Deposit Refunds

Please help... I am trying to get my refund of £500 deposit... for natural Lens replacement surgery.
I have cancelled well within the 72 hours they require.

I found out today this company has 2-3 people working in the cancellation team for the entire Optical Express company - REALLY!!!!

The cancellation team apparently are always busy and never ring you back... they may email you...

Since cancellation I have received two full on pressure phone calls asking me to stay with the surgery and not cancel.

The first from the secretary of the surgeon Mr. Dimitri Kazakos: he went to great lengths to try and persuade me to continue with the surgery - bordering on emotional blackmail. He even said I could have a free consultation with the surgeon, waiving the fee of £150.

He finished the conversation telling me I wouldn't get my deposit back for sometime and maybe even up to 28 days

The second from someone I had seen on the day of my consultation at Optical Express Shaftesbury Avenue. Again a lot of pressure to stay with the surgery and keep the next appointment.

I did hope after these phone calls I would be contacted for my credit card details and a refund... but no, still silence.

I changed my mind about RLE surgery after finding this website and reading some of the stories here. I believe I am very lucky to have found this site.

Even if I didn't get my deposit back it's still worth not going ahead with this company, because how can you trust them if they behave this way when only trying to get back ones deposit!

Hi
Straight after I submitted my previous post I received an email saying that my refund was being processed and the lady from optical express would do her up most to ensure it was made before the deadline. I had a healthy discussion with one of the cancelation team Friday night who again said that they had 28 days to refund. I told her that I had been in touch with Sasha and she still stuck to the script that they must have on there desks.
Monday I rang Hugh Kerr but the phone just went to voicemail, so I rang Lyndsey Shaw who was day off so I asked for her to contact me on Tuesday, I waited till 16.30 today and rang again, She was away from her desk but they were just about to ring me!! as the refund had been authorised. I gave my card details heard the beep beep of a machine at the other end of the phone and was told refund had gone through but could take 3-5 working days to be credited to my account. I received the refund slip via email this evening and will now wait for the money to appear.
It has taken me countless emails and phone calls to get where I am at the moment and my advice would be to everyone keep phoning emailing them for your money. Also contact trading standards/citizen advice and log your complaint. I did and was advised that as the form with the terms and conditions on doesn't say refunds take up to 28 working days you can argue that no refund policy statement was made aware to you at time of agreeing the contract.
Thanks Sasha for what you are doing and keep up the great work

Hi, I had a consultation on 24th Oct and signed up for surgery with bleary eyes as I was offered a discount of £1600 if I went for it there and then. I said I would like to discuss it with my wife but the saleswoman kept on about dates etc and how the deal wouldn't be available next week. I paid the full amount of £1995 and left. Then over the next 24 hours I read a lot of negative feedback about Optical Express on the internet and decided against it.
I emailed them the next evening and called on the 26th and 27th when they confirmed I would receive a refund but not for 28 working days. I asked if the staff worked free at weekends as the stores are open 7 days a week so why do I have to wait as long as 28 days?
I have sent emails and phoned but have had the same response that it will be done by 4th December, but I'm not sure it will be after reading other cases.
Please help! Who do I contact at a higher level as I am getting nowhere fast!
____________________
admin: Pls email me admin@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk :kiss:

Hi, I am not sure if you can help me or not but I recently paid a deposit of £500.00 to have refractive lens exchange. I confirmed the dates with an Optical Express Advisor.

Then Optical Express changed the dates. They did not tell me at the consultation that this could be done and that they would not have to refund. I could not read the Terms and Conditions as I had the eye drops and my vision was blurred. If I had been told that they could change the dates I would not have signed there and then but gone away and thought about it in depth as dates were a major issue for me.

Also, when the lady took my deposit, why, in just a matter of weeks was my appointment changed. Were they aware that these dates were not possible, they could be saying any dates to customers and not have to worry if the operation cannot be done on that date because the deposit is 'non-refundable'. They've got you as you have paid up - this is what upsets me the most.

I have had correspondence with the company and they have offered a discount for the inconvenience of me travelling elsewhere, but after researching how the company uses bully tactics etc... I am just scared to go with them. How can I trust them when they treated me like this and I can see that I am not important - just a person they took money off. The Customer Care dept do not want to know, it is obvious, they have a script to follow. All they tell me is it is in the Terms and Conditions -which I could not even read as I had drops blurring my vision.

I feel deeply disappointed by this company . Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
_____________________
admin: Pls email me admin@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk :kiss:

Hi All,
Just a quick update.
As soon as Sasha's name had been mentioned I received a call back from Optical Express the same day advising of their apologies and that a full refund would be given. I was advised that within 24 hours I would receive a call from their Accounts Team who will take the info required for the refund to take place.The next day I received the call and the full £2995 refund was back in my account within 5 working days.

A very big thank you to Sasha for her guidance and determination to get my money back - highly recommended. I accepted Optical Expresses apologies and am happy to have my money back and eyes remain untouched!
Many thanks,
Heather

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)
_________________________
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.