Should I be hot about this?

[red_mares]

I found out from my trainer last week that I have a balance with the vet. This morning, they sent HIM the invoice. I didn’t know until last week that I had a balance.

Coggins, shots, whatever, were done February and teeth in March. I was a little on the late side getting the check out for the first one. It went out the day before the second one came in. I had completely forgotten about teeth, figured it was a happy gram telling me to pay the second one & tossed it. My bad. I get that.

Then nothing. Not a word until trainer mentions last week that I’m dinq with the vet. I’m annoyed that:

a) I never got a second invoice or late notice
b) they discussed my bills with the trainer and
c) they sent the bill to the trainer (via email).

I can live with b, but c has me torqued off. They have my address, they have my phone number. I called last week requesting an invoice when I found out I owed money. They returned the call to my home number, even though I didn’t call from there. There was nothing in my mail. They have permission to discuss care with trainer; I’m not local. I’ve had horses boarded out for years and I’ve never had that permission extend to finances.

[endlessclimb]

I doubt there’s anything nefarious going on, they just want to be paid and hadn’t heard from you. Was it unprofessional, yeah it was. But I’d just have a quick and friendly conversation that while you acknowledge your mistakes in the matter you’d appreciate it if they would contact you directly in the future. Also, update your contact information in their system while on the call, tell them the home number doesn’t exist so they will totally delete it.

[Djones]

Honestly, meh. Good vets you trust are a valuable commodity. There was a mix up on them getting paid, it got sorted.

Certainly it’s reasonable to call and speak to the clinic manager to ensure they have the right info on file, best number to call you, etc, and to ask “Can you help me understand why this was discussed with my trainer?” Just don’t be hot about it. Your goal should be to understand vs blame, and to correct the situation going forward (IMO).

It sounds like it’s embarrassing to you that your trainer knows about the late bill, but it was just a simple mistake on your part, and now it’s corrected. It’s over.

[Sarah616]

I agree with what @Djones has said here. The problem has been taken care of, and you can always let the vet know (preferably in writing) that they should please try XYZ to get in touch with you before reaching out to the trainer.

Now, let me give my opinion as a barn manager having been in a similar situation before. The vet has reached out to me once or twice asking if we could chat with a client about an unpaid invoice. The reasoning has always been that so-and-so is usually good payer/has a card on file, and they haven’t received payment recently or can’t get ahold of them, and has anything changed with their situation? This could be anything from “did they get a new number or contact info” to “did something happen to them where they physically can’t pay or get in touch with the clinic.” It sounds like you’re normally a good payer and they couldn’t get in touch with you for whatever reason, and they just needed to make sure everything was going to the correct place and everything was ok.

[CBoylen]

This is common. Trainers are responsible for their clients. Vets/farriers etc. can refuse service to the entire barn if a client is late, and some providers expect the trainer/manager in charge to front the bill for the client if it’s really overdue and handle collection on their end. They would also inform the trainer if your horse was no longer able to be covered or cash only until the bill was settled. Or ask that the trainer get the bill to you in person and follow up on getting it paid, if there have been communication issues, which it sounds like is what happened. Basically, the relationship between the professionals takes precedence. Regardless, your trainer knows what shots and teeth cost, there were no surprises in your invoice and you say they were already aware of the outstanding bill.
To avoid further issues though make sure you are not missing emails. I don’t know a lot of vets sending out paper invoices now.

[Warmblood1]

Agree that this is common, it can often save you money due to a cheaper barn call split amongst other horses/clients, and it can be difficult for a vet to get billing info on 25 different clients while doing vet work for an entire barn of horses (or multiple horses). It’s not the most organized method at times, but I’m sure none of it was done to intentionally to make things more difficult for you. I would call the vet and let them know to bill you directly at times of service. Also, thank your BO for orchestrating all of the care.

[red_mares]

I’m not planning on dropping them; I’m not in a position to. It just really irked me that there was zero contact with me and their contact information is good. My home number is good…if I’m home. If I call from work, calling me back at home doesn’t work so well. I called them from my desk a couple hours ago, left a number and there is probably a message waiting for me at home.

If I had ignored 2 or 3 bills, then yeah, tell the trainer, but if you haven’t sent 2 or 3 bills then maybe send something and it will get paid.

Just so it’s clear, the vet invoiced me as an individual client. It was not a group invoice. I was on the invoice, with my name & (current) contact info on it, sent to the trainer & not me. I would have been a lot less annoyed if it was a group invoice billed to the trainer. Then I could see sending it to him. It wasn’t.

[clanter]

when I had my horse in training out of state I got “her” her own credit card for such expenses as vet or whatever was needed,

No, late payments as as the service was provided it was charged to “her” credit card. This made it simple for me to track expense as I was also running two businesses at that time

(also made it easy for me to allow my horse to treat her groom to lunch)

[trubandloki]

@red_mares

Coggins, shots, whatever, were done February and teeth in March. I was a little on the late side getting the check out for the first one. It went out the day before the second one came in. I had completely forgotten about teeth, figured it was a happy gram telling me to pay the second one & tossed it. My bad. I get that.

