Help with £1000 deposit refund

Sarah Price wrote: Hello everyone, I would like to say a big thank you to Sasha for all her advice and support the last 2 weeks. She is very dedicated and has helped me to get my deposit of £400 back... However there is a 28 day wait...

Just a quick update, I was initially told 28 days to wait for a full refund to be processed. However with Sasha's help I will receive mine next week after contacting the head of customer care. So less than 2 weeks. Best to ring asap. Thanks Sasha again xxx

A big thank you to Sasha for giving me the info to get my money back (£3500) in less than a week and not the 28 days that OE said I had to wait. I tried to deal with this myself talking to the RUDE and IGNORANT OE staff, but they do not care about the customer only about the money they have taken from you. So anyone reading this, if you have any problems then please get in touch with Sasha, she is amazing.

Thank you Sasha, your name works magic. I called Hugh Kerr on Saturday and was promised a call on the Monday. It never came. I left a message on Tuesday afternoon and remembered to mention OERML. Bingo. Two calls back in the same afternoon (I missed these because I was in a phone conference) AND an email. I've found OE staff never leave a message, so having a person to call on Wednesday was a breakthrough. I spoke to Nicola Kelly a customer care manager yesterday morning and she has processed my refund. I'm hopeful it will be in my account in the next day or two...

I can happily say that I will never darken OE's doors again and I am very glad I found this website

Came across your site under angry circumstances, but it appears to be a very helpful site so I wonder if you could help me if possible?

I went for a Laser Eye consultation in Preston in September, had the initial tests done and was advised of the all singing all dancing rapid recovery time of the LASIK iDesign technology and given a price of £2995. They suggested this to be the best possible treatment on the market and anyone who has difficulty with their sight will know we will always choose the best technology on the advice of the Consultant. There was an awful lot of pressure to sign up that day for the surgery – I would like to point out that I only went to get a better understanding of what they could do for me and at what cost. I had looked into surgery around 4 years earlier but decided not to go ahead. They then proceeded to call me every day asking when they can book me in etc.

Having spoken to my fiancé we decided that I should go for it as I have always had poor sight and I wsa getting fed up with contact lenses and glasses. I'd inherited some money so saw this as a perfect gift to myself – perfect vision! A colleague at work had the same procedure and highly recommended Optical Express.

I researched LASIK treatment and decided I could live with a day of itchy eyes and using eyedrops. So I called them on 14th October and put down my £395 deposit and they booked me in for the LASIK iDesign treatment on 25th October at Manchester. I was told I needed to pay the final amount by Friday 17th / Monday 20th October. I decided to pay the total cost so it was done and dusted and paid on Monday .

I was all excited and mentally prepared and my dad arranged his life around my treatment, Saturday at Manchester Deansgate and follow-up appointment on Sunday at Manchester Trafford Centre.

We arrived at the clinic on the 25th when I was handed the consent form to read and sign. I merrily scanned through it and signed it prior to meeting my surgeon, Mr. Muhammad Kazmi, or having any further tests done. Then the optical nurse collected me from the waiting room for the tests to begin. We were then ushered upstairs where Becky collects us and advises it would be best if my dad came into the consultation room with me to discuss the results with Mr Kazmi.

The test results showed that my cornea is too thin and the LASIK technology would leave me at a high risk of my eye collapsing, and the surgeon refused to do that treatment. This is life changing news and strikes fear in me, the idea of my eye collapsing for vanity. He then explained that they COULD do LASEK treatment, but what was still going through my head was the fact my eye could collapse so therefore why tamper with them at all, with such a high risk.

Had the thickness of my cornea been tested at the Preston branch on my first consultation then I wouldn’t have booked for the procedure at all. The surgeon still showed high concern over any procedure on my eyes as we discussed how important sight is, and that unless it is imperative for your job then not to go ahead. He kept advising that some people can live with the aftermath some people can’t and unless you are 100% then to not go ahead. He went into a lot of detail about the recovery of the LASEK treatment being much more traumatic and I would need at least 5 days at work, two weeks not able to drive, and the post op issues could be worse due to the thin cornea, and some people can live with the annoyances caused with treatments, others can’t, and if you can’t then don’t go ahead.

