Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  -Went to purchase frame from Northeast Eye Center. Bought 3 pairs. Used my insurance on 1 pair. -Specifically asked if I was getting a new pair or the "display" pair that's been tried on by other customers. Was explicitly told I would never get the pair I tried on today, but a brand new pair. These were supposedly "new styles this season" so they were a bit more expensive than I wanted to spend but I was given a slight discount for buying 3 pairs, not just 1 pair. -Upon returning to store following week, saw all my pairs (as well as my mom's pairs) gone. I asked where they went and was told a story about another woman purchasing them. Later revealed and admitted by Northeast Eye that we did in fact receive display pairs and the stories were lies. -Felt deceived. Tried to make it right and no one would help us all summer. Dr. (who owns this business) would not intervene. -Most recently, last week, I called to get my frames fixed (1 pair) as something happened to the lens. I was told I only had a warrenty for 3 months and bought "clearance frames" WHICH I NEVER DID and so I had to fix myself. This is a blatant disregard for the truth. I've been buying glasses every year since 5th grade and ALWAYS get a warrantee. I was in fact told by worker Jessica (who knew I was moving to Florida) that I could mail them back any time for them to be fixed if anything happened and that I had a 2 year warrenty - around the 1st year she suggested mailing them back to get a new pair. Now, that I'm facing a real issue with my frames/lenses, I'm being lied to about my coverage/warrenty. -Dr. called me last week after I called, took my info and pics of the lenses but did not seem to care. Never a call or text back. No apology. -Now, I'm at the point where I am requesting a full refund of $685.50. A fair resolution for the lies and chaos I have been put through, is a full refund. -This started with deception and I'm done shopping there. This will be fixed with my money back.

