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CB Dental Services Review of Goodnight Orthodontics
Goodnight Orthodontics

Goodnight Orthodontics review: Unprofessional Overly aggressive Collections Practices 5

T
Author of the review
7:27 pm EDT
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Please judge for your self. I went to see this doctor he started treatment for my daughter he only placed the upper braces and I lost my job and could not keep paying, so I never went there again. My insurance company paid him $925.00 for just one visit and this is how they email you to collect, I received this email from the Doctor Directly, the doctor engaged in insulting emails and also tried to blackmail me telling me that he would publish my file, if I filed a bad review.
please note that my intention was to get treatment and I lost my job and could not keep using his services, but I knew my insurance took care of the initial service.
Read Dr Goodnight's email

On Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 3:19 PM, [protected]@goodnightortho.com wrote:
Funny, I was looking through old emails and came across this one. Kind of odd that you claimed in your email "that you will not leave us with the bill hanging", "that you will not ignore this bill", and "please trust me". Those comments are comical, seeing as you have not responded to any of our efforts to contact you. What a great example of a parent you are to your daughter, xxx. I hope for her sake she does not know her mother enjoys being a fraud and stealing from local businesses. I don't care how much it costs me to make sure I make this outstanding bill a pain for you in court. Be prepared to be issued with a summons soon and when you do not show up, I will be awarded the full amount of the contract. It only costs me a little to file the claim. Any time the rest of your life that you try to buy a car or house, my money comes to me first with interest at 10% per year, according to the courts. By not returning for treatment for xxx, you are also putting her health in harm's way. She could lose her teeth if not treated. Hope you sleep well at night and hope xxx does not learn from her mother.

Goodnight Ortho

My answer to his unprofessional collections efforts
Good afternoon,

I need to know the amount the insurance paid for my daughters initial visit to your office. if you were not misleading people, I understood that the initial visit was free with the x rays free as a consultation visit for you to provide estimate, but I need to know for the only one visit how much in total you got paid by my insurance. I need to know how much are you trying to collect for the service provided for that one visit. In December the insurance company advised me that they paid you a large amount of money plus they also paid you for a second visit, and you accepted the payment, for the second visit as well, even though we never made it, to the second visit. I also need to know if this email accusing me of child abuse and a fraud was sent by the doctor and if the doctor is aware of your written accusations. I will be in your office by tomorrow picking up the receipt for the services paid by my insurance. At such time I will invite you to call the police and the local authorities to formally accuse me of fraud and child abuse. i should have received a statement and a bill stating charges after insurance payment and these accusations should have never taken place to try to collect a bill. I will now teach you how to collect with the laws based on rules and regulations. Lets see how much of your threats are good and how much you need to learn, as you decided to use the wrong methods with the wrong party. I need the doctor to call me in the morning, before I formulate a legal claim based on wrongful collection methods and slandering.

Thank You

the Doctor to my amazement was the one writing the emails and this is his last email trying to scare me so i would not file my complaint and reveal his true colors. please note how he never mentions the 1000 he he got for one visit and how he claims i owe him 5000 for a full 2 year treatment even though I only visited his office once. Also please make sure you have all moneys to pay the entire treatment because if you lose your job the way i did and end up without money or insurance, you will be accuse of been a thieve and child neglect, and also how he threatens me with posting my contract and such contract and records and such information by law is confidential . So in order to collect he will show his true colors, i could not pay because I am a single mom and lost my job, but I thought 1000 k for one hour visit was taking care of it. he never even finished installing the braces and he wants to get paid for 2 years even though he will never provide the service. I think is a little too much. please read his threatening response. He is also claiming to show my email to publish my identity, if I give the review. I wish he would... and by the way the only balance I owe is 400 dollars not 5000.

You have the right to write whatever you want and I have the right to respond to all internet reviews. I will simply state my side of it and people will see the review is coming from someone who signed a contract and promised to pay for services rendered. I will also add my version of what happened (the truth) of how you refused to pay your balance, never responded 6 months worth of emails, phone calls, etc and that you basically stole from my practice. Those braces are not free, although you took them for free. The balance is actually $5, 000 of the total contract so I will post a copy of that as proof on all sites you go on and let everyone know how I agreed to let you out of the remainder of the contract since you went elsewhere (I will blur out your name for privacy because unlike you, I know the law. I don't pretend to). I will also educate anyone else who reads it that leaving braces on their kids teeth untreated "puts their kids teeth in harms way". Thank you for adding that, because most people will understand I am concerned with the health of the teeth. I will also add a copy of your email showing your quotes "I promise I will pay" "you can trust me", etc so they can see you for what you are. The balance in not $275, it is higher and if that balance is "no big deal", then why didn't you just pay it since you knew you owed it? Common sense will prevail for anyone reading what you write and then reading what actually happened. I have a great reputation around town and 1 person who tried to steal from me can't take it away as much as you would like to try. When you post your clips and partial statements in your reviews, I will post the entire thing including all our emails the first 6 mos with no response as well as your comical threats and made up child abuse claims.