My dad and I were then ushered to another room to have a chat about what was advised. This was only a few mins after we had been advised of the possible eye collapsing. We went through all the options and wanted more time to think about this considering the fact I can essentially live with my eyesight as it. I was hugely disappointed and deflated, but sight is so important and shouldn’t be messed with if there is a high risk (any risk) of damage.

'Becky' advised that a full refund would be given and I could expect a call from the cancellations department within 24 hours. But due to my treatment date being a Saturday, she said it likely I would ghet the call on Monday. No number was given for me to call them.

Monday came, no call, so I called Optical Express in my lunch break on Tuesday 28th October. I was put through to a woman in the department that was dealing with my request. She first told me that someone had tried to call me on Monday. I asked her to check the number she had for me as no voicemail was left!

I explained the above to her, but all she did was try to do was to talk me into having the LASEK procedure. I told her again that I had been completely put off as per the SURGEON’s advice so I would like my £2995 back please.

Then she dropped a bombshell that I could not have a refund as there is still a treatment I COULD go ahead with. By then I was extremely frustrated - the surgeon personally advised that if it was him he wouldn’t go ahead with surgery.

Please can you help me?

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Many thanks,
Heather (age 26)
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admin: Please email admin@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Hello everyone, I would like to say a big thank you to Sasha for all her advice and support the last 2 weeks. She is very dedicated and has helped me to get my deposit of £400 back.

I was booked into Cardiff Optical Express to have Lasik on the 27th November 2014. My prescription is 1.50 and I hate wearing glasses and can't get on with contact lens. I decided to look into laser surgery as an option and booked a consultation, as the prices seemed reasonable and are spread monthly with no interest. However, as the surgery date approached I began to get very nervous and thought I had better do some research to see what it all entails, and read some customer reviews. All of which seemed mainly positive, then I came across this site and began to panic. I didn't realize all the risks involved, and that so many people have had problems, OE made it sound so easy and no problems.

I contacted Sasha and then decided to cancel. I called OE who tried to reassure me and advised I see my surgeon Luca Antico in person to discuss any concerns. I met up with him on the 22nd October, and I wasn't convinced that laser was my best option so decided to cancel. When I rang they offered to keep it on file for 18 months in case I changed my mind, or I will lose all my deposit.

I asked Sasha for advice, then within a few days of sending an email to David Moulsdale (22nd Oct 2014) the CEO at Optical Express I received a reply on Saturday 25th October agreeing my refund. However there is a 28 day wait, but i'm assured I will receive it back in full, they will ring me to arrange transfer after the 28 days period.

Here's an update. I finally got a call on the 14th October from a man keen to find out why I was cancelling the procedure. I told him I had changed my mind.

He proceeded to try and persuade me otherwise "the procedure you are going to have..." and I told him "No, I won't be having the procedure and I would like my deposit back". His tone changed from warm to cold immediately. He said it would be refunded within 28 days. I asked for it back more quickly, he said it wasn't company policy...

I am now waiting to see what happens. I expect it back in my account by the 6th November.
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admin: You are legally entitled to an immediate refund. No doubt you had eye drops administered before you signed paperwork?!
Have emailed you

Hi I would just like to say a massive thank you to Sasha, this lady is amazing, I decided against surgery with Optical Express in January 2014 and plugged away at trying to get my deposit back but got nowhere with Optical Express, apart from being told you can't have your money back but you can have a gift voucher.

I was on the verge of giving up when I found Sasha's OERML Facebook page and website, I spoke with Sasha a few times and in 3 weeks this lady helped me get my deposit back - again, thank you

Hi everyone, here is a story about my recent experience with Optical Express.

I had a consultation for laser eye surgery on the 27th September 2014 in the Aberdeen branch.

I got a call back from a female employee on the 2nd October to book an appointment for the surgery for the 22nd October 2014 but she was unsure of a time and she would phone back to confirm. I also made a deposit of £395 at the time. She dais she'd call back the next day to work out the Hitachi finance agreement and confirm the appointment time on the 22nd October.

She didn't call back on Friday 3rd Oct, or on Sat 4th Oct.

i live in the Orkney islands so on the 6th Oct i called Optical Express to see what was going on as i needed to book flights and accommodation. I was told i would be called back within 48hrs.

