Missed Appointment fee for Dental Checkup

Jimmy_Boy

Hi,

I missed a checkup appointment at my dentist yesterday. There's no disputing this is my fault, the reason was I overslept - this is due to my noisy neighbours which I have a whole separate thread on.

The issue I have is the fee they are trying to charge me for this 15 minute appointment of £59.

I earn £90 for a 9 hour shift, so I basically have to work 6 hours to pay for this 15 minute appointment, which I dont see as reasonable.

When I made the appointment, no mention was made of any cancellation fees.

I have browsed there website and see no mention of cancellation fees.

I had a text message 2 days before the appointment saying "Mr X has an appt at xxx on xxx. If inconvenient call 0123456789 or Please reply OK to confirm this appointment"

The message is open to interpretation... I didnt reply OK to confirm the appointment.

I suppose my question is... where do I stand legally here. I dont have an issue paying £25 / £30 which I feel is fair, but I fell £59 is unreasonable.

Thanks in advance.

Undervalued

If it was an NHS dentist then they can't legally charge a fee for missed appointments (although many have "try on" wording to that effect on their paperwork).

However, given the figure you mention, I assume it was private?

If so then, if they push it, you probably have a legal liability to pay whatever would cover their actual losses. You entered into a contract to turn up and pay up when you booked. Even if there was a specific missed appointment term spelt out, if it went to court they would only get what was reasonable.

Do you want to use them again? If not then it is more a moral dilemma as I doubt they will actually sue.

Undervalued

Jimmy_Boy wrote: »

I had a text message 2 days before the appointment saying "Mr X has an appt at xxx on xxx. If inconvenient call 0123456789 or Please reply OK to confirm this appointment"

The message is open to interpretation... I didnt reply OK to confirm the appointment.

Just spotted that bit....

That might be a get out. They asked for positive confirmation and you didn't give it so a reasonable interpretation is that you cancelled.

However if you are going to use that line then I wouldn't pay anything (but start looking for another dentist)!

Keep_pedalling

NHS dentists can’t charge for missed appointments (although I think that should be changed) so I assume this is a private dentists, so you should have been given a copy of their terms of service when you signed up with them.

Considering how much it costs to run a surgery the fee seems fair.

BoGoF

How much would you have paid for a check up had you went? That is what their losses are.

Jimmy_Boy

Yes its private. To be honest I think I would rather not use them going forward, im just going there as thats where I always go but havent been best pleased with the work that has been done.

Are they not obliged to make you aware of cancellation fees at the time of appointment? My company will charge a missed appointment fee for their customers, but they make the customer aware at the time of the appointment and also the fee.

Jimmy_Boy

BoGoF wrote: »

How much would you have paid for a check up had you went? That is what their losses are.

Honest answer is, I dont know for sure.

shaun_from_Africa

Another thing to bear in mind is how difficult will it be finding another dentist in your area?
If you don't pay what is being requested or don't manage to negotiate a reduced sum, there is every possibility that the dentist will either refuse to see you again until it's paid off of simply drop you as a patient.

Undervalued

Jimmy_Boy wrote: »

Yes its private. To be honest I think I would rather not use them going forward, im just going there as thats where I always go but havent been best pleased with the work that has been done.

Are they not obliged to make you aware of cancellation fees at the time of appointment? My company will charge a missed appointment fee for their customers, but they make the customer aware at the time of the appointment and also the fee.

It would certainly be good practice but, as I said in my earlier reply, there is still an argument that a contract was formed which you have broken. In which case you are liable for their actual losses.

However, as I also said, the fact that you didn't reply to confirm when they asked could be a get out.

Keep_pedalling

Jimmy_Boy wrote: »

Are they not obliged to make you aware of cancellation fees at the time of appointment? My company will charge a missed appointment fee for their customers, but they make the customer aware at the time of the appointment and also the fee.

No, most dentists display those charges in the waiting room, and you would have been informed that a fee for missed appointment would be charges in the practice’s terms of services.

When you don’t turn up the dentist still has to pay all the overheads that go with those waisted 15 mins.

Jimmy_Boy

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

NHS dentists can’t charge for missed appointments (although I think that should be changed) so I assume this is a private dentists, so you should have been given a copy of their terms of service when you signed up with them.

Considering how much it costs to run a surgery the fee seems fair.

I believe I was given a ToS leaflet, but this was some 5+ years ago, so the information contained within it would be out of date (I would assume) and I have no idea where it is now anyway.