Service Policy – Gippsland Orthodontics Pty Ltd

• • 1. Our Policy on Cancellations and Failure to Attend
  • 1.1 Short notice appointment cancellation, failed attendance or late arrival (of more than ten minutes) disrupts service for other patients and our staff.
  • 1.2 Gippsland Orthodontics is a small business with a high demand for appointments and therefore, the following Cancellation Policy applies:
  • 1.2.1 Patients are not generally requested to pre-pay for dental consultations
  • 1.2.2 Where a patient cancels an appointment or does not attend, offering less than 48 hours notice:
  • 1.2.2.1 First occurrence, we understand that situations can happen (extreme weather, emergencies, stuck behind a tractor etc.) and we will not request a cancellation fee.
  • 1.2.2.2 For second and subsequent appointments, we often request a deposit in lieu of a short notice cancellation fee. The deposit will be requested to reserve a further appointment and be attributed to your future transactions.
  • 1.2.3 Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice incur a $120 short notice cancellation fee at the discretion of management.
  • 1.2.4 Cancellation Fees are non-refundable.
  • 1.3 Gippsland Orthodontics aims to provide personal care for our patients. Keeping to a schedule enables us to offer our quality service to all our patients.
  • 1.4 Gippsland Orthodontics reserves the right to request patients who continually cancel appointments at short notice, fail to attend, arrive late or are impolite, to source another orthodontic provider.
• • 2. Our Payment Policy
  • 2.1 It is a requirement of Gippsland Orthodontics that the consultation fee is paid in full on the day. Payments can be made via EFTPOS, cash, Direct Debit (in approved cases), cheque or through our third-party payment plan providers.
  • 2.2 It is the responsibility of the patient/parent/guardian to obtain the cost of treatment (Services Fees) prior to any allocated appointments, and furthermore, to obtain necessary approval of required funding from health funds or third-party payment plan providers.
  • 2.3 Healthfund members: It is the patient/parent/guardian responsibility to ensure they have their healthfund card present at the time payment is required. The card must be in-date/valid and in good working order. Failure to bring the card to your visit, the patient/parent/guardian will be asked to pay in full and be responsible for claiming the benefit back from their healthfund provider.
  • 2.4 Healthfund quotations: It is the patient/parent/guardian responsibility to quote all treatment through their healthfund. These estimates/quotes are sometimes inaccurate due to private health company changes, policy changes, fund limits and other unforeseen circumstances.
  • 2.5 A deposit is required to be paid on the day that orthodontic treatment commences. The deposit will be determined upon the type of treatment being provided. The remaining portion of the total cost will be divided into monthly interest-free repayment plans which may include a third-party fee which is separate to the Services Fees provided by Gippsland Orthodontics.
  • 2.6 The patient acknowledges and agrees that where a request for the payment of a Services Fees is returned or denied, for whatever reason, by your financial institution or is unpaid by you for any other reason, then you are liable for any costs, including banking fees and charges, associated with the Services Fees.
• • 3. Our Refund Policy
  • 3.1 Due to the nature of orthodontic treatment, Gippsland Orthodontics does not provide a change of mind refund for treatment that has already been provided.
  • 3.2 Gippsland Orthodontics will only provide you with a refund of a Services Fees in the event they are unable to continue to provide the service. In addition, a refund of a Services Fees may occur if the manager of Gippsland Orthodontics decides, at its absolute discretion, that it is reasonable to do so under the circumstances. The refund will be issued via bank transfer only.