St Arnaud Veterinary Clinic Cancellation, Payment and Refund Policy:

 

• Cancellations made over 24 hours before the scheduled appointment will incur no charges.

• Cancellations made less than 24 hours but over 2 hours before the scheduled appointment will result in a charge of 50% of the consultation fee.

• Cancellations made 2 hours or less before the scheduled appointment, or no-shows, will be charged the full consultation fee.

• For surgeries, cancellations on the day of the procedure will incur a charge of half the estimated fee.

 

Why do we implement this policy? At our practice, we strive to provide high-quality care while keeping prices reasonable for all our clients. Implementing our cancellation policy helps us achieve this goal by minimizing disruptions to our schedule and ensuring that appointments are available for those in need. No shows and last-minute cancellations result in wasted time and inefficient use of resources, as we still incur staffing and overhead costs despite the appointment being unused.

 

By enforcing our policy, we aim to encourage responsible appointment management and maintain fairness for all our clients.

 

Refund Policy:

1. Medications: We are unable to issue refunds for any medications purchased due to regulations. Returned medication cannot be resold. 

2. Over-the-Counter Purchases: Refunds for over-the-counter purchases may be considered providing they are un-opened, unused and in original condition.

3. Special Orders: All special orders are non-refundable. Once an order has been placed for a special item, it cannot be cancelled or refunded.

4. Any refrigerated products cannot be refunded.

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Payment Policy

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We no longer offer accounts or inhouse payment plans, even if you have had one previously. Payment is required at time of service. If you require a payment plan you will need to organise it with a financial provider PRIOR to receiving treatment.

If you are in financial hardship and unable to cover the costs of services at the time of treatment, you need to inform the clinic prior to receiving treatment. Failure to do so may result in additional charges and future refusal of services.

 

Payment Terms:

Payment of all accounts is due in full, on the day that the service has been provided.
Payment can be made by the following methods:

• EFTPOS or Cash

• Electronic funds transfer to our bank account whilst in clinic

• Vet Pay or other financial provider

 

Emergency surgery and after hours:

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Emergency surgery: Clients will receive either a written or verbal estimate prior to admission. A deposit of half the estimated costs may be time of admission.

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Afterhours: A prepayment over the phone may be required prior to seeing any animal at the clinic afterhours.

For afterhours home/farm visits, the prepayment of the expected travel cost and consultation charges may be required prior to a  vet traveling to your location

 

Farm/Home Visits

All mobile vets are equipped with Mobile EFT Machines. As per our payment policy, all fees incurred for farm visits are payable at time of treatment.

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Avenues for Funding

While unexpected vet bills can be stressful, there are many avenues of funding available to help you get the funds you need to care for your loved ones. We have compiled a list of some of the options available. Some of these options do not require credit checks and may help even if you don’t have the best financial history.

 

Buy now pay later services:

These services loan the money to make purchases now, and allow flexible, often interest free repayment plans. There generally will be some fees such as account and payment fees. Common providers are:

Afterpay

Zip Pay/ Zip Money

Klarna

CommBank StepPay

Nab Now Pay Later

 

Vet Specific Loans:

These are companies providing loans specifically tailored for paying vet bills. They do generally charge interest and sometimes other charges may also apply so be sure you fully understand all the costs involved. They are generally longer term loans with repayment terms from 1-3+ years. Some providers include:

Vetpay

Vet Bill Buddy

Pay My Vet Bill

MediPay Pets

 

Centrelink:

If you receive Centrelink benefits you may be able to apply for advanced payment which is an interest free loan.

 

Pet Insurance:

Having pet insurance can help by paying a majority of emergency vet bills. Now a large number of insurers are part of the Gap Only plan where rather than having to pay the entire bill and claiming back from your insurer, you only pay the gap and the insurer pays the bulk to the clinic.

 

Other funding avenues:

Good Shepherd No Interest Loans (specifically for low-income earners or people experiencing financial hardship)

Before Pay

Personal loan from your usual bank

Croud Funding e.g. GoFundMe

Pet Medical Crisis

Private loan from family or friends

 

Useful Resources:

moneysmart.gov.au This website from the Australian Government provides lots of free financial tips and tools, including information about many loan types, things to watch out for when getting a loan and advice and guidance on managing debt.

National Debt Helpline Free advice on how to manage your debts. They can help you learn about your rights and talk through solutions and plans to resolve difficult financial situations.  1800 007 007

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