Deposit Refunds

I went to Optical Express in White City on 19th April 2016 purely to enquire about Laser surgery. My Mum died in February and I thought she would like me to use some of the money she would be leaving me to be used on something that could be potentially life changing for me.
My partner came with me as they said I would be given eye drops that would blur my vision and prevent me from driving.
We were taken in to a room where the optometrist, SEJAL PATEL gave me a standard eye test. She asked if I had any eye problems to which I replied that I had had eye eczema, a cyst removed from under my left eyelid and suffered from chronic dry eye. 'Is that a problem' I asked, 'Absolutely not, we can give you eye drops to counteract that', was the reply.
I was then told by her that I would be suitable for Lasik treatment at a cost of £4,390, I told her that my Mums house still had to be sold and her estate had to go through probate first and that it could be months before I had the money for surgery. SEJAL PATEL told me that if I were to put down a deposit there and then it would lock in a lower cost of £3,951 no matter how many months down the line I had the surgery, if I did not then it would remain at the higher price.
I told her that I did not have that sort of money but my fiancé offered to lend me the money so that I would not lose out on getting the lower price. He asked if the deposit would be fully refundable if I changed my mind. SEJAL PATEL assured him that I could change my mind right up until surgery and that the deposit would be fully refundable so there weren't any risks as far as the deposit. She then told me I would have to book a date for surgery approximately a months time and booked me in for 28th May in Harley Street. I explained that obviously I would not have the money by then but she said that I had to book a date to get the discount and that I could phone up just before and postpone the date if necessary. I agreed and my fiancé paid the £400 deposit, again asking for reassurance that the deposit would be fully refundable if I didn't go ahead with surgery, again SEJAL PATEL said that the deposit was only to secure the discounted price and was fully refundable.
At this point some paperwork was thrust under my nose, I explained that I could not read it as my eyes were very blurry from the eye drops she had given me, Not a problem she said, it was basically just what we had been talking about.
I was then handed some eye drops to take away with me for dry eye and some contact lenses that I had to trial to make sure that my prescription would be accurate.
My fiancé and I were then taken into a room with a 'technician', PRIYA KASHYAP who took the money from my fiancé and gave him a receipt.
I asked again if the deposit would be refunded in full if I did not go ahead with surgery. 'Yes, don't worry, you will not lose your deposit but I really recommend that you have the surgery. I have had it and it was the best thing I ever did, what a lovely final thing for your Mum to buy you', she said. I was given a pack to take home and read.
We left intending to go shopping but my eyes were so sensitive to the lights after having the eye drops that we decided to go straight home.
I had to go back a week later to get more contact lenses as the ones they had given me gave me blurred vision, and this time was seen by a DINA UKAEGBU who said that she was surprised that they had recommended me for surgery as my dry eye was so chronic it was doubtful that the surgeon would operate! I was told to up the amount of eye drops I used. I explained that I had to stop using them as they were stinging my eyes. 'No, you must use them more', she said 'they are stinging because your eyes are so dry.'
I was contacted a week or so before the surgery date where I told them that I had not yet got the money so would have to postpone until I did. I was called again a couple of days later and then again the day before the surgery date where I told them again that I did not have the money yet.
A few weeks ago my varifocals broke. My Mums house still had not sold and I did not have the money to buy new glasses so I decided to get my deposit back. I rang Customer Services and spoke to a SCOTT McCANN who informed me that I was lucky to have been offered a discount as that never happens and if I have dry eye he could book me in to a Shaftsbury Avenue clinic to have treatment for that before I had Lasik. However, I could not have my deposit back as it had gone past the seven days! I told him that we were never made aware that there was a seven day cut off and were lead to believe that I could get my deposit back right up until the day of my surgery. He told me that it was all set out in my Terms and Conditions that I could find that in my pack.
I searched through my pack and could not find any Terms and Conditions so I phoned back and spoke to a GERALDINE who was quite dismissive and told me I would definitely have it. She then sent me through a picture of what they would look like but it was surgery or nothing. This rang alarm bells and I decided not to go ahead with a company that acted so deceitfully. I definitely had not been given any Terms and Conditions. I was also told that by paying the deposit meant that I had agreed to the Terms and Conditions even if I had not seen them!
Last week I was phoned by SCOTT McCANN and asked what was happening with my surgery. I told him that I had been lied to and scammed into losing £400. He said that I had not lost the money and they would simply hold it for me in case I changed my mind about surgery. I explained that I did not want surgery, just my deposit back to which he got defensive and said that in that case I would not be getting my money back at all.
Also, since using the Optical Express eye drops which stung, I have had severe eye eczema and blepharitis, compounded by my chronic dry eye. The optometrist at my local Specsavers has prescribed eye drops that are paraben and preservative free which I should have been prescribed by Optical Express considering I suffered from eye eczema and advised me that in her experience laser surgery only compounded dry eye. She also told me that I should never have been told to 'up' the eye drops if they were causing burning and discomfort but should have been advised to stop using them immediately.
I have contacted Sasha who is advising me on the best way to get my money back.
AND I SHALL NOW BE MAKING A COMPLAINT TO THE GOC!

