Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/01/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I scheduled an appointment for my female cat, Precious, and my male kitten, River, to be spayed and neutered, along with vaccinations. I was informed about a special promotion for free rabies shots and microchips. The spaying and neutering would cost approximately $100 each, and with add-ons, the total would be $191.00 for Precious and $181.00 for River, totaling about $372.00. During my call, I also mentioned that Im both a Veteran and a Senior Citizen, so I qualified for the free vaccinations and microchips. When I arrived, I was given the Surgical Admission form to complete. There was no mention on the form, walls, or any prior paperwork that I needed to advise the staff of my Veteran/ Senior discount at drop-off. However, when I went to pick them up, I was informed that my bill was $536.70. I explained that I told the person when I made the appt. The girl said they don't record that anywhere. That it's too late to change the bill. I asked her to talk to her manager to see if she'd reconsider and she refused. It would have taken her 2 minutes to re-do the bill which would have saved me almost $200 but they refused. There wasn't anyone else there waiting so it's not like it would have been a big hassle. I feel this is extremely unfair since it's not posted anywhere, only about Link customers. It's not like I'm asking a lot, just a little consideration for a Senior Citizen and Veteran.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/05/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for your feedback. We apologize for any confusion regarding our free vaccine offer. To clarify, it is required that the free vaccine promotion be mentioned at check-in, as stated in all of our special offers (attached photos). Additionally, certain discounts, including grant-related ones, must be applied during the check-in process, as we need to enter them in a specific way within our system. Unfortunately, making these adjustments is not as quick as it may seem, as it involves a bit more time and attention to detail.

  Thank you,

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/14/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was referred to Spay Illinois by a friend and booked services to have my dog neutered on 10/10/2024. They sent me an extensive email with rules and stipulations which I reviewed several times. I gave them a $50.00 deposit. I took the day off of work and drove 45 minutes to their clinic. I had to leave at 5:50am to ensure that I would arrive in time as one of their requirements is drop off is between 6:45am and 7am and if you are late you will be turned away and forfeit your deposit.I arrived on time and walked into the clinic at 6:45am. There were several other people there to drop their dogs off as well. I waited my turn and a gentleman came up to me to retrieve my dog. He took my dog to the back and instructed me to wait in line to complete check in. In less than 2 minutes a woman comes out looking for me and announces to the waiting room that my dog is "too stressed" and they cannot accommodate him and that I need to take him to a full service clinic. She said that he was "alligator rolling" (not sure what that is) and that he was "popping blood vessels in his eyes". They brought me back my dog and refused to return my deposit. I did not witness their observations and his blood vessels in his eyes were not "popping" as the whites of his eyes were normal (I am not a vet, but I am a healthcare provider).When reviewing their instructions again it states, "If you know your pet is high stressed, aggressive or has any behavioral concerns, please call our office to notify us prior to 72 hours to your appointment, without notifying staff with proper notice, your deposit will be forfeited."I do not know my dog to be high stressed, aggressive, or have any behavioral concerns so I could not have notified them within 72 hours. They made the assessment that he was "too stressed" in less than 2 minutes. I do not care that they didn't want to perform the surgery, but I want my money back as they chose to refuse services.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/14/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We truly apologize for the frustration and disappointment you experienced during your visit to Spay Illinois. We understand how important your pet’s care is to you, and we sincerely regret that we were unable to accommodate your dog for the procedure that day.
  Regarding the concerns you raised about the deposit, we understand that this situation was unexpected, and we want to clarify our policy. We try to make it clear in our communication and deposit policy you sign off on, that if a pet is too stressed or aggressive for the safety of both the pet and our staff, the procedure may need to be canceled. We certainly aim to be as accommodating as possible, but in this case, the safety of your dog and our team must always come first. The decision to not proceed with the surgery is based on our staff’s assessment of the situation and the well-being of the animals in our care. We understand that this might not always be a clear-cut situation, especially in a high-stress environment like a waiting room full of other pets and people. We also want to explain the reasoning behind our non-refundable deposit policy. As a non-profit clinic, we rely on every scheduled appointment to maintain the operation of our services, which are already offered at a reduced cost. When a procedure cannot be performed, we lose that valuable spot, which directly impacts our ability to help other pets in need. Additionally, the staff and resources are allocated for those procedures, so canceling or not proceeding means we absorb financial losses, as well as missing the opportunity to help more animals. The deposit is in place to ensure that we can continue to provide care for pets, and while we understand the frustration of losing the deposit in this situation, it helps us maintain the resources needed to serve other pets in the community.
  That said, we apologize for any miscommunication or lack of clarity on our end. We always strive to be transparent and helpful, and we’ll certainly review this instance to ensure that our staff continues to provide the best possible care and service with compassion and understanding. 
  We sincerely apologize that you felt the announcement of your dog’s situation was handled in a way that was less than tactful. Our clinic’s lobby is not the largest and we do check in multiple owners at the same time, and in order to ensure that we’re connecting pets with their correct owners, we sometimes have to call out names when trying to see which owner owns which pet as the pet currently isn’t with them. Once we identified who the pet belonged to, our team member approached you directly and discussed the situation one on one to ensure you had the chance to understand what was happening and could ask any questions. We thought we were on the same page when you left, and we apolgiize that we weren’t. We always aim to handle these conversations with sensitivity and professionalism, and we apologize if this wasn’t your experience.
  We appreciate your feedback, as it helps us improve our communication and overall patient care. Please know we take this matter seriously and will work to ensure our processes are as respectful and considerate as possible moving forward.
  Thank you,
  Kaitlyn
  Clinic Manager

