Deposit Refunds

Hello.
I want to apologise for my English as it's not my first language.
2 or 3 years ago I had my eyes tested at Optical Express but I was really scared to have the surgery and give up on idea.
This year, my husband decided to make a loan in order to pay a laser surgery for me to have my eyes "fixed".
I contacted the nearest Optical Express in York and they sent me an e-mail for my consultation appointment on 18/08/2016. I went there and met Andy, a very nice young man (wearing glasses) who talked to me and gave me all the details about what is the eye laser surgery, he told me there are 2 different procedures with different prices I told him a. bout my fears and that I am not 100% sure I am comfortable to have it. Andy tried to comfort me by telling me that if any problems after surgery things can be fixed and the worse can happened is to come back from where I started (to be exactly the way I was before the surgery). I really don't remember very much about the discussion, as we were also engaged in talking about the country I'm from. So, at one point, he gave me to sign some papers. But I was so terrify about the idea of having the surgery, so I don't know what I read. He was keep telling me that everything will be fine and I have no worries to make about. He told me that the LASIK surgery is more expensive as the procedure is more sophisticated, that the eyes will recover faster and the risks are not so high.
We talked about me thinking to have this operation done on my husband request. We discuss about the best time for me to have it done, in case I will decide to make it. He told me that the dates I want are available in October. I work in school and I needed to be when it's half term.
I've been consulted my an optometrist and he told me that I'm a good candidate to have the LASIK surgery. He also told me about the risks and he told me that the recover will not be quite so fast.
I talked to my husband about having the surgery and I decided to have it done, even my eyes might be a little dry. I really wanted to get rid of the glasses.
My husband couldn't understand how come that they can fix my sight for distance, but not fix it for reading and I will have to wear glasses after the surgery. I said I don't mind, as the distance sight is the one who bothers me the most.
I might look stupid, I actually see myself being stupid as I continued to accept what Optical Express told me (I always being alone in the room with them). But I was desperate and I was thinking that all my fears are in my head and I might overreact, as I'm scared.
We got the loan and call them to say we have the money (£4690). I was on the phone with Andy and he told me I can pay on the phone. So I did. I did it while I recorded the conversation. Few days later, I got email receipt for the full payment, and appointment for my meeting with the surgeon, and the appointment for the surgery in Manchester. The day after surgery consultation was established to take place in Leeds. I was really shocked how comes that I will not be consulted by the surgeon who is going to operate and will I will have the operation on 21st at 13:00 and the next day consultation at 10:00am in Leeds? They said there are no free spaces in Manchester.
On 10th of October I took a day off work, I took my son out from school and my husband took a day off work, to go and meet the surgeon, Mr Mohammad Kazmi, in Manchester. Before I met him, I asked the girl at the reception if there is any chances to get my after operation consultation in Manchester, as I live at a 2 hours distance by train from Manchester and I will not be able to travel to Leeds for next day appointment. She found me a place at a different OE store in Manchester. A young girl took me than and checked my eyes at 3 different devices and she asked me to wait till the doctor calls me.
The interesting part is now I meet the surgeon.
He was very serious. He didn't check my eyes AT ALL.
He started to tell me about the surgery. What this involve. He was talking ONLY about RISKS and RISKS and RISKS. Stupid me, I told him I read some reviews about him on internet and I trust him. I kinda saw he's trying do not show any emotions, but... I was considering that it's still my mind that it's still under stress. He made me drawings and wrote on the back of the file I had with me. I told him that I am a positive person I would like to hear some positive thoughts from his side as well, like come comfort that everything is going to be fine, and I have nothing to worry about.
NO !
Mr Muhammad Kazmi told me that I have to think about risks.
Well...... This raised a BIG question mark. How comes that a doctor is trying to scare you more than to give you comfort??????
I didn't know how to get out of that room faster.
I ran to my husband and I told him that I don't want to have the surgery done as I am more scared now than I was before.
We talked for two days and I decided to call and tell them that I'm not having the surgery. I also asked about my money and I was called and told that I will get my money back less £390, the deposit. No matter how hard I tried to tell them that I am the one who spent money with all my trips to Optical Express, not them, every word I said was in vain.
The last man called me, he said I will get a phone call in 20 working days and I will be asked about my bank details, in order for them to send my money back.
Now, I panic and I started to google Optical Express (why didn't I do it first?????) and I found Optical Express Ruined my Life on Facebook. I wrote a post there and ..... here I am now.
I am stressed, sad, a bit depressed as I don't know if I'll see this money back and my family will have to pay this money back at the bank, with interest (for 5 years).
I just pray that everything is going to be solved.
I am more than happy I got the chance to descover OERML on Facebook and speak to Sasha. I am afraid to think and all I do is trying to stay positive.
Wish all the best to everyone.
Thank you so very very very much for your help.

