Will the dentist ruin my credit score?

silvercar

ce91 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your replies! I check my credit score regularly via clear score and get regular updates, I've worked so hard over the past year and getting that letter in just made me really angry. I did actually pay the bill 2 days before the letter came through the door, should I contact the debt company and inform them of this?
I'm planning on calling the dentist again on Monday and speaking to the manager to request I'm taken off the books and finding a new dentist asap!

No such thing these days. If you don't want to make another appointment then just go elsewhere, no obligation to letting this dentist know that you won't be coming back.

Dental treatment on the NHS in England & Wales has only 3 possible charges:

Band 1: £20.60 covers an examination, diagnosis and advice. If necessary, it also includes X-rays, a scale and polish, and planning for further treatment.
Band 2: £56.30 covers all treatment included in Band 1, plus additional treatment, such as fillings, root canal treatment and removing teeth (extractions).
Band 3: £244.30 covers all treatment included in Bands 1 and 2, plus more complex procedures, such as crowns, dentures and bridges.

I can't see a £180 on that list, suggesting that something was private.

takman

ce91 wrote: »

When I paid it off I just closed my account to boost my credit!

Lenders like to see evidence of long standing accounts that are used responsibly. So you would have been much better off continuing to use the card and pay it off in full monthly, which is what lenders like to see.

If you now have no credit cards at all then this will be a negative factor when you apply for any credit in the future.

[Deleted User]

ce91 wrote: »

When I paid it off I just closed my account to boost my credit!

Not boost your score I hope, since it's non-existent in the real world

System

ce91 wrote: »

I did yes, after my treatment I paid £60 when the receptionist told me I could pay 'as and when'. Pretty stupid of me to accept her word for it really, I've learned my lesson!

After your first issue, you should have got something in writing (paper or email) to confirm 'the arrangement'. A quick e-mail to them would have sufficed as they would have almost certainly replied to make the situation clearer.

Kim_13

Did you obtain and keep safe receipts for the sums you paid, proving that the full amount has now been paid?

draiggoch

silvercar wrote: »

No such thing these days. If you don't want to make another appointment then just go elsewhere, no obligation to letting this dentist know that you won't be coming back.

Dental treatment on the NHS in England & Wales has only 3 possible charges:

Band 1: £20.60 covers an examination, diagnosis and advice. If necessary, it also includes X-rays, a scale and polish, and planning for further treatment.
Band 2: £56.30 covers all treatment included in Band 1, plus additional treatment, such as fillings, root canal treatment and removing teeth (extractions).
Band 3: £244.30 covers all treatment included in Bands 1 and 2, plus more complex procedures, such as crowns, dentures and bridges.

I can't see a £180 on that list, suggesting that something was private.

Band 3: £233.70 in England, £185 in Wales
Band 3 includes treatment like crowns, dentures and bridges