Read terms and conditions for Langford Vets instead
The Stables Equine Practice are committed to providing outstanding veterinary care and we thank you for entrusting the care of your horse to us. As a Veterinary Practice we are regulated by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). By accepting Our Services or purchase of goods, you are contractually agreeing to the Terms of Business set out below.
Fees
All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case, time of day, level of emergency, and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used. You will remain personally responsible for payments of your bills when rendered even if you have right of contribution or repayment from a third party (eg Your Insurance Company).
Our fees are reviewed regularly and if requested we can give an estimate of the price for any service. However please note that individual cases may take more time than ‘normal’ or require extra medications, so any estimate may be liable to variation.
We reserve the right to review and/or change our prices in line with market changes or in accordance to changes and circumstances beyond its control.
New Clients
It is Practice Policy that £150 is debited from your credit/debit card prior to your first visit. The amount debited will then be amended appropriately in the event that the invoice for this visit proves to be higher or lower. It would therefore help to have your card to hand when contacting the Office to book your first appointment. If you do not possess a bank payment card, we will ask you to bring £150 in cash to your first visit. We reserve the right to verify all New Clients’ credit rating with a credit reference agency.
Methods of Payment
Please enter your surname and account number on all payments
Cheques should be made payable to The Stables Equine Practice Ltd.
Credit/Debit card – we accept payments over the phone – 01749 830 66
Bank Transfer – Langford Veterinary Services / Stables Equine Practice
Sort Code: 56-00-05 A/C No: 30687381
Online – via our website
Cash – at time of visit or in person at our clinic
We reserve the right to ask for cash payments or to refuse to carry out further work if payment is not made in accordance with these terms.
Any cheques returned as unpaid or card payment not honoured or cash tendered found to be counterfeit will result in the original amount being restored with further charges being added in respect of bank charges and administrative charges.
Settlement Terms
Should an account not be settled within 30 days from date of invoice, this will attract an additional handling charge of £25 plus 8% interest (APR 96%) on the amount outstanding. Where accounts remain outstanding for more than 60 days then any further work must be paid for at the time of consultation.
After due notice to you, the Client, any such 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, court fees, attendance at court, phone calls, home visits, etc.
Inability to Pay
If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being unable to pay your accounts, please discuss this matter as soon as possible with the Practice Manager. Please note that instalments or part payments may only be sanctioned with the express permission of the Directors.
Discounts
We offer a 10% discount if payment is received within 48 hours of date of the emailed invoice.
We offer a 10% discount when payment is made in advance or on the day of the visit.
Please advise us of your email address to enable you to receive invoices promptly. Posted invoices will not qualify for our 10% discount scheme.
Discount is not offered on ‘special offers’, ‘discounted services’, pre-purchase examinations, prescriptions. administration fees or wormers.
Disputes
Any complaints or disputes regarding invoices or services rendered should be submitted in writing to the Practice Manager within 7 days.
Insurance
The Stables Equine Practice strongly supports the principle of insuring Your Horse against unexpected illness or accidents. Please be aware however that it remains your responsibility to settle your account regardless of whether you anticipate reimbursement through your insurance policy – Technically veterinary fees can only be claimed once the fees have been paid by the policy holder.
All treatment must be paid for within the terms of your account.
It is your responsibility to always notify your insurance company of any potential claim as soon as possible. You should arrange for Veterinary Fees Claim Forms to be forwarded to The Stables Equine Practice without delay in order to hasten progression of a potential claim.
It is your responsibility alone to ensure that your contract with your insurance company is valid before treatment commences as it probably will not cover your horse for pre-existing conditions. Whilst we are happy to provide clinical histories or answer veterinary queries your company may have relating to the claim, we cannot take any responsibility if you find yourself not covered by your insurance policy. Where an animal is insured, the account is the responsibility of the owner/keeper of the horse and any contract of insurance is a contract between the owner/keeper and the insurance company, not The Stable Equine Practice.
Written Prescriptions/Ongoing Medicines
We are happy to provide our clients with a written prescription where necessary for any medications Their Animal may require. The fee charged is a reflection of the time taken for staff to re-assess and prepare your prescription.
It is a statutory requirement of the RCVS that any animal with an ongoing illness is reassessed by a vet at intervals of not more than 6 months. Regular monitoring of these cases ensures that we comply with the appropriate medicine’s legislation and that best responses to treatment are achieved. We will not supply repeat prescriptions for chronic disease problems unless your horse has been seen in the last 6 months.
Change in Client Details
It is a condition of our Terms & Condition of trade that you inform us as soon as possible of any changes in your address, telephone number, mobile number, horses, or yard, to enable us to update our records accordingly. Keeping our database up to date will enable us to be sure of being able to reach you in the event of an emergency. Should you not disclose to us your new address and we have to trace you for ongoing purposes/debt collection, a tracing fee of £100 will be applied.
Horse Passports
It is your legal obligation to keep your passport with your horse at all times and it should be available when the vet attends. The Section 9 declaration MUST be signed to state if the horse is/is not intended for human consumption. NB If a horse has ever had ‘bute’ (danilon/equipalazone) it can never enter the human food chain.
Complaints and Standards
We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received from The Stables Equine Practice. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments in the first instance to the Practice Manager or one of the Directors.
Marketing
As a client of The Stables Equine Practice, we may from time to time send you relevant and carefully selected marketing literature and newsletters, either by post or email. We will NEVER give you details to external companies for such marketing. If you would prefer for us NOT to send you such information please contact us to request you don’t receive any such literature.
Ownership of Records
Case records, including radiographs and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by The Stables Equine Practice. Copies with a summary of the history can be passed on, on request, to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case.
The care given to your animal may involve making some specific investigations, for example taking radiographs or performing ultrasonography and blood tests. Even though we make a charge for carrying out these investigations and interpreting the results, ownership of the resulting record, for example, a radiograph remains the property of the Practice. There may be a charge incurred for copying any veterinary records and documentation.
No addition or variation of these conditions will bind the Practice unless it is specifically agreed in writing and signed by one of the Practice 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.