  Business response

  03/07/2024

  
  To whom it may Concern:
  On Tuesday, July 11th, 2023; a patient by the name of ********* ***** came into Northeast Eye Center
  to purchase prescription eyeglasses from our Optical Shop. She had interest in 3 pairs of eye glasses, 1
  of which would be billed through her eyeglass insurance ***** Vision and the second two pairs of eye
  glasses would be paid for out of pocket. Patient requested to see "Clearance" frames which she was
  appointed towards a select area where "Clearance/Marked down" frames were being displayed due to
  them no longer being in manufacturing marked down 25%-50% with no warranty to be given. Patient
  chose a frame of full price to be billed through her insurance with said frame being a ******* Frame
  model number VE3293 in color 5305 in size 55/18
  /140 for the insurance billed frame/lens combination the patients out of pocket responsibility was $85.00
  being the remaining balance of the frame cost after insurance allowance.
  The second pair of eyeglasses purchased by the patient mentioned above which would be paid for out of
  pocket as agreed was a clearance frame marked down 50% due to them no longer being manufactured
  by ********* for production. The frame mentioned in sale was a ******* brand frame model number
  VE3335 in color 5028 size 54/14/140. Original price of the frame was marked $305 - with the 50% off
  being $152.50. Patient selected a single vision lens made with a polycarbonate material and an
  Anti-reflective coating totaling a balance of $406.50. Due to the patient having ordered 3 separate pairs
  of glasses a complimentary discount on the purchase of the lenses were given at 20%. Making the total
  out of pocket cost for the second pair of prescription lenses totaling $355.70.
  The third pair of eye glasses purchased by the patient mentioned above which would be paid for out of
  pocket as agreed was a second clearance frame marked down 25% due to them being a last season
  sunglass frame. The frame mentioned for sale was a Vogue brand frame model number VO5488-S in
  color 305914 size 56/16/140. The original price of the frame was marked $105 - with the 25% off being
  $84.00. The patient selected a single vision lens made of polarized plastic material totaling a balance of
  ********* ***** DOB ********** NORTHEAST EYE CENTER Page #2
  $295.00. Again being given an additional discount for having ordered 3 total pairs of prescription eye
  glasses of 20% off the lens cost with the total balance for the third pair of glasses being $244.80.
  At no point during this transaction was it ever relayed that "new" frames would be purchased or ordered
  to "replace" the clearance frames as they were on clearance d/t no longer being manufactured.
  Patient was called on Monday July 24th 2023 and informed that her eye glasses were received from the
  lab where lenses were made and all 3 pairs of eyeglasses were available to be picked up. Patient came
  into Northeast Eye Center Optical Shop shortly after the notification call to retrieve the eyeglasses.
  When patient came into Optical Shop she was extremely pleased with the prescription eyeglasses.
  Patient had requested to have glasses adjusted to fit better, using standard Optical practices, the frames
  were adjusted to fit patient appropriately. Patient did not feel one of the pairs of eye glasses were
  adjusted well enough, to avoid any possible overheating or damage to the frame in question
  (VE3293/5305) the acting optician requested that the patient stop in during a day when the more
  seasoned part time optician was in to ensure the frame was not over manipulated. Patient very
  acceptably agreed. Patient came in at a later date for the part time optician to adjust said glasses. Patient
  was very upset that the optician was heating the frame in order to adjust the frame and insisted that the
  frame be replaced with a new frame that was not "destroyed by being heated." Patient was made aware
  that the heating of the frame was proper practice by an optician to be carefully manipulated and adjusted.
  Patient (********* *****) was still not satisfied and requested the replacement frame. Patient was made
  aware due to the circumstances the request would need to be approved by the practice manager prior to
  moving forward.
  The patient and her mother became extremely derogatory and began calling both opticians and the
  owner of the practice frauds and insisting that the frames being sold were fake and had fallen off the
  back of a truck. Insisting due to the simplicity of the case provided with the ******* frames were fake
  and garbage. Both the patient and the patients mother (***** *****) became extremely loud and
  derogatory causing an inappropriate scene during a very busy clinical day, causing multiple patients and
  staff to feel very uncomfortable.
  After speaking with the practice manager and owner of the practice we agreed we would replace the
  frame under a warranty. The patient requested a different size in the exact frame and new lenses to be
  made with the different size, after confirming with the ordering representative for the ******* brand,
  that specific frame (VE3293-5305) did not in fact come in any other size other than the originally
  ordered size of 55/18/140. The optician ordered the frame through the manufacturer. The patient was
  notified of it being ordered in the indicated size above with Maria M. (practice manager) present to
  ensure multiple accounts of the conversation taken place. The patient advised the optician and manager
  that she was no longer living in the area and that she had moved to Clearwater Florida since the prior in
  person meet. Patient insisted that the warranty frame be mailed to her and that she would have the
  prescription lenses inserted into the new frame at a local optical shop that was convenient for her.
  Practice manager and owner agreed that the frame would be mailed to patient in Clearwater Florida and
  the patients agreed that she would ship back the original frame to Northeast Eye Center with Northeast
  Eye Center.
  The replacement frame was received from the manufacturer on Friday September 8th, 2023. The patient
  ********* ***** was contacted by optician and Maria M. (practice manager) and was made aware that
  the frame was being mailed out via USPS on that day and patient was given the tracking number
  (**********************) which showed the package with the replacement frame was delivered to
