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Started By
Message
Negotiating with Dentists
Posted on 12/7/15 at 4:07 pm
Posted on 12/7/15 at 4:07 pm
Has anyone been successful in negotiating with dentists? We have a $1,600 that i'm wanting to hopefully pay less if I pay in full right now rather than paying $200/mo for 8 months. Wouldn't the dentist rather have $800 right now then spread it out over 8 months?
16
Posted on 12/7/15 at 4:08 pm to CHiPs25
quote:
Wouldn't the dentist rather have $800 right now then spread it out over 8 months?
Does it make the cost of his goods or time go down? Nope.
Posted on 12/7/15 at 4:18 pm to CHiPs25
Only if he's bad at math
This post was edited on 12/7/15 at 4:20 pm
Posted on 12/7/15 at 4:19 pm to CHiPs25
You should have done your negotiating at the front end. I know that cost was discussed with you beforehand, right?
Posted on 12/7/15 at 4:34 pm to Motorboat
They got you by the shorts when your mouth is aching and you cannot sleep 
Posted on 12/7/15 at 4:52 pm to CHiPs25
Talk with him, he might take a small discount, but I would doubt he would discount it by 50%
Posted on 12/7/15 at 4:55 pm to CHiPs25
yes. But I always do it upfront. I got my crown for $200 last in the spring.
Posted on 12/7/15 at 5:17 pm to CHiPs25
Depends if his office manager is a miserable bitch or not. Your best bet is to speak with the dentist one on one and avoid trying to explain this to his staff. I doubt he will give you a 50% discount but good luck.
Posted on 12/7/15 at 6:09 pm to CHiPs25
Why did you agree to an obligation and now feel you don't have to live up to your end of the bargain.
Posted on 12/7/15 at 6:26 pm to CHiPs25
Seriously, pay what you can on a weekly or monthly basis if you're cash strapped, but asking for a discount from the dentist after the fact Why do you deserve a better price than the next guy? While the doc was doing your procedure, he wasn't working on anything else. Negotiating is fine for goods, esp for the kinds that routinely go on sale, but it's decidedly cheap to ask for a price break on professional services. I might decline to keep you as a patient if you were pushy about a discount and make my office staff uncomfortable with such queries. He/she is not required to take you on, you know.
Posted on 12/7/15 at 6:53 pm to CHiPs25
There's no way any dentist is so starved for cash that he'll accept a 50% discount to get cash right now, especially if it's just $1600.
Posted on 12/7/15 at 8:54 pm to VABuckeye
quote:
Does it make the cost of his goods or time go down? Nope.
In my sales job, does the COGS go down when my customers negotiate? Nope, but it's still a normal practice that they do. What makes what the dentist is doing any different?
Posted on 12/7/15 at 8:55 pm to Motorboat
quote:
I know that cost was discussed with you beforehand, right?
Unfortunately this is my wife and she did not negotiate or even find out how much this was going to cost before she had the procedure done.
Posted on 12/7/15 at 8:56 pm to Tigerpaw123
quote:
he might take a small discount,
That's what I was thinking. By offering lower, he would come back at a fair value and I would probably accept. That was my strategy going in. Offer him $800, he offers back $1000 and we settle.
Posted on 12/7/15 at 8:57 pm to Hawkeye95
quote:
yes. But I always do it upfront. I got my crown for $200 last in the spring.
How much would it have cost you if you didn't talk up front?
Posted on 12/7/15 at 8:57 pm to NewIberiaHaircut
quote:
Depends if his office manager is a miserable bitch or not.
Posted on 12/7/15 at 8:59 pm to hungryone
quote:
Why do you deserve a better price than the next guy?
Because I'm the one that's asking.
Didn't your dad ever teach you that if you don't ask then the answer is always no?
Posted on 12/7/15 at 9:07 pm to CHiPs25
I'm confused, you agreed to a $1,600 bill and now want to pay less? Why? Do you have a reason to justify paying less, such as they charged you more than you agreed to?
If you just can't afford it, work out a payment plan.
Dentists actually seem like the most straight-forward of any medical profession when it comes to charges. The couple of times I had to have work done that was not just cleaning and x-rays (and this was with two different dentists in each state) each of them gave me an itemized plan that listed the charge for each thing, the insurance coverage, and my net fee.
If you just can't afford it, work out a payment plan.
Dentists actually seem like the most straight-forward of any medical profession when it comes to charges. The couple of times I had to have work done that was not just cleaning and x-rays (and this was with two different dentists in each state) each of them gave me an itemized plan that listed the charge for each thing, the insurance coverage, and my net fee.
Posted on 12/7/15 at 9:09 pm to CHiPs25
quote:
That's what I was thinking. By offering lower, he would come back at a fair value and I would probably accept. That was my strategy going in. Offer him $800, he offers back $1000 and we settle.
I am thinking more of a $100 discount, not 600, but who knows, give it a try, he may feel sorry for you
This post was edited on 12/7/15 at 9:12 pm
Posted on 12/7/15 at 9:11 pm to LSUFanHouston
quote:
I'm confused, you agreed to a $1,600 bill and now want to pay less? Why?
Trying to pay off other debts and working with the money that I have. No problem if he says no, but doesn't hurt anything to ask.
quote:
gave me an itemized plan that listed the charge for each thing, the insurance coverage, and my net fee.
Unfortunately this did not happen with my wife. She now knows to get an estimate first and then we can discuss.
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