care credit

[the funny farm6]

has anyone else got this?

we are out of cash after going to des moines last week, so when our dog had an emergency vet visit and we didnt have the cash the vet sugested we sign up for this. it is like a credit card to be used for vet care for your pet, dental and eye for people. a LOT of area vets take it (we only know of 2 that dont so far in a 50 mile radius). i had never heard of it before.

 

[Wannabefree]

Heard of it yet do not personally have it for my animals. Thankfully we've never had the need, but I always thought it'd be good if it is needed.

 

[paradox]

It is nothing more than a credit card that can only be used at certain places. They usually offer no interest for a year. This lulls people into thinking they can pay something out without paying interest. And if you are paying attention then you can. But what they bank on is that most people will just pay the minimum payment on the bill each month because that is human nature. If you do that then it isn't paid off before the year is out. The real kicker is that in the fine print it says if you don't pay it in full before the year runs out, they get to charge you interest (and a high rate at that) for the entire year - not just the month or two that you go over. So if you do this be sure to do your own math and figure out what you have to pay each month to make sure it is zero'd out before they hit you with a year of interest all at once. Take it from a Ramsey baby stepper - they are in this to make money, not to help you - always check your fine print.

 

[Wannabefree]

Good points. I'm a Daver too

 

[~gd]

the old time vets, big animal guys that made farm calls usually would extend credit [on the book not on the card]. They knew that you needed healthy animals to make a living and cash could be tight between crops. It was mostly the pet doctors that insisted on cash before they would see an animal.~gd

 

[Wannabefree]

Too bad those days are gone :/ I remember a vet like that when I was a kid we always took our animals to.

 

[~gd]

Too bad those days are gone :/ I remember a vet like that when I was a kid we always took our animals to.

They are not completely gone. Horses are now comsidered to be expensive pets, not needed to run a ranch.and a lot of the meat, egg, and dairy is now "factory farmed' and vets are part of the factory staff. When you turn in your "product" the vets [if needed] get paid before you get yours! The factorys are so much safer now that vets spend more time on breeding the animals than curing them. lots of specialists. I am right in the middle of the meat chicken, turkey and pork belt and I can't find a vet to even look at a duck or a goose!

 

[Denim Deb]

For routine care, my (horse) vet expects to be paid up front, but if I have an emergency, I don't always have the money on me or in the checking account. So, they'll bill me. Normally, they'll charge a "billing" fee for this, but it's much cheaper than what I'd pay interest wise for a credit card.

 

[the funny farm6]

even the 2 vets we rutinly use wouldnt even let us post date a check till friday. we got paid friday, but they wouldnt see him till then if we didnt have money in hand. and we called all vets in a 50 mile radius and not a single one would even consider it. the bill wasnt super high and we can pay it off friday. if it is only used in an emergency, then i think it will be worth it.

i couldnt belive that our rutine vets (1 we use for the dogs and cats, they dont do large animal or farm calls, and the other is for farm calls) wouldnt even help out. and they know us! made me think- what if it was life or death? (and it nearly was)

 

[Hinotori]

For routine care, my (horse) vet expects to be paid up front, but if I have an emergency, I don't always have the money on me or in the checking account. So, they'll bill me. Normally, they'll charge a "billing" fee for this, but it's much cheaper than what I'd pay interest wise for a credit card.

That is how our vet is. They offered to set up a billing account for us when I had to take my schipperke in on emergency. We had the money and just paid it, but it was very nice of them to offer it. They are mostly a farm vet. I like them because they understand the stuff that my dogs and cats can get into and don't push that cats must be indoor only like one vet I used to go to.