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Chris

Empire Visionworks

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it's not like me to leave a negative review for most businesses, but If anywhere has deserved one, it's this place. 

At the end of June I went in for an eye exam. The eye exam seemed rushed, and after paying $20 extra for a scan of my eyes I don't think he even looked at it. If he did, he never went over it with me. We had a fast conversation about bifocals, which I knew I needed, I think he handed me something to look at, a little card, but no real explanation. We finished, I picked out my lenses and was on my way.

I got the call to pick up my glasses and once again I was haded a little card, told to read it, and that was it. Knowing my eyes would need to adjust, waited til the next day to put them on. 

As soon as I did, I suspected something was wrong, but knew there was an adjustment period, so I waited a day. The following day I compared the new bifocal glasses with the new sunglasses I bought and could see something was wrong. So I went back to the store. 

The young lady who helped me, I think her name was Alyssa, seemed to be the only one in the place working. She was busy juggling a couple other things, and she apologized or the wait. I understood, as it appeared everyone else in the place faded into the woodwork.  Long story short, she examined the glasses and found that the glasses were cut completely wrong. She did some measurements, and I realized they were never done on my first visit. So she redid them, and sent them back out. 

When I went to get them again, I tried them for a day or two and again, something was wrong. Remember what I said about that little card during the exam? She handed it to me again, and I mentioned that I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it, no one ever explained it to me. They just handed me the card and I was supposed to, I don't know, intuitively know? Turns out the bifocal prescription was too strong ( the paperwork I got later read "trifocals" so I don't know if that was part of the problem or what. ) I also mentioned that I thought the distance vision wasn't correct, but she felt it was okay. Once again, they had to be sent back for a lesser bifocal prescription.

By this time, the end of August, you can imagine my confidence in this place was rapidly slipping. So when they came in, I tried them a day and was still squinting to read the print on the TV. I took them back, asked for a refund. I also had to turn in the lenses on my new sunglasses, so I was, and still am, left with a pair of frames with no lenses.

I was told it'd take about 90 days for the refunds and for the insurance company to be notified. Within that time frame, I received a check for the regular glasses, and never the sunglasses. 

At around the 90 mark I messaged the company on their website with the documentation. They said they'd get back to me. I'm still waiting. 

Finally I called my insurance to ask about the hold up. Well, the hold up was they never got the form telling them I was refunded. The lady told me they could have just called, instead of making me wait 90 days to schedule a new eye exam. She put me on hold, and in less than 10 minutes said it was taken care of. She was told by the local place the paperwork had been sent.

So I scheduled an appointment at a locally owned place, and am still owed 132.00 from Empire Visionworks. In the past few weeks I have called three times, and each time I get "we'll look into it and get back to you", and no one ever does. I don't expect they give a damn, nor do I expect to see that money. 

By the way, after nearly 6 months, I finally have new glasses with the correct prescription, from another place in the area. Only took a week to get them, and they got them right.

This place used to be pretty reliable, but not anymore. The only person that seemed to give a damn about their job or customers was Alyssa. I certainly won't ever be going back there again. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Chris said:

it's not like me to leave a negative review for most businesses, but If anywhere has deserved one, it's this place. 

At the end of June I went in for an eye exam. The eye exam seemed rushed, and after paying $20 extra for a scan of my eyes I don't think he even looked at it. If he did, he never went over it with me. We had a fast conversation about bifocals, which I knew I needed, I think he handed me something to look at, a little card, but no real explanation. We finished, I picked out my lenses and was on my way.

I got the call to pick up my glasses and once again I was haded a little card, told to read it, and that was it. Knowing my eyes would need to adjust, waited til the next day to put them on. 

As soon as I did, I suspected something was wrong, but knew there was an adjustment period, so I waited a day. The following day I compared the new bifocal glasses with the new sunglasses I bought and could see something was wrong. So I went back to the store. 

The young lady who helped me, I think her name was Alyssa, seemed to be the only one in the place working. She was busy juggling a couple other things, and she apologized or the wait. I understood, as it appeared everyone else in the place faded into the woodwork.  Long story short, she examined the glasses and found that the glasses were cut completely wrong. She did some measurements, and I realized they were never done on my first visit. So she redid them, and sent them back out. 

When I went to get them again, I tried them for a day or two and again, something was wrong. Remember what I said about that little card during the exam? She handed it to me again, and I mentioned that I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it, no one ever explained it to me. They just handed me the card and I was supposed to, I don't know, intuitively know? Turns out the bifocal prescription was too strong ( the paperwork I got later read "trifocals" so I don't know if that was part of the problem or what. ) I also mentioned that I thought the distance vision wasn't correct, but she felt it was okay. Once again, they had to be sent back for a lesser bifocal prescription.

By this time, the end of August, you can imagine my confidence in this place was rapidly slipping. So when they came in, I tried them a day and was still squinting to read the print on the TV. I took them back, asked for a refund. I also had to turn in the lenses on my new sunglasses, so I was, and still am, left with a pair of frames with no lenses.

I was told it'd take about 90 days for the refunds and for the insurance company to be notified. Within that time frame, I received a check for the regular glasses, and never the sunglasses. 

At around the 90 mark I messaged the company on their website with the documentation. They said they'd get back to me. I'm still waiting. 

Finally I called my insurance to ask about the hold up. Well, the hold up was they never got the form telling them I was refunded. The lady told me they could have just called, instead of making me wait 90 days to schedule a new eye exam. She put me on hold, and in less than 10 minutes said it was taken care of. She was told by the local place the paperwork had been sent.

So I scheduled an appointment at a locally owned place, and am still owed 132.00 from Empire Visionworks. In the past few weeks I have called three times, and each time I get "we'll look into it and get back to you", and no one ever does. I don't expect they give a damn, nor do I expect to see that money. 

By the way, after nearly 6 months, I finally have new glasses with the correct prescription, from another place in the area. Only took a week to get them, and they got them right.

This place used to be pretty reliable, but not anymore. The only person that seemed to give a damn about their job or customers was Alyssa. I certainly won't ever be going back there again. 

 

 

File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and with the licensing board governing optometrists.  For good measure I’d contact the Attorney General’s Office/Consumer Fraud.  I did that and got a refund from the seller of a registered dog.

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I recently emailed another reply to the chain of emails I had with customer service. I let them know I’d be contacting the BBB. I also called the local office again today and was told they called the company and my refund was being expedited.

Someone, I presume from the corporate offices, called to fill me in on what happened. Apparently the refund department didn’t know there was two refunds. So supposedly this is being handled and the caller told me if I don’t hear from her in a day or two to contact her.

So while hopefully that’s being handled, I still won’t recommend or do business with this company again, at least not the Big Flats location.

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Just got another phone call that the refund will be issued on the 18th and I should be receiving it sometime soon thereafter.

Of course I know what you’re thinking: “The check’s in the mail.” 😂

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Check arrived two days ago. I still won't be a return customer though. 

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