Optical Express review: Refund of deposit not received 28

Hi Alison,
Can you please let me know if you have got your deposit back from Optical Express? Are you successful to receive a call from Banking Department yet?

I faced great difficulty in cancelling my laser eye treatment within 72 hours. Their helpline kept on saying that cancellation department will contact me but they didn't. Then luckily I found the cancellation department contact no [protected] and contacted them directly to cancel my treatment successfully within 72 hours. They said treatment is cancelled now and banking department will contact me by the end of week to get my debit card details for deposit refund. It's about a week now and I haven't heard from them yet.

Please let me know if you have received a call from banking department and if yes also can u let plz me know the banking department direct number? I shall be very thankful to you.

Yours sincerely,
Shah Zeb
Email: shahzaib@hotmail.com

I paid my £400 deposit in Oct last year they form me numerous times I would be contacted for my bank details and I am still waiting for the call.

I would be grate full if anyone could tell me where I go to now to get my deposit back from optical express I have been getting the run around from the customer care dept since nov

My Lasik eye op was cancelled on the day of my op (16th Nov 2011) after they suddenly discovered that it wouldn't be safe. I was disappointed, but happy that they were reputable enough not to risk my eyesight. However, I am still waiting for my £1500 refund. They quoted me 28 working days to refund the money back to my credit card. I have kept a record of all my telephone calls to them and have written a complaint letter today. Failing a response or a refund I will be contacting my credit card issuer for a refund as the transaction was was more than £100 and they are liable too! Know your consumer rights! I will upload my letter for reference.
Richard Wheatley

Optical Express
Customer Service Department
5 Deerdykes Road
Cumbernauld G68 9HF

Dear Sir or Madam,

Reference: 6XXXXXX7

Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (as amended)

I am writing with regards the Wavefront Lasik with Intralase Eye Procedure at Harley Street Clinic, London, UK at 14.00 on 16th November 2012 (with surgeon Mr Antonio Metaxiois) that I trusted your organisation to perform and paid a total of £1500. My eye surgery was not carried out due to my final pre-operation tests on 16th Nov 2012 revealing that my corneas are too thin to safely undergo laser eye surgery. Further details to support my complaint are enclosed.

The Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (as amended) states that a service should be carried out with reasonable care and skill, in a reasonable time and for a reasonable cost. As the Wavefront Lasik with Intralase Eye Procedure was cancelled by yourselves on the scheduled date of my operation, you are therefore in breach of contract and I have previously requested a full refund of £1500. I was informed at the Harley Street clinic on Nov 16th 2012 that the full amount would be simply refunded back to me. The fact that I am forced to write this letter at all confirms that no "simple refund" has been made.

Plus, as a consequence of the disappointingly poor customer service I have received I have incurred extra costs for my bank account overdraft fees, several telephone calls, the cost of registered post for this letter and other reasonable expenses resulting from the protracted period of time waiting to receive my money back and I ask that you repay me an additional £95 to cover these costs and the cost of my time in making this complaint.

Finally please also provide me with details of any internal complaints procedures and/or policy you have in place (or confirm in your response that you have no such procedure/policy) and details of any company, organisation, institute or other body (if any) under which Optical Express subscribe or enjoy accreditation.

I look forward to a full response to my letter within 7 days or I shall seek legal advice in order to take the matter further.

Yours faithfully,

[enter your signature]

Richard Wheatley

16th November 2012 - After Pre-operation Checks I am informed that I cannot undergo laser eye surgery. I am informed by the Harley Street clinic that the full amount of £1500 will simply be refunded back to me.

20th November 2012 - Telephone call with Martin in the Cancellation Department before sending my request to the Banking Department. He advised me it could take up to 28 working days for my refund back to my credit cards. I asked him why it could possibly take so long to reverse a transaction that took only minutes. He said it was Optical Express' policy, but that my refund was marked as urgent.

December 2012 - - Telephone call to a lady in customer services who explains that my refund is marked as urgent.