Update to my previous post on 2 Nov.

Like Lizzie, I went to Optical Express in Bristol to discuss treatment and decided the operation was not for me at this time. I called and spoke with Debbie in Bristol to cancel any further appointments on 31st October and was told the manager Sam would call me back to discuss this and arrange my refund - this has never happened.

Yesterday I received a call to confirm I was still planning to attend my appointment with the Surgeon Alex George on Monday 14th November! When I told the person (Kimberley) that I had spoken with Debbie in Bristol and cancelled all future appointments on 31st October I was told there was no record of this on my account! Lawrence McLaughlin a Clinical Care Associate then called me and informed me because I had cancelled more than 7 days after my initial consultation I was now NOT entitled to my refund, which had been confirmed as refundable by Debbie in Bristol. Despicable customer service.

I've since discovered BBC West undercover investigation into Optical Express Bristol store. If only I had seen this before getting involved with them I would never have gone there.


I have a promise from Lawrence McLaughlin that he will be calling me on Monday 14th November, and I sincerely hope he will be confirming my deposit is to be refunded immediately.

I first attended OE Bristol back in April to find out more information about laser eye surgery.

I couldn't commit to anything at the time because I was entering a very busy period at work, and by the time September came round I had convinced myself it's what I wanted to do. I had been left some money by my grandfather so was in a fortunate position.

I called OE on 13 September, booked my pre surgery consultation with the surgeon and the date for surgery. The pushy guy on the phone said I had to pay a deposit when I asked how much, he replied "how much would you like to pay" I said 'I don't know isn't there a fixed fee?'
He said £500, and I hesitated and said I couldn't commit to that amount at that moment in time as I had only just paid some big bills. He asked what I could pay and we agreed on £150, which I put on my credit card. At no point did he mention a 7 day cooling off period. He said that confirmation of appointment would be sent which I received but to my surprise no receipt for my deposit payment or any terms and conditions.

Within the next few weeks, he was emailing and calling to arrange payment of the outstanding £350 which I then paid on 10 October.

I had my consultation with the surgeon, Luca Antico on Friday evening (4 Nov), which didn't put my mind at ease or even made me feel like a patient. He spent the session (10 minutes) going through the risks, 1 in 1000 and 1 in 100, the questions I asked didn't really get answered and I had a terrible nights sleep spent worrying. After speaking with my family, we've decided that now I am fully aware of the risks I am not prepared to take the chance with my eyesight. I drive coaches for a living and my livelihood totally depends on my career.

After thinking it all through I called OE on the Sunday and explained I had changed my mind since speaking with the surgeon on Friday and I would like to cancel my surgery.
I was quite tearful on the phone, the woman I spoke to explained the cancellations team only work Monday to Friday and they would call me tomorrow (Monday) but I would lose any deposit I've paid if it's outside the 7 days from paying the deposit. I missed the call on Monday, as I was in mid wales with no reception cover on my phone. I have since tried to call and was promised a call back within an hour but didn't get the call back until this afternoon which again I missed as I was driving a coach load of school children.

Please can you offer any advice on how to handle this situation?
_________________________
admin: Pls send your number
info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Thank you for your help Sasha!

After a lot of telephone calls and and an upset email I was getting nowhere with Optical Express. However, thanks to Sasha's help I now have my deposit back!

If you are thinking about laser eye surgery please research and look at all the terms and conditions.
Optical Express appear to hold on to your deposit for as long as possible.

I will certainly not be having laser eye surgery!

Hope this info helps someone else.

