Deposit Refunds

At a recent appointment/assessment with Optical Express in Surrey, I began to feel as I did many years ago when a Time Share company was doing their hard-sell trying to force us to buy a Time Share. OE, like them, was not going to give up until we agreed to pay a £500 deposit there and then, so say to secure appointment dates as they "were extremely busy at this time of year".
I said I wanted to go home and think about it.
They then offered a £300 discount if we made a decision there and then to go forward to the surgeon "chat". They clearly stated that, if I changed my mind once I got home, I could contact them and a refund of the £500 would be made.
I got home, changed my mind, and have contacted them twice to ask for the refund - nothing has arrived yet (4 days later), nor have they acknowledged my requests.

During the Surrey assessment, there were bits of information given inaccurately and then rescinded when I queried more closely at the time or researched later, viz:
•"you will be knocked out totally so you won't know or feel a thing" - wrong, local anaesthetic
•"you have cataracts" - ?? my local optician had told me I haven't so were they panic-mongering?
•"we have to secure these appointments for you as we are very busy" - wrong, they are closing branches and spreading the remaining staff so that they do only one day in each of the still-operating branches
•"we can give you a special discount of £300 to go towards your travel to London for the surgery" - bribery to secure a quick signing.
•"you can have one eye done on the Saturday and the other on the Sunday" - this is not good practice. Should, ideally, be 7 days between.
Also, subsequent research tells me they don't operate on a Sunday so I suspect they would have been changing that second date at some later point, with great apologies no doubt.

After over one and a half hours of this, I was feeling very pressured and my husband was getting impatient. The OE staff member then offered to leave us alone for a while to have a private chat. She gave us about 5 mins. With the thought in mind that we could cancel within 7 days, we then caved in and paid the deposit just to be able to get away. Admittedly, that seems weak now - we should have just stood up, said thanks but no thanks and left.

We British are just too polite for our own good sometimes!

Since booking the appointment I have sought lots of advice from professional bodies in ophthalmology, ranging from local opticians to a professor in ophthalmology and even a cornea specialist.It has been suggested that due to my expectations I have been miss-sold the product based on my wishes to be glasses free. Given my slight prescription combined with my age, the need for reading glasses is very likely, and the need may even be quicken by the laser surgery. I was not told at any point that I may need reading glasses possibly straight away. Had I have been told this I feel I would not have continued with the appointment. Quite frankly what would be the point in switching from one set of glasses to another? I did feel extremely pressured into making the appointment and I mentioned on numerous occasions throughout the consultation my need to think about it, however, the Patient Adviser (salesperson) still continued to offer me dates for surgery and discounts if I proceeded quickly. I insisted on making a phone call to which the Patient Adviser said, “if you don’t pay, now I have booked your appointment, my arse is on the line”. ( I have a witness to support this statement). I left Optical Express quite stressed out and felt rushed into making the decision to have laser. I feel if I had been allowed to think and consider the facts I would not have booked. Unfortunately during the course of the week I was taken ill with the sickness bug and was unable to make contact with the branch. I did however try a phone number to which I believe was the Huddersfield branch but unfortunately was unable to speak to anyone regarding cancellation. I have since spoken to a lady called Halum on the 0845 555 8276 number who informed me that an email will be sent to the cancellation department and they will contact me within 48 hours. I am still waiting for them to contact me.
I am seeking a full refund as I feel I was unfairly miss-sold laser eye surgery and was pressured into booking laser surgery. I feel my rights were not taken into account. It is very important that patients are allowed time to gather the facts and think about things without the pressure of making an appointment there and then! Especially when you have been blinded with dilators and machines flashing in your eyes.
I also was very concerned that I had to have my ocular pressure read twice cause it was high. I feel quite upset and let down by Optical Express for their lack of patient care.
I'm so glad I found Sasha Rodoy

Worst company in UK that i meet in 6 years they just wana take money and they dont care about customers.

