The transplant that didn't happen. (Chase, Arocha, and Me)

[vanitysucks]

I'm supposed to be recovering in my hotel room in Houston. Instead I am pacing the floor trying to figure out what just happened.

About a month ago I started researching financing options and found a Chase Bank link on Arochas website. http://www.chasehealthadvance.com/ I scrolled down to the "financing highlights" where it listed payment plans. I was interested in the "No interest plan up to 24 months." So I applied.

After clicking on the "Apply now" button it asked for a provider ID. So I looked up Dr. Arochas ID on the site and entered it. This application came up. https://www.healthadvance-online.com/credit-services/financing-application.asp?doctorid=72379&__utma=1.2113907013.1320463633.1320463633.1320463633.1&__utmb=1.10.6.1320464139929&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1320463633.1.1.utmcsr=arochahairrestoration.com|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/hair-loss-treatment-consultation/&__utmv=-&__utmk=249792006

If you scroll down it says "

NO INTEREST IF PAID IN FULL WITHIN THE PROMOTIONAL PERIOD OF 6, 12, 18 or 24 MONTHS - Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date at the APR for Purchases 27.99% if the balance is not paid in full within the promotional period of 6, 12, 18 or 24 months or you make a late payment."

 

Now just above that is says to check with your provider for available plans. I had no idea what that meant. I figured chase was my finance provider. Apparently after going through this mess it meant the H.T. surgeon. Either way I was lead to believe I was applying for a 24 month loan at 0 % interest like the website had claimed.

I filled out the application, submitted it, and was instantly approved for a 12,000 credit in my email. It said this.

"Congratulations! You have been approved for a credit line of $12,000. An approved credit notification has been provided to AROCHA HAIR RESTORATION. Please contact AROCHA HAIR RESTORATION at 713-526-4247 to schedule an appointment. Your credit approval authorization number is 1000902011287223443. Please print this email and take a copy with you on your first visit to AROCHA HAIR RESTORATION. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Credit Services Department

ChaseHealthAdvance(SM)

1-888-519-6111"

A couple of days later Dr. Arocha called me in for a consultation and we set a time for the procedure. I remember telling him that I was approved by Chase for the loan at 0 interest. I was not given any indication that this was a problem. As far as I knew Dr. Arocha was in the business of Hair Transplants and Chase Bank was in the business of financing. I didn't know in order to get 0% financing through Chase that Dr. Arochas office had to approve it. I've never heard if such a thing. I bought a guitar at guitar center for 3000 dollars at 0 interest for a year and it served me well because I paid on time. I figured this was the same thing. I’m not a lawyer and I do not understand the legalities of the fine print. It said 0 % at the start of the application and that's what I based my decision to have the surgery now as opposed to later.

 

I set the appointment, bought plane tickets, reserved a hotel room for 2 nights, took off work for the week following the procedure, I quit taking vitamins and working out, got to Dr. Arochas office on Friday morning NOV 4, signed all the paper work, got to the last paper I had to sign and there it was. I almost overlooked. It was for the Chase credit. What's this? 15%? This is not what I signed up for! The secretary at Arochas off told me they didn't approve because it's too expensive for their practice. Fair enough but chase told me 0 percent. I got on the phone with a Chase rep and she said I was still approved for the 0 percent but the Dr. had to approve it. I have no idea what this means. I am not a Doctor or a Banker. I am a client. I am a simple person and this process should be easy to understand.

 

Advise.....

1. If Doctors are involved in the process of the loan they should inform the patient about the total cost of the loan. I was led to believe it was 0 percent until the very last signature. When the approval notice came to my email it should have said 12000 at 14.99 percent. I was not made aware of this and assumed 0 %.

2. Chase bank should inform the patient whether or not the doctor approved the 0 % plan. On the phone they told me I was approved for the 0 interest, but the Dr. had to pay the cost of the plan. Unreal, in other words, there was never a 0 interest rate to begin with. WHY OFFER IT AT ALL?

3. I should be more careful and not take things at face value. I wished this process was easy and straight forward but like all contracts the devil is in the details. I applied based on the "Financing Highlights" Chase offered.

