Nightmare experience! I've been a client of Millhopper Veterinary (now Banfield) for four years and always found the staff friendly and the vets competent and courteous. Thank you, Doctors Harris, Downs, and Wilkening! Unfortunately, your office manager says you refuse to speak to me so I cannot thank you in person or explain what happened. When I tried to reach Dr. Harris by phone, the OM intercepted the call and would not allow me to speak to him.
What I have to say virtually echoes what others who have given Banfield negative reviews have written. (Sadly, I didn't read them when the practice changed hands.) Since Millhopper became Banfield, even with the same vets, it has become a literal hell to deal with. This is my recent experience:
I took my dog Elma for her annual prepaid wellness exam. After the exam (done by a vet I had never met and was not able to meet) I was charged for various things not part of the prepaid plan. I paid the bill, nevertheless, except for the unsolicited and unwanted flea meds, via my Mastercard, which they have on file for my prepaid wellness plan.
Not long after I left the office and was at another appointment, the office manager called and demanded that I return immediately and pay my bill in cash. I found this very rude, especially for a long-time client who had never had any problem with payment. I knew my card was good and my bank account was more than adequate to cover the change. I suggested she try running it through again, as occasionally it happens that a first try fails.
She then called me at home and said if I didn't come in immediately and pay in cash she would send my bill out for collection.
I've never had any bill go to collection. I replied that if she did that she would lose valuable a client. Why not, instead, talk to the credit card company and try to find out the problem? I called Mastercard, which said that no one from Banfield had tried to access my account. They suggested that it is not unusual for a card reader to misread the card number. I then called Millhopper/Banfield and read my card number aloud to the OM and an unidentified male person who was present. They had my card number off by one number, and when they entered the correct number it went through Mastercard immediately. The OM made no apology for threatening to send my bill to collection.
My next visit was for a minor emergency for my dog's eye. I was asked to sign a payment agreement in advance for procedures that had not been done. I refused to sign anything in advance and was told by the office girl (not manager) that the vet would call to get authorization for anything beyond what was covered by my wellness plan. Unfortunately, Dr. Harris didn't call until after administering a drug. But he didn't charge for it, only for the eye medication he prescribed.
The OM came out to my car without the medication to "get" my credit card first. I reminded her that she had gotten my "real" number when I called last time, and unfortunately I did not have the card on me as it had slipped under the floor of my van the previous day and I planned to order a replacement when I got home. I don't know the card number offhand. She said she did not input my real number last time and that the whole previous problem was my fault. I reminded her that Mastercard said it was not uncommon for a machine to misread a card number. The OM then said she didn't believe me or Mastercard and that there was absolutely nothing wrong with their machine. (Rather than being so hostile, why didn't she just ask me to pay by check, which I would have done? And how was it that when I read my card to them last time it went through right away? Did I have two cards? One good and one bad with almost the same numbers?) I am not a liar or a cheater.
I tried to reach Dr. Harris, but the OM intercepted my call. She said the vets refuse to talk to me, implying that they find me objectionable to deal with. She said I was the only person she had ever had a problem with. If I cannot speak to the vets, I cannot verify if what she said about them is true or not. Such mistrust and disrespect of a client is incompatible with a professional relationship.
The OM then said she was coming out to my car with a script. I thought she meant she was going to read something, and I objected. She told me she had given me discounts in the past but would never do so in future. I told her I'd never asked for a discount other than the senior discount given to everyone. She handed me a written prescription. I asked what I was supposed to do with it. She said to get it filled with Chewy. I didn't even know Chewy handled prescriptions, but obviously mail order would take too long and my dog would need it that day. She said it wasn't her problem and walked away leaving me shaking with fear and anger. Not only was she threatening and insulting to me, but she was cruel to my dog. That is going too far. read more