Pet Plan Raising it's prices within the first 12 months of a contract!

malcbart

Hi,
Last August I took my cats for their yearly inoculations. My Vets had a deal on where you could join a Pet Plan, pay monthly and over 12 Months my cats would receive their Inoculations, Worming Treatments, Flea Treatments and 6 Monthly Health Checks. I was told that this would cost £12.00 per month for my first cat and £11.00 per month for my second cat (deduction for having more than 1 cat). After a quick calculation, although not exactly cheap, it did work out pretty cost effective beings they get regular health checks. I agreed, paid the first month by Credit Card and signed a direct debit mandate to pay the rest through a 3rd party finance company called Premier Vet Alliance.
In November I received a letter from them stating that in April the cost is going up to £13.00 per month per cat??!!

Can they do this?

I signed into what I was told would be a minimum of a 12 month contract at £23.00 per month for 2 cats only to be told part term that the price is going up to £26.00 per month! I contacted Premier Vet Alliance who told me that their small print states they can raise prices in April of each year and to get my Vets to contact them if they didn’t agree to the rise. I contacted my Vets, the girls on reception who explained and signed me up to the contract were horrified and didn’t agree, they informed the Practice Manager who left me a message stating that ‘extra’ bits were going to be added from April i.e. Nail Clipping, etc. and it was their right to raise the contract.

I am thinking of pulling out of the contract and paying them cash for the remaining term of the 12 months at the original agreed price.

Can I do this and could there be any repercussions please?

I realise it’s only an extra £12.00 over the 12 months but it’s the principle of the matter which is annoying me that once I sign up to something I expect it to remain at the agreed price for at least the first 12 months of the contract.
Any help or advice would be most appreciated.

rs65

This isn't insurance. Sounds like a maintenance plan with an April review date.

What did you sign up to?

malcbart

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. I suppose it is a maintenance plan yes as I have seperate Insurance on them both. As far as I was aware I was signing up to a 'Maintenance Plan' at a total cost of £23 per month for 2 cats which you can pull out of at any time after the initial 12 months, that is what I was told.

rach_k

I signed up to the same scheme for my cat. I honestly didn't think to question it - I suppose prices for treatments must go up too, which will be why the price for the plan goes up. It doesn't seem to be an unfair increase to me as you will probably still be making the same kind of saving compared to paying for each treatment as it happens.

I've just had a look and it does say on the form you sign:

The cost of supplying veterinary treatment can vary from time to time due to, for instance, fluctuations in the cost of vaccinations and drugs. We therefore reserve the right to vary the monthly payments annually on 1st April of each year provided that we give you 2 months notice of any increase to the monthly payments.

(top right, point 16)

I doubt many people read all that at the vet but you do have 7 days to cancel once you've signed up. I think you're supposed to go home and read it! It's slightly worrying that there is no limit to how much they can increase the cost though. I'm not sure that would have stopped me signing up, if I had read it. Perhaps I'm too trusting.

malcbart

Yes I realise that but the fact is my cats have now had their 2 treatments for this 12 month cycle so the price increase will come into effect 4 months before their next treatment is due. Therefore it makes no difference whether the Vets costs rise or not as they will not be supplying me with anything else within this 12 month cycle.
Basically what was not exactly cheap but was cost effective when I signed up for it is now to become expensive over the initial year for what I signed up for. Surely if they state a price for a year they should stick to that price within the first year? Or if they state that you get a £1 per month discount for every extra cat you sign up then they should honour that £1 per month discount and not take it away mid term? After the initial year I agree that any price increase could be classed as inflation linked and acceptable but within the first year it must be mis-selling?
I need to check to see exactly how long I am tied in as I will be pulling them out of it and moving to another Vets. We took in a stray recently and my Vets once again tried to up the price for a check-up and spaying so I put her in with another local Vet who does a much better plan. It wouldn't suprise me if I am tied in for 12 months even though I paid the initial month by card!