 

I'm stuck in a hotel in Houston with no car waiting for my taxi to pick me up and take me to the airport tomorrow afternoon. I have wasted over $600 on travel and even more from taking off work. I was so mad this morning and right now the only thing that keeps me calm is writing this post.

I'm not mad personally at Dr. Arocha and I still think he is capable of good work. I’m just irritated at the process of financing and lack of disclosure. I was looking forward to getting this over with and wished I could have been more informed about the financing from both Chase Bank and the doctor. I hope this post will warn others in my situation before trusting a promotional offer. I feel very discouraged about having a future procedure right now.

[jessie1]

Mate,

 

You must be in turmoil, I can not imagine the emotional rollercoaster ride that you have been on here.

 

Others may disagree, but from the eyes of a lay person/ average Joe, it's not your fault.

 

The doc should have disclosed his conditions to the finance deal well before the day of surgery.

 

There is a lesson to be learned here. Doctors hit you with a double figure disclaimer on the day of your surgery as a matter if course, and even more small print if opting to go with finance. All this should be sorted well in advance. The finance is just as important.

 

Seems like there was plenty if time for the doc to explain their finance terms well in advance but failed to do it. I would be just as distraught as you.

 

You have lost transport fees. Did you have to forfeit a deposit? The doc will also have lost out here and all for 15 %?

 

What was the cost of your surgery and what was the intended plan.

 

Gutted for you......

 

Jessie

[vanitysucks]

I don't think the Doctor really knew what was going on. He was just as upset with Chase as I was. I just don't understand why I didn't know my interest rate until the very last second. Everyone suffered as a result. The bank should provide the rate in the email and the Doc should be aware that this type of thing happens and warn the client. I would have never flown to Houston knowing I had 15% interest rate. insted of 0. I don't know if I am the first client of Dr. Arocha to experience this matter. The secretary said something to the effect that banks do this type of thing.

[jessie1]

Yes I understand, the doc should be aware of the product. I am right in thinking that they offer the product and financing was discussed.

 

No amount of words are going to change what's happened regardless of blame.

 

The fact that you are not going out on a huge blame attack is a credit to you

 

All the best for the future.

 

Jessie

[Sean]

Most of the times, doctors have to pay fees to those loan companies or give a certain percentage to them as their patients are using their loans to pay for their procedures. So, say you got that 0% from chase, that is fine, but the doctor may not approve because they have to worry about their costs as chase might charge them that 10 or 15% for the loan. So, some doctors even opt out for 6 month plans on 0% interest and higher interest afterwards instead of the 0% interest free year plans. This means they do not have to pay that out of pocket percentage to Chase/CareCredit or any other loan plan. Almost all 0% interest plans for the year charge the doctor a percentage if their patients use them. It isn't disclosed for some reason. Some doctors absorb that cost with higher pricing on grafts, while some may ask the loan company to do 6 month interest free and 6 month interest instead of 0% whole year so the loan company does not charge them, and some just wont agree to the rate being charged by the loan company and refuse to do the surgery since they are having to pay a fee for their client using the service.

 

 

I really feel bad for what you been through. The hassle of travel, the costs, and loss of time over all this mess. It would certainly turn anyone off from a hair transplant. You had everything squared away but in the end the loan was not accepted at the rate you were given.

 

That's why some doctors mention on their website or at their clinic what they accept, if they accept chase health advantage or care credit or etc, because they know what they are expected to pay as a fee and they might have something agreed upon with that loan company.

Edited November 5, 2011 by Sean

[vanitysucks]

[That's why some doctors mention on their website or at their clinic what they accept, if they accept chase health advantage or care credit or etc, because they know what they are expected to pay as a fee and they might have something agreed upon with that loan company.

 

 

They should also make it clear that there is no such thing as 0% and post the range of interest rates.

[RCWest]

Just another way financial institutions are trying to screw the consumer.

[hairthere]

"The secretary at Arochas off told me they didn't approve because it's too expensive for their practice."

