‘Threatening’: Aussie slams health service

An Australian man has revealed his distressing experience over a negative online review he left and the fallout that occurred from it.

An Australian man has raised serious concerns about a psychiatry health service provider that left him “distraught” after threatening his appointment could not go ahead while a negative review remained online.

To make matters worse, the situation was later exacerbated by a battle for a refund of $450.

Aaron* had been on medication for anxiety and depression for a few years but his symptoms returned and he started having suicidal thoughts about seven months ago.

He secured an appointment with an Australian telehealth service called HelloDoc. He was placed on different medication but it caused issues.

“I was having really bad side effects,” he told news.com.au. “My suicidality went from a passive thing in the back of my mind, which was a bit of a worry, to something I felt could happen.”

He reached out to HelloDoc for a follow up appointment but said he was emailing and playing phone tag with the health service and increasingly feeling distressed.

“I ended up leaving a bad review on Google that it was impossible to get an appointment and I hope you aren’t in crisis if you need an appointment,” he revealed.

Aaron had no issues with his treating psychologist and his criticisms laid with the service only.

The current rating for HelloDoc on Google. Picture: Supplied

On the same day, he secured an appointment in a week’s time and was told to pay the $450 fee as the service could not hold an appointment for longer than five minutes.

The Sydney man was also told in an email from HelloDoc that “it’s disheartening to see such feedback publicly shared” and asked him to remove the review in September last year.

Then in a crushing blow he received a phone call from HelloDoc two days later that he said left him feeling “threatened”.

He said during the phone call there were demands that a better review was deserved for HelloDoc, after it secured an appointment at short notice.

Aaron told HelloDoc he would consider changing the review after his appointment.

But he claimed HelloDoc then said that if he wanted to see the psychiatrist he would need to remove the negative review online.

“This is extremely inappropriate no matter the business but outright abhorrent for a psychiatric company,” he said.

It comes as news.com.au can reveal that the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission has received 12 complaints regarding HelloDoc since 2022.

Aaron was left upset at HelloDoc’s response to a negative review. Picture: iStock

Meanwhile, Aaron’s partner also heard the call on loudspeaker and asked if they were refusing care.

“I hung up very quickly. I said I don’t like being threatened and to cancel my appointment,” he said.

“It’s unjust to be forced to delete a review to get healthcare so to me that isn’t going to happen.

“I was basically so distraught I went for a walk straight away. I try not to share too much with my partner as I don’t want her to be worried. I went for a walk to get some space and I was feeling so overwhelmed I basically called the suicide hotline.”

He was referred to a Medicare subsidised service called Head to Health which offers local save havens and was crucial for him.

Meanwhile, Aaron also emailed HelloDoc that day cancelling his appointment – which was more than two days beforehand as required by their policy – and expected a refund of $425, minus the cancellation fee.

HelloDoc denied that any threats had been made in the phone call in a reply email but did not address Aaron’s request for a refund.

The nutrition student was told five days later that the appointment fee was non-refundable as it was booked as a complex review – something Aaron disputes – and cancelled at short notice. He sent further emails chasing a refund.

HelloDoc later told him that they regretted the interaction did not meet his expectations and “it is not our policy to threaten withholding service based on feedback, and rest assured that we have addressed this concern with the team member involved”.

“Your experience does not reflect our commitment to providing compassionate and professional care,” they added.

The service said despite the short notice for cancellation, they had decided to make an exception for a refund, although “there was no admission of fault”, adding that staff acted in good faith to assist him.

However, the email then asks if he “could confirm whether you have made any other complaints” and “in light of our willingness to process your refund”, HelloDoc asked if he would “consider removing your negative review and confirming this with us”.

One of the email's sent from HelloDoc. Picture: Supplied

HelloDoc also asked that he “refrain” from making any further complaints or reviews.

Yet Aaron still spent months chasing HelloDoc for a refund, even resorting to LinkedIn at one point to try and get a response.

Aaron had told HelloDoc he had made no other complaints as he “feared further backlash and my money withheld for an even longer period”.

“I paid $450 for nothing,” he told news.com.au. “They refused to provide a health service to me and as far as I’m concerned broke … their duty of care for ongoing treatment. The prescribed medication had worsened my symptoms.”

In subsequent emails seen by news.com.au, HelloDoc asks if complaints had been made elsewhere and reviews or social media posts had been removed or updated.

Despite this, HelloDoc denied removal of reviews was “contingent” on a refund but said it would help to close the matter “amicably”.

Aaron said he wanted to keep the review live as it was “accurate and helpful” but eventually agreed to delete it in November so he could get his money back.

“From an unemployed person, HelloDoc took hundreds of dollars and I had to fight to get it back,” he said.

“Would an average person go on LinkedIn and find … the company? Most people wouldn’t do that and they would be out of $450. It’s terrible.”

It comes as news.com.au reported on a mum-of-two who was left “disgusted” after she was slapped with a fee of $567 for just a 16 minute telehealth consultation with HelloDoc, although the private company said it upholds the highest ethical standards and is committed to fair and transparent billing practices.

Aaron said he spent 81 days chasing a refund. Picture: istock

Meanwhile in December, HelloDoc insisted that there is “written confirmation that the existing review has been removed and no further complaints or reviews related to this matter will be raised”.

They again insisted it was not intended to restrict his rights but to bring the issue to a clear and amicable resolution.

From the cancelled appointment in September, it took until December for HelloDoc to process the refund – a total of 81 days, Aaron said.

The experience had been a further trigger for his mental health, he added.

“Some of the issues I have with depression is the world is all about money and no one cares. And the idea that a healthcare service would do that makes me teary and to even talk about that now makes me depressed and teary,” he noted.

“I was at my weakest point and just needed kindness and a bit of care. If they give you medication and are causing problems they need to be available. I get not getting an appointment the second I ring up – I’m looking to get into healthcare. But what happened it’s not OK, especially when they charge you so much money – that is hard enough as it is.

“I spent months trying to get my money back and was only provided a refund after I deleted my review, which I believe is against consumer law and once I promised to not make any further reviews or complaints.”

News.com.au reached out to HelloDoc for a response but did not hear back.

A copy of the Medicare receipt for another patient who was unhappy with the service. Picture: Supplied

Aaron said he had made complaints to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, although it oversees individual practitioners only, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Since 2022, the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission has received 12 complaints regarding HelloDoc, a spokesperson said.

“Of these, nine have been discontinued, and three remain open. The Commission does not comment on open cases or individual complaint matters,” they added.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Aged Care said it is currently investigating complaints but it cannot provide the details on specific organisations, individuals or complainants while investigations are live.

An ACCC spokesperson said it does not generally comment on specific businesses, complaints received or potential investigations

*Name has been changed

[e-mail]