Optical Express - what to do if HQ refuse to help?

[ragincat]

Hi there,

 

SORRY FOR THE LONG POST IN ADVANCE! LOL

 

I was wondering if anyone could help me, I'm really unhappy with the service and attitude of Optical Express and it's head office. I was misled by my advisor/counselor, and the optician. In the end, I paid a lot more than I had expected for a surprisingly lower quality of vision than they advertise!

 

I went for a consultation at the Optical Express in Belfast city centre, and was taken to a 'counsellor advisor' to advise me on the best options for my eyes. Now, I realise, 'counsellor' stands for 'pressuring salesman' I was really uncertain about going for the surgery, I had only came to find out if it was even possible. For me, it wasn’t a vanity issue because I really like how I look with glasses. As a student, I wasn’t even sure I could afford it. My consellor made a lot of promises that he didn’t keep – all in order to convince me:

 

He told me I would have a discount if I took a specific appointment the following week, he also told me that I would be able to use my £200 off voucher I had received in the post, he told me I would have better than 20 20 vision, that if I took the more expensive procedure (using a laser to cut the flap for the eye instead of mechanical means) I wouldn’t suffer any grittiness / less pain and quicker recovery post op. In all cases he lied and I feel duped to say the least.

 

I paid my deposit and left the shop believing I had made the right choice, the surgery was going to be dear but it could have been worse if I didn’t have the discounts! I ended up paying over £1700, when I believed I would be paying £1200.

 

I guess what I’m really upset about is the strength of my vision now:

The various different staff that ran tests for my eyes all mentioned I had a lazy eye. I said yes, (I’ve had it since I was born - I am aware lol), then they would say “Yes it has always been weaker.” Little did I know that sentence applied to me after the surgery as well. I feel they could have pointed out that I wouldn’t have 20 20 vision (the whole reason for laser surgery really)!

 

The actual surgery was more painful than the advisor suggested, post op I had to spend a week in bed due to my blurry vision and painful gritty eyes.

 

After paying my final bill I realised I had been overcharged, and when I called in to see about getting my refund; I found the staff very discourteous over the matter. They told me I would have to speak to the consellor and that he wasn’t in and he would call me, he didn’t, I had the same reply the next time I asked, he didn’t call…there’s a pattern lol Any one I asked refused to speak face to face to me about it. And frankly, it was really embarrassing every time I had to ask and I can't even change what shop I go to because it's the nearest one!

 

After a few unsuccessful attempts with the shop I wrote a letter to the head office, (if you would like to see it, please ask lol) they phoned me back and they were as equally unenthusiastic to help - to my dismay.

 

Head office was unhelpful and took no responsibility over the matter – they fobbed me off with the line ‘you have had the maximum discount, sorry’ over and over, failing to recognise the actual issue I had raised. Eventually, I just had to say OK and hang up as they would not use any other response to any of the points I raised.

 

Where do I go from here? I really did not expect that response from Head Office, I thought they would have some authority or concern over the matter but I may as well have been speaking to a recorded message. I'm really confused and frankly POed at Optical Express for their refusal to accept that there is a problem.

[greenelf]

Hi there,

 

SORRY FOR THE LONG POST IN ADVANCE! LOL

 

I was wondering if anyone could help me, I'm really unhappy with the service and attitude of Optical Express and it's head office. I was misled by my advisor/counselor, and the optician. In the end, I paid a lot more than I had expected for a surprisingly lower quality of vision than they advertise!

 

I went for a consultation at the Optical Express in Belfast city centre, and was taken to a 'counsellor advisor' to advise me on the best options for my eyes. Now, I realise, 'counsellor' stands for 'pressuring salesman' I was really uncertain about going for the surgery, I had only came to find out if it was even possible. For me, it wasn’t a vanity issue because I really like how I look with glasses. As a student, I wasn’t even sure I could afford it. My consellor made a lot of promises that he didn’t keep – all in order to convince me:

 

He told me I would have a discount if I took a specific appointment the following week, he also told me that I would be able to use my £200 off voucher I had received in the post, he told me I would have better than 20 20 vision, that if I took the more expensive procedure (using a laser to cut the flap for the eye instead of mechanical means) I wouldn’t suffer any grittiness / less pain and quicker recovery post op. In all cases he lied and I feel duped to say the least.

 

I paid my deposit and left the shop believing I had made the right choice, the surgery was going to be dear but it could have been worse if I didn’t have the discounts! I ended up paying over £1700, when I believed I would be paying £1200.

