My experience is they are committing fraud. We do alot of promise to pays for services and have found that less then 5% pay their bill (and my boss is very lenient, even 5$ a week will work-just give us something). We send then 3 notices that they are going to collections-sometimes these people give us fake addresses and phone numbers that are no longer in service. If they get caught and go to jail-I have no problem with that. These people signed paperwork wiithout any intention of paying their bill. It happens everyday where I work. On some nights I will have many people who come in without the intention of paying (but they have nice manicured nails, designer purses, last week a guy refused to pay and he was driving a porsche SUV).

You don't work with mortgages, do you?

I don't think it's true that homeowners WANT to put their $200,000+ homes in jeopardy, just so they can stick it to the man.

ETA: If only 5% of your company's customers pay, why doesn't your company tighten its lending policies?

What field are you in? Do you think that your views might be colored by your experiences and that it gives you a false perception of numbers?

I have a friend who works in insurance fraud, he knows better, but he gets himself in the habit of thinking that EVERYONE is cheating the system. He's good about catching himself when it happens though. (His opinions of the employees who send him the not-actually-fraud cases are just as low at times.)

I am a veterinarian. My boss is a very generous man. It is hard to see an animal suffering and not do anything that is why he is so lenient. If it were up to me I would tighten the lending practices but I don't own the clinic and as long as I get my paycheck I will abide by his rules.

BTW I am not talking about mortgages.

I am sure my experience does have something to do with it. Having to deal with these people everyday can suck you dry. Some people are really good at working the system. I did not say everyone was cheating the system-again 5% come back and pay. If those that don't pay end up in jail-I am fine with that. BTW this happens at every vet. clinic and is often a major topic of conversation when i get together with my colleagues. I have gotten pretty good about figuring out who will pay and who won't-yup that is right I am profiling.

Sorry, either if there's only a five percent return on those, it's either a poor business model or the owner is willing to accept an inordinately high amount of risk.

I also don't think that it's indicative of people who don't pay for other services.

Exactly.

you are right -it is a choice of what people will pay for (nails, handbags, cars, vacations) and often the pet loses.
But on the other hand the paying customer ultimately suffersas well b/c we have to increase or prices. You are right about one thing-many vet owners are poor business people-we tend to listen to our heart rather than our mind. We are by nature suckers and will do what we can even if we end up getting the short end of the stick. I still fully support some of these people going to jail.

On the whole, I think that's an issue of perceptions of pets in society and perhaps particularly in your area.

And I thought you said you weren't the owner of the business?

People who commit fraud should be forced to pay, I'm still not sure how jail actually helps you get your money though.

I am not the owner, I am an employee.

Nope this happens all throughout the US/canada/australia/england-there is a veterinary information site for vets only from all over the world that deal with this everyday according to many posts I have read. I wish our situation was unique but it is not.

ETA-I don't know if going to jail will give us or money or not but just the satisfaction of these people being punished is good enough for me.

The debtors prison model has been tried.
It wasn't very successful - (see Dickens).
The punishment for those who don't pay their bills is they tank their credit.
Imprisoning them doesn't serve anyone's interests - it costs the taxpayers, and the creditors don't get their money.

Damn. That's some sadistic stuff right there. :(

Texas has the reputation for a reason? :-/

HEY HEY HEY.

Yeah yeah I knew I'd get slammed for that. I'm only referring to those people who say "Don't Mess With Texas" and hope the rest of us don't know it's a "Please don't litter" sign. :p