12/26/2023 0 Comments Chicago consumers checkbook![]() ![]() To spay a 6½-month-old cat: a range of $119 to $292, with a $192 average.To neuter a 6-month-old, 30-pound dog, prices ranged from $115 to $690, with an average price of $243.Among the 220 clinics rated (see note on methodology below), Checkbook found huge disparities even with the most basic procedures: You can shop around and get a reasonable idea of price levels by simply making a few phone calls. Some vets are much better priced than others. When looking for a veterinary clinic-or deciding whether to ditch the current one-there are some serious questions to consider: Can you tour the facility? Is it easily accessible in an emergency? Does the vet give a thorough exam and take a thorough medical history? With any veterinarian, a strong feeling of competency and comfort is paramount in the exam room, but the reality check might be the price tag. The nonprofit magazine ( ) evaluated 220 veterinarians across the Chicago metropolitan area, compiled more than 6,300 customer surveys, and narrowed down the list to 23 of the best. ![]() That’s why Chicago Consumers’ Checkbook is here to help. ![]() It might take some investigating, but great (and affordable) vets are out there. Marquez’s story isn’t uncommon, which is why it is vital to shop around for a good, caring veterinarian: Your pet’s health, your hard-earned money-and your peace of mind-are all at stake. Marquez says the veterinarian failed to explain the diagnosis: “He simply wrote a prescription and sent us on our way.” The clinic’s assembly-line approach to treatment was an immediate red flag for Marquez, who never returned to that “dreadful place.” “We will stand by what they say,” he by Universal Uclick for United Feature Syndicate.“He looked at me like I had three heads when I asked for some preventive advice,” recalls Juan Marquez, a Downers Grove resident who took his Boston terrier, Tiki, to a clinic to treat a skin condition. His advice: Check with your local real estate agents and ask them whether a warranty is a good buy. In fact, these contractors “overwhelmingly disdained” these types of warranties, the publication said.Ĭhartrand said that the only way companies can control the quality of the service offered is through their networks of local providers. It found that of the 20 top-rated HVAC contractors it selected at random, not one participated in warranty programs. But although warranty companies say their contractors are pre-screened and do good work, Checkbook isn’t convinced. Rather, you call the warranty company, which dispatches the next-in-line repair service with which it contracts. You don’t choose the plumber, electrician or other contractor who comes to your home. Because of the “thin coverage,” plus the $75 to $100 service charge per claim, the costs don’t add up in your favor unless you have a particularly bad repair year. ![]() Most policies don’t cover plumbing backups caused by tree roots or “foreign objects.” And if your floors or walls have to be ripped out to get to the problem, the nonprofit says, “don’t expect the warranty company to pay to make everything look nice again.” Ice makers, which break down often, usually are not covered. And some charged extra to cover plumbing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.Ĭhartrand said warranty companies are expressly forbidden by most state laws to cover structural components. Of the half-dozen policies from the major warranty firms examined by Checkbook, none covered roofs, leaky windows or skylights, basement moisture problems or chimney repairs. Warranties do not cover the most expensive repairs you might face. “But most consumers are not.”Ĭonsumers’ Checkbook found a number of other issues with these policies: “If you are competent at handling repairs, you may not need a warranty,” he said. But Art Chartrand, counsel for the National Home Service Contract Assn., which represents the largest warranty companies, called the Consumers’ Checkbook report “silly” and said it was “full of extreme factual errors.”Ĭhartrand said the policies his members write are for the repair and replacement of systems because of normal wear and tear. Two major warranty companies were contacted for this story, but declined to comment. Not only do they appeal to would-be buyers, who believe they’re covered should the air conditioner break down or the refrigerator kick out during their first year of ownership, they also appeal to sellers, because they, too, are covered during the listing period.īuyers and sellers tend to put their faith in the warranties, but only until they are actually needed, according to the magazine, which notes that the files of consumer affairs agencies are “stuffed” with complaints about warranty companies. Nevertheless, warranties have become almost universal in today’s market. ![]()
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