I had an initial ‘free’ consultation at the Guildford Optical Express clinic on 20/9/16 when I was pressured by sales staff to pay a deposit of £500. I was assured that this was refundable within a fourteen day cancellation period.

After a number of emails, this morning I spoke with Lawrence McLaughlin and explained that I was cancelling my surgery and therefore wanted my deposit refunded. He was very aggressive and extremely rude, telling me I couldn’t have it due to your seven day refund policy, and then hanging up on me.

I'm a contract law specialist, and one of my areas of expertise (indeed the subject of my PhD thesis) is health law, policy, and regulatory ethics, therefore enabling me to make considered and informed comment as follows:

T&Cs, Page 1 - I did not sign or initial this, and my name has been handwritten by someone else.



The T&Cs document was buried in an information pack and not brought to my attention at any time. In fact, when handed the pack I enquired about its content and was told it simply contained information about the procedure.

T&Cs, Page 2 - claiming that payment of the deposit confirms acceptance and agreement of the T&Cs without a signature is ludicrous, not least because I had no sight or knowledge of this document prior to my deposit being taken.



It should be noted that the only document referred to by the sales team as having any importance was the Hitachi finance agreement which clearly stipulates a fourteen day cooling off period, a point I repeatedly confirmed with the sales team, so many times in fact that a joke was made about my repeated confirmations of it by one of them. This represented the position at large regarding the matter of the cooling off period as described by the sales team to me; and I had a witness with me who also noted this.

This was especially important as I had stressed the fact that I might not be able to go ahead with surgery due to a work commitment abroad.

Furthermore, I was unable to read any information on the day of my consultation due to dilating eyedrops having been administered beforehand. This represents, at best, sharp practice, and is surely contrary to any accepted medical practice. I have been advised to contact the GOC for advice on this matter.

I am also aware that the GMC introduced a rule on 1 June 2016 that a prospective patient must see the surgeon before surgery, and then be given a sufficient cooling off period following this meeting.

I was given a date to see surgeon Manek Patel on 11 October which is the earliest appointment the staff claimed they could offer - twenty two days after paying my deposit! The 15 October surgery date meant that the cooling off period would have been just four days, which I believe is contrary to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists standards.



Page 4 of the T&Cs asks for acknowledgement 'that all your questions have been answered’ before signing. This surely therefore invalidates any claim that payment of the deposit constitutes a person’s acceptance of the T&Cs if the person hasn’t yet met with the surgeon.

I've also taken further independent legal advice which supports the assertions above. I feel I've been treated appallingly, and I will be pursuing this matter with all the resources I have available in order to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

Thanks to OERML and Sasha for her help.

Thank you for your informative website. Last Saturday (1st October) I visited Optical Express after a recommendation from a friend. I had the appointment nd was surprised to find out I was a perfect candidate for Laser eye treatment. I was however, shocked at the cost that was quoted to me but agreed to an appointment being made as they said they could get money off if I booked the appointment that day and paid the £400 deposit. They said they could ring the surgeon and if I agreed to an appointment it usually meant they would offer a little sweetener to bring down the price. I managed to get the cost reduced from £4790 to £3879.90. I was assured that I could cancel this within 7 days if I changed my mind.

On reflection driving home there were various things that rang alarm bells. I thought it was poor practice to get someone to sign up on the day in order to get a discount. Why not just offer a fair price in the first place if you are a reputable company. I also was asked to sign a form in the consultation room when I had had the drops and procedure they do that rendered me unable to read this documentation. I was told that I was signing to confirm that they had explained X,Y,Z. When I got home there was no copies of the forms that they made me sign! 3 in total!