31 Oct to Sasha:
"Hi

My name is Philip Craven and in April 2016 I contacted Optical express for lens replacement surgery. After travelling to Bristol for a consultation, which was not very good, I then returned to Swansea with the advice that multi focal lenses would be no good. I then had to see an optometrist in Swansea twice, who gave me trial mono vision contacts to try. These turned out to be no good and after waiting another month or so I managed to get another appointment where she then told me that I should be suitable for multi focal lens replacement.
After calling op express again to see what was going on , I was then given another appointment to see the surgeon (who up to this point I had not seen}. This appointment had to be cancelled due to unforeseen family circumstances. I then made another one but decided not to go ahead with the surgery due to me losing all faith in Optical Express.
I then rang them on Sept 19th 2016 telling them that I was no longer going to have the surgery as they had messed me around ,by being unable to tell me what surgery was best for me. I asked for my deposit back and was told that they could not refund but could keep it on record if I changed my mind in the future. I then told them that this was not legal as they had basically put my eyesight in danger with not being able to diagnose the correct procedure for me. I then threatened them with legal action.
They then told me that I would have to wait 28 days for the refund team to call me. Waited 28 days ,no phone call, so I rang them and was told 28 “working days”. Which is obviously a lie as they operate 7 days a week.
I then rang them back on28/10/2016, the 28th working day and was told someone will ring me back. That afternoon a lady did ring me back promising faithfully that someone from the refund department would ring me the following Monday 31st October. No call from them again, so I called them at 5.15pm. Same story “they will escalate my complaint and someone would ring me back on Nov 1st 2016.
I told them then that if no call was received by 12.00 midday then my solicitor will be the next one who will be calling them.
My deposit was £500.
Thanks for any help you can give me.

Kind Regards
Phil Craven"

My letter sent via resolver
www.resolver.co.uk/companies/optical-exp...campaign=companypage

"Dear Customer Support, Customer Services,

I am experiencing the following issue: On April 6th 2016 I had a consultation with Optical express for eye surgery. After 2 differing diagnosis, delays in contacting me and sometimes not contacting me at all unless I called them, I decided in September that enough was enough and told them that I did not have faith in them to carry out the surgery. I then asked for my deposit of £500 to be returned. This call took place on Sept 19th. After repeated phone calls I was then told that I had to wait 28 days for a refund. Waited 28 days only to be told by an adviser that it was 28 "working" days. Rang them back on the 28th working day, 28th October, and was told that someone would contact me on the 31st Oct, 3 days after the required waiting period. No contact from Optical express. I called them on the same day and they could not put me through to the refund department and told me that they would make it a priority and that I would get a call back. Called again on Nov 1st again to be told the same. No contact has been received by myself from Optical Express.
I have attempted to contact the refund department numerous times over the last 6 weeks and not once has the customer care managed to put me through to speak to someone regarding this issue.

To action this I would like you to, after being given 2 differing diagnosis by 2 different optometrist, and not ever actually seeing the surgeon, I would like my deposit of £500 returned. Plus fees for travelling to Bristol of £35.00. I would also like to be reimbursed for the cost of all the telephone calls made via my land line and mobile.

I look forward to a response within 7 days of this correspondence.

Please reply to my resolver email account as I would like to keep all of my communications in my personalised complaints case file.

Yours faithfully
Philip Craven "

I kept hounding them and threatening legal action. As soon as OE received my resolver letter [via email] they contacted me immediately offering my full refund.

On a side note, thanks to Sasha for taking the time to contact me. Keep up the good work.

Good Morning Sasha,

Please let me start by saying how sorry I am with your situation following your eye surgery. I feel for you. Your work and efforts to help other is so admirable. You truly sound like an amazingly generous lady to dedicate so much of your time to this cause.

I am really hoping you will be able to offer some advise to me. I fear I have been caught in the Optical Express dishonesty trap of promising a full deposit refund but then not honouring it.

My situation currently is as follows. I had an initial consultation on the 8th October at Optical Express in Castlemead, Bristol for what I thought would be to discuss laser treatment. It was established that due to my current prescription I was not suitable for laser surgery but could be offered lens replacement, of which they suggested monovision lens replacement due to my current contact lens set up being comparable. I was then booked in for a consultation with the surgeon [Alex George] on 14th November and lens replacement surgery to take place on 29th and 30th November. After putting in the dilation drops leaving me unable to read anything, I was handed the information pack and told to read it at my leisure, but that all the information had been discussed already, and to call if I had any further questions. I was then ushered to the reception where they said they needed a £500 deposit. Slightly astounded by this, as I was nowhere near confirming I was happy for the actual surgery to take place I confirmed (annoying only verbally) that the deposit was fully refundable up to 7 days after the consultation with the surgeon.

