Banfield Pet HospitalReviews of banfield.com

My pet died, and I called to cancel the remainder of my wellness plan. I was told that I would have to either pay the remainder of the payments that would have been due for the year, OR pay what I would have been charged without the plan. Perhaps I should have poured over the contract, but who does, which is why I'm hoping this review will help others. However, these terms seem to and capitalize on loving pet owners who are only trying to do the best for their animals. Death is out of our control and should be an exception to the rule. Furthermore, I used their cremation services, (and, no, the plan doesn't provide any discounts on this) so their was definite proof of when my pet passed. Moreover, in my case, after having the plan since 2007 and utilizing services only a fraction of that time, I'm sure the plan has more than paid for itself. Regardless, having their hands out for more money while you're trying to grieve your dead pet is not a good look. For a practice that is supposedly "committed to making a better world for pets," they might want to treat their owners a little better.

I've been a Banfield member for over 8 years and have two pets covered under their wellness plan. The good thing about Banfield is there are many locations to choose from so when they are booked for long periods of time (as they usually are), we can choose a different location. The bad thing about Banfield is they seem to be more about the money and less about your pet's health or customer service. Recently I had the worst experience ever during a visit to Edina, MN Banfield. It started with an urgent appointment for a cat that was vomiting and lethargic. We thought she may have eaten something poisonous outside. Problem #1. They didn't have an in-person appointment so we dropped off our cat and gave all the information to the already overwhelmed front desk person. Unfortunately, the front desk person did not write down that our cat had been outside and we were concerned that she may have eaten something (btw, I repeated this many times). Problem #2. Although we pay over $100 per month for a cat and a dog on their wellness program, Banfield is always trying to get us to pay more at every visit. They use well-known sales techniques including making you feel guilty. Knowing this, I've learned to take things slow and ask for one step at a time rather than everything all at once. When Dr. Meyer called she recommended testing. Some tests were covered under our plan, but about $400 was not. I opted to start with what was covered under our plan and see what we learned before paying $400. This was not what they wanted to hear. Problem #3. I got a call to pick up our cat. When I arrived, they had two medications for $70. One for acid reflux and another to calm the gut. No mention of the plan to do the other tests, no mention of the continued vomiting, and no mention of what to do about the fact that she may not be able to eat/drink to take the meds. I foolishly put my trust in this Banfield that they had listened to our concerns and that they knew better than me. Problem #4. Four hours later our cat was much worse. I called Banfield and it was then that I found out that the front desk person had not mentioned she had been outside. I was furious! I felt she had been misdiagnosed and we had been given $70 worth of meds based on this misdiagnosis. Not only that but after reviewing the test results I discovered that only one of the two tests was able to be performed and the test result was negative. If this was the case why didn’t the doctor get back to me and continue with our plan to go to the next step and get more testing? They couldn't get us in for another appointment. Problem #5. We ultimately ended up in the Pet Emergency Hospital. $3,000 later we discovered the problem stemmed from a hairball stuck in the small intestine. Thankfully the pet hospital was able to help our cat and give her fluids until she could naturally pass the hairball. They did the right thing by telling us our choices every step of the way, the pros and cons, and the costs. At one point it was very touch and go and it looked like surgery might be needed. If it had, the total bill would have been around $10,000! IF THE HOSPITAL HANDLED THE SITUATION AS Edina Banfield DID EITHER OUR CAT WOULD BE DEAD BECAUSE WOULDN'T SHELL OUT $10,000 RIGHT AWAY OR WE'D BE PAYING $10,000 FOR A SURGERY THAT COULD BE AVOIDED IF WE WORKED TOGETHER AND TOOK THINGS STEP-BY-STEP. Problem #6. I tried to explain all this to the area manager of the Edina Banfield, she was having none of it. I should never have asked to get the $70 reimbursed because from that point forward that’s all she fixated on. Ultimately, I wanted her to see that they could make improvements in their process at Banfield. When emotions ran too high for us to communicate properly, she told me she’d have her area chief, Dr. Beckett, contact me. Problem #7. Dr. Beckett did contact me and left me a voice message without a callback number stating that she had reviewed the medical records and Dr. Meyer had made all the appropriate medical recommendations and they could not provide any refunds. Funny enough I was not contacting her about a refund, I was contacting her about the customer service at Edina Banfield. It's interesting how this was missed in the message to Dr. Beckett. Having read my story I just want you to consider how YOU would feel about Banfield. Would you trust them? Would you feel confident taking your pets to them? Do you think they value their customers or customer service?

