In July, I saw my chiropractor and she suggested I have an MRI on my lower lumbar area and an MSK (xray scan) of my hips in order to determine the root cause.
I asked MRI Plus on recommendation if they could simultaneously do them both. They said that it could, so I booked. I was quoted £359 for both scan types and £25 for a CD of the images.
It asked me to fill out its online application. I was told that I needed to be clear about asking for two different scan types: an MRI to my back, and MSK to both of my hips.
After the scan was complete, however, I discovered that they had not scanned all the areas correctly and therefore the CD wouldn’t work. But, it won’t give one. How can I get a refund?
An MRI Plus customer was told by his GP & chiropractor the firm had scanned the wrong areas
Grace Gausden is the consumer expert at This is Money. Two scans at MRI Plus – one in Leigh-on-Sea and one in Hendon – were not enough to make you want hip, hip-hop, hooray!
Your chiropractor recommended you for an appointment at MRI Plus. When you booked in scans, your doctor specifically requested that the reports be sent to your GP and her.
It was stated that this is possible. You just needed to tell the doctors when you went to the clinic, as well as make sure it was clear in the application online.
In August, you went to the centre and made a paper sheet with your contact information for your GP. You also printed the sheet on which was clearly written a request for 2 scans.
You assumed that the machine could perform both types of scans since you hadn’t had one before.
You returned to the UK and handed your CD with images to your GP. However, they could not access them. Your GP also informed you that the NHS told GPs that they had been forbidden from using any other data than those that came directly through the internet.
Your physiotherapist from NHS added in a separate appointment that the port for CDs was taped to prevent anyone accessing unregulated data sources in certain surgeries.
You were not aware that this disc existed before you contacted MRI Plus. It stated that the disc only arrived in one format, which could not be changed. However, it sent you a replacement.
Your GP had seen you before the replacement arrived so they could no longer use the disc for diagnosis purposes.
During that time, the written reports were sent to your GP as well as your chiropractor.
Both doctors mentioned that the report was only for spine and lumbar. They also gave a short paragraph that indicated mild osteoarthritic changes in hips. This is slightly less pronounced than the one on the right.
MRI Plus claims it has scanned all the areas, but images can be difficult to interpret.
It also indicated there had been an MRI scan to the hips and not a MSK as requested as well as referring to your abdomen which was not the area to be scanned and the humeral head which is not in the relevant area either.
An MSK scan refers only to musculoskeletal, while MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging.
Your GP and physiotherapist said that the report was poorly written, unacceptable and didn’t give them any information that could help.
Since that time, you’ve been trying to obtain a reply from MRI Plus regarding the reason for any errors made. However, this has not resulted in a satisfactory answer.
So, I contacted this firm to learn what had occurred and the reasons your GP and chiropractor deemed it unimportant.
A spokesperson for MRI Plus stated that he had seen two MRI scans of Mr T, one from the lumbar spine, and one from the hips. His referral form requested a standard MRI for his back and lower back. It also included hips.
“These scans were combined because both the body coils and lumbar spines coils were positioned in the MRI scanner. While Mr T thought he got one scan in total, in truth, he actually received two.
The disc was sent to Mr T. He was told that it is only compatible with Windows and not Apple computers. To make sure that the discs were formatted properly, we did send another disc to Mr T.
The views expressed by Mr T may not be those of the Radiologist in his report. However, they are expressing clinical judgment.
One year of Grace on the Case, winning back readers over £380k
It has now been one whole year of Grace on the Case and we have helped readers claw back over £380,000.
There have been many consumer problems, from eBay sales issues to customer overcharges of thousands for internet bills.
One of the cases includes a win of £76,392.60 for a widow whose wife had passed away. He had to wait for NS&I to transfer funds before he could sort out probate and subsequently move into a retirement facility.
It also includes a We Buy Any Car customer who sold his Aston Martin, worth £36,660 and completed the necessary before the firm said it would return it, even though he was no longer its legal owner.
If you have a consumer issue that you need help with, contact Grace on the Case at grace.gausden@thisismoney.co.uk.
“Our consultant did mention the abdomen in his report, but this is because Radiologist can view the abdomen from the lumbar spine pictures.
“The report was sent promptly to Mr T’s practitioners, however, it appears that Mr T was frustrated with his GP regarding Covid-19 issues, which we cannot help with.
“Our hospital manager phoned Mr T two times and left messages on the landline. No reply. It is now open for Mr T’s to call him back and address any issues.
MRI Plus believes it has acted in accordance with the instructions and strongly denies any suggestion that it didn’t perform correct scans.
But, I was informed by you that you could get a 50% refund after you had contacted the firm. So you’ve only spent one scan, but you were able to return the money for the other, the one you believe was incorrect, and the cost of the CD report.
Fortunately, the funds of £204.50 have been confirmed to be returned to you imminently and you have said you are happy with the decision.
Three offered to cancel the direct debit of a fraud victim in order to solve the problem.
Missing: Here’s this week’s nice and naughty list
Every week I review companies who have not met expectations and those who have done extra for their customers.
Miss:Imran the reader had to fight with his phone network last week. Three.
“I was contacted by fraudsters, claiming that they were Carphone Warehouse. The call came at the same time as my contract was ending.
‘They offered me an IPhone 13 Pro Max with unlimited data at £35 a month which I agreed to. It turned out that they were scammers and took out multiple contracts under my name, one with O2 as well as one with Three.
‘O2 investigated my case and as a result closed the case and removed the fraud from my credit file, dealing with this in under 10 days.
“However, Three said that it had been looking into the matter for over a month, but couldn’t provide any answers. The direct debit would most likely be resolved in bad credit. I was told to cancel it. What do I do now?
O2 was able to resolve the issue instantly, while Three took over a month to fix the problem and even advised you to stop your direct debit.
I called the company to inquire why it took so long to resolve the issue.
A spokesperson for Three said that Imran was having difficulty closing his account. Our customer service wasn’t up to the usual high standards.
“We have since reported the account fraudulent and offered the customer both a full refund and a gesture to goodwill. This experience has prompted us to conduct further training for our employees.
Luckily, this has been sorted, and you received a goodwill gesture of £100, but it is a good reminder to customers to be aware when receiving any phone calls from someone trying to sell you something.
Hit: A happier note is this: An anonymous reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, has praised the week’s accomplishments. Mobile Hut‘s customer service.
She said: ‘My old-school Nokia mobile suffered an unfortunate incident involving my handbag and a water bottle.
“Despite the mobile’s stalwart status showing no signs or hope, my Nokia was saved by a Surrey-based tech geek and mobile genius. She survived another decade of heavy knocks and waterlogging.
It was clear that the business wasn’t a scam and it is good to see that original Nokias, which were made to last, are still in operation.