So Saturday evening I decided I had better do my due diligence. I read up the testimonials on their website which made me feel much more comfortable because they were all well known sportsmen and celebrities. However I did not find a copy of the success statistics table they said would be on there and had quoted to me which was something like 98%. But I can’t remember the exact wording. Anyway I then found your website and OMG I was horrified to read that this industry is completely unregulated! How can that be? My eyesight is invaluable to me! There is no way I would go into this procedure lightly but before I came across your website I was blissfully unaware of the many complications that DO happen. It sounds to me that the stats they quote are misleading the public. But presumably there is no protection in place for the likes of me if this industry is not regulated!

I have thankfully decided not to go ahead with surgery and have this morning called OE and cancelled. I would appreciate your advice on how to ensure I follow this up correctly. I spoke to a guy called Grant who confirmed calls are recorded. So I gave my cancellation instructions and he confirmed that that someone would ring me back as they have to ask some questions. Why, what for? I don’t have to answer any questions as they just need to process my refund!

After a good perusal around your website I felt I had a few points to share that occurred to me when reading.

1. I was given no copies of documents I’d signed when unable to read what I was signing (is this even legal?)
2. I was asked to pay £400 deposit before actually seeing the surgeon for a consultation on 1st November, 1 MONTH after paying my deposit. So presumably if I waited and cancelled then I would have had to forfeit the £400 as it would have been way past the 7 day cooling off period. Not fair!
3. I’ve learnt that Luca Antico - the surgeon I was recommended is currently being sued! WHAT???? Why is he operating still if this is the case. That would certainly influence my decision and I should have been told.
4. I was alarmed at the number of complications and side effects I have now learned can occur. None of these were explained to me! Dry eye, Glare, Star Bursts, Pain. The only thing I was made aware of was that I would still need reading glasses eventually but I've read that this can happen sooner after surgery than it would naturally. Another concern!
5. When I asked about aftercare I was told ‘Yes any problems, any follow up procedures needed this is all covered'. But now I’ve read here and on A Spokesman Said that they changed the terms and conditions so presumably there’s some small print somewhere hidden that they didn’t mention to me. Probably in the document that I signed when I was practically blind!
6. I read that pupil size makes a difference. This came up in my consultation. We were laughing as I said I’ve always had big pupils and people used to say I looked like I was on drugs! Anyway the optometrist explained this is why I have always suffered with glare at night because of larger pupils but at no point did she say it could be a complication in the surgery because I was a perfect candidate. I’m now questioning whether my prescription is even stable and am tempted to get a second opinion.

People must be able to make informed decisions based on the facts not given misleading marketing blurb and heavy sales pressure!

I received this on Saturday.



My concern now is to make sure I get my deposit returned as from what I’ve read here I realise this can be a problem in itself!

If you can offer any advice it would be gratefully received!

Thanks and keep up the good work.
_________________________
admin: Pls send your number
info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Hi Sasha

I came across your social media pages when searching for information on laser surgery and Optical Express. Firstly, I want to say that I am so sorry for what you experienced and secondly thank you so much for providing honest and real information for people like me.

My situation is that I went for an initial consultation at Optical Express, High Wycombe on 9 August 2016. The appointment consisted of having lots of measurements and scans taken by Sean, who I was told is the Reading store manager (not an optometrist).

Then I saw the optometrist (Arha) who administered dilating drops in my eyes. A customer services rep had called me before the apt to warn me that I wouldn’t be able to drive after the drops and would need someone to take me home.

At the end of the appointment I was asked to pay a deposit of £395 and to sign a number of papers. Before doing any of that, I made a point of asking if the deposit was refundable should I decide not to go ahead with the procedure following the consultation with the surgeon. The response I got was an adamant ‘yes', the deposit is fully refundable even after the consultation with the surgeon. Sean booked my surgeon consultation for 13 Sept and my surgery for 28 Sept 2016. I was surprised they booked me in for surgery before I was assessed by the surgeon as suitable. Even though they deemed me suitable following the initial scans, surely it would be the surgeon who makes that decision, based on my medical history, current medications etc.

