TOPIC: Opposed to Pre-Charge for Services Not Yet Rendered
LOCATION: General practice is corporate owned and located in Atlanta, Georgia (company name withheld by pets.care).
SUBMITTED: Name (withheld by pets.care). March 5, 2025.

I am writing to express my strong issue with having to pay an upfront $250 fee to “reserve” a cat teeth-cleaning appointment more than 3 weeks ahead of time. This is the first time in more than 25 years of going to this practice that I’ve encountered such a fee.

It is not ethical, in my view, to take people’s money and leverage it to your benefit while the client is losing use of the money and possibly incurring interest charges. I understand that if an appointment is made and no cancellation is given in advance, a penalty or charge should be applied. But, this charge to reserve an appointment is unfair and inappropriate.

This is why corporatization of veterinary practices has such a negative reputation, despite your efforts to mask that reality.

RELATED:

  • To charge or not to charge? Preventing veterinary appointment no-shows
    https://vetsource.com/blog/to-charge-or-not-to-charge-preventing-veterinary-appointment-no-shows/

    • Veterinary practices have recently adopted the strategy of charging non-refundable deposits for appointment reservations. This strategy has made a big difference in the amount of client no-shows they experience.
    • Most practices are choosing to require a deposit for their new clients.
    • Some practices require a deposit equal to the exam fee. Others require a percentage of the estimated cost of the appointment or a flat fee.

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