16th January 2013 - Telephone call to [protected]. Hayley in customer services answered my call. I explained I was still expecting my refund which was now long overdue and more than the 28 days I was quoted previously. She put me on hold whilst she read the notes on my account. She said she could not give me a date for my refund, but that it was marked as urgent. I requested to speak with a more senior representative of Optical Express. She put me on hold again and when she came back said that none were available, but I would be called back by Monday 21st Jan 2013 by a manager. Nobody called me back.

24th January - Telephone call to [protected] - Joanne in your Scotland office answered my call. It has now been 46 working days since my operation was cancelled by Optical Express. She put me on hold whilst she checked the notes on my account. She put me through to Hayley in customer services who is sending another urgent email to Rebbeca Bookless to call me back today.

They suddenly seem to be taking me seriously!
I've just had a call from Rebecca Bookless, assistant customer care manager in Scotland Head Office. She advised me that she is emailing the Company Secretary as it is him who authorises refunds. She said my refund is still NOT authorised yet! She will call me back by 5pm.

As well as Richard's letter (thank you!), these are the people who need to be made aware of the poor customer service and grief with trying to obtain refunds:
Mr. David Moulsdale
Chairman and CEO
Mr. Stewart Mein
Finance Director
Mr. Graeme Murdoch
Company Secretary
Mr. Steve Schallhorn
Chief Medical Director

Here are some governing bodies which should also be made aware of this:

Care Quality Commission (CQC)
All Optical Express clinics are registered and fully accredited by this Government regulatory body which is designed to protect the interests of patients who have undertaken treatment or who are considering undertaking treatment.

General Optical Council (GOC)
Optical Express is fully registered with this regulatory body for the optical professions in the UK and adheres to their strict standards of treatment and care.
The Eye Laser Association (ELA)
Optical Express is a founding member of this association, and as such maintains 'best practice' within the industry to ensure that all patients of the member clinics are treated with both fairness and honesty. David Moulsdale, Chairman and CEO of Optical Express is currently the Chairman of the ELA.

Hope this helps.

I have just received my refund back from Optical express, and funnily enough was reading this thread while I was waiting to speak to someone from their refund department for the last time. The same as everyone else who has commented, I cancelled and was told that my refund would be paid but I may not receive it for up to 28 days. After this time had elapsed I phoned them and was told that I would be put on the important list and that someone would phone on the day the payment would be made, but they were definitely being very evasive as to a time scale. More than a fortnight went by and as experienced by all of you, no phone call.
I rang them again and was told that someone would call me within a couple of hours. No of course they didn't!
Well, it is patently obvious now that they have a refund avoidance plan in which some of us will give up chasing it, and all the time we are being fobbed off by their apologies, our money still sits in their account earning them interest. It shows how big a money spinner this is for them when they have a department dedicated to doing it!
I phoned the Citizens advice bureau who advised me to write them a letter stating all the dates of phone calls outlining what was said and to inform them that it is their agreement in the contract regarding refunds, and that you are therefore holding them to that agreement . I offered (under guidance) to give them 14 days to make the refund or I would seek to recover the money through a small claims court. Send it as a recorded delivery and they cannot ignore it and because they know that if it went to court, they would lose, have to pay their solicitors, yours and their costs, they pay you.
Lo and behold, the day that they received the letter, I received a phone call and was given their sincere apologies for the delay and the following day the money was happily back in my account, NOT THEIRS.

I hope this helps some of you. It took a mere 30 seconds to pay them the deposit and nearly 3 months to get it back and remember that if you don't write that letter, they will never offer to pay it back.