After he took my payment Sean then handed me a pack which he told me contained the consent form and info on what to expect after your lasik procedure. He said I should take these home and read before the surgeon’s consultation. He said nothing about the T&Cs document being in the pack. He hand wrote what he said were important points for me to remember. No mention of the cooling off period.



A couple of days before my consultation with Manek Patel I sat down to read through the consent form and noticed a number of sections which should be initialled after speaking to the surgeon so I left these blank. Just to note, before reading the consent form I didn’t really do much research on Lasik or laser complications due to work, kids etc. Quite honestly, I thought the surgeon would answer my questions. I saw the T&Cs 2 page document but did not read through it all as the patient declaration at the end states that by doing so I acknowledge that all my questions have been answered. Since all my questions could only be answered after meeting with the surgeon, I presumed the T&Cs document would need to be signed after the surgeons consultation.

On the day of the consultation, they took a few more scans. My consultation with Manek Patel lasted between 5-10mins max! He started by asking me what I did for a living and why I wanted to have LASIK. I explained that it wasn't for cosmetic reasons and that I didn't have a problem with glasses. My reasons were for practicality of looking after my children as I am always losing or breaking my glasses. Mr Patel commented that laser eye surgery is for cosmetic purposes because people have it as they don't like the way they look with glasses. I responded by saying that it may be the reason for other people but for me it wasn't.

I then had a number of questions I wanted to ask him, like for example about Morris Waxler the ex-FDA regulator who now petitions against laser eye surgery. I also wanted to know more about his success rate, some of the complications mentioned in the consent form and if my psoriasis (an autoimmune condition) and ongoing use of a topical steroid would exclude me from having surgery.

He was very unhelpful, I was not given sufficient time to sit down and discuss my concerns. Anything he did answer was with a very dismissive and sarcastic attitude. For example, when I asked about the FDA issue, he replied that he doesn't bother reading any of this rubbish. When I asked about rubbing eyes (I have hay fever), he commented that I could even 'skydive' in two weeks if I wanted to!

My husband attended the appointment with me and asked Mr Patel why he wears glasses and has not had laser surgery himself. Mr Patel paused for a few seconds and the look on his face was as if he had been caught in the headlights. Once he gathered his thoughts, he responded by taking off his glasses and saying that he’s never had a problem with his vision and only wears glasses for reading. He continued to say that his family members who have had laser surgery have had no problems. Not really a professional response for important questions.

Before leaving the consultation on 13 September, Mr Patel asked if the T&Cs had been signed. I told him that I hadn’t signed as the patient declaration at the end of the form advises that I should do so only after all my questions had been answered. He then rushed me through signing the T&Cs and I left the consultation feeling very disappointed but still keen to go ahead with surgery.

It wasn't until last weekend that I decided to do some proper research, on the surgeon, the procedure, and Optical Express. The results left me feeling very nervous.
In addition I have two young children (4 and 9 years old). The eldest is severely disabled (she has a condition called Partial Trisomy 13) and is fully dependent on me and my husband for all her needs - she is also wheelchair bound and cannot sit unaided. My husband stays at home as her carer whilst I am at work. I am the only provider financially. Bearing in mind my family situation, and having read all the information, I decided that I could not afford to take the risk, no matter how small they claim it to be. I therefore called Optical Express on Monday 19 Sept to cancel my surgery and was told that I would get a call back within 48 hours.

I received a call from Optical Express on 21 Sept and was asked to explain my reasons for deciding not to go ahead with surgery. The man I spoke to tried to convince me to reconsider, telling me it’s a safe procedure with a very quick recovery time etc etc etc. I replied that while I agree it’s considered a safe procedure, I was not ready to take that risk at this time. He then said that the price they'd quoted me and the discount offer (£300 online) would be valid for 12 months and that they would keep my deposit on file.

This took me by surprise as I was told the deposit was refundable. He responded by saying that I had gone beyond the 7 day cooling off period which started 9 Aug when I paid my deposit. This shocked me even more and I asked him how was I supposed to decide if I wanted to go ahead with the surgery without even meeting with the surgeon beforehand. He continued fobbing me off, saying stuff like I was assessed as suitable to have the surgery on 9 Aug (the date they took the deposit)..

