Banfield Pet Hospital review: overcharging / rip off 11

I went there for a yeast infection. My dog is kept up to date on shots, etc. I was told it would be 42.00 for a visit. First thing I know they are on the computer and adding up "everything" he needed, and it came to 500.00. I was told to go away for a while... then come back. When I got back, you have no clue what they have or have not done. I paid the huge bill and was very sorry I did not go to my local vet down the street. Never again.

Regards181c3

I agree with every post. This wellness plan was pushed at me every time I turned around until I bought one, what a rip off. I was told it covered teeth cleaning so I took my dog to have his teeth cleaned. If you call paying 300.00 unexpected dollars above the wellness plan that was not mentioned until after the service was preformed free then I suppose it was. Every time I go to banfield it cost me three times what a normal vet would cost even with the so called wellness plan. here is the kicker, try to cancel it! I now have the exact date that I must call on to do this and when this nightmare is over I will never ever step foot in one again.

I have called not to renew the Banfield rip-off plan and have asked for a confirmation letter. You can call now not to renew if your plan is up in a few months

I fully agree they are ripping off people. The wellness plan is their biggest rip off. I have owned several very happy healthy dogs and they went to the vet at most once a year if they had no out of the ordinary things happen between visits. Banfield has you bring your pet in for Comprehensive Wellness exams at which point there are always additional charges. My sons's dog was diagnosed as having a yeast infection in her ears- but lo and behold on her next visit her ears were great and he had not used any of the over priced medicine they sold him. Then they tried to tell me my dog had the exact same infection and I told them they were wrong- no symptoms at all. They know you can't take that chance so I told them to go ahead and do the swab but if it came out negitive I would not pay for it. It was negative. I am contacting Banefield Corp to file a complaint with them and demand a refund and put them on notice. They also charge for "extra restrant" when no extra restraint is used... they are scamming people out of their hard earned money and we need to make them stop.

Please let me know if any of the Banfield Corporate complaint letters are answered satisfactorily. I have been routinely charged hundreds of dollars (above the wellness plan, I also bought) for exams my dog did not need. Even when I told them he didn't have the symptoms of what they wanted to check him for and I thought it was something else (each time I was correct by the way -- he always had exactly what I said, first parvo then giardia.) They insisted on tons of tests and when I complained that I'd told them not to do x-rays, they said 'you signed off' and that was all they would say. I am going to write a letter to there corporate office and complain specifically about their vet Dr. Kit to the Veterinary Medical Board here in California. I am so upset.

I just recently had my roomate take the dog fi an ear infection. It was unbelieveble, after all was done, she walked out paying over $200 for meds. The Amoxicillin was $50 alone, this is a medication that costs them $8 for a bottle of a 100. I am in the healthcare field and I know for a fact what wholesale prices are in meds. I also have a niece in NY that is a vet and know that the meds given are no different for dogs as humans. I completely believe this is very unethical. They should be ashamed of themselves. Never will I take my dog there.

Yeah, I had a similar experience to rocy7x7. I have been on the Wellness Plan for two years (I am canceling the renewal) ... and they told me my dog needed an additional ear examination and an ear flush. $60 ... but they marked the Examination Report as his ears being "Clean and Odor Free." Why would you sell me product and service when there wasn't an issue. They were also going to charge me $800 in additional charges for a dental cleaning covered by the Wellness Plan. Heavens knows the stuff they tried to throw in there. The manager at my local Banfield in Ithaca, New York refuses to try to fix things. These people need to be out of business. I hate being gouged!