From:-
Paresh Valjibhai Tank
PAN No:- AGLPT3970F
At:- Rajula
Dolono-pat, Khakhbai Road,
Opp:- Perfect Computer,
Rajula :-365560
M-[protected]
E-mail-tankparesh85@yahoo.com
Dt:-16/02/2013

To,
Chief Commissioner
Income-Tex Department
Rajkot

The Income-Tex Inspector
ITO WARD 2(3)
Rajkot

Subject :- Still Not receipt of income-Tex Refund for the year 2009-10
(Send First complain Dt:-29/12/2012 )
(Send Second complain Dt:-28/01/2013)

Respected Sir,

In Reference to above subjected matter, i would like to inform you that i have filled income-tex refund at my self for above said year vide acknowledgement Receipt No:-002267 Dt:- 30/06/2009

Now, till date i have not received my refund amount Rs. 26670.00

Kindly issue my refunded Cheque for the Rs. 26670.00 above year at earliest

(Send First complain Dt:-29/12/2012 )
(Send Second complain Dt:-28/01/2013)

I have been dealing with Optical Express since November 2012 with regards to a refund on my mothers behalf. I have been told several times since Nov that the refund will be issued 'next week' Today, 11th April 2013, I have been told again it will be sent as a cheque, next week. I told the lady in the refunds dept to make a note on my mothers file that if the cheque hasn't been received by the end of next week I will be taking legal steps to recover the money owed.
Every time I speak to someone they are always very polite and very apologetic but still no refund is issued! So frustrating.

I too have had a constant battle with Optical Express since February. Please see below the email I sent to them on April 17th 2013

17th Feb. 2013
Arrived at Optical Express King's Lynn, (newly opened) which was quite obvious when I arrived as there was no signage on the building to direct to correct part of building, after walking round & round through various office areas and Magistrates Courts, up and down stairs, finally found rough hand written sign stuck on the wall. A bad start which didn't get any better.
Had an eye test, was told I was suitable for Laser eye surgery. I was aware I had a small cataract from previous eye tests so asked if that was a problem. Optition said she had not seen one but would look. Yes low & behold she found it so now Laser eye surgery would not be suitable (good job I mentioned the cataract)! Lens replacement surgery was now the option. Price shot up to £3590.

I said it was way more than I was prepared to pay. I felt quite pressurised by both Asam from the Norwich Branch & also the Asian area manager from London. I said I would think about it, I just wanted to leave. They wanted me to stay in the room and phone my husband to meet me there to discuss it. They then said that could do me a 'special deal' for £2800 if I booked on that day. They told me I would have to go for all my treatments in London! But if I paid the deposit of £500 they could book me my first consultation in Harley Street. I was assured I could cancel at any time and would get my deposit back, no problems. Was told there was not many appointments left so to book now and then cancel if I changed mind but appointment would be safe. I must have asked at least another 3 times if I could definately get my deposit back, and was told yes definately.
I was still unsure as it was alot of money to me. The Asian Area Manager more or less said he was doing me a special favour and hoped we would not mess him about by delaying too long. They would give me until Thurs 21st and would ring me.

21st Feb. 2013.
Asam rang me at work! Asked for payment over the phone so they could provisionally book my appointment. I asked again about getting refund back and was assured 'yes that would not be a problem'
Paid by card over the phone. Asam happy that she had made her sale and I presume commission!
Had a good think about how much this was going to cost with surgery costing £2800 plus train fares to London at least 3 times and stopping over night for check ups the mornings after surgery. Decided to cancel.

27th March 2013
Rang Optical Express Norwich to speak to Asam who had taken my deposit. Got put straight through to Scotland who had no record of any appointments being made. He said he would ring the Norwich store and get them to ring me back.
Eventually got through to Norwich Store...surprise, surprise, Asam was not available to talk. A young lady said she would pass on my details and Asam would ring me back. I asked her if my name and phone number would be useful to which she replied 'that would be a good idea'
Asam rang me back and I said I wanted to cancel, she tried to persuade me not to but in the end said she would ring or email accounts to cancel. Refund would then take 4-6 weeks.
A gentleman rang me later that day & tried to get me to change my mind, I explained again that it was just too much for me to afford. he then offered to pay for my rail fayres and he would speak to his manager to get the price of surgery reduced...unbelievable! I said I definately wanted to cancel so he said he would organise it.

28th Mar 2013.
Rang Optical Express for an update on refund. Lady told me someone from accounts would ring me shortly to get my card details to arrange refund.