I came home and along with my partner have been doing research on the merits and limitations of monovision lens replacement and we came to the conclusion that is was not for me as it would invariable lead to me still having to wear glasses, maybe even 2 or 3 different pairs for varying distances.

I therefore called Optical Express Bristol on 31st October and spoke with Debbie. Before saying anything about cancelling I asked her to confirm my deposit of £500 pound would be fully refundable should I decide to cancel any further involvement. She did this without any hesitation. I then hung up the phone and called her back 1 hour later and said "following our conversation earlier confirming a full deposit refund I would like to cancel any future appointments" She said this was fine and I wasn't to worry about getting my deposit back. She said she had to hand my request over to her manager, Sam, who would call me back the next day 1st November between 1-3pm. He would then process my request through the refund department who would issue a cheque within 28 days for the full amount.

Not surprisingly the manager Sam has not called me back to date!

I could very well be being hyper sensitive and all will be well, but reading all the comments on your forum i fear it is going to get messy.

Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks
_________________________
admin: Pls send your number
info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Hi Sasha,

Unfortunately I did not see any of this information until after I paid my £500 deposit for laser eye surgery on 13 October. After reading the horrendous stories online I decided to cancel and I am trying to seek a refund of my deposit. (I was not examined by the surgeon before they took my deposit so how did they know I was suitable for surgery?)

However, I have found this is very difficult. I have spoken to the "cancellation team" who stated someone would ring me back as I was within 7 days of paying the deposit and told me it takes 28 days for a refund.

I spoke to Citizens Advice who told me that 28 days wasn’t acceptable and not ethical in this day and age and advised me to write to Optical Express. I sent an upset email and received a reply from “manager” Nicola Kelly who reiterated the "28 day policy” but said that she would escalate my refund and hopefully get it processed quickly. However, that was two weeks ago and I have still not received my £500 deposit.

I am becoming concerned I will never get my deposit back.

Please could you offer any advice

Thanks,
Kate
_________________________
admin: Pls send your number
info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

To anyone visiting this forum for advice let me just say, Sasha is an absolute gem. It took just one email to Optical Express sorted out with Sasha's help and I got a call from them saying how sorry they where for the bad service I received and how the will investigate the matter and deal with it internally. Ya right lol. But most importantly how they will be happy to refund my deposit straight away. I received a confirmation email within 1 hour of it being sorted out and the money back in the account in a matter of a few days.
Having talked to Sasha I cannot express enough how good she is. She does a brilliant job helping so many people.
Thank you Sasha x

John A wrote: 21 September
OPTICAL EXPRESS REVIEW - MUST READ – BEWARE AVOID OE AT ALL COSTS – TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL SLIPPERY CON ARTISTS...
I specifically asked Dawn if my deposit was refundable and she told me it was fully refundable at any time even after my appointment with the surgeon and even if I changed my mind.
I was absolutely astonished when I read page 4, where they state that by paying a deposit this acts as acceptance of the T&Cs - regardless if they are signed or not! How can this be legal?
This further demonstrates the underhand tactics employed by Optical Express.

Great news! I have received my refund. I was contacted by Head of Customer Services who was apologetic and told me that feedback would be given to the sales assistant, Dawn. Not sure exactly what that means but at least I've got me deposit back.

Keep fighting and you'll get there, especially with Sasha's advice.

Thanks Sasha.

To those of you who've been told that Optical Express will refund your deposit within 28 'working days', this means 28 days total!

Because OE's website clearly states that they work 7 days a week...

www.opticalexpress.co.uk

Meanwhile, I wonder why Viorica (below) was charged £4,690 when Optical Express are advertising iLasik Design at £1,495 per eye?

Multiply by 2 eyes = £2,990



Viorica also told me that the sales person advised her that if she had the cheaper iLasik treatment she would always be able to feel the scarring on her eyes after surgery, whereas if she paid for the more expensive procedure they would be polished and smooth!

Wow

NB: Optoms and sales 'counsellors' (aka refractive technicians) earn sales commission, so the higher the cost to the customer the higher their commission!