Optical Express Reviews

Name: Optical Express
Rating: 4.68

4.7 Rating 4,214 Reviews

95 %

of reviewers recommend Optical Express

Company Reviews

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4.7

Based on 4,214 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Postal Service
On-time Delivery	Greater than 38%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Live Chat, Email
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour
Customer Service	2.9 out of 5

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Phone:

0800 023 20 20

Email:

customerfeedback@opticalexpress.com

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Optical Express 5 star review on 6th October 2021

Suthiwa Jewkes

Optical Express 1 star review on 24th September 2021

John Binnie

Optical Express 1 star review on 27th July 2021

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Filter: Rated 1 None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“Did not inform me of issues with night vision despite me saying my night vision was essential as I needed it for my job. Fobbed off by saying my brain just needs to adjust to the new lenses, 2 years later and I am now going to lose my job because of this money grabbing company. They don't care about you or your eyesight. Check this site out before you make any decisions to get any eye surgery as these companies do not tell you the full truth. https://www.opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“After surgery, ended up with different vision in each eye. Aftercare is poor and the sales team are too pushy to sell your surgery. Repeatedly had to wait 45 minutes for booked appointments due delays. No apologies. Have been given wrong appointment times too. And very hard to actually book an appointment due to low availability Customer services team are friendly and helpful but the store teams are useless. I'm switching to another provider to correct my vision.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“Both my wife and I had lens replacement surgery. We were assured that we would no longer need classes. We were lied to. We both still need to wear glasses, my wife for distance and near work. Myself for reading. I would not recommend lens replacement surgery at all. A waste of money, we are very disappointed.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“Both my wife and I had lens replacements .poor aftercare service.We both still need to wear glasses after being assured we would have good near and distant sight. A waste of money, would not recommend this surgery.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“I chose optical express as I need contact lenses quickly and expected to get some quickly hence the name EXPRESS! I ordered contact lenses but discovered that the order wouldn’t be dispatched until 7-10 working days. Having cancelled the order I was then told that a refund would take up to 28 days! Shocking customer service!”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“Avoid! asked the company a simple question and they could not give me a transparent reply, after asking 5x to give me details on how long i would expect to get good vision on average they got rude, deleted my post on facebook and blocked me! clearly a rouge back street medial company!”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“I decided for lens replacement as I was suitable for it. From the start Optical Express gave me wrong information and I felt quite pressured to make a down payment for the surgery. They even tried to make me pay a deposit whilst I had drops in my eyes that made my vision so blur. I couldn't see, let alone signing for something where I had to pay an amount of money! There were various issues before the operation and against my better judgement, i decided to go ahead as I would have otherwise lost my deposit. I was left confused after my surgery and given so many different expectations by different opticians, that 3 weeks after my surgery, i am unsure what I am supposed to feel. I still have constant migraine, blur vision, I am in constant pain - Is this normal? I was asked to make an appt to see a surgeon again and perhaps I would get some reassurance but when I arrived to my appointment, they had no recollection to this appt!. Even though I have a card - Fair enough I didn't take it with me - They made me feel I was in the wrong and I was lying about this appointment. They did nothing to make me feel better and on the contrary I felt somehow blamed like everything was my fault..... I had to leave without seeing anyone and I now feel very frustrated they do not card for their customers. Otherwise, they would not be treating them like second class citizens! I have felt let down so much by Optical Express that I am trying to find a way of getting after care from a different company. One that may try to help. I would urge anyone not to go through this surgery with Optical Express and to find a more respectable company that may care for you instead of only thinking about the amount of money they can get out of you”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“OH BOY WHERE DO I START. our experience of this place is less than complimentary, firstly our first visit was a horrendous one, our appt was for 10.10 but by1.pm we hadn't been seen so I had to have another 10min walk to the car park and pay for another 3hrs as the first three were clearly not enough, other patients that were after us were put in front we never got away until after 3.30 pm and on no occasion were we offered any refreshments, in fact with four visits under our belts we were only offered on the last visit if we would like a drink. the last visit was also a horrendous one as it was bank holiday there was only a mimimal staff on, but having telephoned