I asked him why such an important point as the cooling off period was not mentioned at my initial appointment. He replied that it’s in the T&Cs which is a long document and 'we don’t have time to go through it with everyone'. I told him that surely the cooling off period and potential loss of a large deposit is something they have a duty to point out?! Not only did they not do that, but they lied to me by saying it was refundable after seeing the surgeon.

I asked him to send me a copy of my signed T&Cs but he said I needed to put in a request to customer services - surely I should have been given a copy at the time of signing?

He then emailed a generic copy, version June 2016.

Yet the generic copy in my pack is version Nov 2015!

When I asked what the deposit is being kept for, he replied that it is to cover the appointment time and scans. I asked then why does the Optical Express website state that both the initial consultation and surgeon's consultation prior to the surgery date are free?

Apologies for the lengthy post but I'm going crazy thinking about how I'm going to get my deposit back. It’s a lot of money they have cheated me out of and I just feel like crying because it is money I could have spent on my children.

Any help/advice you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
_______________________________
admin: Pls send your phone number
info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

I am writing to you to see if you could offer any advice to me after my awful experience with optical express.
I went for what I thought was just a consultation about laser surgery at the Crawley branch on 12 July 2016. Little did I know what I was letting myself in for.
I met with Annalise who was a sales girl. She went through her routine sales chat.
Then I was taken to see the optometrist, her name was Farrah.
After administering the dilating drops I started having a reaction, I had already told both the sales assistant and the optometrist that I was was still suffering from a migraine and asked would it affect it, they both said no. But I now know there was no care involved as the company are only after your money.
I started to cry whilst still with the optometrist, she then left the room and asked me to watch a short dvd in the dark. And when she returned I scribbled where she said. After this I was taken to another room where the sales assistant proceeded to show me how much it would be and the finance chart, I told her I couldn't see it even with my glasses, I was so confused and I was crying she said I needed to pay four or five hundred pounds. I told her didn't know how I was going to pay and I needed to speak to my husband, and she said do you want this done. She also said I can't order the contact lenses until you pay, I fumbled in my purse and told her I didn't no what I was doing. I couldn't speak properly or coordinate, i said I couldn't think straight and didn't know what card I would use or know the pin, to which she replied " oh that's ok cos I can do it without the pin like if it was over the phone".
She then went further to say if you couldn't get finance you could get your son to pay and you could pay him back. I did put the PIN number in and she just gave me a couple of forms that she said was for the surgeon , his name is Mehul Damani.
I later received a letter dated 13/7/16 that I would meet the surgeon on August the 15th and have surgery on August 22nd.
They did not give me a receipt for my money , I only got my transaction slip.
Annalise also told me that some people say the drops make them feel like they've taken recreational drugs. When I left the store I couldn't walk normally, my face was hot and felt sick.
They gave me no care or consideration to the state I was in.
The next day I was so upset and felt really stupid so I rang the customer service for advice, I said I didn't want to go back to the shop. I didn't know what I was paying for and that I wasn't told about anything that could go wrong.
The store then phoned me and said that she was unprofessional and said to come back on a day she wasn't there. I went back with my son and she printed a piece of paper with the price of each eye, I asked about a refund and she assured me I would get one if I wasn't suitable.
So i tried the mono-lenses and really couldn't see distance properly so I phoned again they said they might tweak them. When I saw the optometrist she said they were fine. I was so frustrated when I asked about my previous prescription being that much higher and she just said that's what my machine tells me.
She said to try monthlys instead of dailys. I left there feeling that I had no opticians and no contact lenses that were right for my eyes.
Two days later I had a car crash, I was off work and in bed recovering when I got a phone call from optical express finance wanting me to set up the payment. I Said I wasn't well and had just had an accident and that it hadn't been confirmed that I was suitable and hadn't yet tried the lenses. She completely bypassed what I said and rudely told me she'd be ringing back in a couple of days.
My husband rang the store and said he wanted this cancelled because of the way I'd been treated right from the start. It was unethical how they made the transaction whilst I was in such distress and confused in the first place, and all it had been about was money money money.
They said he would have to ask head office for a refund. When my husband spoke to them they were rude. They lied that I had originally rung them and only acknowledged I had when he gave them the name of the person I had talked to , his name was Scott
They said I would have been shown the DVD before the eye drops were put in not after this is not what happened.
They bluntly said I couldn't have a refund and put the phone down.
Optical Express did not even check my eye test history.
My husband arranged for an eye test at another opticians. I now have a new prescription and I've also tried mono lenses which I can see in.
Optical Express conned me out of money and I foolishly believed they would be more caring.
I feel humiliated. They lied.
The optometrist said I would never need them done again once they'd been lasered.
After reading Optical Express reviews on your website and speaking to another optometrist I now know that's not true.
- If you could give me any help or advice I would be very grateful.
_________________________
admin: Pls send your number
info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Further to the phone call I received from the cancellation team I checked the pack that had been given to me and found the T&Cs. This was the first time I had seen them and had not been told they were in the pack.

