Deposit Refunds

My story is pretty simple, my wife had lenses replaced some 12 years ago at Optical Express, as did a number of our friends and to date they ALL have some level of discomfort due to halo effect etc.

I have excellent long sight but for reading and computer work all day I need glasses, so assuming in recent years techniques and processes will have developed and improved, I recently booked a consultation on 23rd March at Sheffield Meadowhall. They advised that I am suitable for lens replacement surgery but that it will have a slight detriment to my long sight. Further, they quoted that 99.7% of patients do not suffer any long term side effects.

I explained my situation that I work overseas and return to UK every couple of months and they advised that appointments during my future planned visit were not yet open, but I should pay £500 deposit to allow me an early opportunity to secure a surgery date during my planned return trip, which I duly paid.

With time to reflect and further consider, along with discussion with my wife, I became apprehensive due to the side effects experienced by people we know and asked for a further discussion in regard to the 99.7% claimed success rate and no long term side effects, compared to the 100% of former patients known to me personally who ALL retain side effects more than 10 years after treatment.

So I requested a further discussion with their experts and I was contacted by a man (no idea who he was, but not a doctor for sure) who had no interest in anything other than reminding me that I had already signed a contract with them, and advising their legal position which meant I could lose some or all of my deposit if I did not proceed. I was far from happy with the discussion as I put the value of my sight and ensuring any treatment is correct above a paid deposit, and I advised their representative of my dissatisfaction with his approach, and suggested that if the call is recorded it should be used for their training and not how to engage with their customers. He advised the call was recorded but declined to comment upon my constructive feedback to his approach to customer service.

I no longer intend to proceed with any treatment and want to recoup my deposit, but I am unsure as to the best approach to take considering the attempts to bully and intimidate me during my last call.

Please note that I have not currently been offered an appointment for surgery.

Hoping for your positive feedback and support in dealing with these people whom I found to be at best, patronising, bullying and unscrupulous.

Kind Regards
Alan
___________________________
admin: OE's normal modus operandi!
Please send your phone number
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Update!

A day later I received all funds owed, including my £500 deposit! Thank you Sasha!

Hi everyone,
It was only last week when I spoke with Optical Express and they told me that I'm not entitled to refund because I didn't cancel within 20 days. Today, I received email confirmation from OE that my deposit will be returned to me.
All this is thanks to Sasha's help.
Sasha, thank you so much for all your help and effort. You are a star.

Good afternoon, I am currently still waiting for my refund of over £2700 from Optical Express, I cancelled my surgery over a month ago due to reading all the terrible reviews and have phoned them multiple times asking for email confirmation of the cancellation but despite this request and being told somebody would call me back I have received nothing so far. I was also told my deposit of £500 was non refundable. Would you be able to assist me in this matter?
___________________________
admin: Please send your phone number
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

So just like everyone else I've been a fool and paid the £500 deposit for the lens surgery which i felt pushed into from the get go which was scheduled for 6th May.
I was offered NHS discount by the manager at the OPTICAL EXPRESS BRIDGEWATER CLINIC MANCHESTER, but because of all the horror stories I rang to cancel today (28th April) and YES, you guessed it - they won't give me my £500 back but said as a good will gesture I can have vouchers for glasses!
DOCTOR ASHEET DESAI was the surgeon I was booked in with, the manager told me he was the best there is and that he did her eyes a few weeks previously but I now know that he’s damaged patients eyes!
I'm so upset as it's a large amount of money and I was told all along that i would get a full refund if i changed my mind (otherwise i would never had paid that amount if i knew they would keep the lot) !! Even the surgeon reassured me that I would get my deposit back if I cancelled! He told me at my meeting with him he told me to really think hard about it as I'm only a low prescription and my night vision and driving could be affected and it's not too late to change my mind ! It felt like he was pushing me to not have it done , so now I've had time to think about it and read all the negative reviews I decided to cancel !!
I rang the head office and they are saying they will investigate and I know what the outcome will be!
I was pushed into deciding and paying the deposit too soon with no time to think and for them to now say they are entitled to keep £500 is disgraceful!!
So please SASHA can you work your magic ?
Amanda grixti
___________________________
admin: Please send your phone number
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

With a big thank you to Sasha for helping to get my £500 refund...your an angel! Steveo

I had Laser eye surgery booked at Optical Express a couple of months ago and the procedure was fully paid for. On the day of the surgery I get a call from OE informing me the surgeon is ill so we will be in touch to reschedule the surgery. After not hearing anything for a couple of weeks I decide to chase them up and I'm told by my local branch that someone from central office will be in touch next week. Another 2 weeks go by and nothing. Seems like they just couldnt care less now that they had my money! I then get told that the surgeon is only down at my local branch once a month so they would be in touch once they had his dates for April and May. I did say in the meantime that I would like my money back and they did agree to this. Recently the money did appear in my account just missing the £400 deposit. I havent even officially cancelled the surgery but they have just completely gone quiet in regards to getting me back in. With this situation and after having time to think about it I'm definitely not going ahead with the surgery. Just wondered if it was possible to get the £400 back? I look forward to hearing from you.
___________________________
admin: Please send your phone number
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

When I went for a consultation on 21st March 2023 at Optical Express in Dartford they seemed really nice and very convincing about the surgery even though my prescription is not stable, but pushy for me to pay a deposit for surgery on 27 April with Mr Eric De Koning.
I got a discount as I'm working for the NHS and paid £400 deposit.
They did not tell me anything about the side effects, which I found out about later after reading reviews online. I was shocked and cancelled on Monday.
They told me they would call me but I have had no phone call or email regarding my cancellation and my £400 deposit.
I hope you can help me to get my money back as you help so many people.
Ilona J
_______________________
admin: Please send your phone number
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

This is the email I sent to Optical Express after they told me they would not refund all of my £500 deposit. Please can you help me with this?

__________________________
admin: Please send your phone number
sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk