Standard Terms and Conditions of business
Our
commitment to you:
We
aim to provide you with a first class service.
We
aim to provide your horse or pony with the highest standard of treatment and
care.
Fees.
All
fees, consumables and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee
levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs,
materials and consumables used. Details of our fees are available on request and
a detailed invoice is provided for every consultation, procedure or transaction.
Estimates can also be provided on request – see below.
Accounts
are due for settlement in full within 14 days of invoicing or upon collection of
drugs.
Your
account may be settled using:
•
Cash
•
Cheque with current banker’s card
•
Credit/Debit card – Switch, Mastercard or Visa
•
BACS (Bank Automated Credit Service)
We
will, upon request, be pleased to provide an estimate as to the probable costs
of any treatment, but please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be
approximate – often a horse’s illness will not follow a conventional course.
Payment
will be requested at the time of treatment from all new clients. This
arrangement will be reviewed after a period of three months. Accounts are
processed and invoices issued every month and payment is requested within 14
days of the invoice date. In the event of non payment within one month, one
further reminder with a non deductable administration charge (currently 2.0% of
the sum outstanding) will be sent. Overdue accounts, after due notice to you,
will be referred to our Debt Collection Agency or the County Courts if
satisfactory repayment arrangements have not been made with ourselves. This will
incur you further costs whilst collecting the debt.
Any
cheque which you issue and is returned unpaid, any credit card payment not
honoured, and
any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in your account
being restored to the original sum together with any fees incurred in the
process.
Persistent
late payment will result in the need for all fees to be paid for at the time of
treatment or withdrawal of our veterinary services.
Inability
to pay
If
you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being unable to pay your
account please discuss this matter as soon as possible with a member of staff.
Instalments or part payments of any accounts may ONLY be sanctioned with
express permission of either Mr Conor of Mrs Amanda Fenelon.
The
Acorns Equine Clinic supports the principle of insuring your horse or pony
against unexpected
illness or accidents. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle
your account with ourselves and then reclaim the fees from your Insurance
Company. With some
(but not all) Insurance Companies, you may be able be able to pay us the policy
excess and then request that the company pays us the balance directly.
Under these circumstances you must firstly get agreement from either Mr.
Conor or Mrs. Amanda Fenelon.
You must fill out any claim forms and provide any additional information
requested promptly. We
must stress that in the event of the insurance company either declining to pay
for the condition or taking longer than sixty days to provide payment, then as
above you remain liable for the full account.
Whilst
we hope that our service does not give you cause for complaint, if you do wish
to complain
please contact Mr Conor Fenelon in the first instance.
Feedback
We
are always pleased to receive feedback on the service we provide.
Case
records, x-rays and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained
by The Acorns Equine Clinic. Even though a charge may be made for carrying out
the investigations and interpreting the results, ownership of the resulting
record e.g. an x-ray or ultrasound scan remains the property of the practice.
Upon request, copies of records with a summary of the history of your horse will
be passed to another Veterinary Surgeon taking over your horses care and
treatment.
No
addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless
specifically agreed in writing
by Mr Conor Fenelon. Additionally no agent or person employed by or under
contract with the Practice has the authority to later or vary these terms and
conditions in anyway.