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.

By the way, I have still heard nothing from Optical Express regarding my complaint not even an acknowledgement of my email, despite me receiving a 'read' confirmation on Monday 19th September @ 8:04pm.

OPTICAL EXPRESS REVIEW - MUST READ – BEWARE AVOID OE AT ALL COSTS – TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL SLIPPERY CON ARTISTS

I am 49 years old and wear glasses for reading due to the deterioration in my sight due to age. After to a recent job change which made wearing reading glasses less practical, I decided to research eye surgery as an option to glasses, and made an appointment with Optical Express via the internet.

On 11th July 2016 I attended a consultation at the Optical Express Hull branch in Prospect Street. When I arrived I was surprised at the state of the office. It felt like one of those shops that are set up for a short period of time e.g. bonfire night, so everything could be packed up quickly leaving no trace. I was asked to sit down at a computer and complete my own questionnaire in this waiting/office area which also surprised me as I thought I it would be more professional and that the assistant would go through this with me in private. It felt like a cost cutting exercise to save money. I then sat in the waiting area until I was called into another room where I had drops put in my eyes and a very basic eye test. After a very short space of time I was informed I was suitable for laser eye surgery which would be in one eye. This guy was so blaze’ about the procedure I couldn’t believe it and kept referring to me as man e.g. “yeah man it’s real cheap” “don’t worry about it man” my wife who was with me couldn’t believe his approach either. He did say that I might need lens replacements but that was like child birth (not sure if he’s experienced this) but this was more expensive but he didn’t know how much. I had many questions e.g. how long would my improved eyesight last and could I only have it done once as my optician had told me that it would last around 15 years and you can’t have it done more than once. He told me it could last between 3, 5, 10 or 15 years and have it done many times. Naturally this conflict of information concerned me as I trusted my optician however, I did not feel as confident in this man. I had also done a bit of research about eye surgery and know that everyone can’t get used to having one eye done as it depends on the brain recognising this so the other eye can work effectively and wanted reassurance however, this couldn’t be answered by this guy as he admitted he was not qualified and I was told I would have to discuss this with the surgeon at my consent appointment. I was then asked to watch a video while he left the room and sign to say I’d watched it. At this point I was becoming more nervous as I felt totally uncomfortable with the process up to now.