11th April 2013
Rang credit card company for advise. They said they would send me a charge back form for me to fill in and send back and they would chase the refund.

12th April 2013
Rang Optical Express, was told as it was after 5.30pm Accounts Dept. were closed but would be open the following day Sat. 13th April 9am-5.30pm. So we could ring them and if they did not ring us back within 48hrs, ring back Customer Services who would 'escalate the process'

13th April 2013
Rang and spoke to Jamie. She said someone would ring us back Mon. 15th April as no one was available on a Saturday. And actually we don't need the Finance Dept. we need customer services. Promised someone would definately ring us.
Informed that refund would be by cheque. (not card)!

15th April 2013
No one rang. Rang Optical Express again, was told someone would ring us the following day.

6th April 2013
Rang Optical Express, spoke to Karen, asked to be put through to customer services, but no one available. Karen said she could see refund was going through but knew nothing more, only that somewone would ring and ask for card details to refund money. (not a cheque)! Gave us a phone number to ring on 17th April and the contact name of Lindsay Shaw [protected]

17th April 2013
Rang [protected] was told Lindsay Shaw was not available as she was on the phone. Tried ringing again later...No reply!

I will be sending copies of this email to my credit card company with the charge back form and also in letter form to your Chairman David Moulsdale, Finance Director Stewert Mein, Company Secretary Mr Graeme Murdoch & Chief Medical Director Mr Steve Schallhorn also a copy to the Optical Consumer Complaints service & The General Optical Council.

After sending this email, I saw that Richard Wheatley above mentioned a Rebecca Bookless, The assistant customer care manager, so I took a guess at her email address and also sent the email to her. The email was not returned back to me so guess she received it, rebeccabookless@opticalexpress.com

As if by miracle I was rung (yes they rang me)! by Optical Express 18th April, I nearly fell off my chair. The woman said she had rung to action my refund and requested my card details. Then she asked if there was anything else she could help me with! What a joke.
I was totally lost for words, I cannot believe they can operate this way. Something has got to be done to stop them, It is discusting!.

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I too am awaiting my deposit back. I've phoned numerous times and been promised a call back and that it will be escalated so many times now!
I've emailed and complained just now - they owe £490:00. Not as much as some poor people on here but OUR money nevertheless.
I will do everything in my power to ensure this will not continue if I find out anything at all I will post on here. I have contacted the bank and watchdog - This is not right and is tantamount to theft! Optical Express are a faceless organization who rip off The public. In years gone by the eye masks optical express provide you with after laser eye surgery were worn by the likes of Dick Turpin!

Follow the advice of losingmysenseofhumour above. I did - I emailed it all yesterday
Guess what? Got our £490 back today at 2;00pm!

Most delighted thanks for the tips! :)

hey everyone, ive just had a run in with this delightful company... same as many storys, booked and paid for my lasik surgery at a cost of £1790 which was paid in full two weeks before my surgery as insisted by optical express. Surgery day came andunfortunatelyy i couldnt have the expensive lasik surgery because my eyes didnt have enough skin on them to do the procedure, but i can have the cheaper lasek surgery with a £600 refund. I told them basically to stick it and i want my money back, which the manager said i could, but its through head office.

Anyway a massive long story short, i phoned them a dozen times getting the it" takes 28 days" rubbish...then on the 28th day phoned them and my refund hadnt been processed... FUMING! so after coming across this web site and using a little bit of Mr Richard Wheatleys letter as a basic template( i hope you dont mind as it is a cracking letter!) I added afew of my own tweaks and sent it too 2 email addresses customerservices@opticalexpress.com and rebeccabookless@opticalexpress.com who is i think head of customer services. Any way the following day i had the refund dept phone me and they done it over the phone.

What annoys me is that i had to go to this length to get my money back, so im here to post up my letter that i sent to them so that anybody else can use it if needed, but put in your own details!

And heres the telephone number and email address of the refunds dept that contacted my so fell free to phone them! [protected] and this was the lady in refunds that emailed me my apology Lynn McMenemy and her email address is this-LynnMcmenemy@opticalexpress.com.
so if anybody else has problems, contact her as according to her email she is a Refund Administrative Associate .

