Additional sales | The woman was surprised at the dentist's checkout: the bill was twice as much as agreed

Private In some cases, the final price of a visit to health service receptions can come as a nasty surprise to the customer.

In the case known to HS, a woman who shopped at the aesthetic dentistry clinic Esmile was referred for a dental examination, in connection with which the price of the X-rays taken came as a surprise to her during the payment phase.

The dental check-up had been told in advance that the price would be around 40 euros after Kela compensation. According to the woman, X-rays were taken during the dental examination, but she was not told about the cost of this additional procedure.

At the reception desk, he was surprised when the price of the visit turned out to be more than 100 euros. According to the woman, she was only told about the additional fee for taking X-rays during the payment phase.

HS has seen the exchange of messages between the woman and the clinic and the receipt the woman received from the clinic. In the messages, the woman was promised to return the deductible for the X-rays.

Esmile service manager Jusa Ahtonen emphasizes that it is important for the customer to know what and where he is paying. He says that the prices of treatment procedures are visible both on the website and in the waiting room of the clinic.

“Furthermore, during the treatment, we try to tell the customer about the expenses and costs. It is difficult to say how the situation came to be, but it will be reviewed inside the reception. It is in no one's interest if the costs are not communicated openly”, says Ahtonen.

Team leader Kristina Vainio From the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) and head of advocacy work Tiina Vyyryläinen The Consumers' Association is well aware of the risk of surprise costs in private health services.

There is room for improvement in the practices of announcing the prices of private health services, says Vyyryläinen. The consumer ombudsman has also paid attention to the matter, as can be seen from the KKV website instructions.

A nasty surprise can await, for example, if during the visit it has been decided to perform extra-charged procedures.

In health services, it is difficult to know the final price in advance, because it is not always known what kind of treatment measures need to be taken, Vainio and Vyyryläinen state.

According to Vainio, it is humane not to remember to tell, for example, a doctor or a nurse in the middle of a visit that he is offering a service for an additional fee. However, the costs of the procedures should always be told to the customer in advance before they are carried out and the customer's consent should be requested, Vainio says.

“There should be no so-called surprise costs for the consumer. It is good for the trader to pay attention to the fact that the prices are clearly stated during the visit as well,” says Vainio.

If the final price of the service cannot be determined in advance, according to the Consumer Protection Act, the customer should be told the basis for determining the price, Vainio says.

“At the time of booking, the consumer should already have as good information about the price as possible and, in addition to this, essential information about what is included in the price and especially what is not included in it. The reception should also remember to remind you if additional fee procedures are being performed”, says Kuluttajaliitono Vyyryläinen.

In principle, announcing the prices is the responsibility of the trader. However, the consumer should be as careful as possible at the reception.

“If, for example, a private dentist starts to do fillings or take X-rays, in that situation, it is good for the customer to remember to mention that this may not be included in the price of the examination. However, it doesn't always come to mind when there are mirrors and suction tubes in the mouth,” says Vainio.

Similar ones the situations do not only concern private health services, but also, for example, other private service providers.

According to Vainio, for example, the number inquiry should tell the consumer if he is offered to connect to another number for an additional fee, or the buyer of a concert ticket should be reminded if the insurance offered with the ticket has an additional fee.

Vainio and Vyyryläinen remind that if the additional costs are only disclosed in the payment situation, the consumer has the right to complain about the matter.

“Additional costs always require consent before they have to be paid,” says Vainio.