Help with £1000 deposit refund

I'm pleased to say, with Sasha's help I received a full refund of my deposit yesterday.

I am aged 56 and was sold laser (for one eye) in February. I paid £400 deposit and booked the op for 7 April.

Before I booked I told the OE salesperson that my husband had glaucoma and is blind in his right eye. I explained that he relies on me to drive him around and I could not take any risks with my vision. She promised me there were no risks at all.

Then I found OERML and read Shabir’s story, describing how he cares for two disabled and congenitally blind sons. Like me, he apparently told the OE salesperson (and surgeon Dimitris Kazakos) that he could not take any risks with his vision. He too was assured there was no need to worry, that the surgery was a very safe and successful procedure, but it was not. www.opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk/ind...html?start=100#10447

Since booking my appointment my husband was recently diagnosed with a tear in his left eye. His surgeon has advised that he could get a retinal detachment at any time and if that happens he must go to the hospital as an emergency.

With this new information I realised I could not risk going ahead with surgery and called OE to cancel last week. I explained my circumstances but they refused to refund my deposit.

It is not just that this company has exhibited a complete lack of human compassion that upsets me, but that they blatantly lied to me in order to take my deposit. If they had been honest and told me there was even a slight risk I would not have considered surgery.

I am thankful that I found OERML and read the truth, otherwise if I had gone ahead with surgery I could have ended up with problems and unable to drive. I will fight for my deposit to be refunded.

Thank you Jimmy

Has anyone on here successfully received a refund at all?

I was misled by the sales people who assured me there are rarely any problems as I know now this is not the truth.

When I called Optical Express again asking for my refund it was the customer services person who said I could have refractive lens exchange instead of laser!

What kind of company is this that allows a customer services person to suggest which surgery I should have?

Optical Express owe me £395 and I will fight for my refund all the way to small claims court if I have to.
____________________
admin: Yes, most have eventually been refunded their deposit, but unfortunately not everyone thinks to update their post. If you send email I'll be happy to advise.
info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk :kiss:

Hello Corinne, I'll try and help here.

Whatever you do, DON'T feel pressured into surgery!!

I was sold Lens Replacement when I should not have had the operation and the after effects are a nightmare.
Also, if it goes wrong no-one will sit down and talk to you, these people will not meet me in person to discuss what went wrong. However my time will come.
Click on my name and read the way I have been treated - thrown out of their clinic by the police just for asking for a refund.
You’re one of the lucky ones who found this website before committing to surgery.
Best of luck with your refund
Jimmy

I had a consultation with Optical Express on Sat 14th March and felt pressured to pay a deposit and book an appointment for surgery. After considering it I changed my mind and contacted them for a refund. I thought it was within 7 working days because their terms say they refund within 28 working days. But they are now advising different procedures (including replacement lens surgery) that weren't discussed at the consultation and told me that it's too late for a refund.

I'm now feeling pressured to go through with the surgery as otherwise they won't return my deposit, but having spoken with my independent optician they advise that surgery wouldn't be suitable for me.

Can anyone please help me?

I cancelled next day and was advised that my deposit (£400) would be returned to me only after 28 WORKING days. This was on 16th December 2014.

3 months later and several hours of conversations with customer services and still no return of the deposit!

Only after considerable attention via OERML and Which? forums, OE did finally change their refund T&Cs from 72 hours to 7 days - note times of Screenshots!





However, as OE will hang on to refundable deposits for 28 working days, should that not be 7 working days for request of refund too?

Just a thought David

"We used the stories Optical Express customers had shared with us to write to the company to highlight our concerns. A month later, our lawyers were pleased to see Optical Express had published revised terms and conditions, including:

You now have seven days – not 72 hours – after booking to change your mind and get a deposit refund.

You can now get a full refund within 28 days if you cancel for any reason after seeing a surgeon – including if the treatment you need changes.

Better still, Optical Express will apply these terms retrospectively to customers who have already booked – but not yet had – treatment."
conversation.which.co.uk/consumer-rights...er-eye-surgery-terms

Not according to Optical Express:


www.opticalexpress.co.uk/customer-care-policies.html

Same old story from me I am afraid!
I believe they keep your deposit for as long as possible to gain interest on your money, and have no intention of refunding unless you chase them for it hard enough.
I have sent in a complaint stating I want my refund issued immediately (so far waited 46 WORKING days) and also requested that they refund the costs of my numerous telephone calls chasing them for it. I have also asked that they refund the interest that has been accrued on MY money.
My complaint was replied with a "we are sorry" but they have still done nothing.

I have sent my complaint to the financial ombudsman and beg everyone else to do so the same.

I first responded to OE adverts in May 2014, and was informed that I wasn’t suitable for laser but they recommended lens replacement, quoting £2500+ per eye, Although I’m only 49 and do not have cataracts, I was told this would be a once and forever fix and I’d no longer need glasses or suffer with cataracts in the future. I was really reassured by their claims that OE did 80% of BUPA cataract ops, so thought I’d go for it and be glasses free by my 50th birthday this year.

I returned in November '14 to arrange a surgery date and was told I’d need another consultation as six months had elapsed, so had more dilating eye drops, more tests, and referred for consultation appointment at Harley Street 2 weeks later, when I was told I'd meet my surgeon who would answer all my queries.

However, there was no surgeon at that appt, just more tests and dilating eye drops. I was directed to watch a video and asked if I had any questions. I said I wanted to speak with a surgeon, but told none were available. They did not give me any paperwork, or say who my surgeon would be, nothing but a handwritten note with the name of my lenses (Oculentis M+) and a pack of antibiotic pre op ointment.

The following week I returned to the Brighton office to have prescription contact lenses fitted, to wear for a week to check my suitability. I have dry eyes and have been unable to wear contacts which is why I was interested in surgery, but they said I could leave them in all week. The fitting was a little traumatic as the optician couldn’t get them in, and my eyes were sore and red after he finally succeeded. I was then given a form to sign and paid a £500 deposit. The following week when I returned to have them removed I was told that I’d need more tests as the consultation appointment hadn’t confirmed my prescription!! I asked what prescription had I been trialling all week in that case?

I returned on 19 Dec, more dilating eye drops and more tests and they said that luckily my prescription was unchanged and they’d order the lenses. I was also asked for another £500. I said I’d already paid my deposit and after a little shuffling, they said “Oh yes, so you did”. Dates were arranged and I asked when I would meet my surgeon to talk it all through, but they said they could answer any queries, and I’d only meet the surgeon Mr Dimitri Kazakos on the day.

I did - and do - have some questions! I wanted a written account of the full aftercare package, and to know what would happen if I suffered any post op problems.

I have sent emails, tried to contact two customer care individuals, who had repeatedly called prior to my second consultation, left a message with the Brighton office, and spoke to Neil - a pop up “live chat" operative on the OE website.

No-one has responded to any of my enquiries!

My surgery is scheduled for end of March and I was told I needed to pay in full before then, but I now think I’d rather have my deposit back. I will not risk my eyes to a company that is not prepared to answer my perfectly reasonable and valid questions.

I will be contacting the Optical Express office in the morning to ask for a full refund.