Physician group asking me to pay

[BicepsTriceps]

Hello,

I had an interview coming up with a clinic group who paid for flights, hotel and car rental.

I got an offer from another group that I interviewed at earlier which I accepted.

I called the recruiter for the first clinic and cancelled my interview and now they're saying I have to pay for cancelled flights.

There was no contract, agreed upon cancellation fee or any other terms stating that I have to pay in case of cancellation.

They're talking to their legal department now.

I already cancelled another interview and they just congratulated me and thanked me for letting them know.

Would I be required to pay for anything?

I'm not sure if this is considered general residency issues related or not but I do appreciate the input.

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[Piebaldi]

Hello,

I had an interview coming up with a clinic group who paid for flights, hotel and car rental.

I got an offer from another group that I interviewed at earlier which I accepted.

I called the recruiter for the first clinic and cancelled my interview and now they're saying I have to pay for cancelled flights.

There was no contract, agreed upon cancellation fee or any other terms stating that I have to pay in case of cancellation.

They're talking to their legal department now.

I already cancelled another interview and they just congratulated me and thanked me for letting them know.

Would I be required to pay for anything?

I'm not sure if this is considered general residency issues related or not but I do appreciate the input.

Did you cancel with plenty of time or did you cancel at the last minute? I think it's poor form of them to ask you to pay, however, i don't think legally you are required to pay. It's pretty petty for them to ask you to pay.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Seems like if you didn't sign or agree to anything ahead of time about what would happen in the case of cancellation that you shouldn't be on the hook.

But if they actually send you some sort of invoice or legal notification, don't take it from a bunch of randos on the internet. Speak with your own lawyer. Or if legal consultation would cost more than what they're asking for, just call it water under the bridge, pay up, and move on with your life. It can't be more than a couple hundred dollars.

 

[BicepsTriceps]

Did you cancel with plenty of time or did you cancel at the last minute? I think it's poor form of them to ask you to pay, however, i don't think legally you are required to pay. It's pretty petty for them to ask you to pay.

I canceled with a week notice.

Also prior to booking this I told the recruiter that this interview will be my plan B and I might not make it if I get the other offer.

 

[BicepsTriceps]

Seems like if you didn't sign or agree to anything ahead of time about what would happen in the case of cancellation that you shouldn't be on the hook.

But if they actually send you some sort of invoice or legal notification, don't take it from a bunch of randos on the internet. Speak with your own lawyer. Or if legal consultation would cost more than what they're asking for, just call it water under the bridge, pay up, and move on with your life. It can't be more than a couple hundred dollars.

Yeah, there was no signature of any kind or even email or text communication indicating that I would be on the hook for any fees in case of cancellation.

 

[evilbooyaa]

I would tell them that the alternative to what you did would be to go on the interview and waste everyone's money AND time and not have to pay for it.

When interviewing for an attending job, reimbursement for expenses is the standard. They are likely frustrated at your cancellation (not your fault if you signed with somebody else) and will likely not pursue this further.

 

[rokshana]

I would tell them that the alternative to what you did would be to go on the interview and waste everyone's money AND time and not have to pay for it.

When interviewing for an attending job, reimbursement for expenses is the standard. They are likely frustrated at your cancellation (not your fault if you signed with somebody else) and will likely not pursue this further.

agree...you at least had the common courtesy to let them know.

and what would be due other than airline tix?...and that's on them that they didn't make that a refundable tix.

 

[BicepsTriceps]

I'm quoting this directly from there website:

"All fees and expenses are paid for by the recruiting party, never by the physician candidate."

No mention of cancellation or stuff like this.

And the recruiter directly booked the tickets without consulting with me if the time is appropriate or not.

The interview required me to travel the previous day and fly back the day after.

So I'll be wasting 3 days on an interview I don't need and wasting precious residency vacation time.

 

[Piebaldi]

I canceled with a week notice.

Also prior to booking this I told the recruiter that this interview will be my plan B and I might not make it if I get the other offer.

Newsflash for you: recruiters just want their $$. They care only about themselves not you.
I mean I'm no lawyer but legally don't think you'd be required to pay. You didn't sign a contract saying you'd pay.

 

[Piebaldi]

I'm quoting this directly from there website:

"All fees and expenses are paid for by the recruiting party, never by the physician candidate."

No mention of cancellation or stuff like this.

And the recruiter directly booked the tickets without consulting with me if the time is appropriate or not.

The interview required me to travel the previous day and fly back the day after.

So I'll be wasting 3 days on an interview I don't need and wasting precious residency vacation time.

You get good and bad with recruiters - theys hould have checked with you to ensure that it was ok first. I can't see how they could force you to pay. Maybe the recruiter would be on the hook? Who knows.

 

[rokshana]

I'm quoting this directly from there website:

"All fees and expenses are paid for by the recruiting party, never by the physician candidate."

No mention of cancellation or stuff like this.

And the recruiter directly booked the tickets without consulting with me if the time is appropriate or not.

The interview required me to travel the previous day and fly back the day after.

So I'll be wasting 3 days on an interview I don't need and wasting precious residency vacation time.

Make sure you have a screenshot of that...
Is this a 3rd party recruiter or the group's in house recruiter?

Just tell them that you are not responsible and will not pay...and if they have anything else, they can speak with your attorney....

 

[BicepsTriceps]

Make sure you have a screenshot of that...
Is this a 3rd party recruiter or the group's in house recruiter?

Just tell them that you are not responsible and will not pay...and if they have anything else, they can speak with your attorney....

I did.

Also Google keeps cashed pages of everything online.

They're a 3rd party.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

You owe them nothing, especially since you told them beforehand that this was a possibility. As long as you haven't signed any recruiting contracts with them, they have no legal basis to make you pay anything. Keep copies of any written communication you have. If you did sign a recruiting contract, read it carefully.

