The Vet: Terms and Conditions of Business

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to The Vet. Some aspects of the Terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation/clarification if required.

Fees

All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time and skill level required on a case and according to the medicines, materials, consumables and diets used. Fee levels will also have a contribution towards general overhead costs. Any fee available on request. A detailed itemised breakdown for every consultation is available on request.

You are liable for any fees incurred in the diagnosis and treatment of your pet even if your pet is brought to us on your behalf by a relative, friend or agent.

All clients with pets admitted to The Vet for surgical, medical or procedural treatment will be asked for a deposit at the time of admission.

Methods of Payment

Accounts are due for settlement at the end of the consultation, the discharge of your pet or upon collection of medicines/diets. You may settle the account using: cash or a credit/debit card (Switch, Solo, MasterCard, Visa and Delta) and in some cases relevant vouchers that are valid and in date.

Estimates of Treatment Costs

We will happily provide a printed/written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate; often a pet’s illness will not follow a conventional course. We will try to contact you on the contact numbers you have given us if we believe the treatment costs are going to exceed the estimate costs, however if you are not contactable we will treat your pet as is necessary for the prevention of pain or suffering.

Settlement Terms

Should an account not be settled within 14 days, then a reminder will be sent with an additional accounting fee in respect of the administrative costs incurred. Should it be necessary for further reminders to be sent, further charges will be incurred. These, however, may be deducted if payment is then made promptly. After due notice to you the client, overdue accounts will be referred to our debt collection agency and further charges will be levied in respect of costs incurred in collecting the debt, such as production of reports, correspondence, courts fees, attendance at court, phone calls, home visits etc. Any cheque returned by our bank as unpaid, any credit card payment not honoured and any cash tendered that is found to be counterfeit will result in the original account being restored to the original sum with further charges added in respect of bank charges and administration costs together with interest on the principal sum.

Inability to Pay

If, for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter as soon as possible with a member of staff. Please note that instalments or part-payments of any account may only be sanctioned with the express permission of a manager.

Responsible Pet Ownership and Pet Health Insurance

The Vet believes in responsible pet ownership. This includes regular appropriate vaccinations, worming for cats and dogs, regular flea control and a permanent means of identification for your pet. Please ask us for advice on the best methods to achieve this. The Vet also supports the “Scoop the Poop” campaign. The Vet strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. Please ask for details about insurance from any member of staff. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle our account and then reclaim the fees from your insurance company.

Complaints and Standards

The Vet is committed to providing an exceptional standard of service and care. We realise, however, that things can go wrong and there may be occasions when you feel your expectations were not met. We hope that before you complain you will give the clinic concerned a chance to put things right. Most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, often at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out in this way and you wish to make a formal complaint, we would like you to let us know in writing within 6 months. An acknowledgement letter will be sent once your formal complaint has been received. This will detail the name of the person handling your complaint and the estimated timeline for any investigation and response. More details can be found in our Guide to Making a Complaint. Please ask at reception for a copy.

Ownership of Records

Case records, including radiographs and similar documents, are the property of, and will be retained by, the company. Copies with a summary of the history will be passed on request to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.

Ownership of Radiographs and Similar Records

The care given to your pet may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting their results, ownership of the resulting record, for example a radiograph, remains with The Vet.

Out of Hours Policy

The Vet reserves the right to contract out our out of hours emergency and night care. This may mean sharing the out of hours service with other vets in the area or utilising a third party provider to provide our statutory out of hours provision. Please ask at reception for the details of the emergency and night cover specific to this clinic.

Prescription Policy

Prescriptions are available from this practice. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines, category V, (POM Vs) from your veterinary surgeon or ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or pharmacy. Your veterinary surgeon may prescribe POM Vs only for animals under his or her care. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an inpatient or immediate treatment is necessary. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be prescribed for your animal. The general policy of this practice is to reassess every 3 months any animal that requires repeat prescriptions, but this frequency may increase, depending on the individual circumstances. The standard charge for a re-examination is the prevailing price of a consultation fee.

