This is year 2000. I was working as financial analyst for fortune 500 company. I have good dental plan but havnt used it for the past 3 years. So this year i check with a dentist close to my home. I made my appointment and since this is the first time with this dentist he scared me to death saying my teeth are bad and i need deep deep cleaning. Since i did not want to die or end up on operation table i agreed to his procedure and also agreed to pay from my pocket what the dental insurance does not cover. The insurance covers 80 % and rest has to paid out of pocket.
He did this procedure in two sittings and after each, i paid him the differential with my debit/credit card. And top of that scared me further and after 2 nd cleaningand i bought all the products he suggested. From him. Like water picker $140, Oxyfresh tooth paste 25$ and also oxyfresh tooth gel to be applied after deep cleaning. And Deep cleaning means using the same two dental tools, a water picker and scraper and medication to numb the side. He also wanted me to buy his slim fast capsules... Telling me how fat he was before a la Jarad of subway. At this I politely declined saying i may have bad teeth but i was in perfect shape at 110 ponds on a height of 5 ft 3 inches.
I could not help feeling bad and totally ripped off by this guy and wowed never to go back to him and dint. But wait well you havnt heard the worst yet...
Now in 2007 I am getting a call from a collection agency telling me i owe him 260 some dollars... This not only opened the wounds of the first rip off but is causing me great pain and distress. Since then I got married and have moved to another city. The banking card is not the same the last name has changed the dentist ofcourse has changed too. I do not have proof of payments from almost 7 years back.
How can this happen to me? They have records and social security number when you fill out the forms in the first visit. I could not even make myself talk to this guy. I am scared and feel vulnerable and violated too
My question in this kind of scenario how does a consumer protect oneself? In seven years this is the first time i am hearing about owing him money! How come i never got a bill or a call from them when i was living just a few blocks away from the dental office. What should i do? Should I politely explain this guy to get off my back or should I talk to a lawyer but all these will cost plenty of money. But at the same time I want to fight this injustice and curruption. Please help.
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