I tried to be the bigger person with my last email and you once again showed your true colors with your response. Not one thank you for being concerned about my daughter, but instead, you getting defensive when you know you were wrong for not paying for the services you received. My communication with you is done. I tried over 6 months to speak to you rationally, and I guess my lesson learned is that I shouldn't try to speak rationally to an irrational person who would steal from my business and feel no remorse for doing so.

Update by tampa customer
Mar 31, 2011 7:44 pm EDT

Dr Goodnight,

The point is that a doctor should utilize professional methods, even if moneys were owed to your firm, you should have been more professional in your approach, insulting your patients is not the right way. if patient does not responds you have the right to collect, professionally, the issue here is not the fact that moneys are owed to you, you have all the right to be upset, the point here is that even if you didn't get paid the entire sum, you engaged in to low class, low level, unprofessional practices and as the doctor you should have behaved professionally and proceed to collect the legal manner in stead if the way you chose to do it. Engaging in these types of emails tells allot about the doctor, the patient is in a bad position because could not pay the bill, but the doctor looks terrible when engaging in these types of insulting collections methods against his patients. a doctor should never be involved in such behavior for the reputation of his firm. The one who looks the worst between us two is you as the doctor.

Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

5 comments
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gotdocsback
, US
Jun 14, 2016 9:55 am EDT

I have dealt with Dr. Goodnight and really did lose my job in mid treatment. My insurance took back money and I owed more that I could afford without income. Dr. Goodnight without even asking took money off my bill worked it out with me. I am still receiving treatments and paying the balance now that I have a new job and new insurance. Dr. Goodnight is VERY well know in S. Tampa and you should do your research on him to see how AWESOME he really is. I believe the woman mentioned is a fraud as previously stated.

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PlayBall40
Tampa, US
Mar 03, 2015 7:55 am EST

I have to agree with the previous poster. I actually DID have some issues with the payment schedules - it was a combination of personal financial issues and errors on the collection departments computer system (we both made errors). However, never ONCE did Dr. Goodnight treat me or my daughter with anything but the upmost respect and courtesy. There is no way I will believe that he 'scammed' this woman. Did he personalize her behavior? Appears so...but until you have a small business and someone blatantly lies and scams you (and make you lose just a little more faith in mankind) it really does hit hard. I had a small business - that also dealt with children and have met more than my share of sociopathic lying parents. And I could never stop taking it personally, so I believe we can give Dr. Goodnight a pass on this one. Hang in there Doc - there are many of us that can see right through this woman's nonsense.

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MommyM
Land O Lakes, US
Dec 06, 2013 11:18 am EST

My daughter has been seeing Dr. Goodnight for the last year for much needed braces. Her braces were paid for in full up front, so I cannot comment on his collection practices. I can however comment on his character. I could not get more than a few sentences into this complaint without wondering if she was talking about the same guy. I mean this guy glows when he sees the progress at my daughters check ups. He really does seem to love what he does for a living and the difference that he's making in these kids lives. I understand that we all have our quirks and excentrisities, but for the most part do not change our stripes midstride. When I read the first letter from him that she posted, I had to ask myself what this woman had pulled to push him to this point. It became much clearer after I read the entire complaint and his response to it. One of the saddest things about this is that anyone can post anything about anyone on the internet and put a smudge on that persons name without any proof whatsoever, all the while hiding and protecting their own identity. If I didn't know this doctor personally and read the complaint I probably would have thought he was a schmuck. Knowing this doctor, I can see how this woman could take such advantage. I have no doubt that he helped this woman's child believing that this woman had every intention on keeping good on her promise to pay. She used him, and then went viral to state her case and drum up support. I hope no one fell for this. We will continue to see Dr. Goodnight and hope that this did not damage his reputation in any way.

