Brahette t1_j19kvxp wrote on December 22, 2022 at 5:55 PM

Reply to comment by [deleted] in Anyone have experience with Banfield Vet (South Philly or Cherry Hill) and their wellness plan? In general, but specifically for a puppy. by CockercombeTuff

Just piggybacking on this, another potential to consider is to get something like Care Credit. You still pay full price for stuff, but you get to select your payback timeframe (mine is 2 years) so it's 0% APR as long as you pay it off in that timeframe (if you don't, the APR is super expensive). I have done this in lieu of pet insurance and it has worked great for me. It's also nice because I have 3 dogs and get their annuals done altogether, so I put that on CC and then can just spread out the payments over a few months rather than get hit with one giant bill.

I have a friend that got the Banfield plan in another state a few years ago and tbh it just seemed like a ripoff. I'd def compare and contrast some options to see what works best for you!

CockercombeTuff OP t1_j1a6j1b wrote on December 22, 2022 at 8:16 PM

I have CareCredit, but I'd rather just use it for emergencies at this point. I signed up for it earlier this year--for dental work--and was given a meh limit, put $400 on it, started paying it back, and then without warning the limit was dropped to $400. I called to find out why and the customer service representative was not helpful at all. About the only thing I can think of is that we took out a car loan in August which likely dinged our credit, but that just makes me wary of CareCredit as a solution if it's that volatile.

I paid it off soon after and that hasn't increased our limit in the last few months, so I'd rather just treat it as a backup for emergencies, not as a go to for regular shots and such.

Brahette t1_j1a7unq wrote on December 22, 2022 at 8:25 PM

Oh weird, I've had it for over 10 years (originally got it when my dog needed end of life care to the tune of about $3k) and I've never had any issues with it at all. I've taken out two car loans and two mortgages during that timeframe and have never had a limit drop or anything. I don't think I've ever even had to call their customer service for issues. No idea why that happened to you.

I only use it for routine care because I have 3 dogs, so annuals + stool tests + hw bloodwork + shots x 3 = $1000 usually. In your case, I really would use it as a backup for medical emergencies if you don't go with an insurance plan. I personally cannot justify the cost of insurance x 3 for something I'd basically never use. Yes I know, in a catastrophic incident it would be worth it. But that's why I'm happy with Care Credit - no monthly fees and I have 2 years to spread out the payments in the rare times I would need it.