Two days later, still no phone call. so i called again and was again told that I’d be contacted within 48 hrs.

I still didn't have a definite appointment for the 22nd Oct so couldn’t organise travel and accommodation. I was now beginning to think this was shocking customer service and did I want to trust them lasering my eyes.

I made the decision to cancel the surgery. I called on the Thurs 9th Oct to cancel the booking and was told the cancellation team was busy but they would call back in 48hrs again.

I called again on the 10th Oct to try and cancel the surgery, again i didn’t get through and again was told that Optical Express would call me back within 48hrs.

From then on i called several times to try and cancel the surgery even though I'd never received any confirmation of despite having paid the deposit. Optical Express did eventually call me twice when I was at work and missed the calls. Calling back I was told as on previous times that the cancellation team was busy and I'd be called back within 48hrs.

Eventually i got a call back on the 22nd Oct, ironically this was my supposed surgery date. We had a chat and they pressured me to consider other available dates. I said I'd have a think about it overnight.

The next day, 23rd Oct, I received a call again. I said I wanted to cancel my non-existent appointment and asked about the refund of my £395 deposit. I was told that it was non-refundable if cancellation is not made within 72hrs of making the appt

I would have done if I could have done, even though I wasn't ever given a confirmed appt to cancel!

I have been extremely disappointed by the customer service provided by Optical Express. The inept handling of such an important procedure made me question trusting Optical Express with laser eye surgery, which led to my decision to cancel.

I have been told I can have a £395 credit note, but as I live in the Orkney Islands this is completely useless to me. I want a refund of my money!

Hi all, I was due to have laser eye surgery next Monday.

Today I Googled my surgeon's name (Luca Antico) and found two negative references to him on this site. I called Optical Express immediately and cancelled my appointment.

Luckily I'm still within the 72 hour cooling off period (I paid my £400 deposit yesterday) so I'm confident I'll get my money back but thought you might like to hear what they had to say about this site and it's founder, Sasha Rodoy.

The person i spoke to, Diane, in what i presume is the refunds/cancellations department, told me that this website is funded by the owner of their competitor Optimax, where Sasha had her surgery. (I was also called back by a woman who tried to talk me out of cancelling)

Whether this claim is true or not (and i'm guessing not), they can't dismiss all of the many comments on here from people who are either unhappy with the way they've been treated or are experiencing serious side effects as a result of their surgery with Optical Express.
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admin: Diane was telling the truth saying I had surgery at Optimax (Google my name for more details), but she blatantly lied when she claimed OERML is funded by Optimax.

The important question is, have OE's directors instructed sales staff to tell this lie to customers wanting to cancel after finding OERML?

I have now spoken with Alisa in person and intend to seek legal advice

Here is a copy of a letter I sent to OE after I was recommended by the surgeon on the day of my operation, NOT, to go ahead as I had been given misinformation or no information at all. This letter details everything from start to finish.

"My consultation for suitability took place at 1400hrs in Newcastle upon Tyne on Saturday 21st June. Test went well and I was informed that I was a suitable candidate forLens Replacement. The price was given to me as £3990.

I was then informed that the clinic was located in Edinburgh which came as somewhat of a surprise, there was no mention of this during these tests or that I could find in your literature.

After some negotiation via telephone and email with Steve Shedden a deal was struck to reduce the price to compensate me for taking time off work, losing work performance bonus, travel to Edinburgh, overnight accommodation (Thursday night only at this stage) and to pay for a chaperone to accompany me. The reduced price sent to me via email by Steve on 26th June 2014 was as follows:

Treatment type: RLE Multifocal

Full price for treatment: £3,990.00

Your new price: £3,192.00

Total saving: £798.00

Finance term: 30 months Interest free

Monthly payment: £89.73

Deposit required at time of booking: £500.00

On the 14th August 2014 I received the following email from Jennifer Randall:

Thank you for trusting Optical Express with your lens replacement correction procedure, I am delighted in confirming the details as follows:

Procedure: Multi Focal lens Exchange
Surgeon: Mr David Teenan

Location: Optical Express The Edinburgh Clinic

1st eye
Date/Time: Friday 26th September at 11:40

2nd Eye
Date/Time: Friday 3rd October at 11:40

You will also need to attend a post-op appointment the day after each eye has been treated. We will book this in closer to your treatment date and let you know where and when this will be, although they are generally held in the morning.