I was then taken into a room by a lady called Dawn with my wife present. The cost of surgery was discussed and I was told it would be £1,195 per eye and that as only one was being lasered I would be given a single contact lens at my surgeon’s appointment so I could get used to one eye for reading and I would be given a week to get used to this. I was also told that if I needed lens replacement that would be £3000 per eye but due to my profession I would get 10% discount. I had a £500 off voucher which they added to my notes and said this would be deducted from laser surgery. Finance arrangements were then discussed including all the 0% interest free offers and length of time to repay and it was really starting to feel like I was stuck in this room and in for the hard sell. For me to continue I would have to make an appointment with a surgeon which would involve travelling over 60 miles to Sheffield, Meadowhall for further tests and to decide what procedure would be suitable. Another appointment for surgery a week later in Sheffield would need to be booked also despite me not knowing exactly what treatment I was having. To not be able to establish this at my initial consultation felt extremely strange as I wanted to ask many questions without incurring the inconvenience of a trip to Sheffield which I would have to be accompanied by someone so they could drive due to the tests carried out. After some consideration and discussion with my wife, I decided to go ahead as I thought it won’t hurt to go and find out if surgery would be suitable. At this point I was informed I would need to pay pay a £500 deposit to book an appointment with the surgeon which came as quite a surprise. As this was a considerable amount of money for what I considered was essentially another consultation which I felt should have taken place initially, 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. My wife also asked her to confirm this and I asked again. She categorically said if I decided it wasn’t for me at any time I could request my money back which would be refunded. I duly paid my deposit and an appointment with the surgeon Mr Muhammed Kazmi, was made for 30th August @ 11:00 with a surgery date set for 9th September 2016. She then gave me a pack of information leaflets and told me to complete the Informed consent document before the first appointment but to not sign the back page, only in the presence of the surgeon. She made no reference to anything else so my wife and I left.

Whilst I sat in the car, I said to my wife that my gut was telling me there was something not right about the what I had just experienced and she said the same. I felt like pulling out there and then, but due to the inconvenience of wearing glasses and that I could change my mind and receive a full refund at any time, assured me that I might as well go to the next appointment as I would never know what my options were unless I explored them.

On 13th August 2016 I received an appointment date and time of 30th August @ 13:30. This was clearly later than the original time I had agreed of 11:00 which had to fit in with work and childcare. They couldn’t even get this right so I had to ring up and rearrange my appointments for the 4th and 11th October respectively.

On 13th September I received a phone call from Optical Express asking me to settle my balance of £2195 for eye surgery. I questioned the amount as I understood it was £1195 and I had a £500 voucher and informed them that I hadn’t seen the surgeon at this point and was not sure which procedure I would having so why are they requesting money from me? The lady on the phone said she was unsure but would ask Dawn at the Hull branch to ring me to discuss which would be either later that day or the following day. Dawn never rang!

With all what had happened and with being very nervous about the whole procedure and the way I had been treated, I decided against eye surgery so rang customer services to cancel on the 14th September. I was told that the cancellation team would contact me within 48 hours to discuss this and I asked if this would be to return my deposit to which they said yes.

On 19th September, I received a phone call from someone in the cancellation team. They asked me why I wanted to cancel and I explained I was very nervous about the whole procedure and didn’t feel it was right for me. He started to tell that me that everything would be fine and as I had been identified as suitable for eye surgery there wouldn’t be a problem and I should go to the surgeon appointment. However, I did not want to continue and told him I wanted to cancel. At this point the mood changed and he told me I would lose my deposit because I was cancelling this would be £395. I asked him to clarify what he had just said which repeated so I asked him why was this the first time I had heard of this? He said because I hadn’t cancelled with 7 day cooling off period of my original consultation I would not receive my full deposit and that Optical Express were only legally required to give 3 days cooling off but allowed for 7. This was the first time I had heard of this and I informed him I was told at my initial consultation that I could cancel at any time and receive a full refund. He then told me it was in my Terms & Conditions which I had signed. I told him I was not aware of any T&C’s and he started to patronise me and said I should have been reading them. I am absolutely outraged at this as Dawn categorically told me the deposit was fully refundable regardless of when I cancelled. She did not inform me of any 7 day cooling off period, didn’t point out any terms and conditions documentation and only told me to complete the consent form before my appointment. I would also like to know where the record of the terms and conditions are.

As I had many questions I wanted answering which couldn’t be dealt with at the consultation, there is no way I would agree to a £500 deposit knowing I would lose the majority of it before having my questions answered.

I rang the Hull branch immediately to speak to Dawn but she hasn’t even had the courtesy to return my call.

I haven’t even seen a surgeon and they are withholding £395 of my money for what? An amateur consultation in a seedy looking office with totally inadequate and unprofessional staff with a service designed to extrapolate hard earned money from innocent people on withheld and limited information? In my book that is tantamount to robbery and no better than confidence tricksters preying on unfortunate people. After doing further research on Optical Express my only saving grace is that I didn’t go through with surgery.

