Corrupt Review Sites

Trustpilot Review in moderation for 6 DAYS and counting.

Wrote this to trustpilot so watch his space :

"Despite having written to you several times in the last few days, I have received absolutely no response.
Your site offers the opportunity for goods or service consumers to voice an opinion on the quality of provision.
You portray your image as an independent and unbiased organisation which provides a legitimate forum for the exchange of opinions.

I posted a review of Optical Express which you posted initially. This review contains a frank and honest account of my experience and opinion thereof. However you removed the said review following a complaint by Optical Express. I can understand that you do have to act on any complaint. However the review in question has been in the moderation process for more than 6 DAYS. When I phoned your company I was assured that the moderation process would take up to 2 days!!

I would now like to know why you have -a)taken over 6 days to date to check this review and b) not responded in any way to my numerous messages. I have given you my patient ID so it should not be a problem at all to verify me as a confirmed purchaser. The courtesy of a response is the least that can be expected from a company purporting to be of any credence.

Of as much concern is my observation that each time there is a less than positive review, a 'rash' of 5 * superlatives appear in very quick succession. It is widely suspected that Optical Express write their own reviews in an attempt to bolster their damaged image. They did this with 'Review Centre' , using said site for marketing and image bolstering purposes,but because of action on the part of an escalating campaign group, they have been using this vehicle much less of late and are now targeting Trustpilot. I should point out that ( although we still have issues with them) Review Centre independently verify a purchase without involving the company under review. This is in contratst to Trustpilot procedures whereby the company being reviewed is responsible for verifying a purchaser (I notice that all positive reviews are posted at the outset with confirmed purchaser status). This gives Carte Blanche to Optical Express to post their own reviews if they wish to do so...and there is absolutely no independent check to prevent them from so doing. The integrity and usefulness of these reviews is therefore very much in doubt.

I'm not sure why you continue to allow this process which makes such reviews untrustworthy but there are suggestions out there that there are some financial incentives to bow to the will of companies such as Optical Express.

When you finally come to the conclusion that my review of Optical Express is NOT contrary to Trustpilot rules I would you request that you REDATE my review so that the exposure that it would have had is not compromised by your inaction. After all since I posted this there have been NUMEROUS GLOWING REVIEWS which I have no doubt are largely dubious.

I look forward to an immediate reinstatement of my review"

If you've suffered problems @ Optical Express please post your experience on Trustpilot.
www.trustpilot.com/review/www.opticalexpress.co.uk

Trustpilot have been informed of the scrutiny they're under and biased deletions will be publicly noted.

Odd that the majority of comments are marked "Review by confirmed purchaser" yet negative posts from Daniel Morrison & Christopher Baylis are not!

NB: Trustpilot profits from advertising contracts, one client being Optical Express.

As for the recent post from "Colum", Optical Express's PR dept couldn't have written a better review :whistle:

Call Trustpilot:
0800 011 2822 (UK)

I've posted a review on that site, lets see how long it takes OE to have it taken down.

Can anyone see why OE should complain about this :
"I rue the day I ever walked into the Chester branch of Optical Express.
I naively thought that the staff would undoubtedly be acting with integrity and with my best interest at heart and I had absolutely no reason not to trust them at this point..WRONG!!
I fell for the 'hard sell' the guarantees and promises and the time limited finance offer...big mistake
I had a pre-existing eye condition which I was told would not be a problem....but I know now that this was totally untrue...but hindsight is a wonderful thing!
Over 4 years post surgery I suffer constant discomfort and visual problems my life has been turned upside down and Opticl Express could not care any less.
Aftercare was abysmal, bordering on non existent. Was diagnosed, by a senior OE surgeon, as having a painful and frightening eye condition requiring treatment. I was prescribed medication but made to wait 12 months for it despite several reminders.
On a separate occasion the person who's replies on this forum show an apparent desire to assist, made me wait sevferal months for medication, again despite reminders.
This suggests that the concerned OE response appearing on this site is for show only, because from my experiences and that of many many others, once OE have your money, perform your surgery then they will wash their hands of you if you have persistent problems. Lifetime aftercare...a load of bull!!!

A word of warning....although OE are duty bound to give patients all the necessary and essential information to enable the patient to make an informed decision about their surgery...don't rely on this and do your own research. In my experience, I am paying the price for booking surgery when I did not receive that essential information and I truly believe that this essential information was intentionally withheld.
I have only just found out that I was given a highly toxic and unlicensed drug called Mitomycin C. This was instilled into my eyes without my knowledge or consent. I am living with the uncertainty of the long term consequences of this. I should have been given the choice but was not.

There are many many many more patients who have suffered long term problems following eye surgery with Optical Express and if you Google Optical Express reviews you will come across a forum where you can find out a lot more(essential input into your decision making process) beyond what you find on the OE website.