Here is my letter i sent them so please us it freely...A s i now despise this company and would not reccommend them to ANYBODY Enjoy!

Optical Express ENTER DATE HERE
Customer Service Department
5 Deerdykes Road
Cumbernauld G68 9HF

Dear Sir or Madam,

Reference: YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR CONTACT TELEPHONE
YOUR EMAIL

Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (as amended)

I am writing with regards the Lasik Eye Procedure at Bristol Cabot Circus, UK at 08.30 on 29th March 2013 (with surgeon Mr Luca Antico) that I trusted your organisation to perform and paid a total of £1790. My eye surgery was not carried out due to my final pre-operation tests on 29th March 2013 revealing that my corneas are too thin to safely undergo laser eye surgery.

The Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (as amended) states that a service should be carried out with reasonable care and skill, in a reasonable time and for a reasonable cost. As the Lasik Eye Procedure was cancelled by yourselves on the scheduled date of my operation, you are therefore in breach of contract and I have previously requested a full refund of £1790. I was informed at the Bristol Cabot Circus on March 29th 2013 that the full amount would be simply refunded back to me. The fact that I am forced to write this letter at all confirms that no "simple refund" has been made.

I have called your customer services dept many times, the first time I was told the refund can take up to 28 days and someone would call me. Nobody has called.

So 28 days later I called again, was then told it takes 28 working days, and that would take me up to the 8th May 2013, and that someone would call to issue my refund. Nobody has called.

So on the 8th May 2013 I called and only to be told that my refund hasn't been authorised yet and nobody can do anything or tell me anything.

I called back again on the same day, 8th may 2013 at approx 17.15 and told the customer services representative that if my refund hasn't been made I would be seeking advise from trading standards. Still no refund or contact from you.

I have today contacted Trading standards as explained on the phone last night to one of you customer service representative. I explained this is what I would be doing if I have not received my full refund by close of business today, Thursday 9th May 2013. Trading Standards have advised me to do this and they are fully aware of the details mentioned above.

I have emailed this letter to you and you will also be receiving this in paper copy sent via recorded delivery.

I have been more than patient regarding this matter, and am now forced to go down this route as I feel that I am get passed from pillar to post and not getting any answers talking to customer services.

I look forward to a full response to my letter within 7 days otherwise I will be seeking legal advice in order to take the matter further in a small claims court.

Yours faithfully,

SIGN YOUR NAME HERE

James Packer

Last October I under went and had Intraocular lenses put in, they were great no more glasses all eye tests good delighted with them. Then the first FLOATER appeared I contacted Dublin who said very common in older patients not told this at time of consoltation ! Went to see them more or less told tough go away and live with it, very hard when your trying to look round a large black spot. Having gone back to college no mean feat at my age ! But I have trouble seeing the board as eyes become very sore and dry. Went back down to Cork greeted with " I have floaters" from gut in reception doing eye pressure test ! In to see optiction she has them as well. Do they think I'm a complete muppet and more to the point they didn't pay €3590 to get them. Told nothing to do with op but Dublin had already said it was when I called from France in the July. Today a floater appeared in other eye just as bad. I have written to Optical Express asking for a refund as my eyes are worse than before the op, having read this page I can't see that happening.

Wish I'd looked this up before I went ahead with surgery at the moment Iam feeling very low anyone else had this surgery and had the same problems. Optical Express just don't care once they have your money and leave lives in tatters

Hazel Jones

HI all,

REFUND ON YOUR DEPOSIT!

DO NOT WAIT 28 DAYS, contact every single day!

Contact: Lyndsey Shaw
EMAIL EVERY SINGLE DAY!

28 DAYS IS A LOAD OF RUBBISH!

PESTER PESTER PESTER!

Please do not let these people screw you over!

I received my money back within 7 working days!

Please listen to my advice to make sure you are not a victim!

Make sure you constantly ask when is the banking department going to be in touch, give them dead lines of how long you will wait... NOT DAYS BUT HOURS!