So wait…
You were late paying an invoice and then did not pay the second invoice because you tossed it out with out even looking at it, but you are upset with your vet for reaching out to your trainer to make sure they get paid?

@red_mares

It just really irked me that there was zero contact with me

But they did have contact with you, you said you tossed it out thinking it was something else.

@red_mares

If I had ignored 2 or 3 bills, then yeah, tell the trainer, but if you haven’t sent 2 or 3 bills then maybe send something and it will get paid.

In my world, ignoring two bills in a row (you were late and then you did not pay at all) is plenty.
The vet should not have to chase you down to get paid, so maybe look at it from that point of view, you were at fault here, not the vet.

Were you at the vet appointments, or was someone from your barn who organized the appointment and handled the horses for the vet?
If the barn organized, that is likely why, after not being paid, the vet reached out to your trainer so the trainer can make sure the vet gets paid, since the trainer is who organized the vet to do the work.

[NaturallyHappy]

I’m a barn owner. I ALWAYS tell professionals who provide services to let me know if they don’t get paid. As @CBoylen mentioned (at least I think that is who said it), I don’t want my barn dropped for a non-payment. I have owners who travel alot, who have really busy lives, and sometimes things get missed. I will track them down for the professional. Sometimes I will pay the bill for them, as I know they will pay me back. They wouldn’t be here if they were dishonest. If I were you, I’d apologize to the vet clinic and the trainer, honestly.

[candyappy]

@red_mares

They have permission to discuss care with trainer; I’m not local. I’ve had horses boarded out for years and I’ve never had that permission extend to finances.

I really think you are over reacting. When you didn’t respond and accidentally tossed the following bill they just sent it to the trainer , figuring they would get it and either pay it ( add to board bill) or let you know…

My BO paid vet bills and billed boarders all the time when they had a clinic day at our barn several times a year for vaccines, coggins, teeth etc…

I would just call and pay the bill via credit card and be done. I am sure it happens to others, no big deal.

[2DogsFarm]

You could be warm, but hot is overreacting, IMHO.
They sent a bill, left a VM, next step was approach a contact for you: trainer.
The call to your home # was most likely just eenymeeny, pick a number on your record there.
Simply rectified by asking them to prioritize what number to call when.
Ex: Pls don’t call Work# after 5P

My vet didn’t bill me for a January visit until the middle of March.
I usually pay at the time of service, so I had no frame of reference for her billing practices.
January had me cash-strapped & visit was for a scratched cornea, so not optional.

I once gave a local Employee-owned feedstore the forwarding address of a friend who moved out of state, leaving a large (8 horses) unpaid bill.
If your vet’s practice is not huge, a balance hanging can hurt.

[Posting_Trot]

I have a credit card on file with the vet. That makes everything a lot easier. They still send me the invoice/receipt, but they go ahead and charge the services to the card. That means they get paid right away, and everyone’s happy.

[HJdaydream]

I agree, I think you might be overreacting a little bit. I know when my horse has work done and I believe it is my responsibility to be on the look out for bills/contact the vet office to pay. I do not expect multiple reminders.

If I was late paying a bill because I forgot and then didn’t pay another and my trainer then said something to me I would be mortified. I always follow-up with providers if I don’t see a bill within a few days of the service.

[MorganMaresVT]

I would not be annoyed, I would be glad the vet got paid and was willing to keep me as a client.

I would make sure they had an active credit card on file to charge as soon as they generate billing. Mine will send an email or hard copy receipt, whatever your preference. Makes it all seamless.

[NoSuchPerson]

In your situation, I wouldn’t be upset with the vet, I would be embarrassed. Embarrassed because I hadn’t paid my bill in a timely manner, which led to them reaching out to my trainer for help in getting paid.

Hot about it? No way.

[fordtraktor]

Agree with @CBoylen and @NaturallyHappy. It’s extremely common and I want to make sure my clients are not in arrears with the vet. I rely on my vets and don’t want to ever have my barn on the “naughty list”!

[atr]

The people in the office at my vet’s clinic can be… variable in quality, to be kind about it i do understand that its hard to find staff at all, let alone who can really do this job well, especially as doing it well requires a certain amount of emotional intelligence.

I’d just make sure its paid, tell your trainer it was a mix up that has been sorted out and move on. Your vet probably has no clue about it anyway unless it’s thousands of dollars.

[Displaced_Yankee]

No. I am sure the trainer knows what their preferred vet charges for a dental appointments.

Get yourself set up with a card they can charge and make sure they have your email address as well. I assume they emailed the bill to the point of contact on your account (aka your trainer) when they received your voicemail. Then crossed it off the list. In the day of rising postage and other costs I would never expect more than the initial invoice via USPS.

[Sarah616]

So let’s recap.

1. You were late paying an invoice. (Honest mistake, it happens)
2. You threw away the second invoice without looking at it, resulting in it going unpaid. (Also an honest mistake but not one the vet clinic knows about)
3. They tried to contact you via the number they have on file
4. After no return communication (?) on your part, they reach out to the trainer to let them know that you had an overdue invoice.

This thread reminds me of another one recently where the original poster asked if they were right to be mad over a little thing, also a lack of communication/miscommunication, and then got defensive when no one agreed with them that they should be heated over what happened.