the night before to ensure that it would in fact be open and was told yes definitely, having arrived we could not enter the front entrance as the doors were locked, we were escorted by a staff member who said we would have to go round the back and that too was locked, it took us over 10mins to try and gain entry to the place, meanwhile our meter in the car park is running out, and again I had to leave my husband there and refeed the meter as they were still running behind and there was hardly any body there, patients I refer to. what an absolutely dreadful place I wish we knew then what we know now as we never would have chosen that place at all. it is run very badly and disorganised, they do not seem to put the welfare and comfort of patients first, even when I used the ladies room the lights were not even switched on and I am fumbling around in the dark trying to find the light switch as it was pitch black in there, knowing they had patients in that day the lights in the toilets should have been switched on in readiness of use.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“Awful, avoid at all costs.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“Ruined my near vision with lens surgery, and left me with painful dry eyes, glare and starbursts effects at night which means I can't drive at night on the motorway or busy roads. Have to wear glasses to see anything close up now. Worst thing I ever did.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“I visited Optical Express Bournemouth Nov2014 and was told laser surgery as no good for me but lens replacement was appropriate.The risks,I.e double vision and halo effect were explained but I wars promised 20/20 ,paid £5500 and went ahead with surgery in Southampton early 2015.Myleft surgery was successful but slightly blurred but my right eye was like looking through thick polythene.After much worry and several 120mile round trips my vision cleared but was quite blurred,I was told but can’t prove it that it might take 2 years to”settle down”. I waited patiently but it didn’t improve so two years in Feb 2017 I contacted Opical Express to complain. Guess what ? They told me I was out of my 12 month care period.I complained bitterly and they agreed to give me a free eye test and again guess what they found I had a significant prescription in both eyes but worse in the right.I complained to the customer care department and received a long and technical reply which in part said that the laser trimming service that they offer in the lens replacement service was not advisable for me.I believe this was a financial decision and not one they would have taken if I was a new customer but I gave up. I have recently had two eye tests and examinations with a local optician. Her words this morning were that if she had my prescription she would be wearing glasses all day and she has referred me to a local consultant. In my case I believe Optical Express were casual and uninterested and only interested in money. Their aftercare was awful. BEWARE”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“Leaving a 1 star review which is beyond generous! I'd leave 0 star review if possible. This company's customer service is beyond shocking. I raised concerns on the 27th November and received an automated reply saying I would be contacted in 20 days! Yes DAYS! If they really cared about their customers it would not take them 20 days. It is now the 13th December and I am £149 out of pocket because of terrible service and still waiting for a response. I never normally go public with complaints but the public need to be aware of this "customer service". Please take my advise and go elsewhere! I will begin by stating I had laser eye surgery 10years ago with optical express but in recent months my vision has really declined. My issue started on the 27th November when I left the London Westfield store feeling unsatisfied and quite frankly upset. I first visited this store on 25th Nov for a consultation for laser eye surgery. Unfortunately following the review I am not a candidate for laser eye surgery at this moment in time but I am due back for review in a few months. In the meantime I was told I needed glasses and I have also chosen to get contact lenses. On this visit to the store I was initially extremely satisfied with everyone who served me - they went over and beyond to make me feel comfortable from start to finish. On tuesday 27th November I returned to this same store for a contact lens fitting and to chose glasses. Once again I was greeted with amazing customer service when arrived and when I went for the contact lens fitting. When I finished the lens fitting the lady brought me to another employee on the store floor and explained my situation and to please help me with choosing a pair of glasses. I have always hated the thought of wearing glasses and before coming into the store today I read on your website that part of your customer service is to help customers choose glasses that are right for them and their face - for the first time I was a little excited to get glasses! I was told to browse the glasses on display and someone would be with me. After a few minutes of browsing a young man came over and told me he would be helping me today. I explained I am only going to be wearing the glasses for a few month so I wanted an inexpensive pair and that in the past I had worn thin barely noticeable glasses - does he have anything he would suggest? To my shock he then proceeded to pick up the thickest black frame glasses I have ever seen in my life - the complete opposite to what I said. Maybe he misunderstood? So I repeated it was thin I was looking for. Again he proceeded to pick out another pair of grossly enlarged thick black framed glasses and said 'I like these'. He