Hi I have had a really horrible experience with Optical Express. They were all really wonderful until I gave them the deposit for the surgery
I will try and list the steps
I live in Bristol and was walking past Optical Express
1. I just called in when I was passing after reading a big sign that said 20-20 vision was guaranteed and the price was usually around £4,000
2. I was given a very encouraging talk by, who I know now is the sales representative Sam, we talked about the options, we discussed my work and how I do a lot of bead work so close up vision was important to me. He told me laser was not for me because a) my age and b) my close up vision would not be great with laser treatment, it had to be one or the other I could not have long and short vision corrected but I could have my lenses replaced and this he assured me would give me 20-20 vision
3. I left the opticians saying I would think about it but thanked him very much for the information, he kept trying to book me for an appointment regardless of the fact I did not want to commit at that time
4. I got constant phone calls from Sam over the next few days and he really gave me the sales talk, he almost bullied me into going for the next appointment which I did, this was after his final call on a Sunday morning
5. I went for the appointment with an optician and I passed the tests with flying colours, she said II was an ideal candidate and again had the conversation about 20-20 vision
6. I was then asked to go and see Sam and he would book my next appointment and talk about the financial side of the procedure
7. I went to see Sam who bounced a few figures around and told me my treatment was going to cost a staggering £7,000. He jollied me along with the idea of it only being £600 a month for 10 months etc. We discussed the reason I wanted it done and he agreed with everything I said. I told him I did not mind wearing glasses but I was really attracted to the idea of having perfect vision bot long and short distance. We discussed it all at length and I know I left certain in the knowledge that this was a life changing operation. I asked about the risks but he said it was the safest operation going and they had not had one failure in the 28 years the clinic had been going. I also watched a film that said there were risks but it was the safest operation known to man.
8. I said I needed time to think about it and again I was bombarded with phone calls from Sam.
9. I discussed it with lots of friends and family who agreed that, although £7,000 was a lot of money it was a small price to pay for perfect vision so I decided to go for the operation. Sam could not get me booked in fast enough. He told me I would be getting an appointment with the surgeon to make sure everything was ok but before he could book the appointment with the surgeon I needed to pay a deposit of £500. I asked if I could have a refund if I decided, after meeting the surgeon, that it was not the operation for me. Sam assured me that it was a two way agreement and I could get a full refund.
10. I went back for my appointment and met an Ophthalmologists. She performed another set of tests and asked me why I wanted the operation. I told her I wanted 20-20 vision. She told me that she thought I would be disappointed with the results as I would be compromising 20% of the vision I had wearing glasses. I was really shocked to hear this as it had never been mentioned to date. She said she was writing in her report that it was not the procedure for me, I saw her writing the notes up. She said there was one more thing they could try which was laser surgery where they treat one eye for long sight and one for short sight but she had severe reservations about it being procedure for me but she said there was no harm in trying the contact lenses which would give me the same vision as the laser surgery but she warned it was not for everybody and not many people got on with it.
11. I was not sure this was for me but I though I would try it. I went to the next person who said they would order the lenses and they should arrive within two weeks but they had to send of for them as they were a special lens
12. I have not heard anymore from the clinic and all this was nearly a month ago. I tried to call but the clinic number was always busy or it cut out before the dialling began.
13. Having given it more though and read some reviews about this procedure I have decided I do not want the laser treatment and the lens replacement is not for me either so eventually after many attempts to call the clinic I called their main number to inform them I wanted to cancel and get my deposit back.
14. I was told everyone was busy and I would get a call back within the next 48 hours from one of the cancelation team. To be fair I got a call back quite quickly after that by a gentleman named Lawrence (I think I remember that being his name). Lawrence was the rudest, most aggressive and obnoxious person I have spoken to in a long time. He just talked at me, he never gave me a moment to put my point across, he even hung up the phone and when I phoned back explaining that we seemed to have been cut off to the person on the switchboard she put me back on to him, he said he had been busy on another call and had meant to call me back immediately but had got sidetracked....I think he was hoping he had upset me enough for me to be to afraid to call back
15. Bottom line he said as I was clinically able to undergo the surgery I was not entitled to a refund and I had also left it longer than the cooling of period. I explained I had tried to call but to no avail he said it was because the clinic had moved site which was also why the contact lenses were taking time. I politely pointed out that no one had told me they were moving so how was I supposed to contact them
16. He said there was nothing in the notes to say the Ophthalmologists had dissuaded me and he was going to have to talk to her and get a report from her. I asked him why she wrote a report if she was supposed to commit everything to memory....anyway he said he would get back to me within the next 48 hours but reading these posts I have severe doubts about that.
17. Optical Express are money digging horrors who need to be avoided. I can't believe some of the things I have read about them and now I have actually spoken to some of their victims I am so thankful I decided not to go ahead but I would like my deposit paid back.
18. I will keep you posted
19. Thank you for your support so far
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