It makes me tired reading some of these complaints. If you have an issue with charges, it is best to take it up with the nurse presenting the estimate. If you sign the estimate then it makes all the sense in the world that the staff should be paid for their time. If you pre-approve and amount at drop off, you are obligated to pay. If you drop your pet off and they do things without your permission above your preapproval, I can see where you might be upset. As far as the wellness plans go, if it is insurance it would say so. If it covered everything there would not be different levels would there? It says in the contract you sign as well as in the pamphlets displayed in every Banfield that it IS NOT insurance. The plan covers a preventive care package. THATS PREVENTIVE, not treatment of, but prevention of issues. If your pet has an ear infection, that is a condition or illness therefore not prevention. Preventive care includes: routine deworming, routine bloodwork, routine vaccines, routine fecal exam to check for parasites, routine examinations, annual radiographs, ect. So no, treatment is not included in a wellness plan. But it does save you money if treatment needs to be given between 5-20% depending on your level. You can not call something a rip off just because you dont read a contract you sign. If you only visit the hospital once every year, yes you are wasting your money. If you do not communicate with your veterinary staff about the examinations you are paying for then yes, you are being ripped off and are apparently not a good candidate for a wellness plan. And of course the staff is going to get on you about joining a wellness plan. Anyone going to a banfield more than twice a year should join a membership, its only cost effective to do so. But that is only if you utilize the services provided. As far as Abby's mom is concerned. They can write you a prescription, you did not need to buy medication for $50 if you can buy it elsewhere for $8. That was your choice. Now, if you are saying that it costs $8 wholesale and that they marked it up...how do you feel about the $15 tablet of asprin that patients administer themselves in the hospital? Or the $300 pack of monocryl suture that costs no more than $5 to the hospital. If you are a nurse you know things are marked up. Vet clinics perform minimal mark ups compared to human medicine. There just isnt a copay yet so people complain about it more.

First and last time ever dealing with Banfield. My regular vet is amazing And the only vet I trust for a reason. When i couldn't get into my regular vet while my new cat had a worsening URI, I took her to banfield out of desperation after she refused food for nearly 24 hours.. I knew that they were known extortionists but figured it would be a simple visit just to get her some antibiotics until I can follow up with my regular vet. 2 minutes after handing my cat over the vet was already calling to say that she completed her exam (after the girl that took her back happily told me that "Dr. Kim is very quick with her exams") and of course suggested that we start completely re doing her vaccines, FIV, FEVP, etc. Tests that I KNEW she already had just because I didn't have records in hand yet. I declined it all as i was expecting that.. I brought up all my concerns before the exam so that the vet could properly address them. She never did. I had to keep asking for every little thing. You could tell that she didn't actually check her out. She was giving me the most generic [censored] answers. Didn't bother to mention that she has Stomatitis. But put in her treatment notes, without actually saying anything, that she had "minor gum inflammation". No mention of the missing and broken teeth. Told me that she somehow didn't notice her excessive drooling that I brought up that has been CONSTANT. I tried to brush it off and just say, okay we got the Clavamox. That's all I came for. I paid $43 for a 15 Ml bottle which was just enough to finish her 10 day course. Even though Clavamox 15 ml retails for no more than $30 anywhere else and the most I've ever paid was $25.. when i got home, I realized that bottle was MAYBE half full. After just a couple days of giving her meds, I realized that it was not going to be enough to finish her course. When i called to tell them, they told me they could refill it for me. I told them that I'm not paying for a refill when I already paid for a bottle that should've been more than enough. They said that's fine and that I could just come pick it up. That was 2 days ago. the icing on the cake happened today when I went to pick it up. They gave it to me no charge, then a few hours later I got a call from the girl at the front desk. I answer "hi, is this Miranda?" I say "yes, who's this?" And I get a "oof geez..." followed later by "..i know we've been [censored]ing up alot". Super professional. She called me to tell me "oh. We're sorry but we just realized that she actually needed 2 bottles to begin with but we only charged you for one. " so I said oh, that's why they were both half full? Thinking that that's just how they sell them and that the $43 was for both seeing as they deceive you by selling you 15 Ml that they've removed half from the bottle. She wanted to charge me over the phone for the second bottle she gave me. That's $86 for A 10 DAY COURSE OF CLAVAMOX. $86 for 2 half full 15 Ml bottles. That's the definition of a Scam. I paid it like an idiot and immediately regretted it. Called back to reiterate how ridiculous that is. Then i get "Well sorry but I don't control the prices" that's not even just a matter of pricing. That's a scam. You're advertising a certain price for a certain dose while only giving you half so that you can be forced to buy 2. Anyways, I'll be talking to their manager tomorrow and I'll either get a refund or dispute it with my bank.