Deposit Refunds

Did your agreement say you have to wait 28 days for your refund?
If you paid by credit card they took your money immediately, call your bank and complain. If enough people complain the credit card companies will stop accepting payments from Optical Express.

I have just looked on this site and I am going through the same issues myself , after writing a complaint e-mail to Customer services I have just had a lengthy call to discuss my experience and why I am cancelling , they have told me I will get my deposit back in 28 days, are they just fobbing me off?

I just wanted to let you know, that I have had my deposit back on the 6th of June.
Thank you so much Sasha.x

I had a free consultation in Cheltenham on Thursday 5th June and ended up paying not just a deposit but £1500 in cash, because it seemed too good to miss. They quickly booked a surgery date for the 18th June after the guy phoned head office to get me a discount, which made me feel under pressure to pay immediately.

The price was reduced from more than £4000 to £3500, and they used a sense of urgency selling technique which I recognise as a sales person myself.

I only agreed to it because no one told me about the many different potential risks, which they just glazed over and I felt they wouldn't have mentioned at all if I hadn't asked. They failed to tell me about the drug they use with Lasek that isn't approved, I can't remember the name* and it's not metioned in my contract.

So after being rushed into a decision that I should have been given time to consider, I paid £1500 cash toward the payment. They put in in their safe and that was it.

Now I've changed my mind for many reasons, mostly because I don't trust them with my most precious sense and they failed to tell me a lot about the risks involved and it was so rushed I feel like they're just after my money.

I phoned them today and they said they would send me a cheque within 28 days, but this is ridiculous as I paid cash. I've read the post here so I know they can pay direct into my account as they've done it before, so I refuse to wait 28 days for a cheque that may never arrive.

I want my full refund of £1500 paid into my bank account by Monday 9th June or I will take this matter further and complain to Trading Standards and whoever else I need to.
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admin: * Mitomycin C aka MMC

Updating my status, on the 28th of May, just 24 hours after posting, I received a telephone call from Nicola informing me that a refund would be issued and my money back into my account within 3-5 working days.
No money back yet

I will keep you informed of my status.

On the 10 May I attended the Optical Express clinic in Glasgow for a free consultation. I was then heavily pressured to make a £500 deposit to secure a specific day and time for my Lasik mono vision laser eye surgery.

Before paying I asked the "Refractive Technician" (salesperson) if my deposit was refundable if I changed my mind and decided not to go through with the treatment. I was assured that there would be no problem with a full refund, and at no time did this person tell me that OE's terms state you must cancel treatment within 72 hours for a refund.

On reflection I feel very frustrated with myself for paying that deposit, but I felt uncomfortable and under enormous pressure to make the appointment for surgery. In addition it did not help that my vision was poor after being given eye drops during the consultation.

My overall experience with Optical Express that day was sales orientated rather than health care.

Two weeks later I decided to postpone surgery as I was going on holiday and concerned about possible post op complications when abroad. But when I called Optical Express I was told that I could not get a refund but could reschedule my appointment. I was not happy with this as I was requesting my own money back until I decided on a more convenient date.

Luckily this led me to this website and I will not in be dealing with them in any way in the future and would like to stop other customers having the same experience as myself.

I have spoken to Optical Express Customer Care on two occasions but they keep parroting their 72hrs cancellation policy.

I have not progressed any further in my attempts to get my deposit refunded, but after reading the posts here have no intention of giving up!

I would appreciate any advice from others what steps I should take to obtain my refund back.

Many thanks,
Margaret

On the 11th May I foolishly paid a deposit of £395 for laser eye surgery at the Cardiff branch of Optical Express.

I felt pressurised into putting a deposit down to secure a 'special one time only' price. I was informed during this free consultation that I could cancel within 72 hours, without any problems, for an immediate refund.

Just 24 hours later, after finding this website, I cancelled via telephone and also sent an email to confirm my cancellation. I was told that it would take up to 7 days for a member of the refund team to get in touch with me and up to 28 days for a refund to be issued.

However, I was not contacted and sent emails and called on many occasions, only to be informed by OE that I had missed their call, even though no such calls were logged on my caller display.

I finally got through to the refund department on the 27th May and was told someone would contact me by the 19th of June. And that it is their company policy to allow 28 days for a refund. During the call, I was cut off twice. I asked the lady to confirm our conversation via email. She agreed, but surprisingly she has not sent me an email.

The 19th June is more than 28 days since payment so how can this be acceptable? I have also read that this is happening all the time to their customers. I only wish I had noticed this before paying my deposit!!!

I will warn everyone, about the disgusting treatment Optical Express offer their customers.

Please help me get my deposit back!

Just minutes after posting below, I received a call from Jamie at OE saying that they have reviewed my case and on this occasion they will refund my £500 within 28 days!!!

I'm happy but not sure why it takes 28 days when they took my cash instantly! I recall my R.E. teacher saying God made the world in 7 days!!!

I will chase for them to process earlier and update this post.

Sasha, thanks again or your help and advice. If I had not found OERML only hours before my surgery I could have had one or both eyes damaged by surgery and paid them to do it!

I have been refused to be refunded my £500 deposit by Diane at the OE cancellation team. Her reasons were all about OE Terms and Conditions. I have been offered the £500 on glasses or contact lenses in store.

On mentioning this site she said the woman who set it up is unhappy after having laser surgery as she needs to wear reading glasses!!

I have spoken with Sasha I know it goes a lot deeper than just reading glasses.

I will now be seeking legal advice on getting my deposit back. I will also be leaving feedback across the web on any eye surgery site's I can find directing them back here. Hell I may even knock up some flyers and start handing them outside OE stores!

My consultation consisted of a very young girl dealing with the booking and finance. Then eye test and video with a young man in his 20's after putting eye drops into my eyes to dilate my pupils! I was then offered a special deal as the area manager was in the OE store. I was not happy with this deal so she went back and spoke with the area manager again then came back with a 'one time deal' on the day for 20% off.

If I had known about the risks I would never got past my consultation but the whole experience is watered over by the team, They even water over some of the video content with their figures of happy customers.

Diane offered me the chance of meeting up with my surgeon so he could address my many concerns if I go ahead with surgery. I was never informed that I could visit my surgeon at consultation.

I will update my post when I have come up with my game plan or OE do the right thing and pay me back my £500.

Got my deposit back after many telephone calls and emails.

Sent an email to Hugh Kerr on 03/05/14. Got a phone call on 05/05/14 from OE Head Office requesting my card details. Money was back in my account on 06/05/14!!!

Do not settle for the "money will be back in your account within 28 days".

I think the message that needs to be put out to prospective OE customers is to not pay the deposit on the basis of securing the "special price" they offer!!!!
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admin: Unfortunately the people who pay a deposit didn't find this site beforehand, whereas those who do are then fully informed and unlikely to consider surgery @ Optical Express

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