Pet Owners Beware: Overcharging Techniques at VCA swindled a pet owner on a fixed budget. Dr. Mauling Chinn DMV has always been extremely pleasant. The staff at VCA Decatur Animal Hospital were generally friendly too on this last visit. That is not why I am leaving a Yelp. I am leaving a Yelp for being OVERCHARGED for basic routine dog vaccinations and I feel I was taken advantage of and way overcharged while being on a small fixed SSDI income. They are in a Brand New Building this year and it looks like they are upcharging to pay for this brand new vet hospital.
I was charged a total of $207.15 for just routine vaccinations on two tiny breed dogs who are healthy. These same routine shots are available at the feed store for a third of the cost. Why did they charge me so much???!!!!
(Dog#1- $56 office visit + $19.03+$19.03+$19.03=$113.09)
(Dog#2- $56+$19.03+$19.03=$94.06)
Total Cost of Visit: $207.15
I was originally seen back two years ago when I adopted my first dog from the Las Vegas Mohave Animal Shelter on 01/04/2015. Everything went smooth that visit and Year. The voucher from the shelter covered everything (neuter, all shots, micro chip, and f/u shot visits) that was all included in the adoption with Dog#1.
Our new puppy Dog#2 was from a personal friends home (no adoption from shelter- no voucher) yet I am a responsible pet owner and brought her in for just initial simple routine shots along with my now two year old dog for his annual routine shots.
I'm thinking the bill at most will be approx. less than $100 max.
It was not. In fact, according to my friend (an experienced Vet Nurse of many years in Las Vegas) said we were taken advantage of by VCA for an expensive shot clinic visit with unnecessary charges ($56 visit x2=$112 should of been included with the vaccinations).
Solution: VCA should refund me the $112 to assure I can eat this month. If not, it looks like I will be eating dog food and top ramen for the remainder of the month.
We can only hope VCA Decatur understands that I am on a fixed budget and does the honorable thing and refund me the $112 to ease my pocketbook and not overcharge me for high priced vaccinations 3 times the cost that it should be.
We shall keep you posted on the progress and see if VCA's customer service and billing department Chooses the Right and refund me some monies.
My Vet Nurse friend said, "Any honorable Vetinarian hospital performing basic routine vaccinations would/should/will refund you. You should never have been charged this much."
Stay tuned...we shall see if they are honorable and posses integrity.
Just FYI.... they refused to refund the fees nor provide any compensation/discount or even a thank you for my deposit.