Feeling ripped off

Rooneysdaman

Long story short, I decided to help a young person in horrendous pain who has zero means of affording dental care. Needed 2 root canals + crowns and there was a big question mark over whether the 3rd bad tooth would be another root canal/crown or an extraction. Endodontist actually laughed out loud on the phone when I asked if there was any chance of a payment plan that *I* would pay, not the kid. I paid €1,670 to him for the first 2 root canals and an additional €200 deposit for the 3rd root canal. Kid went to that appointment but after much discussion, he and endodontist together decided he would be better off getting an extraction.

Endodontist is now refusing to refund my €200 deposit saying I forfeited this as he had blocked off the clinic time to do the procedure. I am disgusted by this and want to ask is this reasonable or fair? Particularly since it was never mentioned to me that if for any reason he didn't go through with the procedure the deposit would be lost. I'm really angry about this.

(BTW the general dentist who will be doing the extraction and the crowns could not have been nicer about agreeing to a payment plan)

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Had you booked the time, at the end of the day thats what your paying for. I understand your view but thats why the endodontist take deposits in the first place.

Dianthus

Deposits, in general life, are non-refundable.
Health care is quite an emotive issue but the same definition still applies

It's an extremely noble& generous thing that you've done in taking care of this young person's finances& teeth. Perhaps they were conscious of not putting you to the further expense of a 3rd root canal treatment? Or maybe they were exhausted from the previous 2 root canals & couldn't face into a 3rd? You wouldn't know.
Why the endodontist wouldn't have a heart& waive the deposit as a gesture of goodwill? Maybe they did already that day or previous days- except for another patient in even more dire straits. Because almost every other patient has a story also. Bereavement, bullying, stress, financial issues, work issues, depression, cancer, abuse (mental, physical, sexual), divorce.....it's rife out there. Even the endodontist themselves may be under similar pressures. Again, you just don't know. But a deposit is a deposit is a deposit.

Payment plan options are notoriously risky- you're effectively relying on a person's word being their bond- & many practitioners have been stung badly by people promising to settle accounts then disappearing forever. As a small business & healthcare provider, you really can't just dispatch baliffs/debt collectors/the relevant "heavies" to settle outstanding accounts, so mostly you end up having to write them off as a bad debt. Eventually you get sense& don't take the risk at all

Huge respect to you for your kind deed in caring for this young person.