Healthy Pet Club Scheme - Query

SPELLKASTER

My cat, whom is nearly 14 is a diabetic and needs long term treatment.

I moved house in December, and registered him with the local vet.

I joined the healthy pet club scheme for £9.99 per month.

I had received nothing but poor service from the vet clinic.

The first time I took him in for his routine blood check, they took 3 days to phone with his results.

They then forced me to buy a blood glucose monitoring kit costing me £120.

After that they took over a week to increase his insulin dose.

When it came to the 6 month healthy pet club check (which is supposed to be free), they charged me a £15 consultation fee.

I complained direct to the practice manager who agreed to refund me and apologised.

The next issue to occur was that although my cat had been booked in for his routine blood test, the vet clinic refused him insulin.

I made an official complaint to the British Veterinary Association via email back in August.

I have not had a response.

Because of the way I was treated by the vet clinic, I transfered my cat to another clinic and so cancelled the healthy pet club as the new vets did a different scheme.

When I cancelled with CVS, I was not told about a fee due to cancelling.

Upon viewing the terms and conditions of their website, it states you can cancel at any time and fails to mention about being charged any monies.

Today I got a letter from the old vet to say I owed them £167.

As the monthly fee was £9.99, this does not add up.

Any help would be appreciated, am very worried as I havent got £167 to pay them!!??:mad:

sheramber

It appears that you signed up for a 12 month contract, payable monthly.

http://www.thehealthypetclub.co.uk/category/171

4.2 You may terminate your membership of the Healthy Pet Club during the initial term of one year by giving CVS notice of termination to take immediate effect if:
(a) the Pet(s) named on the Registration Form die;
(b) you move house and there is no CVS veterinary practice within a 10 mile radius of your new address (proof of change of address in the form of a recent utility or council tax bill will be required); or
(c) there is a material change in your circumstances such as loss of employment or a significant reduction in your income which CVS agrees in its sole discretion and upon proof of such evidence of your change of circumstances as it may reasonably require justifies termination of your membership during the initial term.
4.3 Either you or CVS may terminate your membership by giving one month’s notice to the other at any time after the initial term of one year has expired.

I would assume the charge made is for the treatment that you have recieved under the scheme ,which you did not pay for but are now being charged for as you have cancelled the scheme.

However, you are entitled to an explanation of how the amount of £167 is made up

SPELLKASTER

I am going to contact CVS on Monday to see what I can do and what advise they can give me.

I havent got £167 so dont know what to do!!

paddypaws101

I can't help with the shoddy service from the vet, but I can help with the Diabetes!
Join up at https://www.diabeticcatcare.com where we have a group devoted to proper care for diabetic cats. The way we treat FD costs very little as numerous vet visits are avoided and we have a very high rate of remission.

SPELLKASTER

paddypaws101 wrote: »

I can't help with the shoddy service from the vet, but I can help with the Diabetes!
Join up at https://www.diabeticcatcare.com where we have a group devoted to proper care for diabetic cats. The way we treat FD costs very little as numerous vet visits are avoided and we have a very high rate of remission.

He is currently on caninsulin and we've just had to up his dose to 7 units twice a day.

I might ask the vet to change it because we feel he is becoming more resistent to it.

Thanks for the website; will check it out!!

SPELLKASTER

sheramber wrote: »

It appears that you signed up for a 12 month contract, payable monthly.

http://www.thehealthypetclub.co.uk/category/171

4.2 You may terminate your membership of the Healthy Pet Club during the initial term of one year by giving CVS notice of termination to take immediate effect if:
(a) the Pet(s) named on the Registration Form die;
(b) you move house and there is no CVS veterinary practice within a 10 mile radius of your new address (proof of change of address in the form of a recent utility or council tax bill will be required); or
(c) there is a material change in your circumstances such as loss of employment or a significant reduction in your income which CVS agrees in its sole discretion and upon proof of such evidence of your change of circumstances as it may reasonably require justifies termination of your membership during the initial term.
4.3 Either you or CVS may terminate your membership by giving one month’s notice to the other at any time after the initial term of one year has expired.

I would assume the charge made is for the treatment that you have recieved under the scheme ,which you did not pay for but are now being charged for as you have cancelled the scheme.

However, you are entitled to an explanation of how the amount of £167 is made up

I am sending a letter of complaint to the old vet on monday asking for a breakdown of how come they are demanding £167 without giving details of.

They cannot demand payment without explaining ans showing what for!!

sheramber

yes, you are entitlled to know what you are being charged for even if it outstanding payments

conditions b and c

(b) you move house and there is no CVS veterinary practice within a 10 mile radius of your new address (proof of change of address in the form of a recent utility or council tax bill will be required); or
(c) there is a material change in your circumstances such as loss of employment or a significant reduction in your income which CVS agrees in its sole discretion and upon proof of such evidence of your change of circumstances as it may reasonably require justifies termination of your membership during the initial term.


would seem to indicate that they get people wanting to withdraw from the arrangement.

gettingready

if you started a monthly plan of £9.99 in December with a year long commitment - by now you would have paid 11 months worths so 109.89 out from what should be £119.88 - how can they possibly say you owe them £167?

UNLESS their calculations are based on reduced cost treatment as you were on the plan (if that was the case) but now cancelling the plan so they want full price for what treatments were done?

SPELLKASTER

No treatment was done thats the point?

All I had was a free healthy pet club check, discounts on things like insulin which is standard, and free flea treatment which again is standard.

He did not receive any treatment at all, why is this confusing?

They did not say anything in the letter which is why I am calling the practice manager on monday morning.

I agree the amount of monies they are saying I owe doesnt add up at all if your paying £9.99 a month!!

sheramber

SPELLKASTER wrote: »

No treatment was done thats the point?

All I had was a free healthy pet club check, discounts on things like insulin which is standard, and free flea treatment which again is standard.

He did not receive any treatment at all, why is this confusing?

They did not say anything in the letter which is why I am calling the practice manager on monday morning.

I agree the amount of monies they are saying I owe doesnt add up at all if your paying £9.99 a month!!

I would guess they are charging for what you call is 'standard' as you are no longer entitled to the free/ discounted rates.

gettingready

SPELLKASTER wrote: »

No treatment was done thats the point?

All I had was a free healthy pet club check, discounts on things like insulin which is standard, and free flea treatment which again is standard.

!

Here you go then - those discounts applied when you were a member of the "club" but as you pulled out they are wanting to get the discounts back so the 167. Nothing at the vets is "standard" - everything is payable and you got discounts and now cancel before your contractual year is up.

Frankly would be cheaper to pay for the 2 remaining months at £9.99 to keep the discount.

I had something similar with insurance ones, claimed within one year and wanted to cancel before the year was up - I was told I would have to pay back what I claimed. Decided to keep it to the end of term as it was much cheaper.