What would happen if I refuse to pay my dentist who charges me fees for missing the appointment?
zhl2o3 asked:
My dentist is charging me $30 because I was outside the U.S. and wasn’t able to cancel my appointment (I did not bring the phone number with me). I strongly believe my situation is justifiable. If I refuse to pay them the fee, what would happen? Will it affect my credit score? Thanks.
My dentist is charging me $30 because I was outside the U.S. and wasn’t able to cancel my appointment (I did not bring the phone number with me). I strongly believe my situation is justifiable. If I refuse to pay them the fee, what would happen? Will it affect my credit score? Thanks.
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You may be looking for a new dentist. Email, many cell phone plans, VOIP, all know no boundaries and costs are minimal to non-existent.
He blocked out the time for your benefit. When you didn’t show, he lost the opportunity to have another patient scheduled. since any patient would probably have resulted in more then 30 dollars in revenue, it seems reasonable to me that he is charging you less then what he lost as a result of your actions. Barry C
Be prepared to pay cash before your next dental appointment.Yes, it will be reported to the medical dental bureau, and from there, to the credit bureau. Barry auh2o
Did the dentist’s office call you to remind you of the appointment? (Mine does)
One can get phone numbers on the internet, or e-mail a friend to call the dentist for you. red riter
The dentist is justified in charging you for the time he set aside, particularly if he informed you of the policy in advance. Realistically, I doubt that he will take you to court over 30 dollars. But you’ll have to find another dentist, and probably pay more for the initial visit. I get the impression that you don’t like this dentist anyway.
It used to be the case that unpaid debts to a physician or dentist did not hurt your credit rating. I do not know whether that is still the case. yutsnark
A) He’ll probably tell you to find a new dentist.
B) He’ll report you as a non-paying client to the dental billing database in your State, which means that when you DO find a new dentist, he’ll want payment up front for treatments, and likely even even a credit card number to even make an appointment.
Richard rickinnocal
This happens in my family ALL The time. Absolutely nothing will happen. It’s a risk of doing business. And, it’s a very easy charge to fight. It’s so easy to fight that Doctors and Dentists now try and call 24 hours in advance to REMIND you that you have an appointment. Obviously, they do this to reduce their risk…. giving them a chance to fill the spot at the last minute.
How come it’s easy to fight?
— There is no hard evidence that you made the appointment
— There is no hard evidence that they wrote down the same appointment time for you as they recorded in their books. Fact is that many jot down the appointment wrong on either the card or their books.
— There is just as much a chance that they’ll cancel the appointment on you without notice as you do them. How many OBGYN’s cancel their entire schedule (while patients wait) to handle a baby? Do you get to charge them for the time you took off work? NO.
The costs are just way too small to go after in small claims court. And, without this action…. it’s a he said / she said issue. Some doctors will send it to a collections agency. But, if you contest it within the 30 day window, they just send it back to the doctors office as uncollectable.
If they send me to collections, they loose my business and subsequent recurring income. If they forgive, then I’ll continue to frequent them (without any ramifications I might add). After all, I still forgive them for making me wait when I SHOW UP ON TIME. Zeltar
17 years ago, I started a log of the hours that I’ve had to wait after I’ve arrived on time for my appointment. The first time a doctor or dentist hits me with this kind of fee, I’m going to present a bill for my time spent in his waiting room. Bite My Shiny Metal ……
If the dentist has it posted in his office in plain view that you will be charged for missed appointments then you gotta pay it. Some dentists would let it slide but it depends on your dentist. You can refuse to pay it and go to another dentist but he may report you to the credit office although I’ve never heard of such a thing. Good Luck diamondknife