 

They should have in turn called and told you this before you flew out there. This is clearly Dr. Arochas administrator's fault. The doctor should have made good on this, especially after you flew out there. The very least he could have done is pay for your travel expense. Seriously, even if he was hit with a fee or had to pay a higher percentage to Chase he still stood to make a bundle on your procedure. This is just bad business practice. I would like to hear an explanation from the clinic on this one.

Edited November 5, 2011 by hairthere

[vanitysucks]

"The secretary at Arochas off told me they didn't approve because it's too expensive for their practice."

 

They should have in turn called and told you this before you flew out there. This is clearly Dr. Arochas administrator's fault. The doctor should have made good on this, especially after you flew out there. He very least he could have done is pay for your travel expense. Seriously, even if the he was hit with a fee or had to pay a higher percentage to Chase he still stood to make a bundle on your procedure. This is just bad business practice. I would like to hear an explanation from the clinic on this one.

 

 

Well in defense of Arocha he did say he lost a lot of money as a result of this. His staff was there and waiting for me to finish the paper work. I felt terrible for walking out after discovering the 15% rate. Dr. Arocha is a super nice personallity and I don't want to make him look bad on this post. This is how things happened and I don't know who to put the blame on. I should have been more careful but looking back there is no way I could have known this would happen. The only way this can be prevented in the future is full disclosure in bold print at the start of the application process. In the end I wasted time, money, and am mentally exausted preparing for this procedure. In the end the Doctor wasted a day that could have been spent on another client willing to pay.

[aaron1234]

vanitysucks,

 

Such a bummer dude. I know the mental and emotional preparation it takes before embarking on a transplant so I feel for you. Try to make the best out of this situation. I know some other elite clinics are open to a variety of financing options - take a step back and look around.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

I think Dr Arocha and his staff could have and should have bit the bullet on this one! With all your documentation you provided, in addition to making the trip, something could have been worked out to where both of y'all, patient and doctor, came out good. For example, you could have kept the 15 percent but they could have given you an additional 15 percent off, or something like that.

[hairthere]

Vanity, I think Dr. Arocha does great work, and he also seems like a very nice guy. But I'm not sure how they didn't warn you beforehand, especially if they knew in advance you weren't going to get the 0% rate. That's part of the administrator's job; to let you know the cost prior to the procedure.

[wylie]

I don't think the Doctor really knew what was going on. He was just as upset with Chase as I was. I just don't understand why I didn't know my interest rate until the very last second. Everyone suffered as a result. The bank should provide the rate in the email and the Doc should be aware that this type of thing happens and warn the client. I would have never flown to Houston knowing I had 15% interest rate. insted of 0. I don't know if I am the first client of Dr. Arocha to experience this matter. The secretary said something to the effect that banks do this type of thing.

 

I believe the doctor knew exactly that you would be charged 15% interest, regardless of whether or not he says he did (or did not) If he did not know, then he is grossly negligent and I would worry about what kind of result I would get from someone like that. The fact that Chase said it depended on doctor approval means that he had arranged the plan like this himself, or that Chase is lying. I see no reason why Chase would lie to you about this, as bad as banks are, there is not a motive in this regard to lie. There is a motive on the doctors behalf to try and cover this up and feign ignorance.

 

Sometimes the old saying "Thank God for unanswered prayers" is apropos in these type of situations. I think you should actually be grateful, and that you can get a better result from someone else anyway. As hard as it is to hear this right now, I think you should be grateful it turned out this way. A thousand dollars wasted pales in comparison to what could have been a poor result from an unscrupulous doctor.

 

This little lesson about "reading the fine print" is an invaluable lesson on how this industry can be deceptive, thankfully for you it actually happened BEFORE any surgery takes place, which is definitely the EXCEPTION, rather then the rule.

 

It's a costly lesson learned, but remember, the price of a poor result is MUCH higher.

[corvettester]

Vanity,

 

What happened to you is unacceptable and I think the doctor is clearly culpable in this situation. Whether or not it was intentional is irrelevant. You acted in good faith and suffered the consequences of another's negligence.

