<p>Costco – very happy with one exception. I had a new prescription for glasses (not from the Costco optometrist) and asked the optical department for an estimate. I was given a price and decided I wanted to send in my frames. So, when I signed to pay, I noticed that the price was way over what I was quoted. </p>
<p>Me: What is this extra $30 charge?</p>
<p>Costco: It’s an anti-glare treatment.</p>
<p>Me: You didn’t quote this in the estimate.</p>
<p>Costco: Oh yeah, you definitely want the anti-glare treatment.</p>
<p>Me: But you didn’t add this into your estimate for the entire cost.</p>
<p>Costco: We always order this.</p>
<p>Me: You don’t understand. I asked for an estimate of the charges, and you didn’t add in the $30.</p>
<p>Costco: You wouldn’t want glasses without the anti-glare treatment…</p>
<p>I was stunned and felt that the omission was deceitful, so I refuse to ever order lenses from Costco.</p>
<p>i can see why you’d be mad, i wouldn’t want someone omitting charges when i ask for an estimate. That being said, I wouldn’t want glasses without the anti glare treatment and 30 dollars is a good price on it. They still should have told you about it ahead of time though.</p>
<p>i’ve never said no worries but i’ll admit i’m guilty of saying no problem. Or, it’s not a problem at all. Never saw an issue with it. I wouldn’t say it after a thank you though… that warrants a you’re welcome. no problem is response to “do you have the time to review this with me?” “sure, that’s not a problem at all… i am here all day!”… “Will it be a problem if i mail these two things in together?” “no problem at all sir, do you need the address?” “would you mind mailing me a copy of this?” “no problem at all, are you still at 123 main st blah blah blah? i’d be happy to mail it to you and you’ll get it in a few days.”</p>
<p>Even though it many years ago, an incident with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield still tops my list for bad service. H had to have a sleep study done to check for sleep apnea. I dutifully checked the Anthem summary plan description (SPD) that set out all the coverages and limitations for my company’s health insurance plan, and it seemed clear that this was a diagnostic test that would be covered. Anthem rejected the claim on the basis that the SPD explicitly required that sleep studies be done at particular clinics and would not be covered if done elsewhere. And where was this limitation to be found? Under the “Mental Diseases” section, of course! Clearly someone had messed up when drafting the SPD. I had to formally appeal the decision, with meant appearing at a hearing at Anthem’s headquarters in our state, over an hour from my home, where I made what I thought was my slam dunk case to a panel of Anthem poobahs. Weeks later I got their determination–the appeal was denied! I called in a rage, and a rather flustered rep told me that in fact the appeal decision had just been reversed that every day, and the bill would be paid. I figured it had finally dawned on someone at Anthem that the person who made the decision on what health insurance plan to select for the company each year was…me!</p>
<p>^^^ Love it, MommaJ! Actually, my husband and his partners select their insurance plan every year and it’s gotten us bupkis in terms of better service, as far as I can tell. Every year I nag/remind dh about what crappy service we get whenever there’s a problem (which there always is), and every year there’s a reason the guys decide to go with Excellus. One of these days I’ll make my case.</p>
<p>One of my all-time BC/BS nightmare stories, from way back in the past: we had an HMO plan and were out of state on vacation (on a weekend, naturally) when the youngest kid developed an ear infection. It was obvious she needed antibiotics, so I started navigating the BC/BS voice mail system to be sure I went to the right provider. Every phone number I dialed produced another number to be called; every subsequent number was the typical BC/BS long menu of options leading to an automated response. The last number finally led back to … the first number! Of course. </p>
<p>Repeat as needed, I guess. But I’m not such an idiot that I needed to do that more than once - we went to a walk-in clinic and paid out-of-pocket. Thank God it was just an ear infection and not something more serious. Really, they couldn’t suck more if they were the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Company.</p>
<p>A cheer for good service from my health insurance. When I had surgery last summer the hospital and surgeon had to be pre-approved, and were. All the bills have been paid, we met our $5500 deductible AND our $10k+ out of pocket. Woooo.</p>
<p>But the surgical assistant for $1500-2000 kept being paid usual and customary, which was small, meaning I was on the line for $1500 balance billing because he was not a contracted provider. I wrote a letter pointing out the I properly had the surgeon and hospital approved and that the surgical asst should be under that umbrella. Pointing out that no one gets to choose the surgical asst. Just got the letter that it was approved.</p>
<p>I talked to a friend yesterday who recently had arthroscopic knee surgery. There was a charge for a surgical assistant (a physician’s assistant in the surgeon’s practice). Her insurance denied the claim and the billing office subsequently charged my friend a fraction of what the insurance company was charged. She wasn’t satisfied and spoke to the surgeon who said he didn’t know how billing worked but would look into it. The charge was taken off of her bill. Her son had the same surgery twice and neither time was there a separate charge for a surgical assistant. As I say, I have this second hand, but it sounds suspicious (on the part of the practice’s billing office).</p>
<p>I have also fought with my insurer about having a anesthesiologist for my S who was NOT participating & preferred. I said no one consulted us about whom would be working with our S when we agreed to have the procedure at a participating & preferred med center with a participating & preferred specialist. After some haggling & hesitation, the BCBS finally agreed to compensate so we only had the same out-of-pocket we would have if they HAD been participating & preferred.</p>
<p>It is a struggle and we can’t go around asking everyone who will touch or be in the room with the patient and whether EVERY BODY is participating & preferred. Hooboy!</p>
<p>Supposedly, the reimbursement from D’s November blood testing is now in the mail to us, reduced because the lab was NOT participating & preferred (if it had been participating & preferred, it would have been FREE).</p>
<p>I’d report the Costco optician who ordered the $30 anti-glare treatment WITHOUT your approval and notifying you ahead of time. It was HIS mistake and his supervisor should make it right–either comping the treatment you didn’t request or authorize or having the lab redo it and taking the charge off, YOUR CHOICE.</p>
<p>I’d definitely talk with the manager so others wouldn’t get stung as you were. Most of the optical people I’ve met at Costco are great (at least at our neighborhood store–the other store is not nearly as good).</p>
<p>I just had a irritating surprise from my mortgage lender. I pre-pay a bit of our mortgage every month, which I WALK IN to the BANK and hand to the teller, saying to apply the extra to PRINCIPAL (easy, logical concept). I got a statement yesterday showing that the teller applied the extra to ESCROW!?!!? Who in their right mind would want that?!?! I was very irked and called & left a message with their voicemail. Got a call back today about it with apologies. Honestly, I wonder about the IQ of some of the folks they hire! She says she’ll correct it & call to let me know.</p>
<p>A friend of mine posted this on her facebook the other day:</p>
<p>“On a positive note I went to PNC to make a deposit. Mind you this is the first time I’ve been back in the branch after opening my account. The teller remembered me and even commented that she liked my new hair cut, and the woman who signed me up popped her head out of her office to say “hi (name)!” Epic win and great customer service PNC bank…”</p>
<p>I always have nice service there as well. I go to a different branch then she does.</p>