Payment terms

We will charge your credit account for payment upon receipt of your order. We accept no liability if a delivery is delayed because you did not give us the correct payment details. If it is not possible to obtain full payment for the goods from your account then we can cancel the contract and or suspend any further deliveries to you. This does not affect any other rights we may have.

Ordering errors

You are able to correct errors on your order up to the point on which you click on “submit” during the ordering process.

Deliveries & Collection & Returns

Hills Science Plan has a satisfaction guarantee on their food. Should your pet find the food unpalatable your money can be refunded but the food will need to be returned to the clinic by the customer.

Should any product purchased be found to be faulty, damaged, supplied in error or differing from the description given we will be pleased to arrange to either refund or replace the product. If the veterinary practice supplies an item in error that was not part of the order placed, please contact the practice to have the goods uplifted.

Any return which does not meet the conditions set forth above will not be refunded or replaced.

£5 registration credit
Available for new clients only. £5 credit can only be redeemed against a vet consultation and must be redeemed within 4 weeks of registering with your local The Vet centre. One £5 credit per client, not per pet registered.

General

The Vet may contact you either by letter, phone, text or electronic means in order to advise you of outstanding accounts, reminders of your pet’s preventative healthcare treatments and any marketing offers that might be of benefit to you or your pet. Please tell reception if you wish no contact to be made. However, please be aware that this will remove the ability of the company to send vaccination reminders.

No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the company’s directors. No agent or person employed by or under contract with the practice has the authority to alter or vary these conditions in any way.

The online registration offer is only available to new customers registering for the first time. If you would like to add or amend any details on your account please contact the reception team.

Quality Pet Care Limited is registered in England and Wales.

Registered number: 08249167.

Registered Office: Quality Pet Care Ltd., Central Office, Suite 6.06, One Crown Square, Church Street East, Woking, GU21 6HR

April 2021

 

smartpet terms and conditions

Definition of terms of use

In this Agreement, ‘your Contract’ means the contract formed between you and your veterinary practice which you have signed and which comprises these terms and conditions, your Application Form and your practice’s leaflet; and ‘your veterinary practice’ and ‘your practice’ means the veterinary practice named on The SmartPet Application Form.
In this agreement ‘your pet’ means the animal named on the smartpet application form who you are the registered owner for and who is the beneficiary of the plan.

  • Your veterinary practice’ means the veterinary practice named as the provider of your pets’ treatment on the smartpet application form
  • ‘You’ means the holder of the plan who has signed the application form and who is named as the primary contact for the plan.
  • ‘Plan’ means the pet health plan offered by Your Veterinary Practice that covers specified treatment required
  • Your Monthly Plan Fee is the monthly amount charged by Your Veterinary Practice to cover the cost of the treatment of the plan

 

Vetsure’s Ts & Cs can be viewed here: Vetsure
At The Pet Vet, our additional Terms & Conditions are:

  • On sign up, 1 month of flea and worm treatment may be taken immediately.
  • On sign up, a second vaccination or booster vaccination can be offered immediately, at a discount of 50%.
  • If a primary course of vaccination is required, 50% of the full course vaccination fee is applicable.
  • For administration purposes, other products and services can be used from 2 weeks after registration.
  • 10% discount as part of the Pet Health Plan benefits cannot be used in conjunction with other ongoing discounts (e.g over 60s and blue light) but it may be used in conjunction with seasonal offers and promotions.
  • Your Pet Health Plan benefits are not valid at clinics other than our own.
  • If the Pet Health Plan is cancelled, the treatment received will be offset against the amount paid to date, which may incur additional charges.

 

1.0 Treatment and plan details
1.1 Treatment to which Your Pet is entitled
The Contract entitles Your Pet to receive the routine and preventive treatment required to maintain Your Pet’s health as prescribed by Your Veterinary Practice. This includes twice-yearly health assessments, routine vaccinations, and regular control of parasites. A full list of inclusions is available from Your Veterinary Practice, which may include any references to discounts on other items of treatment and retail goods. These terms and conditions should be read in conjunction with Your Veterinary Practice’s specific Plan details.