I hope people get a good result like me from this awful affair!

I was recommended for the Rle multi focal lens replacement, at bluewater, I asked the optician 3 x if I was ok for the treatment as I was 41, I asked if there was an age restriction, which I was told no any one from 17 upwards could have this, so went through the process of eye tests and all ok for the surgery, paid my £500 deposit, and booked in for Harley street the following week. Both me and my partner had a day (Friday) off work. And I paid out another £50 to get up to London, to be told as soon as I see the consultant that I was too young and my eye sight wasn't bad enough, I explained that I had asked the question of age at bluewater branch and told I was ok. She just apologised and said I don't know why you was told that, but you will get a refund, once I have sent the email saying why you ate not able to have the treatment, on the following Monday, I did get a from optical express now offering to have one eye lasered and one eye left so I would have one eye for distance and one for reading, I didn't like the sound of this so declined and said I would just like the refund, told by the lady on the phone to have a little think about it and she would call me back in a couple of days, which I did have a missed call from a Jamie ( male) on my home phone, which was odd as primary number was my mobile, I called back but got his answer phone. I left a message, he didn't return my call, I rang back the next day (Thursday) got hold of Jamie who was also trying to sell me the laser to one eye option, I again declined. He said I could have the refund but this would take up to 28 days to go back into my account, a little confused by this fact I questioned it, he said it was policy but would probably be earlier, I know I have only been waiting 10 days now, but I am now worried I am not going to get my £500 back without a fight. 28th day is 11th April 2014 so fingers crossed, I will call them tomorrow just to check. After reading all these worrying complaints :-/

Such an awful company, how do they get away with this behaviour, its crazy

I urge people to check out www.opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk the gripe site that OE have tried multiple times to have taken down but failed as its all truth, you can see the horror stories from customers and it shows just how bad they really are.

If you have problems getting your deposit refunded contact: info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk for help
Read more here too: http://www.opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk/index.php/forum/optical-express-ruined-my-life-discuss/6982-deposit-refund.html

Oh dear, how I had looked into this companies reputation before agreeing to fund my sons laser treatment!
We are now in the LONG process of me trying to get my deposit refunded after first my son being told he was suitable for treatment.
The original date of surgery did not go ahead due to work commitments, so another appointment was made which took the date of cancellation passed the 14 day period.
On the day of surgery he was kept waiting over 2 hours before being told he was now unsuitable for surgery due to him having "a lump" on one of his eyes. How come this was not spotted prior to signing the agreement?
He was then passed from one person to another after numerous 'promises' for the situation to be clarified.
Then a phone call came to say that he needed to go to Harley Street for assessment.
Who the hell are they trying to kid?
I then sent a n e-mail stating I was going to take matters further, only to get a phone call stating that due to data protection I could not proceed as it is my son who was having surgery.
Hello! Its me that has signed the agreement not him so how does that work.
I will fight to the end, and if I have to take this to court then so be it.

My son had also had laser surgery like everyone else in January 2015, I to have been waiting since this time for a refund of £ 1200.00 making numerous telephone calls, lots of broken promises that someone would phone back etc., etc., and now trying to get the refund due to me .M. Revett

Contact OERML for help: info@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

hello. if i cancel my surgery more then 7 days . after my conculstation. I should aspect depesit back?:)

You are entitled to a refund of your deposit if you do not go ahead wth surgery and have cancelled even if over 7 days.
Contact OERML for help.
http://www.opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk/index.php/forum/optical-express-ruined-my-life-discuss/6982-deposit-refund.html

if somebody can help me tomas.mantas627@googlemail.com they should give me back 395, if someon help i can give 95:))

OERML is an independent advisory service, not associated with Optical Express!

Google OERML!

optical express still owes me £3495 after 52 days. They won't refund money even though it is their customer promise. Please do not fall into this trap. I have an old lady waiting for surgery because of Optical Express. Her heart was broken when they said mum could not have her surgery, someone else is now handling it but we need more money but Optical Express has kidnapped our funds. #bringbackourmoney