Review of Optical Express UK
I was recently contacted by Optical Express about their laser eye surgery services. During the initial call, I was given a clear explanation of the procedure and quoted a price of around a ?599 per eye, which seemed reasonable. I went ahead and booked a free consultation at their Liverpool branch for Tuesday, 8th July, and was informed that there would be a a ?55 charge if I didna€™t attenda€”which I thought was fair.However, just a few days before the appointment (on 4th July), I received a confirmation call from the Liverpool branch. During this call, the representative advised me that the minimum cost would actually be a ?1,500 per eyea€”over 2.5 times the original quote I was given.Naturally, I was surprised and told them Ia€™d prefer to cancel the appointment, as the pricing was vastly different from what I had been led to believe. I was then told I couldna€™t cancel through the branch and would need to contact Head Office.When I called Head Office, I was told I was outside the 5-day cancellation window and would still be charged the a ?55 no-show fee, even though the pricing had suddenly changed after the cancellation deadline.I explained that I felt misled and didna€™t want to waste anyonea€™s time, but was told my only options were to attend or be charged. It all feels like a bait-and-switch tactic to get people through the door, possibly in hopes of pressuring them into agreeing to a much higher price during the consultation.Ia€™m very disappointed by the lack of transparency and the rigid cancellation policya€”especially when the information I was originally given was clearly inaccurate. I expected more from a national company.
Hi Mart,Thank you for your review.We appreciate the opportunity to clarify our consultation and cancellation policies.Refractive consultations at Optical Express are provided on a complimentary basis, provided the patient attends. However, due to the high demand for appointments and the professional fees of the expert clinical teams delivering them, a a ?50 non-attendance fee applies if an appointment is not attended, cancelled, or rescheduled within 5 days of the scheduled date.This policy is clearly explained at the time of booking and applies to weekend appointments in all clinics, and appointments on any day of the week in selected clinics, including Liverpool. A full list of applicable clinics is available and shared with patients when confirming an appointment.In terms of pricing, patients are advised that treatment starts from a ?595 per eye for Laser Vision Correction and a ?1,995 per eye for Intraocular Lens procedures. Final pricing is dependent on clinical suitability and can only be confirmed following a full consultation with one of our specialists.While we understand that the revised price range may have affected your decision to attend, the consultation slot was reserved specifically for you. In line with our Terms & Conditions, cancellations made within 5 days of the scheduled appointment remain subject to the non-attendance fee.If you would like us to review the matter further, please contact [email protected] and a member of our team will be happy to assist.Kind regards,Optical Express