Payment at time of service. Refund? When we get around to it!

[Basil]

My youngest son was to have a dental procedure that would cost over $1100! Because I was paying for it, and payment is required at time of service, I paid over the phone by credit card ahead of time.

A little while later, my son called and informed me he didn't need the $1100 procedure after all. Turns out the work done was about $650 less. However, they had already charged my card for $1100. I assumed they would automatically refund the difference, but after three weeks, I didn't see the refund in my card, so I called the Dental office. The lady said they had to get approval for the reimbursement (approval from who?). Anyway I asked her if she could expedite it as I didn't like carrying that large charge on my card.

Three more weeks go by and still no refund, so I called again today. The lady checks and says "it looks like the refund was approved and should be credited back to your card in about three weeks." If true, it will end up being 9 weeks total before I get my refund!

It's funny how they insist on immediate payment but don't care how much time they take to give you back money you're owed! Grrrrrrr

 

[NutmegCT]

Credit card rate of interest on debt: 16%
Bank rate of interest on savings: .01%

One might just possibly think that the deck is stacked ...

 

[Basil]

Credit card rate of interest on debt: 16%
Bank rate of interest on savings: .01%

One might just possibly think that the deck is stacked ...

My primary credit card is 9% but I get your drift and I agree. (One reason I don't have a lot in a "savings" account).

 

[Bayless]

I suspect you will tell them what you actually think of that dastardly practice but only after you have the refund safely in hand. I also suspect you won't be able to post that discussion for all of us to see since you would surely have to ban yourself for life.

 

[Basil]

I suspect you will tell them what you actually think of that dastardly practice but only after you have the refund safely in hand.

I did tell the lady (assuring her I wasn't mad at her) that I found it rather disappointing that their office insists on instant payment for services, but they don't have a similar concern for promptness when the money is flowing the other direction.

 

[NutmegCT]

In a similar vein, many companies today are going "paperless". So you get an email saying "You have a message". You then click the link, sign in, enter password, and read the message. Company 1, customer 0.

 

[waltesefalcon]

I did tell the lady (assuring her I wasn't mad at her) that I found it rather disappointing that their office insists on instant payment for services, but they don't have a similar concern for promptness when the money is flowing the other direction.

What was her response?

 

[Gliderman8]

I took my family out to breakfast last Sunday. I inserted my credit card into the reader and added a tip. After it went through I realized a $15 tip turned into a $150 tip as I inadvertently hit an extra zero. The manager said "no problem, I will void that purchase and will ring it up again". This time I entered the correct amount and paid it. When I got back, I checked my account and found that BOTH charges went through
My credit card company is very good about issuing credit and has always given good customer Service.
Getting your money back is like pulling teeth

 

[Basil]

What was her response?

Just that. "yes, I'm sorry, it will take another 3 weeks."

 

[Basil]

I took my family out to breakfast last Sunday. I inserted my credit card into the reader and added a tip. After it went through I realized a $15 tip turned into a $150 tip as I inadvertently hit an extra zero. The manager said "no problem, I will void that purchase and will ring it up again". This time I entered the correct amount and paid it. When I got back, I checked my account and found that BOTH charges went through
My credit card company is very good about issuing credit and has always given good customer Service.
Getting your money back is like pulling teeth

I had a similar experience at Olive Garden back on Veteran's Day. Myself, my wife and my older son went there since they were offering a free meal for veterans. My son and I are both vets, so I only had to pay for the wife's meal. Well, after checking out, I remember thinking "that seemed high for just my wife." As we were driving home, I couldn't get the thought out of my head that somethign wasn't right about the cost, given mine and my son's were supposed to be free that day.

About 1/4 way home, I did a U-turn and went back and talked to the manager, explaining that it appears from the receipt that we were charged for all three meals. The manager was great about it and said the waiter who attended us was new and just messed up. ANyway, she was able to reveres the original charge and re-charge us for the correct (much lower) amount. In this case, the reversal right through right away.

 

[AngliaGT]

Sounds like a couple of my former landlords when we rented.
The got the cleaning deposit up front,but took a few weeks after we moved
out to get it back,even though we told them we'd be moving out a few weeks
prior.