This was the worst experience I have ever had at ANY vet (or doctor, for that matter). This place cares about your money, not your pet. I was charged $900 for my first visit. I asked for labs on my cat's thyroid and a urinalysis. That's it. I was not informed beforehand of any procedure nor was I told the cost. They charged me $50 for ear solution I'll never use, and they would not let me return it, even if it was not opened. Anyway, they offer me this great "Wellness Plan" THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR to pay off your enormous bill monthly. I have never paid this much at any vet except the emergency vet. I called around. The most my bill should have been was $300. BEWARE! GO ELSEWHERE!

This facility has Harmed my little puppy by overdosing the vaccination, she was bleeding in her poop, I was scared not knowing why, they charged me $270 for stopping the blood, I had to go back to breeder to realize what was going on, now they are sending wrong prescription to pharmacy/chewy. One day as I got out of my car in front of their hospital someone shouted get a loan, a technician told me they say you are rich, I had to explain to doctor that she is hurting my puppy, when I was getting out another person said from behind the door she drives a Mini, and when I got to my car there was a scratch and a dent on my door, the damage was not there when I parked my car and took my pets with me. They say if I cancel my care plan, I have to pay like 85 of fees for a year anyway! I cannot trust my pets to them, stocked with their bills, STAY AWAY FROM THEM, SCAMMERS, YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED OR THEY WILL DO WHAT THEY ARE USED TO DO TO ALL PETS, MY OTHER DOG IS ON DENTAL, THEY TOLD ME ALL HIS TEETH ARE OK, I HAD TO SPECIFICALLY ASK FOR THEM TO CHECK IF TEETH ARE MISSING BEFORE THEY DID.

This location refused to give my corgi a vaccine (which is a part of the optimum wellness plan contract) because he was "too squirmy". They will only give him a shot if I bring him in pre-medicated. If he were aggressive, I would understand but just because he is "squirmy", well that's not a reason to drug him. I canceled my annual contract due to Banfield breaching their commitment. I need a provider who can get the job done.

Recently I had to put my best friend of 13 years down. He was a client of Banfield his entire life. when I called corporate Banfield, their concern was more about the money then the dog and when I called the direct office and told them he would no longer be coming to the facility, they didn't even ask why. I thought this company was all about animals and as a pet owner, we become very attached to our fur babies. I lost my best friend and they didn't seem to care. I am so disappointed in the organization as a whole, they are not compassionate nor caring. I just had my dog to Banfield in March for a check up, then on May 8, I had to put him down due to diabetes that had riddle his body and caused his kidneys to shut down. How is that possible when he just had a check up and I was never told he was diabetic but his was so severe I had no choice but to put him down.

This Warwick facility and their Banfield Hospital health care plan is good in theory for healthy pets and if you do not need their services in any kind of hurry, such as with a sick animal. They certainly are not a "hospital"in the true sense and that is very misleading. Recently I had a very sick pet and they could not get me in for over a week and that was just a drop off, where I could not go in with my pet during the visit. I was refused an earlier appointment from the doctors as well. The Johnston store did accomodate me within 24 hours, and as it turned out misdiagnosed my pet putting her through 4 unnecessary days of sickness before she was euthanized at a proper animal hospital. It was heartbreaking. Also remember you will most likely have to finish out your financial commitment even when your pet has died. On a side note, the staff is very overworked and even getting someone to answer the phone is a chore-both the Warwick and Johnston, RI facilities. Due to the stress this must cause them their empathy is certainly not palpable (Warwick Store).

They never do anything without performing a multitude of irrelevant and unnecessary testing. Needed to get my puppy spayed. Banfield required a series of tests before the spaying. Those tests would have cost something around $1000 all in. And then they wanted to charg $1500 for the actual spaying?? I took my pup to the vet that the seller used in Ely MN. Total cost with testing, after care, and meds post operation was $450. (FYI, i have 20 years experience with the ELY vet and they are just outstanding). Banfield is 100% about screwing you for $$$s. I don't think they give a s==t about your pet. They are going to churn your account. Betting you won't shop the service. Stay,,, I mean run away!