Deposit Refunds

Hi Sasha

On Friday 14th May I booked lens replacement surgery with Optical Express St Albans office for surgery to take place on Friday 17th July with a surgeon called Igor Occchipinti at Optical Express London White City.

I was told he's a wonderful and very experienced surgeon and the clinic manager who dealt with me was called Susan Quail and told me she had had surgery herself with him and was over the moon with the results. 

As requested I was asked to pay £1,000 deposit in order to secure interest free credit over 24 months.

But after reading online reviews on various websites and  forums I called them back on Tuesday 2nd June and cancelled because I found out that there many legal claims against him both past and present. I was told I would only receive £750 of the initial deposit back and this would take 28 working days from when the cancellation is processed. They said they would hold the remaining £250 as an 'admin' fee.

Please could you offer me advice on how to get all of my money back as soon as possible?
Many thanks
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admin: Unfortunately you are correct, Igor Occhipinti is the subject of a number of legal claims brought by damaged patients - as is Optical Express and the majority of its surgeons.
Of course I could be wrong, but I’d be very surprised if Susan was telling the truth about having surgery with Igor, as OE staff are trained to use such tactics to reassure prospective customers to encourage sales. Just like double glazing or car dealerships, staff receive incentives and paid bonuses.*
Beside the fact that you were not fully informed of the risks of surgery before parting with a deposit, nor were you made aware of ongoing legal proceedings that would have been relevant to your decision making, and the company therefore has no legal right to withhold an ‘admin’ fee. You are entitled to a full refund.
Please send your phone number 👀
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

 *Visit page 11 in General Chat topic!
 

Hi, I booked in to have lasik surgery with OE and everything was going fine until I had my consultation with the surgeon. He did not reassure me in the slightest and I felt rushed and not listened to. Add to the fact that he was suggesting another type of surgery. So I cancelled the day after. It’s coming up to 28 days and I have yet to receive my money back. They have said there is a £250 deduction due to cancelling after the consultation but I am still owed just over £4500. I’m furious it is taking so long. And nobody is answering any phone calls. Their WhatsApp service seems to be just a bot. Is there anyone who can help? Thank you. 
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admin: The company has no right to deduct any money, as you should have had a consultation with the surgeon BEFORE they sold you Lasik surgery, which apparently was not a suitable option.
Please send your phone number 👀
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Hi Sasha

On Friday 01 May I booked lens replacement surgery with Optical Express for surgery to take place on Tuesday 09 June with a surgeon called Dr Khalid Riaz at Optical Express Liverpool.

As requested I was asked to pay £1,000 deposit in order to secure interest free credit over 18 months.

But after reading online reviews on your website (opticalexpressruinedmylife) I called them back on Monday 11 May and cancelled. I was told I would only receive £750 of the initial deposit back and this would take 28 days  from when the cancellation is processed. (I have since discovered this is 28 working days)

Please could you offer me advice on how to get all of my money back as soon as possible.
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admin: Optical Express is withholding your money illegally, and you are entitled to a full refund - immediately, not within 28 working days!
Please send your phone number for further advice 👀
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Can happily say I got my refund! Thanks Sasha  

Hi Sasha,

I have received the refund now, thank you so much for your help

Dear Sasha,

I'm reaching out because I need some help with getting my deposit back from Optical Express. I had an initial consultation at the London Harley Street branch on January 13, 2026, for possible laser eye surgery.

After the consultation, the optometrist told me I wasn't suitable for LASEK and suggested Refractive Lens Exchange instead. I am 49 and wearing +1.50 + 1.75 glasses for reading/computer.

During the consultation, the optometrist only focused on the positive things, like no risks, 20/20 vision, and no cataracts in the future. But any real risks weren't explained. He told me that I would be able to use the computer within hours after surgery. The sales person told me that I would be able to go home alone on public transport and just to wear sunglasses.

The surgery was priced at £7,231 after a 10% discount included, and the option to pay in instalments. I was really excited about the possibility of being free from glasses.

I paid a £500 deposit and booked my surgery for March 20, 2026. But after a very fast virtual consultation with the surgeon, Radwan Almousa, on January 19, 2026, my feelings about the whole thing changed. The session felt cold and impersonal, and the surgeon didn't give clear answers to my questions. he also mentioned risks like night glare and contrast issues, which weren't mentioned before. Most importantly, I felt like he didn't treat me as a person — just another case — and didn't seem to care about my concerns. Also this doctor was not even listed on their website and when I questioned that they told me he is relatively new but one of their best doctors. When I asked for some more information they only sent me something from the internet that I was able to find myself. Also they said if I am not happy to go ahead with Radwan they have another “one of their best doctors” Igor Occhipinti, who after researching him discovered that he actually has legal cases against him!

 On March, 12 I have called again Optical Express and the consultant told me that person who does the follow up appointments for both of these doctors can call me to explain more and how great they are and I have nothing to worry about. Of course no one called me, so on Monday March 16 I’ve contacted Optical Express to cancel my surgery. They have cancelled my surgery and told me that any money due will be refunded back within 28 days. When I have asked if the full £500 deposit will be refunded, their answer was: “As you are outwith the cooling off period of three days, the £500 would be retained”. I believe I'm entitled to a full refund as I was given incorrect and misleading information since the beginning of this process and cancelled the surgery as I was not prepared to take any risk after finding this site and reading many negative customers reviews on the internet.

