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Tue 27 May, 2008 03:10 pm
just wanted to know if anyone could answer this legal question for me....
I needed to go to a Specialist for a medical condition. I wasn't sure on which Dr. to go to, so I just looked up one in the phone book. I called and made an appointment with them, giving them only my name and address. I got sick later that night and was rushed to the hospital, where I stayed for three weeks. When I arrived home, I noticed a bill from that Dr. stating that I needed to pay $25 for a no-show fee, since I didn't call and cancel. I called them to tell them that I was in the hospital and wasn't able to call and cancel. They told me that I still needed to pay the fee. I told them to stick that bill in their you know what, since I wasn't even a patient of theirs, and they said that they were sending it over to the collection agency. I'm not understanding this, since I am not even a patient of theirs - in fact - anybody could have just called and gave them my name and address !!! I have excellent credit and I don't want to ruin it, but I don't want to be harassed with a bill that I don't think I need to pay. So, my question is.... Can they really do this??
In a technical sense, they are probably in the right. They did lose money because they had time blocked out for you. You might should pay the $25.
In a practical sense, the threat of damaging your credit isn't very serious. For one thing, they don't have your Social Security number. It is only $25 after all, and it probably wasn't even worth the time it took to call you.
Don't plan on seeing this particular specialist.
Well, telling them to stick it up their "you know what" was not the best way to start the communications.
Did you talk to whoever answered the phone, or someone in billing, or an office manager?
Try calling back and being pleasant. Ask to speak to a supervisor. Apologize for being angry and tell them you were having a bad day.
Ask them to help you.
If this falls, send them $25.00 and cut your loses.
Do you really want to screw your credit up over a small amount?
This doesn't sound like a hill worth dying on.
I agree; however on the other hand there was no way you could have made the appointment, since you were taken ill and were in the hospital.
The receptionist SHOULD have told you about that a "no-show" fee policy. AND they usually call to confirm the appointment the day before - at least ours do.
Eat some crow and sweet talk the office manager. Maybe you can get out of it. It is up to the Dr. whether or not to enforce the "no-show" policy.
You didn't agree to pay a no-show fee you weren't aware of, and you weren't a prior patient of theirs. Telling them to stick it where you did was the right thing to do.
But as Chai said, you maybe could have been more diplomatic: "I respectfully decline your invitation to pay you money I don't owe you. Thank you."
If you get a letter from a collection agency, write back that you dispute the validity of the debt, and demand they provide you with proof of same within 30 days.
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