Many more people are coming forward, DAILY with problems and the issues surrounding laser eye surgery with companies like optical express is about to gain massive publicity very soon.....please pay attention to what is being reported."

On Trustpilot 'confirmed' purchase status is verified by Optical Express itself. Clearly this compromises the integrity of the 5* positive reviews.

These reviews cannot be independently verified and it is quite likely that Optical Express have posted themselves. There must be some sanction for misleading the public in this way?

I would have thought OE would be more concerned with this site than that review site.

There are many internet sites were you can post the truth concerning Optical Express, >> www.moneysupermarket.com/community/forums/ << is another one.

There are a few eye laser forums, like this one for example >> benfrain.com/lasek-eye-laser-treatment-r...y-and/#comment-16562 <<

There are many consumer sites, chat forums (start a topic), email >> www.which.co.uk/campaigns/ <<

You are always going to encounter negativity resistant sites, so just like how OE operates, make it a numbers game, post the truth elsewhere, accept you are not going to win all the battles, WCM being one example.

On another note, was in Optical Express on Tuesday, got chatting to a potential customer, finally somebody who was aware of this site. So introduced myself and put him straight, while I advised him not to undergo Laser treatment, but if he was to proceed, then I suggested Centre for Sight would be a superior option (costs being met by insurance company).

Would have been great if I had any "my beautiful eyes" business cards with this sites URL, then I could have simply passed them to the other patients. Most of the people you chat to in waiting areas have no idea what can go wrong, they don't even research on the web, rather believe everything that they get spun.

Somehow I don't think I will be returning to OE any time soon, as the Optrom did his best to spin me yet even more bullshit relating to contact lenses. However for those visiting the "waiting room" in Harley Street, there are usually a few potential customers waiting to be educated.

I can assure you, having sat with Sasha in Harley Street , there is nothing more satisfying than enlightening somebody inside OE's waiting area

I have received the same reply after posting on this site. Requesting full name, phone number, proof of treatment. Bit of a joke really, you can't really win against these sort of sites, not worth the effort for an unknown outcome.

Probably better off, fighting battles you know you can win.

I have received an email with the same wording as the one sent to truth seeker @ 3:16 today

So is it now possible to post a negative or have OE got their own way by ensuring that only positives count. IT ABSOLUTELY STINKS!!!!

From: ______
Date: 27 January 2013 23:00:58 GMT
To: complaints@reviewcentre.com
Bcc: __________
Subject: Re: Your review for Optical Express Laser Eye Clinics - www.opticalexpress.co.uk 17_____

I'm happy to comply with request if you confirm positive reviewers are similarly being asked for same details?

I look forward to your response.

NB: Details being posted here:
www.opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk/

---

On 24 Jan 2013, at 15:36, complaints@reviewcentre.com wrote:

Dear Member,

Many thanks for your contribution to Review Centre.

As part of our moderation of the site we sometimes undertake a verification of reviews that a company has received. On this occasion we are looking at some of the reviews for Optical Express Laser Eye Clinics - www.opticalexpress.co.uk and your review has been selected for verification.

We have temporarily removed your review from www.reviewcentre.com while we ask you to confirm some details.

We will require the following information for our records:

•Contact details (full name, address and telephone number)
•Supporting evidence (such as an email invoice or receipt of purchase).

Information collected is simply to validate the authenticity of your review and will not be passed onto anyone else without your expressed permission.

We hope that you can understand that this is a standard housekeeping task to ensure that our readers can trust in our site and the reviews that they read.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Kind regards

The Review Centre Team

I received this a few days ago!!
"Dear Member,
Many thanks for your contribution to Review Centre.

As part of our moderation of the site we sometimes undertake a verification of reviews that a company has received. On this occasion we are looking at some of the reviews for Optical Express Laser Eye Clinics - www.opticalexpress.co.uk and your review has been selected for verification.

We have temporarily removed your review from www.reviewcentre.com while we ask you to confirm some details.
•Contact details (full name, address and telephone number)
•.Supporting evidence (such as an email invoice or receipt of purchase).

Information collected is simply to validate the authenticity of your review and will not be passed onto anyone else without your expressed permission.

We hope that you can understand that this is a standard housekeeping task to ensure that our readers can trust in our site and the reviews that they read.

We hope to hear from you soon.
Kind regards
The Review Centre Team"

Do they also ask positive reviewers for the same information??

Well said danny optical express are scum, they have ruined so many peoples lifes through GREED for money, they dont care who suffers in the process, thats why the surgeons still ware glasses they know if refractive surgery diesnt work their eyes are ruined they are not silly enough to take that chance, im just waiting to hear back from DVLA regarding surgery and very poor eyesight for driving, over 6,000 drivers have lost their licence, wonder many will after they have had eye surgery?.