did not say why these would suit me just his personal opinion on glasses he liked. I was frustrated at this point and replied 'no'. With that he said "OK let me know when you need me' and walked away. I watched him walk over to another colleague and sit at a glasses fitting desk and have a chat to his colleague. I was shocked - what happened to the custom fitting and advise from an expert? I was by myself and extremely self-conscious about even trying a pair on and looking in the mirror. I walked back and forth lost for about 10minute when the same young man walked back and asked if I had found anything yet, I replied 'no' and he walked away again! Honestly at this point I felt like walking out of your store and going to Specsavers where I usually get my glasses from as I know I always have good customer service there and extremely helpful staff. But my eyesight has really gone down and the thought of having to wait another few weeks to get a pair of glasses to help me see again was just about enough to make me stay. I reluctantly choose a pair of glasses - not knowing if they suited me or if they were the right size glasses for my needs. I looked for the young man who had been 'serving me' before and he was still sitting chatting. So I had to queue at the main desk for service after a few minutes he eventually came up to the desk and I said I had chosen a pair that I wanted to go ahead with. He brought me to the glasses fitting desk and asked was I happy with my choice and I replied 'somewhat'. He looked at the glasses and said 'is this the best you could choose?'. I couldn't believe what I was hearing - my confidence was low enough and then to be told that! He then proceeded to tell me that he doesn't like these types of glasses - my confidence even lower. All while telling me why he doesn't like these glasses (all personal reasons may I add) he never once mentioned what might suit me better. As my confidence was so low I had no energy in me to ask what should I choose instead. So now I have paid for glasses which I thought were OK when I picked them but now I know I will never want to wear or have the confidence to wear due to his unthoughtful comments. Throughout the fitting my confidence in his ability to do his job correctly was at an all time low. And I can only hope he has ordered me the correct lenses and lenses for my glasses as he was staring into space and watching other people around him half of the time. I also booked in for a contact lens fitting on the 27th nov but there contact lens in my prescription was not available. I was told they would be ordered and I would be invited in for another fitting. On the 1st December I went back to Westfield for my contact lens fitting. When I put the lens in my eyes I felt an extreme discomfort in my left eye and I felt my vision wasn't very clear with the lens. Upon further investigation I was told there was debris on the contact lens in my left eye which was causing the discomfort and that it must be removed urgently. My eye sight was then re-tested and I was told my prescription was wrong and that I need a '1.25' prescription not a '1.00'. I informed the lady I had already ordered glasses in the '1.00' prescription to which she replied that the glasses should still be ok in that prescription. I then needed to learn how to remove the contact lens from my right eye as I struggled with this. I was then told that it would be the same young man who served my on he 27th November. He brought me into a room upstairs told me to take a seat. He then sat down and took out and looked at this mobile phone! After maybe a minute he put his mobile phone on the bin - I felt very uncomfortable to why he had his phone on display. He once again passed a belittling comment about how can I get a contact lens in and not out. He then attempted to show me show me how to remove the contact lens but he struggled himself to explain it. After a very poor attempt he told me to try. I then noted to him it would be impossible for me to remove a contact lens without a mirror - which he had not supplied! He then had to go off and source a mirror. His 'instructions' had left me confused and I really struggled while he offered no support. I then told him to get an optician to remove the contact as I was being tired of trying and no support or proper instructions. He then said he would remove it - there was no way I was letting him near my eye as he couldn't he do a fake demonstration. Thankfully whilst he went looking for the optician I managed to get the lens out. I left the store this time never wanting to return. Following my wrong lens prescription I doubted that the glasses prescription would be right. Thankfully I went to Specsavers that same day for an eye test. And I am so glad I did - the test confirmed I should indeed be a '1.25 not a 1.00'. So now I have spent £149 on glasses that I cannot wear and their "customer service" has not responded to me. All I want is my money refunded I am beyond disappointed and shocked at the staff knowledge in this store and feel the public need to be aware of what they may be greeted with before they spent large amounts of money with this company”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“One of the worst companies around for customers and staff”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“First time ordering from Optical Express. Ordered contact lenses on the 07/11/18 only to be advised 2 days later after querying why order was unfulfilled that at the time of the order these were not in stock. Why wasn’t I told this at the time of ordering? Might be better off going back to original supplier as would receive these next day .”