 

I've seen this a lot in the sales world. It's similar to the old "bait and switch" tactic. Basically, you've already invested so much time, effort and money in preparation, that it's unreasonable to walk away. It's used as a negotiating weapon. I always walk away from people like that, and I'm not polite about expressing my dissatisfaction with their shameful business practices.

 

It's a calculated gamble on the part of the vendor because most people won't read the fine print. Those that do are then in a serious predicament when standing the lobby the day of the procedure. I imagine that most simply say "To hell with it! Let's just get it over with already!"

 

I find it highly unlikely that Dr. Arocha was unaware of this detail or that you are the first person that this has happened to, especially when it is the doctor himself who advertises Chase's services. However, to give him the benefit of doubt, perhaps he only recently started using Chase...

 

I commend you for sticking to your principle. You did the right thing. So long as you have all the documentation stating that you were promised 0% financing for this procedure, I think Dr. Arocha should compensate you for your lost expenses.

 

 

Corvettester

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

I agree, I think you should be compensated for your loss as well, or at least credited that much toward your next procedure. That's assuming you go back to Aroacha.

[Levrais]

I don't think the doc should have let you walk out the door. I don't know how he would have been affected financially if the transaction had proceeded but it couldn't have been as bad as the 100% loss he took by not doing the work. Not to mention what ever percentage of his fee may have gone to the bank is nothing compared to what you went through. Bad call on the clinics part, PERIOD!

[vanitysucks]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm back home. I can't stand hotel rooms. I'm drinking a beer tonight because I can. lol Tomorrow I will take vitamins and get back to weightlifting.

[vanitysucks]

So long as you have all the documentation stating that you were promised 0% financing for this procedure

 

Corvettester

 

No one said nor promised anything. The problem was lack of communication and disclosure. It was stated on the application on the chase web page under "financing highlights". In the same box you click on the "apply now" button and fill out information. In my case it's assumed to be 0 % because that's what the box I clicked said. I had no idea the clinic had a say in the interest rate. I just knew I was approved for 12,000 and therefore the Doc could do the surgery. Chase is the bank, Arocha is the doc. If the doc has a say so in the interest rate the client needs to know upon approval.

 

The point is even if the fine print says something contrary to 0%, it should be easy for the client to read and understand. Thanks for the reply.

[Levrais]

The bottom line is that the clinic should have done the procedure since the guy came all the way there. When we book a procedure 2 or 3 months out, we count down every day and there is a big psychological component, as every ht patient knows, that the clinic should have taken into consideration. I would have been devastated in that situation. I would never treat a client that way in my business even if there were a financial hit involved. Is that clinic on this forum? It would be interesting to hear a reply from them.

[TakingThePlunge]

vanitysucks,

 

This is a truly awful experience and I'm very sorry to hear that you've wasted so much time and money. I think the culprit here is the financial institution. I believe they should have disclosed this detail from the start.

 

I would be extremely angry if I'd made this trek for no reason and I admire you for keeping a cool head through all of this!

 

Just to address some of the comments that have been made by others on this thread, I don't believe that Dr. Arocha would ever purposely mislead a patient. In fact, I've found, in general, that medical offices and physicians in particular seem to know very little about financing at all whether it be credit or insurance. I don't know Dr. Arocha's history with Chase but if vanitysucks was mislead by their advertising, I think it's only fair to give Dr. Arocha the benefit of the doubt. I also think that we should all reserve judgement and further speculation until Dr. Arocha has had an opportunity to respond. Thus, I've sent him an email notifying him of this thread and asking him to comment.

[Bill - Seemiller]

vanitysucks,

 

I'm really sorry to hear about all the unexpected problems you had with financiing. Honestly, I have no idea what Dr. Arocha's involvement is with Chase and their interest rates, but since he's a highly esteemed member of the Coalition and probably one of the most genuine and kind people I've met, in no way do I believe he did anything to purposely mislead you nor prevent you from obtaining a 0% interest rate.