  ********* ***** DOB ********** NORTHEAST EYE CENTER Page #3
  the above patient to her requested address in Clearwater Florida on Monday September 11th, 2023 along
  with a return prepaid postage to return the original frame. The patient was contacted by optician and
  practice manager on Friday September 15th, 2023 and patient assured optician and manager that she had
  received the package and that she "attempted to remove the lenses from her current pair and put them
  into the new frame herself and was unsuccessful," stated "she was very busy with family and would be
  making a trip to an optical facility to have the lenses removed from the old frame and placed into the
  new frame and would send out the old frame with the shipping label provided back to Northeast Eye
  Center Optical Shop no later than Monday September 18th, 2023.
  On Tuesday September 26th, 2023 the return tracking number for slip provided to patient (USPS -
  **********************) showed that it had not yet been received by USPS by the patient.
  Tracking number monitored for 2 additional weeks without movement.
  Optician spoke with practice manager and owner of the practice Natalie L****** MD and following the
  information that the original frame still had not been shipped or received back to Northeast Eye Center
  Optical Shop that the patients account with Northeast Eye Center office was to be charged with the cost
  of the frame of $220. Practice manager left a voice message on patients cell phone regarding the balance
  due and sent out a printed copy of the billed balance due to the patients address in Clearwater Florida.
  Friday October 13th, 2023 the frame had been received by USPS and the above charges of $220 were
  removed from the patients account.
  There was no further communication with the patient above (********* *****) and any staff member
  from Northeast eye center until the patient called into the office on Tuesday February 6th, 2024 and
  spoke with a front desk associate requesting a call back from Dr Natalie L****** "regarding something
  that happened over the summer." Patient stated something had happened in the office and did not want
  to go into further detail. Patient stated she was refused to speak with Dr L****** and that her and her
  mother have been dismissed stating they had called the office about 13-14 times. With no record of any
  employee accessing the patients chart/records between the last communication with patient Friday
  October 13th, 2023 when the charges for the frame had been removed from the patients account by
  optician till Thursday January 4th, 2024 when a document needed to be scanned into the patient chart.
  Only other entry into the patient chart/account was for the call made from patient on Tuesday February
  6th, 2024.
  Dr Natalie L****** was given the request for a call to the patient, ********* ***** and Dr. Natalie
  L****** returned the patients call when she was next available on Thursday February 15th, 2024. The
  call consisting of Dr. Natalie L******, practice manager (Maria M.) and the patient, ********* ***** was
  in regards of the situation in the patients version of events between July 2023 and October 2023. The
  conversation turned to the patient expressing that the second above mentioned eyeglass frame (VE3335
  in color 5028) had a lens popping out of the top of the frame on the left side. The patient requested to
  have Dr. Natalie L******'s personal cell phone number to send photos of the frame in question and was
  given the cell phone number of the practice manager to send the photos.
  Optician reviewed the photos and determined that the lens simply needed to be appropriately placed by
  an option back into the frame. Patient text conversation prior to photos being received and following are
  ********* ***** DOB ********** NORTHEAST EYE CENTER Page #4
  as follows:
  Text from patient from number ###-###-#### to practice manager
  Thursday February 15th, 2024
  TEXT: Pictures of glass popping out of left eye
  *1 PHOTO of above mentioned frame
  *1 PHOTO of above mentioned frame
  TEXT: *for records, I never put glasses in a frame. The clear pair were sent to me with glasses in frame,
  and then I sent back the pair that was wrong.
  No further communication has been made between Northeast Eye Center, Northeast Eye Center Optical
  Shop, Dr. Natalie L******, practice manager (Maria M.) or Optician (Jessica R.) with the patient
  ********* ***** following the conversation mentioned above with Dr. Natalie L******, practice
  manager and the patient. No calls have been made to or received by patient following the conversation
  mentioned above and all patient chart/records can account towards to employees having accessed the
  patients chart from the date of the conversation conclusion on Thursday February 15th, 2024 and the
  receivable of the Complain Activity Summary received on Wednesday March 6th 2024.
  Respectfully,
  Maria A. M*******, CPC
  Practice Manager

  Customer response

  03/19/2024

  I am very confused why I'm being asked for clarification again. I  keep stating eery detail of what happened to me. My claim states the truth, whereas the business has stated lie after lie. Im not sure what else you want me to clarify. Bottom line, I bought full price frames with a warranty and am being refused my warranty. I've dealt with enough lies from this company and I'm going to pursuit whatever legal action required to at least get my money back. This is ridiculous what they are saying and doing.  This complaint is not resolved and they list of lies and made up stories do not reflect what I've gone through with this business. Bottom line I am entitled to my warranty. I never bought clearance frames, not for a second. So if they are not going to honor legal warranty then i need my money back immediately. Also, the business knew I was moving, i talked about it with Jessica many times, also reviewing my warranty and process. I'll go on the stand and admit the truth, because this IS the truth. And id never ever ask for doctor's phone number, nor did i ever want it. she made me text her photos of my glasses and then never called me back which left me no choice but to submit to BBB. Please call me to connect about any other details.  If they are not going to honor the warrentee I paid for, then theres no choice but to give me my money back so I can buy new glasses/lenses. Its the only solution that makes sense. 

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