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/15/2024

   
  
  Complaint: 22410112
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  No where in the instructions provided to me does it state that deposits are non-refundable.  According to their instructions which pertain to my situation it states, "Please know if your pet is under too much stress or is
  aggressive and the tech is unable to safely handle your pet, we will not
  be able to perform services. Spay Illinois staff will try our best
  to accommodate all pets, as we do understand this is a stressful
  scenario. If you know your pet is high stressed, aggressive or has
  any behavioral concerns, please call our office to notify us prior to 72
  hours to your appointment, without notifying staff with proper notice, your
  deposit will be forfeited."  As already mentioned, my dog does not have a known history of high stress, aggression, or behavioral concerns so I could not have notified them prior to 72 hours in advance.  Their assessment of my dog was less than 2 minutes and I find that unacceptable.  I hadn't even checked in with the desk.  My time is just as valuable as theirs.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Nicole Nichols

  Business Response

  Date: 10/16/2024

  Hello,

  A signed deposit policy was signed with state non refundable and if the pet is too stressed we have the right to turn them away for the pets safety.

  Below is it written out & attached is their signed copy made on 9/6!

  I understand Spay Illinois deposit policy;
  * I understand Spay Illinois has a non-refundable deposit policy.
  * I understand to reschedule my appointment with my current deposit I need to give Spay Illinois a 72 hour notice by a phone
  call or voicemail.
  * I understand if I want to reschedule or cancel my appointment within 72 hours I forfeit my deposit and it goes as a donation. * I understand if I am late to my appointment there is a chance Spay Illinois may turn my pet away and I will forfeit my deposit
  and it goes as a donation.
  * I understand if I feed my pet after midnight the day of surgery I forfeit my deposit to a donation.
  * I understand my pet can not be on any medication 2 weeks prior to surgery. If my pet is, I understand I forfeit my deposit and
  it goes towards a donation.
  * I understand if my pet is too aggressive and/or stressed Spay Illinois has the right to turn my pet away and my deposit will be
  forfeited as a donation.
  * I understand if I do not make Spay Illinois aware of sickness, injury, a heart murmur, seizures, neurological conditions, prior
  reaction to anesthesia, cryptorchid, in heat or disease, or any concerns Spay Illinois has the right to turn my pet away and I forfeit my deposit to donation.
  * I understand all pre-surgery instructions will be emailed to me and it is my responsibility to follow the instructions to ensure the deposit is used towards my pet's surgery.
  * I understand my deposit is only good for 1 year from date of placed deposit.
  * I understand if I do not follow all pre-surgical instructions, I forfeit my deposit and it will go towards a donation.
  * I understand if I forfeit my deposit to a donation, to reschedule a new appointment, I will be required to place a new deposit.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/18/2024

   
  
  Complaint: 22410112
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I was not provided with those restrictions by Spay Illinois in writing.  The instructions I was given were via email which I provided to BBB.  Nothing I was provided by Spay Illinois states that they can refuse my pet because of stress and I forfeit my deposit.  What I was provided states, "Please know if your pet is under too much stress or is aggressive and the tech is unable to safely handle your pet, we will not be able to perform services. Spay Illinois staff will try our best to accommodate all pets, as we do understand this is a stressful scenario. If you know your pet is high stressed, aggressive or has any behavioral concerns, please call our office to notify us prior to 72 hours to your appointment, without notifying staff with proper notice, your deposit will be forfeited."  Again, I do not know my pet to be under too much stress, aggressive, or have behavioral concerns so I could not have notified them within 72 hours.  They also made their assessment in less than 2 minutes.  I did not witness their assessment of my pet.  From my observation, he was no more stressed than any of the other several dogs that were present.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Nicole Nichols