After much deliberation and research, I decided to have Laser Eye Surgery. I visited 3 clinics for consulations - Optical Express (Shaftesbury Avenue), Optimax (Finchley), and Focus Laser Vision.
I found the staff at Optimax to be very friendly, but even with the 'discount for refferal' they had one of the highest prices, and my research suggested that their equipment wasn't the latest and greatest - their laser was apparently very 'hungry'. Their quote was £3050(no deposit, 10 months interest free finance)
Optical Express, I wasn't entirely convinced that the staff knew what they were talking about. This suspicion was proved right when I went and booked a 'provisional' appointment for surgery. Iwas told that a refund would be no problem, though it would have to go through head office. Well, how wrong that was! Their quote £2950.(£200 deposit - non refundable after 72 hours 10 months interest free loan)t
Then I found Focus Laser Vision while doing a search for background on lasik complications (the surgeon, David Allamby, has a blog at www.lasik-truth.com ). Reading this site convinced me to get a consultation here. And what do you know? It was not only the cheapest quote I got (David says they're the cheapest in London) but it was the nicest, most comfortable experience. The only place I actually got to meet the surgeon before hand (everywhere else you only meet them a few minutes before the surgery!) £2400,£200 deposit(refundable till 3 days before surgery, 12 months interest free finance).
So, I decided to go with Focus, 3 days after my appt with Optical Express, I called Optical Express to cancel, and was told that I was outside the 72 hour cancellation period. What 72 hour cancellation period say I?
In the terms and conditions that they gave me when my eyes where dilated, and I couldn't see! Ha. Not only that, but when they gave it to me, told me not to sign anything until the day of the surgery. This particular term was on the last page of a roughly 20 page doc! Hahaha! Talk about transparency.
Several phone calls, and escalations to management later. I managed to get my money back. but only after giving them the reference number from my complaint to the trading standards authority (www.consumerdirect.gov.uk)
More about the surgery itself later