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DrMG
Tampa, US
Apr 04, 2011 8:24 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Mollie, only 1 visit, but the most important 1. The visit included the entire tx plan of the case plus putting on the braces. She also asked for ceramic (clear) braces that are the more expensive one. Another little bonus she received. Typical orthodontist contracts require 1/3 down. In my area, the average for a 18-24 month case is $5, 000. Down payment usually about $[protected], some coming from the patient, some from the insurance if they have any. We offer lower down payments to our patients as an option, but if anyone transfers or leaves (see above), the amount owed is based on the 1/3 down. The other part of that is the insurance company probably will ask for their 2nd pymt back at some point, so it will end up being $600 rather than the 1/3 down. Again, she is good at manipulating the facts. She probably got what she wanted out of this, because it's not worth my time dealing with it. I should not have let it bother me, but until you have been the victim of a true con, you don't know how you are going to act. It really played on my emotions. You should have seen how happy her daughter was walking out that day. I felt so good about what I was able to do for her that day, so I went from the ultimate "high" to the lowest of low. So whatever the insurance paid is probably all I will ever get and to be honest, if it rids me of her, I am all good. Live and learn.

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DrMG
Tampa, US
Apr 04, 2011 1:48 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Response by Dr Goodnight. There are 2 sides to every story. This mother who wrote the complaint is a con artist. 95% of what she has said is a lie. My mistake was that I did take this non payment more personal than any other in my 10 year career. That is for a couple of reasons. This is the first true con artist that looking back on it, I can honestly say set me up with a great plan to manipulate me into putting braces on her daughter with no down payment due until the next day. I broke my own office policy because she used her daughter's strong desire to have a better smile asap against me. She promised we could charge the down payment first thing the next morning. We did, and the account was closed. She may be under difficult financial times, but she lies saying she did not pay because she lost her job. We put the braces on at 4pm on a Wed and ran the card 8am the next day. So she is saying she lost her job between dinner and breakfast. Not a chance. She also did not add that she has been seeing another orthodontist since that visit. She is paying them. Oldest trick in the orthodontic book and I fell for it. Bait 1 orthodontist (me) into putting the braces on with promise to pay next day, then switch to someone else who will then not charge her as much because the braces are already on. She is under such hard times, that she pays the new office the lesser price, but stole from me. Shame on me for falling for it, but you should have seen how happy her daughter was the day she left with the braces on. As a father, my emotions got involved and I fell for it, hook line and sinker.

She also left out the 6 emails we sent her letting her know we could work out any financial arrangement within reason if she would just call us and let us know what was going on. Our exact words were that we understand lots of families have had hard financial times these past couple years and we are here to help her in any way. Please let us know what is going on because we are concerned about the health of your daughter's teeth if they are not being checked monthly (at that time I had no idea that had gone to someone else to avoid paying me). We called her several times and mailed her letters, in addition to the early emails with not 1 response in 6 months. As the doctor, I have the responsiblity to care for her child's teeth. That was communicated many times to her. All it would have taken was a phone call, an email, something to let us know she was under the care of another doctor. Finally, my office sent that email she posted first and I did approve it to try to get a response before taking her to court. Our last ditch effort to get her to let us know something. I have never had to take someone to court and did not want to. Again, I let my emotions get in the way because of the way she played me like a fiddle. I took it personally because I never had dealt with a true con artist and I could not comprehend how anyone would use their child as part of that. My mistake was taking it personal and not being as professional as I should have. Never once has she actually said, sorry for stealing from you. I was going through hard times. Instead, she is mad that we did not let her get away with her con, so now she wants to be the victim. Remember, the contract she signed had a down payment of over a thousand dollars from the patient (not insurance) which she gladly signed. Now I know why, she had no intention of honoring her contract. Also remember, she did not lose her job and then stop paying me. She may have lost her job at some point and that is what caused her to con me, but she promised payment the next day and left her cred card info with my office that day.

Anyone in the Tampa area can ask any neighbor, friend, or local dentist about my reputation as a caring, well qualified orthodontist. You will not hear 1 bad thing other than from someone who used her daughter to con me. I have learned a lot from my first experience from someone like her. You cannot rationalize with them or try to understand them because they have no remorse for how if affects others. I have always (up until her) stayed out of collections in my office and won't make the mistake of getting involved again because it's a no win situation. I was ripped off and then she can play victim on the internet. Lose-lose for me. The sad part is that in the future when another mother comes in who needs a little financial help or a day or 2 to pay, I will probably remember this con and be less likely to help. My main goal is to not let 1 bad person in my 10 year career ruin it for the rest of my great patients... past, present and future ones.