1.2 Treatment to which Your Pet is not entitled
This Contract is limited to the provision of routine preventive health care and only entitles your pet to the treatment required to monitor its health, as specified by your practice. There is no insured benefit under The Contract, and this Contract is not a substitute for pet insurance. The Contract does not entitle Your Pet to:

• The cost of consultations that may or may not precede clinical treatment
• Any treatment that is deemed clinically necessary by Your Veterinary Practice in the event of illness (short-term or long-term) and injury
• Any drugs or general health improvers (such as vitamins or ‘nutraceuticals’) which are not clinically necessary in the opinion of Your Veterinary Practice
• The cost of food, including prescription and special dietary food
• Treatment provided by Your Veterinary Practice outside of normal surgery hours and/or outside of the surgery, including home visits
• Any treatment that continues after the Contract has been cancelled

The above is not an exhaustive list and are just some examples of what is not covered within your smartpet plan.

1.3 Treatment of other animals
The Contract is for Your Pet named on the Application Form and is not transferable between animals.

1.4 Treatment at another surgery
Your Contract is between You and Quality Pet Care as the owners of Your Veterinary Practice. Your plan can only be transferred to an Approved Practice that is owned by Quality Pet Care but cannot be transferred to another practice outside of this Group. Where you choose for your pet to have routine preventive treatment anywhere other than an Approved Practice, Your Pet will not be covered by this Contract. If you wish to transfer Your Contract to another Approved Practice, please ask Your Veterinary Practice for details.

2. Fees, Categories and Plans
2.1 Monthly Plan Fee
Your monthly plan fee will be determined by your pet’s species and weight. Your Veterinary Practice reserve the right to make changes to the plan and monthly fee with no less than 4 weeks’ notice.

2.2 Payment of fees
Your Contract is a monthly contract and will continue from month to month until it is ended by either You or Your Veterinary Practice, in accordance with Clause 4.0. You must pay the monthly fee by Direct Debit in favour of Vetsure as collecting agent for Your Veterinary Practice. Any other amounts due to Your Veterinary Practice for treatment not covered by this Contract are payable directly to Your Veterinary Practice. Your liability to pay the monthly fee continues until the Contract is ended in accordance with these terms and conditions (see section 10). No refund of fees will be allowed except in the case of administrative error. You will need to cancel your Direct Debit in response to the death of a pet who is on a smartpet plan.

Your Veterinary Practice will normally review Your Pet’s Monthly Plan Fee once a year and Your Monthly Plan Fee may change as a result. You will be given at least 4 weeks’ notice of any changes to your monthly fee and any notice sent to the payer’s email address (if provided) or last known postal address will be treated as adequate notice.

2.4 Direct Debit Changes
Following a decrease in your monthly fee, your Monthly Plan Fee will be changed at the next available Direct Debit collection date. Where You are given notice of an increase in your monthly fee, your Monthly Plan Fee will be increased at the end of the notice period. If You need to change your bank details or Direct Debit collection date, please contact your veterinary practice at least 10 working days before the next collection is due.

3.0 Your Responsibilities
You are responsible for ensuring Your Pet attends Your Veterinary Practice regularly for health checks, vaccinations and parasite control and that You comply with the advice and treatment Your Veterinary Practice prescribes. If in the reasonable opinion of Your Veterinary Practice, they are not able to maintain Your Pet’s health due to any act or omission on your part, your practice may end the Contract with immediate effect. You are also responsible for notifying Your Veterinary Practice of any changes to your contact details, payments details or if your pet is lost or deceased.