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“I have never used Optical express before and thought I’d try them out. I booked in during a family visit to Belfast as they would be able to send the glasses to my local branch in Brighton. I had an eye test and needed a new prescription, so I ordered some Oakley frames and was told 5-7 working days and I’d get a call from the Brighton store. The girl who served me had tried to upgrade me to laser eye ( I told her my prescription was not that bad, and she actually agreed! worth a punt I suppose to upsell a service not needed) She tried hard to get me to spend up on frames, in the end I spent £239 on one pair. I paid by card and was told I didn’t need a receipt, she then disappeared sharpish to serve another customer and at that point it was a case of got your money, bye bye. So time passes and no calls, I tried the store to no avail, then 3 calls to Head office and was told I’d get a call at the end of the week, this never happened, and no one is willing to help. I’ve emailed Head office and the reply was simply “well will get back to you in 20 days” I’ve already been waiting 3 weeks. I’m disappointed that I have had to chase them, I’ve never had this experience with opticians, I have used independents along with the usual suspects, Specsavers, D&A etc and never had any issues. If you are looking around I don’t think the service is great and they are not great value for money, I’ve asked them for a refund as they have failed at their end to deliver my glasses or at least explain why I’ve not received them. I’m not holding out though for either. So I’m down £239 and need to go elsewhere for another test. I’ll stick to an independent from now on!”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“In my experience the OPTICAL EXPRESS clinical team are less than useless - in my experience downright danferous”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“It allowed me to select my left and right eye requirements, however, when I went to checkout only my left eye box was in there. I went back numerous times to try and again and the same thing kept happening. In the end I bought two left eye boxes with different prescriptions”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“P aid £42 pounds (I have the receipt) . Then I received an email confirming that I had payed £30 thanking me for my custom! purchasing 2 boxes of lenses, 5 lenses in each box. ( on my computer) Been with Optical Express in Newcastle upon Tyne for more than 15years, very disappointed!”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“These people are terrible This is the letter I had to send to my credit card company OPTICAL EXPRESS EXETER Dear Sirs The reason I have asked you to help with this dispute is because this company seems to be the most dishonest people I have ever had to deal with. They have now told me the matter is closed and won't answer my calls. I feel I have done everything I can and it is now nine months later with no resolution. I did speak with your disputes team and informed them back in May. I had a consultation with Optical Express in February and decided that I would like to go to the next stage in the process of having eye surgery. In order to do that, they asked me to pay a £500.00 deposit. They explained that it was fully refundable and pointed out that the T&C's stated that. I paid by card which had to be processed at another location and I agreed to that as long as I got a receipt. I have requested a receipt but they refuse to give me one. The T&C's state, and I quote. (If for any reason, following discussion with one of our Refractive Surgeons, you decide not to proceed with treatment, all monies paid by you will be refunded, excluding any Refractive Surgeon appointment fee.) After the free Refractive appointment in Bristol I decided that I wouldn't proceed and consequently asked for a refund. The response was that because I hadn't cancelled within 7 days I was not due a refund. I have been back and forth with emails and phone calls asking them to explain the reason for ignoring the contract that I signed and had a copy of, but they refuse to acknowledge it, instead emailing me new ones which now say something different. They offered me a voucher to the value of £500.00 but I have lost any respect I originally had for them and wouldn't want to go back to them for anything. I have asked numerous times for a copy of the contract that I signed but they just ignore my request and keep saying I have the wrong version. They finally asked me to go to the store with my copy of the T&C'S so the personnel there could copy them and send to the customer services in Glasgow, after another long wait I had a very long badly written email saying sorry the matter is closed, which was surprising because the staff at the store had indicated that it would be all sorted and I would receive my refund. I still have not had a satisfactory explanation as to why they won't honour their contract with me. They must do this a lot, I have found subsequently lots of complaints about them and even Radio 4's consumer program warned about their tactics reporting the exact same problems. I have all the emails if you need I can forward on to you. I have enclosed printed copy of the T&C's I am happy for you to have the original if you need. I will also be seeking compensation from OP for the stress that this has caused me. I look forward to hearing from you Yours Sincerely C A Wheadon”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 years ago

“Requested payment by credit card. Site asked for PayPal t’s and c’s to be approved although I selected NO to PayPal. Went through as PayPal payment despite not giving any PayPal details. I wait to see how the delivery goes.”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 years ago

Optical Express is rated 4.7 based on 4,214 reviews