Lancet overcharged me, and handed me over despite payment plan

In May 2020 I had a test conducted by my gynae in the lead-up to the birth of my baby. The test was sent to Lancet and I was billed R1062 which medical aid did not cover because my funds were exhausted. I queried the amount with the doctor who informed me it should have only cost R104. And so began a drawn out battle with Lancet to explain why I was being charged almost R1000 more than I should have been.

After months of increasing demands messages and threats that I'd be handed over and no satisfactory information as to why they had charged so much, I gave up and arranged a payment plan with them. With a new baby at home and having lost my job due to the virus I simply did not have the energy to fight with them anymore. The arrangement I made was that I would pay them R200 a month.

The demand messages stopped and I set about paying them off as planned. Until a few days ago - with just R400 left of my bill I started getting SMSs again. I paid another R200 four days ago on schedule, leaving me with the final R200 due by the 27th of next month.

This morning I got a call from the collections people saying that I had been handed over. With R200 left and a PAYMENT PLAN IN PLACE. I am absolutely livid.

Their communication has been appalling. Never mind that I have been paying off a test that cost ten times more than it should have. They have been severely lacking in actually answering my queries. Instead, sending me relentless, threatening demand messages, sometimes more than one a day.

I will never use Lancet again. And I will actively encourage anyone I know to rather go to Pathcare or pretty much ANYONE else.

I have sent them another long email this morning after the collections call, demanding a response and explanation in writing. If this has affected my credit rating in any way I will lose it completely. I find it incredible, having read other reviews here, that this company can be so utterly pathetic in their handling of accounts and communication.