Deposit Refunds

Hi

On 11/11/21 I went in to Optical Express clinic for a free Consultation for laser eye surgery in the Nottingham branch, the woman who dealt with me throughout was Amy. I had all my checks and and was told I’m a suitable candidate.

She took me to a room and started pushing me to book dates as she said they were getting booked up fast, and I needed to leave a deposit to secure a date for surgery and that I could always cancel. She booked me in for surgery on 23/11/21 with Dr Muhammad Kazmi. Also she said she will call me on 12/11/21 to discuss further however she failed to do so.

I googled the surgeon's name and came across this forum page and I have seen how many bad reviews are on it.

On 16/11/21 I rang the branch and was told Amy was on leave and that I was speaking to Sharon. I told her I felt too rushed and needed more than 12 days to prepare for a life changing decision. She said there was more risk of getting problems with contact lenses than with laser surgery and when I said I don't wear them she said wearing glasses was risky if you fall over.

She then started to ask me if I wanted to delay it for another month, I replied I would rather cancel for now. She then became very rude and her whole tone changed and I knew she was more interested in the sale rather than customers.

I have left a £500 deposit but they will only refund £250 as they say I should have read the terms and conditions, and that Amy would have told me this however she never mentioned anything to me about this, she just couldn’t wait to take my money.

Is there any way I can get my money back?

Thank you
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admin: Pls send your phone number
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmyife.co.uk

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2 February 2022

admin: Aqeel contacted me, and after following my advice he was very quickly refunded in full. Unfortunately he can’t find time to update his post with this news

Hi all,

Below is my experience:

I attended a free consultation at the Manchester clinic on 19/10/2021 where I was informed I would have been an excellent candidate for LASIK with iDesign given my prescription was largely unchanged, slightly short sighted with astigmatism, and was explained the risks of the procedure on this basis we’re extremely low and was encouraged to continue with this processes.

I was quoted £3690 for treatment of both eyes. Following my initial consultation and information provided I decided to proceed with the treatment and paid optical express £2390 on 21/10/2021 for the deposit and some of the total cost of the surgery along with setting up a finance agreement for the remaining balance.

On the day of my surgery 19/11/2021 I arrived at Optical Express Manchester where I was due to undergo this treatment with Dr Muhammad Kazmi. Upon arrival I was asked to repeat all the tests from the initial consultation.

Following completion of these tests I had a final consultation with Dr Kazmi to cover the results and expectations. I was then told that I was in fact Long-Sighted not short-sighted and that as a result the risks of this surgery were much changed from my initial consultation. I was told that there would now be a 10% chance the surgery would make absolutely no difference to my vision and a chance that this caused irreparable eye damage for the rest of my life. Adding to this the procedure would not seek to fully address my new found long sightedness and instead he would look to adjust it by 0.25. I obviously cancelled the impending surgery as I was not remotely aware of the realities of what I had been sold.

I feel completely mislead by this entire experience and cannot believe that only 5 minutes prior to entering the surgery I was finally explained the reality of the situation. Upon leaving the clinic I asked about when I could be expected a refund and was told that someone would contact me which has not happened. After reading some of the posts on this site I can already see how this is going and would appreciate any help you can offer.

Thanks,
CM
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admin: Besides the other issues, the optom who referred you MUST be reported to the GOC.
Please send your phone number
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmyife.co.uk
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admin: Unfortunately CM can’t find time to update his post, so I have done it for him

2 Dec 2021 CM wrote:

Hi Sasha,
As if by magic, I’ve just had the following confirming a full refund.
Thanks for all your help,
C

I considered getting laser corrective surgery and was minded to go ahead on the assumption that it was the best choice for the long term health of my eyes, rather than continuing with contact lenses, which I have been wearing for around a decade. I had an initial examination with Optical Express, then paid a deposit and set a date for laser eye surgery. I was then given a very brief phone consultation the next day.

Optical Express requested a further examination at a different clinic to the original on the explanation that not all the machinery was available at the original surgery, which somewhat undermined my confidence in Optical Express. After further research I was alarmed to learn of risks of issues with my vision after surgery (halos, ghosting, double vision and dry eyes). The literature and clinical discussion present the risk of surgery as lower than proceeding with contact lenses on the basis that the infection risk is lower. However, the risk of infection is not the only risk associated with the surgery. I requested a follow up clinical discussion to discuss the risks listed above and Optical Express were unwilling or unable to quantify the risk. For reference they provide a precise Percentage risk of infection.

As I have been unable to quantify the risk of infection I have cancelled the surgery, I don't know who my surgeon would have been either. However, Optical Express have refused a refund according to their terms and conditions only offering a credit for future in store purchases. I do not feel adequately informed of the risks and Optical Express do not know if I would be an adequate candidate for surgery. I feel this business practice is underhand as it could pressure patients into surgery if unable to obtain a refund.