 

[BicepsTriceps]

You owe them nothing, especially since you told them beforehand that this was a possibility. As long as you haven't signed any recruiting contracts with them, they have no legal basis to make you pay anything. Keep copies of any written communication you have. If you did sign a recruiting contract, read it carefully.

Thank you so much aProgDirector!

I didn't sign any recruiting contract with them.

In my email and texting communications and even spoken phone communication there was no mention of any obligation to pay or cancellation fee... Etc

I also asked a friend lawyer who said it's not necessary to have a written contract stating that I have to pay in case of cancellation to be obliged to pay.

But also, it should've been discussed and agreed upon before booking any tickets in the communicated text.

None of this was discussed or mentioned or written anywhere.

 

[Gastrapathy]

Tell them you’ll come then. They can pay for your hotel, etc. Go to the interview Office Space style. Order the lobster.

ok, don’t actually do any of that I guess

 

[kchan99]

How about offering to pay half of the airfare or cancellation fee, or say speak to my lawyer? Negotiate!
Not a lawyer...not legal advice.

 

[gutonc]

How about offering to pay half of the airfare or cancellation fee, or say speak to my lawyer? Negotiate!
Not a lawyer...not legal advice.

How about just not answering any more emails/calls from this recruiter or potential employer and moving on with your life?

 

[Chemist0157]

That's pretty petty of them. I don't see how you could be on the hook legally with what has been described and your dealings with them. Maybe ghost them as advised above.

 

[Raryn]

How about just not answering any more emails/calls from this recruiter or potential employer and moving on with your life?

This.

Just say thanks but no thanks and shred any bills you get, which you won't. They won't find a lawyer to take this case.

 

[thumbz]

Recruiters should have booked flex flights, doctors are like herding cats - especially since you warned them. I'd name their firm here so they can be forever shamed for this ridiculous scare tactic. You don't owe them a thing.

 

[DarkHorizon]

Sounds like it’s the recruiter asking you to pay back, not the physician group. Put their name out and let us know, so we all know to avoid them.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Yeah literally 3 hours of any lawyer they would use is probably worth more than the flights they booked. They aren’t gonna waste any resources trying to recoup this...just trying to see if you’ll give in easy I’d bet.

 

[gutonc]

Yeah literally 3 hours of any lawyer they would use is probably worth more than the flights they booked. They aren’t gonna waste any resources trying to recoup this...just trying to see if you’ll give in easy I’d bet.

Assuming it's not a first-class flight from overseas somewhere, what they'd spend on the first hour of a lawyer isn't worth it.

 

[BicepsTriceps]

Hi everyone,

Just an update since it's been more than a week and I haven't heard back from them. It's safe to say that they've been bluffing.

Thanks for the support!

 

[IlDestriero]

If they call back, tell them good luck and politely hang up.
Ridiculous.
You have no agreement with them and their website clearly says “... never pay...”.
They would be DOA in court, and it’s not worth pursuing anyway for a few hundred dollars.
It’s actually sad and pathetic that they would even ask.

 

[Splenda88]

Hi everyone,

Just an update since it's been more than a week and I haven't heard back from them. It's safe to say that they've been bluffing.

Thanks for the support!

You should name that recruiting company so other people here can avoid them.

 

[chooks]

Counterpoint: Sue for fraud, false advertising, and "emotional distress". Profit. Or bluffing goes both ways - get some legal letterhead threatening such a suit and see what happens. May take a little time or money, but you never know how things like that can go (including back-firing horrifically -- I am not a lawyer).

Who knows -- maybe they do this to everyone and are indeed engaged in fraud.

Not legal advice, but an interesting thought experiment!

 

[Piebaldi]

Counterpoint: Sue for fraud, false advertising, and "emotional distress". Profit. Or bluffing goes both ways - get some legal letterhead threatening such a suit and see what happens. May take a little time or money, but you never know how things like that can go (including back-firing horrifically -- I am not a lawyer).

Who knows -- maybe they do this to everyone and are indeed engaged in fraud.

Not legal advice, but an interesting thought experiment!

Yeah, this really has a good chance of not backfiring horrifically *eye roll*. FYI - if you pretend to be a lawyer (a physician who was awful that I wrote a negative review for threatened to sue me, and had his staff pretend that they were lawyers and that they were suing me lol, that didn't work out well for them, particularly in Tx}), but pretending to be a lawyer to intimidate someone is FRAUD in and out of itself. You can be sued, lose ur license and potentially go to jail. You can't sue for emotional distress for something like this - emotional distress is for one difficult to prove and it has to be a big thing - ie - a surgeon cut off the wrong limb, negligence lead to a patient dying and the family is suing for emotional distress, etc. this certainly doesn't qualify. there is no false advertising - the group while lame made a request, the OP simply blew them off. there is also no fraud.

you gotta be careful with suggesting far off nonsense that can lead to negative consequences for the OP.

 

[Perrotfish]

FYI - if you pretend to be a lawyer (a physician who was awful that I wrote a negative review for threatened to sue me, and had his staff pretend that they were lawyers and that they were suing me lol, that didn't work out well for them, particularly in Tx}), but pretending to be a lawyer to intimidate someone is FRAUD in and out of itself.

I think he was suggesting to go to a lawyer and have them mail a threatening letter on their legal letterhead.

 

[Piebaldi]

I think he was suggesting to go to a lawyer and have them mail a threatening letter on their legal letterhead.

"get some legal letterhead threatening such a suit and see what happens." Not sure that's what he was suggesting, but regardless, clearly when it seems that the group has dropped the request for payment, not sure what he/she would get from threatening something that has been resolved. if anything that would potentially cause the group to start their own legal nonsense.

 

[J ROD]

They sound like a great group to work for....lol