 

I'm a little fuzzy on some of the details as some of your posts indicate that the bank is responsible for the mix-up and others indicate that it's Dr. Arocha's clinic. Thus, I've asked our forum co-moderator Dave (TakingthePlunge) to contact Dr. Arocha to provide his input on this topic. But moving forward, hopefully you and Dr. Arocha can workout a fair arrangement in getting you the head of hair you deserve using reasonable financing options.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[vanitysucks]

"I'm a little fuzzy on some of the details as some of your posts indicate that the bank is responsible for the mix-up and others indicate that it's Dr. Arocha's clinic. Thus, I've asked our forum co-moderator Dave (TakingthePlunge) to contact Dr. "

 

I'm not asking for handouts or favors. This is just what I experienced. Yea, like you....I am not sure who deserves the blame. I am fuzzy on what's going on. It could be the doc, bank, or me for all I know. This process should be easy to understand for the client. I thought I knew my interest rate until the last moment. 12,000 at 15% apr = 150.00 per month. After doing the math I knew I had to walk out. Read into it what you will. I have no interest in trashing a Doctors reputation.

Edited November 6, 2011 by vanitysucks

[orlhair1]

vanitysucks,

 

This is a truly awful experience and I'm very sorry to hear that you've wasted so much time and money. I think the culprit here is the financial institution. I believe they should have disclosed this detail from the start.

 

I would be extremely angry if I'd made this trek for no reason and I admire you for keeping a cool head through all of this!

 

Just to address some of the comments that have been made by others on this thread, I don't believe that Dr. Arocha would ever purposely mislead a patient. In fact, I've found, in general, that medical offices and physicians in particular seem to know very little about financing at all whether it be credit or insurance. I don't know Dr. Arocha's history with Chase but if vanitysucks was mislead by their advertising, I think it's only fair to give Dr. Arocha the benefit of the doubt. I also think that we should all reserve judgement and further speculation until Dr. Arocha has had an opportunity to respond. Thus, I've sent him an email notifying him of this thread and asking him to comment.

 

I don't know Dr. Arocha, but I am sure you are correct. However, when faced with the situation with his patient there from out of town, something should have been worked out to go forward with the procedure. Mistakes happen, however if both the patient and Dr. are reasonable something could have been worked out so that he could have had the procedure.

[RCWest]

Either way, Dr. Arocha lost a lot of money that day, especially if he is the kind of surgeon that only does one case a day. If I were Dr. Arocha, I would have offset the interest with free grafts or some kind of incentive.

[Dr. Bernardino Arocha]

Gentlemen,

 

I would like to start off by stating that our team is also extremely disappointed that our patient was not able to have his procedure done. Our business is to restore people’s confidence by giving them hair. Both sides lost in this case.

 

Our office has never offered 0% financing. We signed up many years ago so our patients had the option to finance the procedure using only the extended payment plans. The company charges us a certain percentage to have these financing plans available to our patients. Other than that, we have no involvement with the two financing companies we use- Chase and Care Credit.

 

Because I am the surgeon, I do not deal with the financial aspect of the procedure. I do not want to pressure my patients by inquiring about their financial situation. Vanitysucks never mentioned anything to my staff or myself with regards to 0% financing until that morning. We have not had problems with this company in the past.

 

I would like to point out that we accept most major credit cards. He had credit cards available. He could even have used the Chase option temporarily as a bridge loan, as it has no prepayment penalty. That would have allowed him to have the procedure and then look for a credit card with a zero or low introductory rate. We expressed these alternative options to him the day of his procedure.

 

We respect his decision not to go through with it. Not only did he lose out on receiving hair, but we lost out as well. It is very unfortunate that this incident occurred, since my team was there ready to treat our one and only patient for that day. My entire team and I eagerly awaited treating this patient, and even had several conversations with him leading up to his procedure date.

 

The patient was visibly perturbed, and I regretted this, but I never want to be pushy. We called him the following day to offer to drive him to the airport; however, our calls went unanswered.

 

In order to respect his privacy, any further matters regarding this situation will be discussed offline between the patient and myself.