On 19th September I formally raised a complaint via e mail to customerservices@opticalexpress.com. Unsurprisingly I have not had a reply.

I feel totally violated have been misled and warn others to avoid this company at all costs.

Oldouz wrote: Someone who introduced himself as Lawrence came on the line. His tone to me was very rude, and he mocked us for not understanding the 7 days cooling off period. He made me cry when he raised his voice and then hung up!

Oldouz - I also spoke to Lawrence in the cancellations department who was rude, unhelpful and very unprofessional.

Hi! I had a consultation with Optical Express back in April and paid a £400 deposit in May. I was told this was to 'secure the discounted price' they quoted me, and like a sucker I fell for it! I only saw the sales person and optom and was told I would see the surgeon Luca Antico on day of surgery on 20th Sept. However, after lots of research (which I really should have done earlier!) and finding nothing but bad Optical Express reviews (and that my surgeon Luca Antico is being sued by a number of his damaged patients!) I decided to do the sensible thing and cancel.

I contacted Sasha a week ago for advice and she told me to firstly call Optical Express and cancel immediately.

The man I spoke to was so rude and told me I was making things up! Basically told me I didn't have a chance in hell of getting my deposit back.

I have phoned OE and asked for my deposit to be refunded, they refused, but as a 'gesture of goodwill' offered me gift vouchers or store credit (.....useless as I never want to step foot in another Optical Express ever again)

As I paid the deposit on a credit card I will also go down the chargeback route.

I’ll post again when I have news.

On 9th August 2016, I accompanied my husband (with our 7 month old baby) to the Optical Express store at The White Rose centre in Leeds for his free laser surgery consultation.

A guy called Junaid took my husband into a room, and I wanted to go in with him but was busy feeding our baby. My husband told me that Junaid put eye drops into his eyes, checked his prescription, showed him a video, and very briefly explained about surgery options. He told him that if he decided to go ahead with the surgery he would have a consultation with the surgeon (Muhammed Kazmi) who would explain everything to him and examine his eyes to decide whether he was suitable for surgery.

Then my husband was taken to another room to discuss the financial side of this procedure. I was also in the room this time, and a woman named Nyree Pickering explained the costs and deposit needed to book the surgery. My husband asked if he would get his deposit back if he decided he didn't want to go ahead with the surgery. As we asked this Nyree brought out a calendar, looked straight at us, and with 100% confidence she said, and I am quoting the exact sentence: “Oh yes, you will get your money back if you decided you don't want to do it after the consultation", and without any pause for us to ask our further questions she asked my husband's availability for the consultation day. He said ASAP, but she said the earliest available day was 29th Aug, with no mention at all about their 7 days cooling off period.

So my husband paid £500 deposit on 9th August and had his consultation twenty days later on 29th Aug, when Mr Kazmi gave him facts about dry eye, and the fact that he may need to still wear glasses for his work. Mr Kazmi apologised for not being able to scan my husband's eyes as their equipment was out of order. He said they would do this on the day of surgery if he decided to go ahead.

My husband is a research scientist and his work involves spending 10 hours a day at a computer. So based on all the facts and risks around his job he decided not to have this operation. That was when we were told he could not have his deposit back!

I am shocked by the service from Optical Express's customer services and the lack of transparency they have in their business! We went to see Nyree Pickering but she refused to help us! We asked for her boss, Paul Barlow, he said "sorry can’t help you, you can write to the head office"!!

When we rang Optical Express customer services to ask for our money back, a woman named Danielle told us "you cannot have your money back due to 7 days cooling off period", etc, and then we asked for her manager. Someone who introduced himself as Lawrence came on the line. His tone to me was very rude, and he mocked us for not understanding the 7 days cooling off period. He made me cry when he raised his voice and then hung up!

Somebody from Optical Express has rung my husband telling him they will be in touch to return £101 to him, but nobody has been in touch since 30th Aug.

This company is dishonest and I am reporting what happened to the GMC because I have been told that a new rule means that they should give a cooling off period AFTER seeing the surgeon. They are stealing people’s money by not letting the patient see the surgeon until AFTER 7 days has gone by.

I have spoken to Sasha and with her advice I hope we will get this sorted out very soon.