I've got a young Golden Lab that I took to Preston Road Animal Hospital for her first shots a few months back. I did like one thing, she didn't end up with the typical fear of the vet many dogs have. She had a bit of an eye infection, and it kind of surprised me that the vet looked into both her eyes, but missed the fact that the left one was red and tearing. The right one was white.
At the time, I didn't think much of it. My dog had her first shots, and still wasn't afraid of the vet.
She needs fixed, but lately I have a hard time finding a few hundred that I don't need for bills, so I was putting it off, until last week.
I got a call to work in Atlanta for 4 days, which pays really well, but what about my dog?
I called PRA, and explained that I wanted them to board her for 4 days, and do the operation while she was there. I made it very clear that I was going out of town to make some $, that the trip was what made getting her fixed possible, and that I would be able to pay them when I picked her up 4 days later.
The woman told me that my dog was also due for her second round of shots, that the cost with shots and boarding would be around $450, based on my dogs weight.
I told her I would drop the dog off on the way to the airport, pick her up 4 days later, and as long as the bill stayed under $500, I'd have enough cash to pay in full when I picked her up. She agreed, and suggested I bring her bed, toys, and favorite food when I dropped her off.
I love it when a plan comes together.
I showed up on time, with more luggage for my dog than for me. I had plenty of time to drop her off, sign a few documents, and make my flight. It was puzzling then, that I was put into an examining room with my dog and left waiting for about 20 minutes. So much for "dropping her off" on my way to the airport.
When the nurse finally showed up, she started into an up-sale routine that reminded me of buying a car from a dealership. First, she quoted me a price of way over $600.
I told her that wasn't our agreement, so she left, to talk to her supervisor and "see what she could do".
Another 10 minutes go by before she comes back in. She said "I can do $510 if I don't give her any pain medication, if I don't give her any fluids during the operation, and if I don't test her kidneys first to make sure the drugs don't kill her". "One other thing, you have to pay the $510 up front".
I decided not to comment on the obvious guilt tactics. Instead I explained again where the money was coming from, and that I really wished she would just do what we agreed on over the phone, cause I was starting to push the boarding time on my flight.
Off she goes, to "see if she can get her supervisor to agree".
Nobody there questioned whether the "$450, Pay when I pick her up" agreement was made. It was taken as fact from the start. They simply decided to ignore it and make a new one now that I was over a barrel.
I've been in the examining room for almost 40 minutes, when her supervisor comes in, saying he cant work a lower price than the painful - no fluids, take a chance on killing her with the drugs - guilt job described by his assistant, but to show he's a nice guy, he will settle for half up front.
I wondered why they thought I suddenly had more money than when I walked in. I explained that I didn't have enough to do that and pay for the front half of my travel to Atlanta.
.
At this point, they know I've run out of time to catch my flight, and in my opinion they thought they had painted me into a corner and out of options, except theirs.
What did I do?
I took my dog back home, unpacked her stuff, and spent the next two hours on the phone making arrangements for her care, and trying to arrange another flight.
I'm typing this at the airport. I've been going from gate to gate all afternoon trying to get on a standby, with no luck. After 6 hours of that, I payed the airline $150 to confirm a seat for me on the last flight out.
I had a great deal on a rental car waiting in Atlanta, but the company (off airport) is now closed for the evening, and I'm not even on a plane yet. I've found another rental car, but it's a little over a hundred more than the first car I found.
So, I'm out $250.
I've spent most of the day and evening at DFW Airport.
I'll be working all day tomorrow on about 3 hours sleep.
I owe my neighbor a really big favor.
Oh yea, my dog isn't fixed.
The ray of sunshine is, they did not get a dime of my money. from their up-sale tactics.
Like I said, my dog likes them, but I'm not impressed.