 

I guess what I’m really upset about is the strength of my vision now:

The various different staff that ran tests for my eyes all mentioned I had a lazy eye. I said yes, (I’ve had it since I was born - I am aware lol), then they would say “Yes it has always been weaker.” Little did I know that sentence applied to me after the surgery as well. I feel they could have pointed out that I wouldn’t have 20 20 vision (the whole reason for laser surgery really)!

 

The actual surgery was more painful than the advisor suggested, post op I had to spend a week in bed due to my blurry vision and painful gritty eyes.

 

After paying my final bill I realised I had been overcharged, and when I called in to see about getting my refund; I found the staff very discourteous over the matter. They told me I would have to speak to the consellor and that he wasn’t in and he would call me, he didn’t, I had the same reply the next time I asked, he didn’t call…there’s a pattern lol Any one I asked refused to speak face to face to me about it. And frankly, it was really embarrassing every time I had to ask and I can't even change what shop I go to because it's the nearest one!

 

After a few unsuccessful attempts with the shop I wrote a letter to the head office, (if you would like to see it, please ask lol) they phoned me back and they were as equally unenthusiastic to help - to my dismay.

 

Head office was unhelpful and took no responsibility over the matter – they fobbed me off with the line ‘you have had the maximum discount, sorry’ over and over, failing to recognise the actual issue I had raised. Eventually, I just had to say OK and hang up as they would not use any other response to any of the points I raised.

 

Where do I go from here? I really did not expect that response from Head Office, I thought they would have some authority or concern over the matter but I may as well have been speaking to a recorded message. I'm really confused and frankly POed at Optical Express for their refusal to accept that there is a problem.

 

 

Hi.

I would still continue to fight. I have experienced the exact same lack of customer service and willingness to listen to the individual. I too have had the same quote again and again. Luckily, I've not had my eyes operated on....would never trust them after being unable to even send me my contact lenses regularly (although taking money out of my account was no prob at all...)

 

I have been a customer of Optical Express since 2002, buying both my glasses and contact lenses there. A year or so later, I set up a direct debit to pay for my monthly contact lenses, and this is where the problem started; On a number of occasions over the years, I had to call to ask where my lenses were as payment was taken, but no product showed up. The company did not have a proof of postage to show me, although I was reassured they kept them on file (?) and the Regent St branch where I was 'based' has now closed. The irregular and unreliable dispatches was the biggest reason as to why I decided to leave this company last year and switch to another contact lens provider.

 

I then recieved a letter claiming I owed Optical Express £32 (my monthly direct debit was set to around £14, so even 2 'missed' months did not add up to this sum). I corresponded with a representative, providing her with additional information over several months and asking her to explain this random breakdown of the direct debits they claimed to have. I kept getting the same reply each time that they had dispatched goods in good faith and that my outstanding payment of £32 was still standing. As a loyal customer, I feel I had provided Optical Express with a monthly payment 'in good faith' for goods which I actually did not recieve on a regular basis. My querie of an alternative solution in my first correspondence considering I had not recieved all the batches I had paid for, fell on deaf ears and was not even acknowledged in the following letters.

 

After having provided a print of my outgoings, dating back several years, which proved I did not owe any monies and writing a letter referring to this on the 2nd Dec 2010, where I also pointed out that I had not recieved a batch after my last payment, I heard nothing and assumed this matter was now settled.

 

Last week I recieved yet another letter now threatening to issue a CCC. I called the number provided and was met increadibly unprofessionally by a young girl who had no interest in listening to my concerns. At this point I felt that rather than harping on trying to prove my point, I might as well pay the £32, which is probably exactly what the company was hoping for. When she put me 'on hold' (or so she thought) to let the payment go through she laughed together with a collegue saying something along the lines of 'this final letter always does the trick' only to return to the phone still laughing.

How can this be allowed? And is there anything I can do to at least get an apology??

[rainnights]

You can make a complain at the General Optical Council about poor professional performance, online at general Optical Council or by post at the adress below:

 

Fitness To Practise Team

General Optical Council

41 Harley Street

London

WIG 8DJ

 

 

 

[Jumpy]

Well it would seem that even 2 years on the Customer Service at Optical Express has not got any better - I have the same problem at the moment and in a nutshell their Customer Service is the worst I have ever encountered in my life - they ignore you, they dont even read your letters, and their response's well lets just say my 9 year old daughter could put together a better response than Optical Express.

I will be making a complaint via the General Optical Council as surely in this day and age company's cannot continue in this way.

Quite frankly I am surprised they are still in business.