I find OERML

arturas wrote: Hello
Is there any chance to get back deposit if I cancel after 7 days? Not nice guys OE!
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admin: Hi Arturas… Yes, I have your details and will call you next week

thanks to Sasha I get my money back

Hi i had my consultation on the 5th of April and booked my surgery for May 9th. However since seeing websites like this and reading other forums I'm now seriously regretting paying the deposit and want to cancel, Does anyone have any advice on how to cancel and receive my deposit refund? I'm a couple of days past the 7 days cooling off period so I'm worried that they will refuse to return my money.

Thanks for any help in advance.
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admin: Pls send your number and call OE to cancel asap
info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Had a consultation with Hull office in October, went through all the details and we asked specifically about whether my son could continue martial arts after everything settled down, told yes. Decided to go and have 3D laser at Sheffield and after results ok we then paid the £500 deposit to book surgical check up which was in Manchester. During check up, we mentioned martial arts to which consultant said my son could never ever take any contact to the face whatsoever including a hit/punch to the face which I thought was ridiculous as how can you go through life without a threat of a hit or bump when my son only 19. I would never have took it any further if said this in Hull. I told them Hull optician said it was fine, to which she replied I don't think he did... So my son and I heard wrong then!! Then told my son could not have the initial lens implant and needed a different one which might be more expensive and also our surgery would be in Glasgow which annoyed me as selected them because of Manchester as we live in East Yorkshire. I wasn't happy and told them there and then we were not going ahead. She told me I wouldn't get our money back as son fit for surgery. In my eyes he wasn't as told conflicting advice, changed location and couldn't have lens implant as quoted for. Spoke to Hull office who confirmed they said could take contact and that we could have a refund. However a snotty customer services guy called my son and basically suggested we were lying and was very abrupt and rude. I asked jack to ask them for our signed paperwork to take matters further. Knew hadn't signed anything. 2 weeks later told refund as no signed paperwork. However did not get refund until over 3 months later. The whole experience was a nightmare not to mention time off work for appointments, costs of fuel and parking for wasted appointments. Very annoying

Thank you very much for your reply. I will now be cancelling my consultation with Ultralase!

Do you know how I could find recommended surgeons/clinics or is the advice on this website simply to avoid corrective laser surgery altogether?

Anya.
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admin: Pls send your number for more info
info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

This website is amazing and has stopped me making a huge mistake with Optical Express. I have been told on the phone that I am now within the 28 working days to receive a refund on my deposit. I have asked for written confirmation by email but I'm still waiting. Is there anything else I should be doing to try and cover myself?

I have found this company and its employees disgusting and incompetent. I did not expect to walk into a hard sales pitch - I naively thought I would be dealing with professional medics. Phone staff have been rude and patronising. When I told one I thought it was appalling that I needed to wait so long to receive a refund, he explained it wasn't like I'd just bought a pair of shoes.

I have read that Optimax is not rated highly here, can anyone recommend Ultralase?

Thank you, Anya.
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admin: Hi Anya, Optimax own Ultralase: www.theguardian.com/money/2013/nov/25/ul...rgery-optimax-refund
Pls send your number if you have problems getting your refund from OE info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Hi Bethanie

Laser eye surgery (Lasik) at Optimax has ruined my eyes and quality of life.
Please please do not do it, anywhere, they're all the same, I only wish someone had said that to me.
I now live with poor quality of vision and at 34 with a young family it just makes everything I do so much more difficult.
Please take this warning seriously, and be happy with contact lenses and glasses, I'd go back to mine in a heartbeat if I could.

Jane x

Hi Bethanie,
Sasha cannot say anything negative about Optimax for legal reasons, but her eyes were trashed by this company, as were mine and many other people's. They are no better than Optical Express, and trusting them with my precious eyes was the biggest mistake of my life. Please, please think again and read up on other victims experiences until you have convinced yourself that your eyes are far too precious to risk having them damaged forever.

I've just called to cancel my surgery. Have to wait for a call from customer service some time in the next 28 days to receive my £400 deposit back. Which sucks as I'm hoping to book with Optimax next week.
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admin: Pls google my name (Sasha Rodoy) and see related YouTube videos to understand why I'm not prepared to help you get back your deposit to fund surgery at Optimax.