GP
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admin: Please send your phone number
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmyife.co.uk

I am in a very similar position to previous person. I am booked in for surgery with David Teenan at the Glasgow branch next Thursday. I have become increasingly worried about reports I have now found about this surgeon and the procedure. I was not told any of this information at my consultation.
I have decided that I am not willing to risk damaging my sight and will look into using daily contact lenses instead.
I have paid Optical Express a deposit of £500 but they say I am not entitled to my money back even though I have not seen the surgeon or signed the terms and conditions document.
Please can you help.
Margaret Cole
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admin: Please send your phone number
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmyife.co.uk

Hello Everyone,

I was scheduled to undergo this surgery on the 20th of November of this month. I came upon shocking review upon shocking review with optical express and I informed them that I would be cancelling my surgery. On top of that the surgeon I was due to see has only done 500 laser eye surgeries, I've not found a single positive or negative review about him so it put me off a bit when I saw this website and their recent reviews really put me off. I had spoken to an ophthalmologist in scotland on the 21st or 22nd of october after my initial consultation on the 9th of October his attitude was so relaxed I couldn't really believe it - it sounded more like a business deal rather than someone who genuinely cares about your eyes and he ended up telling me I'd probably have to end up wearing reading glasses in my 40s anyway due to natural ageing of the eye which is fine but it was ridiculous how soon this part of the whole process was over in less than 10 muinutes.

I spoke to a call handler in Scotland I believe who accepted my appointment cancellation but said I wasn't entitled to a refund I didn't even sign any of the forms! their terms and conditions are so weird, [edit]

I'd appreciate any bodies input on this.

Thank You !

JS
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admin: Please send your phone number.
NB: I will not be prepared to help you if I believe you still intend to have surgery elsewhere after speaking with me.
The refractive surgery industry is unregulated, and carries the same risks no matter where it’s performed. I have clients damaged by surgeons at both the clinics you mentioned (names edited out of your post)
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmyife.co.uk
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admin: Wth my help JS received his refund - and after hearing more about this industry he decided not to risk surgery anywhere

Hi Sasha - great news, £500 ‘deposit’ is to be refunded, even though they said they would keep it due to ‘terms & conditions’ for a so called ‘free’ consultation! . . would not have happened without your help & guidance . . thank you for all your help ??

Good afternoon,

I had booked to have RLE surgery at OE and after an initial 'free' consultation during which I felt rushed, because I told them I was going away soon and did not wish to be worried about aftercare, they convinced me all would be fine, and promptly tried to book me in for surgery on 7 October. But I could not make that either, so they then came back with an even earlier date of 1 Oct 21.
By this time I felt obliged to sign up and pay £500 deposit, but thankfully did not sign up to their finance package.
I then read all the contraindications and started to worry if I had done the right thing and I wasn't sleeping with worry.
On Thurs 23 Sep I had a 'clinicians' appointment which was a quick 5/10min phone call from a lady in Scotland, whereupon I said I was feeling a bit nervous and unsure, but she just said "oh the nurse will make you feel fine on the day", and I said I heard that the surgeon 'Dimitris' [Dimitris Kazakos] could be quite abrupt and she replied "yes but he is just profesional..." she seemed more concerned I had the documentation ready to take with me!
After a weekend of worrying and nearing the time to pay my balance I decided that it was not the right thing for me so I called them on the morning of Tues 28 Sep to cancel, 3 days before my planned surgery, whereupon they said I would probably have to forgo my deposit!
They then contacted me again, and 'Fiona' reiterated that as I had cancelled 3 days after my 'clinicians' call then the best they could do was either keep my deposit on file for a year in case I change my mind, or in a few weeks AFTER the cancellation had gone through they would send a £250 voucher for use on new glasses. By this time I just wanted to stop worrying so reluctantly thought I had to accept if that is the best they would do, and at least I do not have to worry about going through with surgery.
I now realise that they are probably not entitled to keep my deposit and would appreciate any advise on how to get it back?!

Kind Regards
Karen Doran
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admin: Please send your phone number, and when we speak, remind me that a complaint needs to be made to the GOC as there are a number of issues here that need investigating, not least that you had not even spoken with the surgeon, and wouldn't do so until minutes before surgery - read Steve's post below
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmyife.co.uk

Hi Sasha

I would like to bring to the forum's attention my experience with Optical Express. After much consideration and research I decided to explore the possibility of lens replacement surgery with OE.

On the 23rd August 2021 I went to OE in Inverness Scotland for a consultation re lens replacement. I was there for 2 hours and went through numerous examinations on numerous machines. I explained that I had been wearing glasses for the past 15 years (prior to this I had 20/20 vision) but as time was moving on I was heavily reliant on multifocal glasses. I had never worn contact lenses and to the best of my knowledge was not suitable for laser surgery. I was told I was suitable for Multifocal lens replacement.

I was diagnosed with prediabetes type 2 and my blood sugar was being managed by one form of tablet medication. As long as this was under control this was not a problem according to the optician in Inverness.

I therefore decided to undertake the surgery. They required a £500 deposit payment and I decided to pay the full cost in cash from savings. The total bill was £6,820. The surgery was booked for the 4th October in Glasgow with the surgeon David Teenan. I was instructed to read and sign triple copies of a detailed contract waiver stating that I understood the risks. I was told there was a 99 percent success rate. I was told that I would have a telephone consultation with the surgeon performing the operation one week before the procedure (David Teenan). I received a phone call from somebody at Optical Express in Torquay that lasted less than 5 minutes. They confirmed the date and time of surgery and asked me if I had read and understood the terms and conditions which I needed to bring with me. That was the sum total of the the so called consultation.

