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TERMS & 

CONDITIONS

Guasco and Associates Ltd is committed to providing the highest possible standards of veterinary care and attention to patients and their owners. If any points are unclear, feel free to ask a member of staff to explain.

 

Fees

 

All fees include VAT at the current rate and are determined by the time spent on a case in addition to the drugs, equipment and materials used. Written estimates can be provided upon request and remain valid for a period of 1 month, but please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate, as the progress of any illness or condition is not certain.

 

Payment Terms

 

It is our policy that all clients need to build up a satisfactory credit record with us and we will require payment at the time of booking for at least the first 3 appointments.

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Should credit terms be allowed, you will be allocated an account limit and will be invoiced for further work up to this limit. If the work carried out exceeds the account limit, payment will be required on request.

 

Payment is due strictly 14 days from the date of invoice. All invoices/statements not paid within 42 days will be charged interest at 2.5% per 28 days. All invoices not paid within 42 days will incur a £15 administration charge and a subsequent £15 charge every 28 days until cleared. If our payment terms are not adhered to, we reserve the right to withdraw the credit terms offered. Before undertaking any further work we will require settlement of any outstanding monies and will expect payment at the time of booking any further appointments.

 

We understand that on occasions, unexpectedly large bills can occur. If you find yourself in a difficult situation and need to discuss your account, please contact the accounts department.

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In the event of non-payment we may refer your account to a debt collection agency or the County Court.  This will incur further costs for which the Client will be liable.
 

 

Payment Methods

 

Bank transfer: BACS or CHAPS; please reference payments with the account holder's surname, horse’s name, and, most importantly, the invoice number.

 

Account number: 74249577

Sort code: 40-18-17

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Cheques: payable to ‘Guasco and Associates Ltd'.

Please enclose the remittance slip when posting.

 

Credit/Debit Card/PayPal: we accept all major credit and debit cards (excluding American Express).  

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Cash: cash payments are accepted.

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Insurance cover for your horse

 

Guasco and Associates Ltd strongly supports the insurance of horses. Various companies offer policies offering protection against vet fees, accidental death, and permanent loss of use. Your broker should be consulted for specialist advice on this subject.

 

However, it should be remembered that the account is the responsibility of the owner/keeper of the horse. Any contract of insurance is a contract between the owner/keeper and the insurance company and it is the role of the insurance company to reimburse you for the fees paid for veterinary treatment. Such fees must be paid to Guasco and Associates Ltd within our normal payment terms. Guasco and Associates Ltd is not responsible for invalid insurance claims for whatever reason. Some companies will allow payment directly to the veterinary practice.

 

Complaints and Standards

 

We will always do our very best to meet your expectations and offer exceptional care and service, but if you do feel dissatisfied with any aspect, please discuss it with the director.

 

Second opinions and referrals

 

Whilst we endeavor to provide the highest level of care for you and your horse if you wish to request a referral to, or a second opinion from, another practice we will, with your permission, forward on all clinical records promptly to that practice.

 

Data Protection

 

In holding and using data about you, we will comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. In instructing us to look after your horse, you authorise us to use that data in the course of the work that we do for you; and also to send you, from time to time, free of charge, details of the services that we provide. We will where specifically required, pass on to Insurers details of clinical histories, case records, and diagnostic images relating to your horse.

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Ownership of radiographs, ultrasound scans, and similar records

 

The care given to your animal may involve doing specific investigations; for example, taking radiographs or performing ultrasound scans. Even though we make a charge for these investigations and interpreting their results, ownership and retention of the resulting record, for example a radiograph, will remain with Guasco and Associates Ltd. Similarly, case records are also the property of the practice.

 

On request from another veterinary surgeon taking over the case, copies and a summary of the history will be passed to them following client authorisation.

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Fees and charging structures

 

All our fees and medical charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Our fee levels are determined by the professional input to the case and according to the medicines, materials, and consumables used. Visit charges are determined by the distance traveled from the practice or previous visit. Details of our fees are available on request and a detailed invoice is provided for every consultation, procedure, or transaction. Written estimates are also available on request. Out-of-hours calls and consultations will attract an additional charge depending on the time of day/night.

PRIVACY POLICY

Guasco and Associates Ltd is a limited company. We, as a veterinary practice, hold certain information appertaining to you and your animal(s) which is necessary to provide you with the efficient and personal service you expect.  

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We process personal information to enable us to provide veterinary services, to promote our services, to maintain our accounts and records and to support and manage our employees.

We store personal data on our computer systems. These systems are based in the UK. We take care of your personal data and protect it not only under the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) but as a veterinary practice we are governed by the rules of the RCVS with regard to client confidentiality, so none of the data we have on file will be shared with a third party without your prior consent.

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By visiting this website, you are accepting and consenting to the practices described in this policy. Please read it carefully to understand your rights regarding your personal data.

 

What information we collect and why

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The majority of our information is obtained directly through our clients via telephone, SMS, email or other correspondence. This information may include personal details, including name, address(es), phone number(s), email address(es), animal(s) details. Other sources of information are found via the internet via company websites.

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Guasco and Associates Ltd will collect, store, and use your Personal Information in accordance with applicable data protection laws and regulations, for purposes related to account management and debt recovery.

In the event of non-payment or overdue accounts, Guasco and Associates Ltd reserves the right to share your Personal Information with Third-Party Debt Collectors, including:

 

• Full name

• Contact details (email, phone number, postal address)

• Outstanding balance and account information

• Transaction history and any related financial information

 

Personal Information may also be shared with legal entities or government agencies where required by law or court order.


The purpose of sharing your Personal Information is to assist with the recovery of overdue amounts owed to Guasco and Associates Ltd , which may include, but is not limited to:

 

• Contacting you regarding the debt

• Arranging payment plans or settlement of the debt

• Enforcing payment obligations through legal action if necessary


Personal Information will only be shared to the extent necessary for the purpose of debt recovery.

 

Why we collect this information

 

  • To register you and your animal(s) on our practice management system (Vet One)

  • For internal record keeping and clinical governance

  • To communicate with you in connection with your animal(s) health

  • To record your animal(s) health and treatment history and apply relevant fees to your account, together with veterinary prescriptions and other goods purchased

  • To communicate with you for administrative purposes

  • To provide you with service communications that enable us to perform our obligations to you (these may be sent by email, post, telephone or SMS)

  • To inform you about the goods and services you already receive and additional goods and services we offer

  • To deal with legal queries and comply with legal obligations

 

Storing and sharing of information

 

You agree that, for the purpose set out above, we have the right to share your personal information with:

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  • Selected third parties who we appoint (with your prior consent) to provide services or consult in relation to the treatment and care of your animal(s).

  • Additionally, we will disclose your personal information if we are acquired by a third party, if under duty to disclose your data to comply with legal obligations, to enforce our terms and conditions or to protect the rights or safety of our customers.

  • We retain personal data for the period reasonably necessary for us to perform and process our services. We will keep information for a maximum of 7 years after the end of our relationship with you unless we require the data in relation to a claim, for legal reasons or are required to remove data from our records.

  • We hold the following information: your name, address(es), telephone number(s), email address(es) alongside details of your horse(s) and their case history. These are stored on a secure practice management system (Vet One), secured with a user name and password.

  • All electronic information (including radiographs and scans etc) are kept by us on secure servers. All archived paperwork is kept in our locked clinic office with limited access.

  • We may transfer your data outside the European Economic Area, e.g. animal transport/export, and will only do this on your specific instruction.

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Your rights and accessing your personal data

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You can exercise your rights at any time by contacting us at Guasco and Associates, Unit 1 & 2 North, Upper Slaughter Business Centre, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 2JJ

or at office@guascoandassociates.com.

 

Under the GDPR, you have the right to:  

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  • Request a copy of your personal information

  • Ask us not to process your personal data for marketing purposes

  • Ask us not to process your personal data where it is processed on the basis of legitimate interests, provided there are no compelling reasons for that processing

  • Ask us not to process your personal data for research purposes unless processing is necessary in the public interest

  • Request that any inaccurate personal information we hold about you is corrected or deleted

  • Request that we delete your personal information under certain circumstances, provided it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and there are no legitimate grounds for processing; the data is unlawfully processed; to comply with a legal obligation

  • Ask for the processing of the information to be restricted if the accuracy of the data is contested; the processing is unlawful; the personal data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected; you exercise your right to object

  • Ask for data portability if the processing is carried out by automated means and the legal basis for processing is consent or contract

  • Opt out of receiving electronic communications from us

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Complaints

 

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO), which is the supervisory authority for data protection in the UK. 

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We politely request any complaints are made aware to us prior to contacting the ICO, so we may have the opportunity to take appropriate action to resolve the issues.

 

Updated October 2024

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This policy may be amended at any time.

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