This is a review of both the dentistry and skin care departments of Deme, the first of which should absolutely be avoided.
SKIN CARE
This was an awful, awful experience which I think best highlights Deme's poor and unprofessional and outright unethical business practice. I was interested in figuring out a professional skin care regimen for both my husband and I. Since we were already dental patients of Dr. Ford (see review below), I decided to try Deme, and made a joint appointment for the two of us with Jill for a consultation. In making the appointment, I specifically remember asking whether there would be a fee charged for consult, to which I was told: "No, we don't charge a fee for a consult." I clearly remember asking, and this would have been my standard question, since I was making appointments with several other offices in the Rittenhouse area and had made a point to ask all of them.
On the day of the appointment 6/1/2013, Jill, the Medical Aesthetician arrived 35 minutes late, but the office did not inform us that Jill was running late until some time after we arrived and were waiting. At this point, we decided to walk back to our home, and wait for a call from the office of her arrival. Returning to the office a second time that day, we had a 30-minute joint consult with Jill, who ultimately recommended that both my husband and I have bi-monthly skin peels and dermabrasion (approximately $200 per person, per visit).
Right before we were leaving the room at the end of our consult, Jill informed us that Deme charges $75 per person for the consult which totaled $150 for the two of us that 30 minutes. Again,I was not informed of the consult fee at any time in the process, except as we were WALKING OUT of the office FROM THAT CONSULT. I was not told of the fee: a) at the time of making the appointment (in fact, was told that there was no charge when asked!) nor; b) at the time of checking-in and filling out paperwork. Specifically, Jill said that the $150 fee would be credited toward our first procedure since they "want to light a fire" in urgency for us and get us to sign up for our first procedure. Right, I understand.
My husband was unaware that there was no fee, as he had left it to me to work out the details, and paid. I didn't argue with Deme since we were already late to pick-up my in-laws from the airport because of Jill's late arrival, and thought I would clear up the misunderstanding the next day. I also wanted to give Deme a chance to make it right. The next morning, I immediately called and spoke to Lauren and explained that I was in fact, told that there was NO consult fee and that it was not right that Deme at no time disclosed the charge until AFTER we finished our consult . She said she would talk to Deme's owner, Cheryl, about the issue and get back to me by Friday. She didn't. I followed up with her again, and she promised to get in touch with Cheryl. On this call, Lauren told me that it was impossible that someone would have told me that there was no consult fee, and "if you had asked, you would have been informed of our fee". Right, that was what I did--and she all but suggested that I lied.
A week from our consult, Lauren left me a voice message letting me know that Cheryl, Deme's owner, was willing to apply our consult fee to our first procedure. Deme was NOT issuing a refund.
I find it unacceptable and unprofessional that Deme would erroneously (or less charitably, deliberately) indicate that there is no fee involved in a consultation when asked, proceed to refuse to disclose a consultation fee until AFTER your consult as you are walking out of the consult room(!), suggest that you are lying when pressed, and refuse to issue a refund.
Unethical and unprofessional. Neither of us will continue to be a patient. AVOID AVOID AVOID. read more