 

[DavidApp]

That is why I always do a cash tip. Watch out for the bill with the tip already added in for you.
Also a long time ago our daughter worked at a restaurant that was part of a national restaurant chain . She informed us that they often did not get their credit card tips till the end of the month and if the tip was more than %15 they docked their pay by the amount needed to get the tip to %15. Not sure if that was company policy or a local manager trying it on.

David

 

[DrEntropy]

That is why I always do a cash tip. Watch out for the bill with the tip already added in for you.
Also a long time ago our daughter worked at a restaurant that was part of a national restaurant chain . She informed us that they often did not get their credit card tips till the end of the month and if the tip was more than %15 they docked their pay by the amount needed to get the tip to %15. Not sure if that was company policy or a local manager trying it on.

David

For a tip, it's cash in my case as well. Those folks WORK for their money.

That pay docking to lower a tip to 15% sounds really fishy. How would the "house" be able to lower a worker's draw for that? Seems like a lot of extra effort for the accounting folks. Every bill would need to be examined and calculated, each worker's tickets separated.
And it sounds like a "skimming" operation to boot!

 

[AngliaGT]

Here in Virginia,waitresses make something like $2.13/hour.
I think people would tip better (for good service) if they knew that.
I always try to pay in cash with the correct amount.

 

[DrEntropy]

Having seen the restaurant business from the inside (through the eyes of da 'mits), there are as always good and bad outfits. It would stand to reason the wait staff are the "front-end" of the business, not just order takers and food runners. Most are the only representatives the customers have contact with. Their job is as much a P.R. effort as it is serving food, but too many places consider them just replaceable drones. In one instance (and truly rare in that business) an entire wait staff were with the company for over a decade ('84~'96) with rare exception, until the business changed hands and "rules." That group of staff folks made the restaurant successful for years, but after new owners who thought they were "The Only Schloss in Town" ran it into the dirt by cutting corners with food quality and other poor management practices (one was 'pooling' tips; incentive lost), it shut down within a year in spite of staff efforts. Quality management coupled with people happy and eager to work make a business successful. Lose one or the other and things go downhill fast.

To this day that group of servers, cooks, bartenders and managers(!) all stay in touch with each other, even have "reunions" where some come from across the country to attend. Folks who worked as a team, creating a place people were happy to frequent. Even some of them have remained friends with staff members. The place was unique in my opinion.

 

[mikephillips]

Sounds like a couple of my former landlords when we rented.
The got the cleaning deposit up front,but took a few weeks after we moved
out to get it back,even though we told them we'd be moving out a few weeks
prior.

years ago when I rented, lived in an older duplex. The people that bought it from landlord told me to move out so they could renovate, ok that was their right and I did. They refused to return any cleaning deposit citing the fact that the carpet was 25+ years old and worn and the windows were single pane glass. And told me I was lucky they had decided not to sue me and it prior owner for the costs of a complete gut and renovation. Wasn't worth fighting over for $400, I'd spend more than that through legal fees anyway.

As for the talk of tips above, worked one college summer in a country club restaurant, The woman who had the contract to run it took 50% of all tips, as she said, it was her due for deeming the staff worth employing. I left after a month, always felt bad for those for whom it was the support themselves job.

 

[Popeye]

Full disclosure: my wife is a dentist.

She can give a refund right-here-right-now. I suspect any business owner can - the card readers can make deposits and refunds. Obviously employees need to make sure a refund is legit.

Her policy is payment after treatment; if you pay on the day of treatment you get a nice discount, otherwise she'll send a bill. (Her practice is small and she knows all the patients, so she knows who she needs to "prod" for payment. And she can't afford to stick a $500 surcharge on anyone!)

Bizarre that the dental office was not able to issue the refund ASAP. Sounds fishy; disappointing at best.

 

[Bayless]

They could and of course should have issued the refund on the spot. They just didn't want to.

 

[Basil]

Bizarre that the dental office was not able to issue the refund ASAP. Sounds fishy; disappointing at best.

I agree. It’s not a single dentist in private practice, this is one of those large scale dental conglomerates. That probably has something to do with it.

 

[DrEntropy]

Last year had to find a dentist to issue an antibiotic for an abscess, on a Saturday. Only one open was a "machine" outfit. Had their own pharmacy next door. What a money machine!

Pain can loosen a wallet fast!