so if you had told them you didn't want to attend, they would have easily filled it and still got their money. Instead they ended up with a 15 minute gap and no payment...)

Brooker_Dave

pinkshoes wrote: »

DEMAND COMPENSATION!!

(It's not quite like your above example, as in this instant you were booked in a highly demanded time schedule, so if you had told them you didn't want to attend, they would have easily filled it and still got their money. Instead they ended up with a 15 minute gap and no payment...)

How about making people who miss the bus pay for the bus fare anyway?

Seems some organisations can get away with unfair charges and others can't...

McKneff

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

How about making people who miss the bus pay for the bus fare anyway?

Seems some organisations can get away with unfair charges and others can't...

Different thing altogether. An appointment had been made.

Compare it to missing a train that yu had bought an advance ticket for.
If yu miss the train you cant get the next one unless you pay for another ticket.

I was told by my dentist last year that they are not allowed to charge for up to two missed appointments and after that they can delete yu from their lists.
Perhaps toothsmith will be along shortly to clarify.

Maybe its the fact that it was for the hygienist and not for a dental check up - just a thought

Ste_C

Missed appointments cost the NHS hundreds of thousands each year.

I don't see the problem with them charging you.

pinkshoes

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

How about making people who miss the bus pay for the bus fare anyway?

Seems some organisations can get away with unfair charges and others can't...

But unless you had specifically booked a seat on the bus that they could no longer sell to someone else, the analogy is not the same.

(And bus companies have the sense to charge up front to stop people doing this.)

It took me 2 years on a waiting list before I got an NHS dentist, so maybe they should give people the choice of paying for the missed appointment, or being removed from the NHS list?

wannaberichbtch

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

today they send me a letter wanting the £15 fee, telling me they plan to add 25% and get debt collectors on the case.


I can understand them charging the fee for their wasted time, but think the threat of debt collectors is heavy handed and rude if this is the first time they've contacted you about it

Brooker_Dave

pinkshoes wrote: »

It took me 2 years on a waiting list before I got an NHS dentist, so maybe they should give people the choice of paying for the missed appointment, or being removed from the NHS list?

Trouble is they book an appointment 10 months away, and you just forget, then you've got to cough up the full charge for something that's not happened, or risk getting turned away when you really need them.

See abuse of power.