Could you let me know how I can go about getting the full deposit back? I'd really appreciate your help.

Thanks so much for your time!
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admin: Both Radwan Almousa (previously employed by Optimax/Ultralase) AND Igor Occhipinti have/had a number of legal claims from their patients.
Optical Express are withholding your £500 illegally, and you are entitled to a full refund.
Also, given your age and very small prescription, I believe OE’s actions in selling you lens exchange warrant a complaint to the General Optical Council - as does the optometrist’s negligent claim that you would be safe to travel home alone. I can advise you on this.
Please send your phone number 👀
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

I can now confirm I have the full refund.

Thanks Sasha for your help!

Dear Sasha,

I initially attended a refractive consultation at the Oxford clinic on 21 February 2024, as I was interested in laser eye surgery. My prescription is -0.75 in both eyes. During this consultation, I was advised (Abha Devani) that lens replacement surgery would be more suitable than laser eye surgery and was reassured that this was a routine and safe procedure. Following this appointment, I paid a £500 deposit.

I then attended further scans in Milton Keynes on 23 February 2024 to confirm suitability for surgery. However, during a pre-surgery video consultation on 6 March 2024, the surgeon (Igor Occhipinti) explained that lens replacement surgery carries greater risks than laser eye surgery and appeared to question whether surgery was necessary in my case. This conflicted with the earlier reassurance I had received and caused me significant concern, particularly as the surgery was scheduled for 23 March 2024.

Additionally, an abnormality was identified during my scans, requiring further investigation. I subsequently attended the Oxford Eye Hospital on 25 March 2024, with a follow-up appointment on 12 August 2024. I was diagnosed with a choroidal naevus in my left eye and was advised to attend monitoring appointments every 1–2 years. Following these consultations, I made the decision that I no longer wished to proceed with surgery.

I informed Optical Express of my decision to cancel. I was later asked to attend the Oxford clinic again on 12 March 2025 for further tests, despite having clearly stated that I wished to cancel and request a refund. I attended as requested. I was then asked to provide a copy of the letter from the Oxford Eye Hospital, which I supplied on 13 March 2025. I was informed that this would be forwarded to head office to initiate the cancellation and refund process.

Since then, despite following up, I have only been told that the matter is being “looked into,” and I have received no further communication or confirmation regarding my refund.

Please could you help or advise on what my next steps could be?

Regards,
Iain
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admin:  Igor Occhipinti has a number of legal claims from his patients in process, so I’m pleased to hear that he gave you the advice that he did!
Optical Express are withholding your £500 illegally, and you are entitled to a full refund - plus interest.
Also, I believe OE’s actions as you’ve described, warrant a complaint to the General Optical Council. I will advise you on this.
Please send your phone number 👀
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Hi Sasha 

I went to Optical Express (Harley Street) in July 2025 for a consultation based on an ad promising amazing results.

My prescription was -1.25 in my left eye, and -0.25 in my right, so I just wear glasses for distance. Based on this they said they would only need to operate on my left eye. They initially offered me £2250 for the one eye, which I said was quite a bit above what I was expecting based on their website and having a very simple prescription. They agreed to do it for £1500 if I signed and put the deposit that day. My deposit was agreed to be lowered to £300 based on my financial situation. I felt pressured to sign up that day based on the discount they offered. 

A long story short, I was given very limited information, and as it was approaching my surgery date I felt incredibly stressed, realising the risks compared to my mild prescription. I was literally in transit, 30 minutes away from my 6 January appointment, planning to express my concerns and ask for more information, when Optical Express called me to cancel, because apparently they needed a GP form filled out due to one of my medical issues. They said they had given me this form at the initial consultation, but I don’t remember and they never followed up. 

Aside from the obvious unprofessionalism of giving me a form in July and then calling me 6 months later, only minutes before my surgery appointment to see if I filled it out, the whole thing is making me incredibly stressed. After reading so many complaints online about this company I realised I don't have the financial support to manage if my eye is damaged and affects my ability to work. I was not informed of the actual risks of this surgery and t's too big of a gamble for me to take. 

My surgery date was Jan 6th at London Harley Street. My original surgery date for September was set with Dr Mohammad Ayoubi, but I don't know if it was going to be him as the pre surgery call I had from Optical Express was so long ago and so short.

They have offered me new dates but I no longer want to go forward. Is there anything I can do here? 

KW

   
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admin: Like most of OE surgeons - currently and historically - Mohammad Ghassan Ayoubi has been sued by a number of his patients, but of course they won’t tell you this.
Regardless of which, Optical Express are withholding your £300 illegally, and you are entitled to a full refund.
Please send your phone number 👀
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Following Sasha's intervention with Optical Express to have my deposit refunded, I can now report that they have refunded my full £500.
It is worthy of note that the company did not even have the courtesy of informing me that they had eventually refunded the money they had wrongly withheld, it was only when I checked my account I saw it had been repaid. 
What absolutely appalling customer service not to mention their underhand and dishonest attempts to retain my money. 
Thank you Sasha 
Alison Scales