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Ok, so a year ago, on the 12th of December, I took my dog into Banfield because it was closeby work, I figured it was a decent place since I had had a dog before and had to give it away to a family member who said she gave it away to a vet thinking she'd care for it much better seeing as how the dog hadn't had its vaccinations with me. I was young and naive and thought Banfield would help with my new pet.

They told me about a Wellness Plan and that it would take $22 out of my checking account on the 12th of every month to pay for all the expenses and care my dog would recieve. I signed the contract and the lady said I could renew it next year if I was satisfied with the service. So a whole year goes by that we do this and overall, I was satisfied, but I was not planning on going another year because one year of those $22 payments is $264. So Banfield made my last appointment with my dog on Dec 18th.

I hadn't noticed the contract would end on Dec 12th, but I went anyways for the last one. My sister had to pick up my dog and told me they made another appointment for him in Feb 2010. I was confused...this was supposed to be the last one. I called Banfield and they told me that the contract automatically renews so to end the contract, I'd have to call customer service, which I did.

I finally did my research and was upset at what I saw. All the things that it cost me to care for my dog was significantly cheaper anywhere else. I called to end the contract and they told me that the new contract had already started and my dog had already had an appointment using money from that contract. She said it'd be cheaper to just finish another year's worth of that $22 payment every month.

I was obviously upset and asked if there was anything I could do to get out of it. She said I could pay for those months that I won't use. Paying for service my dog won't recieve? She said she could get rid of January and February's "payments" which brought it down to $197 that I could pay before March 5 to get out of the new contract.

She said that in the meantime, Banfield would automatically take out $22 every month on the 12th out of my checking account. She said that it would make my payment lower, but I'd still have to pay for it. I don't know what to do. She's saying that in that one visit with a renewed contract, I've wasted $197 that I have to pay back to them.

No visit is that much! My problem with this is that I can either pay the 197 for visits I won't use or I can go a whole other year with a total of 264. And if I pay for the 197 and take him to another vet, that's more money! It'll be cheaper for the things the plan hasn't covered, sure, but I'm not sure if it will be more than $60, the difference between the 197 or 264 I'll have to pay...........ugh......i know i messed up.

i guess i was desperate to not lose another dog to illness when there was a convenient clinic.......what should i do? the only thing that absolutely *** me off is that banfield knew that by making the appointment a few days after the contract ended, a new one would start and i'd have this problem....

Location: Houston, Texas

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Guest

Dont be upset with Banfield when it's your fault you signed a contract you didnt read. People always try and place blame on someone else for their stupidity.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-193753

Its funny, I read the contract and doing some searching around to see if anyone else has noticed the contract grammarical errors and poor spelling. Under the "Home Hospital" section, it says: " Member my change Home Hospital at any time..." I think it meant 'my'.

As well as every time the word "plan" is in the contract, it is capitalized, and should not be.

I thought it was funny. But I know the contract renews, so I am not going to be an *** about it.

Guest

The same exact thing happened to me. I was on the Wellness Plan for 4 years with an auto draft payment.

I cancelled the "contract" and was sent a bill for $560.00. When I called them to find out why, I was told it was for taking my dog into the vet for her shots and check up. I tried to explain to them that my monthly deduction should've covered that visit, because I cancelled the policy way after that. But, strangely enough, the visit was was scheduled a few days after the "renewal" began, so I'm being charged for the whole visit.

They're customer service department doesn't know what they're talking about, either! I'll never go back to BANFIELD!

Guest

I just called to cancel my Pet Wellness plan and had the Customer Service agent tell me that I had 2 more months on my contract and I couldn't cancel until after the first year. I explained that the length of commitment was not spelled out in the contract and their own agent couldn't find the length of time in it either.

He finally found something referring to annual term and blamed me for not reading my contract. I accused them of scamming their consumers; but, he asked how they were doing that.

I told him if their own employees can't find the length of contract in the fine print then obviously they were misleading the consumer. I will never purchase another wellness plan from them again.

Guest

I don't remember anywhere in the contract that the amount of payments would go up, yet I received a letter from Banfield stating they had to raise the prices.

Guest

I don't remember anywhere in the contract that the amount of payments would go up, yet I received a letter from Banfield stating they had to raise the prices.

Guest

As a employee of Banfield you are snide and nasty. Banfield is a rip off and take advantage of people who love their pets.

My experience is similar to the one posted above. I took my cat to Banfield for shots, the individual working the counter said they could discount the services if I signed up for a contract. I thought it was a good idea, there wasn't any mention that if your pet die, run away etc. you are required to pay out of the contract.

My cat became sick, employees at Banfield encouraged me to return a week later for blood work, knowing that blood work under the renewed contract would automatically obligate me to pay out the contract. The physicians and staff knew at the time that my cat was very ill, but continue to drag me on with hope that another blood test would produce some results or diagnosis, which it did not. After the death of my cat I called to terminate the contract they refused. This company is a joke, and just want your money.

I would suggest you go to a real vet, not Banfield. If you have a contract review your contract and terminate before the renewal date.

Guest

As a employee of Banfield you are snide and nasty. Banfield is a rip off and take advantage of people who love their pets.

My experience is similar to the one posted above. I took my cat to Banfield for shots, the individual working the counter said they could discount the services if I signed up for a contract. I thought it was a good idea, there wasn't any mention that if your pet die, run away etc. you are required to pay out of the contract.

My cat became sick, employees at Banfield encouraged me to return a week later for blood work, knowing that blood work under the renewed contract would automatically obligate me to pay out the contract. The physicians and staff knew at the time that my cat was very ill, but continue to drag me on with hope that another blood test would produce some results or diagnosis, which it did not. After the death of my cat I called to terminate the contract they refused. This company is a joke, and just want your money.

I would suggest you go to a real vet, not Banfield. If you have a contract review your contract and terminate before the renewal date.

Guest

Wow, Banfield Employee, you really know how to handle customer service complaints, don't you?

While you may be correct that the customer should have read the contract and that it is legally binding, you don't have to be rude when you write your comments. You know that by the way you responded, Banfield is likely to lose customers?

You should seriously consider taking some business writing classes before you respond to other complaints.

Guest

The practice I go to explains the contract in detail and even tells you about the automatic renewal and how to cancel it before it ends - this is a case of a CSC not knowing how to do there job!

Guest

So when you signed your legally binding agreement and were presented the papers which you obviously signed, did you not read the contract? This is not a case of getting riped off but rather a case of a grown adult signing anything that is presented to them just because it sounded good at the time the services were rendered.

It's not Banfields fault that you failed to read the terms of agreement. So blame your self. I personally have a Wellness Plan and I took it upon my self to read what I was signing. But thats neither here nor there.

For future refrences you know now that when you sign papers that you should read them. As far as anything else sorry that you feel the way you do but I was a Banfield client long before I became an employee and I as well as many others think the company is a God sent.

If we didnt feel this way then they wouldnt have been around since 1955. Thanks!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-101361

It's not how long they have been around - it's how much longer they will be around with overpriced services and "your contract just renewed, sorry" cancelation routine.

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