Having read the email the thing of most concern to me was that I had to return to Edinburgh on the Saturday after each procedure for ‘post op’. This had not been pointed out to me at any time. This meant an extra night in accommodation and for my chaperone, an extra day off work; However, I reluctantly accepted it having taken into account the discount given, I paid the deposit (£500) to secure my place.

The next contact I had from Optical express was an email on the 17th September asking me to get in contact. Unfortunately due to other activities in my life I was unable to call until Wednesday 24th September 2014. During this call confirmation of the dates and times as well as location of procedure was confirmed. I was then asked if I was taking the eye drops as requested two days before op?.... What eye drops?? When I pointed out that there were no eye drops I was informed that I may have to arrive earlier than planned in order to complete a scan. The caller informed me they would be in touch with further details.

On the same day I made the call, 24th September, this email arrived:

We are looking forward to seeing you again in a few days for your eye surgery treatment.

Date:
Time:
Location: Friday 26 September 2014
11:40
The Edinburgh Clinic (View map)

To make sure your treatment gets off to the best possible start, please take note of the advice below:

• Remember to bring your Patient Information Folder and Informed Consent Document with you
• You should allow for a three hour visit to your chosen clinic
• We would recommend that you have a friend or family member accompany you on the day
• As you will be unable to drive following treatment, you will need to arrange alternative transport
• You are advised to wear loose, comfortable clothing
• Please do not wear any face make-up, creams, deodorant or perfume.

Following your treatment, Optical Express will continue to look after you and provide comprehensive aftercare tailored to your specific needs.

To ensure that your recovery is progressing as it should be, we have already booked your first aftercare appointment for the day following your treatment:

Date:
Time:
Location: Saturday 27 September 2014
9:50 am
Edinburgh - Shandwick Pl (View map)

I trust you are looking forward to a life without glasses or contact lenses and you can rest assured that we will take good care of you

The last paragraph of the email was correct; I was indeed looking forward to a life without glasses, but not so sure about the last part, things were not going well.

After finishing work on Thursday evening, 25th September, I travelled up north to my daughter’s home at Preston in Northumberland, still some 1 ½ hour drive from Edinburgh, to stay overnight and she would then accompany me to the clinic the next day.

At 0730hrs 26th September 2014 I received a call on my mobile informing me that I had to have an eye scan prior to surgery. This was to take place at Shandwick Place Edinburgh ASAP.

To say I was annoyed would be an understatement. We set off and arrived at approximately 1050hrs in an unknown city centre location. The scan was scheduled for an hour so parking fees were paid to cover it, when in fact the scan took no more than 15mins.

We then proceeded to the Clinic with the scans. During a chat in the consultant’s office it was pointed out to me that the surgery could reduce my long range vision by up to 30%. I was asked my occupation and when I pointed out that I was a HGV driver, additional information regarding driving in the dark was given to me, notably, and that if I were to drive in the dark I would encounter ‘glare’ on my lenses. The surgeon, Mr Teenan advised me against going ahead.

To the best of my knowledge, at no time during the build up to my arriving in Edinburgh was it pointed out to me that that this procedure would have these results on my vision. I can categorically confirm that I made the staff in Newcastle and the staff during telephone calls aware of my occupation. I even pointed out that I had taken time off work, the Fridays, in order to attend with the intention of returning to work on the Monday and comment was made to me that it was recommended that I should take a full week off post op.

Having thought this through and put it on paper, this event has been a catastrophe from the start with miss-information or no information at all, which I have to say is very disappointing, I was so looking forward to getting rid of my glasses. I had even recommended this to friends and family which resulted in me calling and booking a consultation for a friend, regrettably, this will now not go ahead after our recent conversation.

Please refund my deposit, my expenses and make a suitable compensation package to enable me to draw a line under this as soon and as amicably as possible."

Five days ago I received a call from OE offering to refund my deposit, expenses and compensation of £80.

To say I was insulted regarding the compensation was an understatement, I told them to go away and rethink it.

Today I received an email informing me that there first offer is final, no adjustment will be made.

I am now looking for legal assistance to take this further, any advice in this matter would be appreciated.