I booked a hotel close to the surgery, booked my two collies into boarding kennels, and my wife took 2 days holiday from work to accompany me on the 4 hour drive to Glasgow.

I arrived on time, was met by the receptionist, went through the normal Covid-19 questions and was taken to the waiting room on the first floor. 45 minutes later I was taken to a room at the side of the waiting area by Daniel (Practice Manager) who conducted two quick further scans. As a result of those scans he indicated their may be a problem with the planned surgery. I was then taken into another consulting room by the head optician who was rather direct and abrupt and another scan took place whereby he indicated to me that I was not suitable for the Multifocal lens replacement. He went to get the surgeon to consult further, whilst waiting for this another trainee optician in the room at the time asked me if he could also examine my eyes!! The surgeon (David Teenan) then entered the room without any welcome or acknowledgement of myself. Went through the same scans again and told me he would not proceed I was not suitable for that type of lens replacement. I was however suitable for Monofocal Lens replacement which I had decided on my initial visit to Inverness not to have. He was with me for no more than 3 minutes and left the room.

I was then taken back to Daniel (Practise Manager) who apologised and told me as this was not my fault I would receive a full refund which could take upto 28 working days!! I asked for written confirmation of this and he promised I would be contacted by the appropriate department to confirm this. I arrived at 14:25 hrs and was shown the door at 16:10 hrs. In order for the surgeon to examine my eyes I was given a large quantity of eye drops to dilate the pupils which meant I could not see properly on leaving. This lasted until the following day.

I met my wife back at the hotel and decided to drive back to Inverness that same evening. My wife had to drive the entire way due to the condition of my eyes.

I have left messages with Glasgow, spoke to the contact centre, and emailed and telephoned to get written confirmation of the refund and timeframe from the practise manager at Inverness (Emma Fielder)

I have received no verbal or written communication from OE with regard to this debacle and am still waiting.

I have attached the initial scan report from the consultation in Inverness resulting in the booking for the surgery. Everything appeared to be in order.

I have incurred great expense, worry and wasted time, and cannot believe how OE behave. But after reading some real horror stories on this site and so many negative posts about David Teenan I believe I may have dodged a bullet.

Thanks Sasha
Steve Skerrett

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admin: The obvious question is why did an optometrist tell you were suitable for this procedure, but of course that was to meet her targets and pocket her sales commission!
They have no right to keep your money for 28 (working!) days - or any, and I would consider also pursuing them for your kennel/travel/hotel costs, as it is entirely their fault that you were missold this procedure.
Please send your phone number, and when we speak, remind me that a complaint needs to be made to the GOC, as there are a number of issues here that need investigating
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmyife.co.uk

Thank you so much Sasha!
Within days of you contacting me I was able to get my full deposit back even after they had told me I couldn't due to the weird terms & conditions (which I still don't understand as nothing was signed). I wouldn't have known what to do if I didn't have your advice and experience with this company. You are so reliable and helpful and I can't thank you enough for your support. You definitely need to be recognised for your hard work and advocacy regarding this industry and it's dangers. I feel very lucky to have found your site - you are saving people from what potentially could ruin their lives because these laser clinics are majorly downplaying the risks

Dear Sasha,
On Saturday 25th Sept, I took my son to Optical Express in St Vincent Street Glasgow for a consultation for laser eye surgery. He was deemed unsuitable for this procedure but was told he would be suitable for ICL surgery. Everything then went fast forward and we were asked to pay a £500 deposit and he would be booked for an appointment to see the eye surgeon who would explain everything and check that he was indeed suitable for the procedure. The appointment we have been given is Thursday the 7th of Oct at 8am. The surgeon is Dr Teenan who we have since discovered has many complaints and a current lawsuit.

Since the consultation my son (who has autism) has been researching non stop and is now very anxious and has many reservations. He also has concerns about the type of lens they intend to use. I got the clinic to phone him today to address his concerns but they were unable to answer the questions as they said they were too “clinical” and he would have to ask the surgeon.

I have now checked the booklet we were given and discovered that we had to cancel within three days of our initial visit to obtain a full refund. We were not told this at the time and we now know that so many people have been rushed into placing a deposit without being given adequate time or information to make an informed decision.

How can I get the £500 deposit back? Do we have to meet with the surgeon first or do we send them an email to say he doesn’t wish to proceed before his appointment with the surgeon on Thursday?

I hope you can help us!

Many thanks Lydia
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admin: Yes, I can help you

1. Not just one - David Teenan has multiple legal claims in process, with many previously settled out of court.
2. A deposit should not have been taken from you without having first seen the surgeon, as only he can say if a person is suitable for surgery. This is a complaint for the GOC, as I will advise when we speak.
3. You don't need to see David Teenan before cancelling, and I will provide you with an email address to do so.

Pls send your phone number to: sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk