Deposit Refunds

Hi Sasha

I was due to have LASIK surgery at Optical Express' Nottingham Listergate store on 23/02/15. However, on the day of treatment my surgeon informed me that my corneas were too thin to safely go ahead with the surgery.

A couple of days later I received a call from Optical Express to see what I had to decided to do, as LASEK was mentioned as a possibility (however this still carried a high risk) and I'd already paid for LASIK surgery in full on the day of my consultation (07/02/2015). I informed the caller that I would like a full refund. I was then told that someone from the refunds department would be in touch to obtain my card details and process the refund (£2795) "as soon as possible".

Having heard nothing for 2 weeks I emailed Customer Services at OE to see what the delay was and received a reply 2 days later which stated that refunds can take up to 28 days and the latest I would hear from the refund department would be 07/04/15.

As you can probably guess I was not contacted at all prior to that date and I am still waiting for the refunds department to call. I have emailed customer services, clinical services and Sandra (the customer services associate who replied to my original email) but have had no reply. As £2795 is a huge amount of money to me I am very concerned that Optical Express are avoiding my communication attempts and are still unlawfully withholding my payment.

I would greatly appreciate any help or advice on my situation before I am forced to consider legal action.

Many thanks

Update, my money has now been refunded.

Thank you Sasha for the assistance, without this forum I suspect I may have been waiting a while longer to see my money returned.

Update, someone from the OE cancelations team phoned me this morning and processed my refund, it's not in my account yet, however finger crossed it shall be in the next day or two.

If not then another post here should do the trick

Firstly may I say that I wish I had found your website before I ever set foot through the doors of Optical Express, I find it completely shocking that a well known high street chain can show such utter disdain for its clients, many of whom have posted their issues on your forum.

With regards to my own circumstances, I had a consultation in the Aberdeen branch for laser eye surgery on the 28th February 2015 where after the examination the ophthalmologist advised that due to the nature of my prescription and an ongoing medical condition LASIK was not suitable, however the medication I have to take meant I was at risk of forming cataracts so I was advised that lens replacement surgery would be advisable, if not now then in the near future.

After discussion with the sales assistant at front of house where it was explained that I would be required to have an appointment in Glasgow with the Refractive Surgeon prior to my eventual surgery I decided to go ahead with the procedure, although truth be told there was never any indication from the sales assistant that I should ‘go away and think about it’. Having been told that the cost of the surgery for both eyes would be £5590 due to requiring toric lenses, I paid a deposit of £3590 by debit card leaving a balance of £2000. I was also specifically told at the time that any refunds should I decide not to go ahead with the surgery would take “up to 28 days” and not, as it appears from others posting here, up to 28 working days.

A few days later I received a phone call from Optical Express explaining that that due to my medical condition the surgeon had cancelled surgery after reviewed the results of my consultation. I then received an email from the PA at the Aberdeen branch on 6th March advising that he had spoken with their cancellation team who would be in touch with me shortly to process my refund.

Having heard nothing further I emailed the PA on 6th April, receiving a reply the same morning apologising that it has taken so long and that he would get back to me as soon as he had been in touch with cancellations again. That was the last I heard, despite sending two further emails on the 8th April and another again this morning.

Optical Express rang me and said that they will now refund my £400.
Thanks to Sasha for all her help, truly grateful.

I'm pleased to say, with Sasha's help I received a full refund of my deposit yesterday.

I am aged 56 and was sold laser (for one eye) in February. I paid £400 deposit and booked the op for 7 April.

Before I booked I told the OE salesperson that my husband had glaucoma and is blind in his right eye. I explained that he relies on me to drive him around and I could not take any risks with my vision. She promised me there were no risks at all.

Then I found OERML and read Shabir’s story, describing how he cares for two disabled and congenitally blind sons. Like me, he apparently told the OE salesperson (and surgeon Dimitris Kazakos) that he could not take any risks with his vision. He too was assured there was no need to worry, that the surgery was a very safe and successful procedure, but it was not. www.opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk/ind...html?start=100#10447

Since booking my appointment my husband was recently diagnosed with a tear in his left eye. His surgeon has advised that he could get a retinal detachment at any time and if that happens he must go to the hospital as an emergency.

With this new information I realised I could not risk going ahead with surgery and called OE to cancel last week. I explained my circumstances but they refused to refund my deposit.

It is not just that this company has exhibited a complete lack of human compassion that upsets me, but that they blatantly lied to me in order to take my deposit. If they had been honest and told me there was even a slight risk I would not have considered surgery.

I am thankful that I found OERML and read the truth, otherwise if I had gone ahead with surgery I could have ended up with problems and unable to drive. I will fight for my deposit to be refunded.

Thank you Jimmy

Has anyone on here successfully received a refund at all?

I was misled by the sales people who assured me there are rarely any problems as I know now this is not the truth.

When I called Optical Express again asking for my refund it was the customer services person who said I could have refractive lens exchange instead of laser!

What kind of company is this that allows a customer services person to suggest which surgery I should have?

Optical Express owe me £395 and I will fight for my refund all the way to small claims court if I have to.
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admin: Yes, most have eventually been refunded their deposit, but unfortunately not everyone thinks to update their post. If you send email I'll be happy to advise.
info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk :kiss:

Hello Corinne, I'll try and help here.

Whatever you do, DON'T feel pressured into surgery!!

I was sold Lens Replacement when I should not have had the operation and the after effects are a nightmare.
Also, if it goes wrong no-one will sit down and talk to you, these people will not meet me in person to discuss what went wrong. However my time will come.
Click on my name and read the way I have been treated - thrown out of their clinic by the police just for asking for a refund.
You’re one of the lucky ones who found this website before committing to surgery.
Best of luck with your refund
Jimmy

I had a consultation with Optical Express on Sat 14th March and felt pressured to pay a deposit and book an appointment for surgery. After considering it I changed my mind and contacted them for a refund. I thought it was within 7 working days because their terms say they refund within 28 working days. But they are now advising different procedures (including replacement lens surgery) that weren't discussed at the consultation and told me that it's too late for a refund.

I'm now feeling pressured to go through with the surgery as otherwise they won't return my deposit, but having spoken with my independent optician they advise that surgery wouldn't be suitable for me.

Can anyone please help me?