4.0 Ending the Contract
You may cancel the Contract by giving no less than one calendar months’ notice. If you cancel at any time other than on an anniversary of joining the plan, your practice may charge you either the outstanding amount for treatment received, or the monthly payments due until the anniversary of your plan, whichever is lower. If in the reasonable opinion of Your Veterinary Practice, they are not able to maintain Your Pet’s health due to any act or omission on your part, your practice may end the Contract with immediate effect. Your Practice may also end this Contract if in our reasonable opinion You, and or any person who brings Your Pet to Your Veterinary Practice in relation to Your Pet’s care, are aggressive and/or abusive to any of Your Veterinary Practice’s staff. We may terminate a relationship for a number of reasons, including but not exclusively:

• Physical violence (or threats)
• Verbal abuse including vulgar language
• Discriminatory language or hate speech
• Repeated unreasonable requests
• Threats if demands are not met

We will provide 14 days’ notice for You to find an alternative veterinary practice and we will support with the transfer of care.

5.0 Complaints and disputes
All disputes relating to:

• Variation to the price or benefits of your smartpet plan
• Use of personal data which you feel is in breach of The Vet’s privacy policy – https://www.thevet.co.uk/privacy/
• Governing law and jurisdiction – Both parties agree that this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Law of England and Wales and the parties hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.

should be directed to Your Veterinary Practice in accordance with their in-house complaint’s procedure. Please email Your Veterinary Practice with your concern.
Complaints regarding non payment should be directed to Vetsure whose company registration no. is 06820979. TVIS Ltd is registered in England and Wales at 2nd Floor Titan Court, 3 Bishop Square, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9NA.

6.0 Flea and worm treatment direct delivery service
The anti-parasitic medications included in the smartpet plan are ‘Prescription Only’ and, as such, your pet will need to have had a health check with one of our vets within the last 6 months in order for us to be able to post these products to you. If your pet has not been seen by one of our vets in the last 6 months, please contact the practice team to arrange a consultation and health check.

Online booking deposits
The £10 deposit will be required at the time of booking a vaccination appointment online and it will be used against the overall balance of your appointment charge. If you need to amend the date or time of your booking, please let us know within 24 hours of your appointment and we can amend this for you. Your deposit will be transferred to your new appointment time. The deposit is non-refundable and if you fail to show for your appointment or do not change it 24 hours prior, the deposit will be lost.

Senior Pet MOT offer

  • £149 Senior pet MOT offer is valid until 28 February 2022.
  • The offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer such as smartpet plan discounts.
  • To qualify, your pet must be aged 7 or over.

The Vet Fair Fee Guarantee*

We are so confident in our pricing, that we offer a “Fair Fee Guarantee”. This allows our customers to be assured that the price they are paying is the lowest around and we will beat the price difference. If they find the treatment, product or service cheaper elsewhere, then we will simply give them the difference back.

How do customers claim if they find the product or service cheaper elsewhere?

  1. Any claim must be made within 7 days of full and final payment, directly to the clinic itself.
  2. The competitors price must be in the form of a written quotation, or available publically via a printed price list. This must be presented at same time as making the claim. We can provide a printed/written estimate as to the probable costs of a course of treatment. Any estimate given can only be approximate; often a pet’s illness will not follow a conventional course.
  3. The competitors price must be on a like for like basis, i.e. identical in package size, brand, weight of pet etc.
  4. The competitor must be based in the UK.
  5. Prices for products from online shops do not qualify for the claim.
  6. Prices from charities such as PDSA and RSPCA cannot be used to make a claim.
  7. No other offer or promotion can be used in conjunction with this offer
  8. In the case of any dispute at clinic level, the final decision will be made at the discretion of the Operations Director.
  9. The difference to be refunded, if payment has already been made, will be made via a credit added to the customers’ account.
  10. Excludes preventive care plans (smartpet).

*within 10 miles of this clinic.

 

June Dental Offer

From 1st June 2023 – 30th June 2023, customers registered at The Vet with a dog or cat will be eligible to receive a scale and polish for their pet at a reduced rate of £270, in addition to being eligible for 10% off all other dental procedures. This offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. If Your pet hasn’t been seen by one of our Veterinary Team in over month, an additional consultation fee will be incurred.