Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/20/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I paid the full amount for my Invisalign treatment out of pocket oct of 2023 at the start of my treatment. My insurance was then supposed to reimburse me but for whatever reasons they sent it to this office. I kept expecting to get the checks until I reached out to my insurance and found out they had sent it to this office. When I reached out to the office to inquire about the checks, I was told they were holding them and would issue a single reimbursement at the end of my treatment. Despite asking why, I never received a clear answer, aside from being told that the person responsible for issuing checks was unavailable. I questioned the necessity of holding my checks for 9-10 months, especially given that they had already received full payment for the treatment from me. Why would they hold on to my reimbursement checks for months when I had already paid them? I had to call and be persistent with them about getting my reimbursement checks which they were very mean and rude to me about but would grudginglyreturn back to me and tell me it would be the last one I would be receiving from them and that the remaining amount would be provided at my final appointment. However, given their lack of transparency, and the fact that I thought this was mad shady, I continued to call every few months to request the remaining checks. These requests often involved unnecessary back-and-forth, with promises of a return call that never materializedthough I would eventually receive the check in the mail. The process is frustrating and unnecessarily prolonged. I still have one remaining check left with them and again Im being told I will get this at my last appointment.I want to know and understand, why is a business allowed to do this? This seems like fraud. Why would you keep payment for a service that you have already being paid for? Why would they want to hold on to it for months? The reimbursement checks should have been given directly to me.This shouldnt happen to anyone

  Business Response

  Date: 09/24/2024

  Dear **********************, 

  Thank you for allowing an opportunity for us to explain our side. ********* ****** began Invisalign treatment in September 2023. She initially paid the full balance upfront, and we requested that the insurance to reimburse her directly. Her insurance was to reimburse her a total of $2306.83.  Sometimes the insurance (regardless of what we request) will send the payments directly to the office and not to the patient, which is what happened in this situation. Over the course of the past year, we have issued three checks to the patient each in the amount of $579.51 on 12/19/23, 4/16/24 and 7/9/24. Thus she has received a total reimbursement of $1738.53 from our office to date. There is one final check that will be given to the patient as promised at her next visit, which will be for the amount of $568.30. The patient will thus receive a total of $2306.83 which is every ***** that the insurance has sent to us. We generally give the patient one check at the end of their treatment for the full amount when this situation occurs. The patients wish was to receive the checks as they come which we have done. Insurance companies often send payments slowly and lumped together with other patients payments, which can slow down the process of organizing, separating, and posting individual payments to specific patient accounts.  We are more than happy to provide documentation, check numbers, and dental records to back up this information. When asked at her last visit if she was happy with how her Invisalign treatment was going she mentioned that she was happy with her new smile.  The patients claim that we have been withholding payments and not being transparent is completely false.  If there are any additional questions or if youd like further clarification, please dont hesitate to contact us directly.
  
  Sincerely,  
  *** ***** ******* 
  Class One Orthodontics

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/25/2024

  
  ********** ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  as it appears that the responder either did not fully read or comprehend my previous statement, or is intentionally misrepresenting my words to avoid acknowledging their wrongdoing. To clarify, I will restate the key points I made in my earlier statement.

  
  In my submission to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), I explicitly stated, "Given their lack of transparency and the fact that I found this behavior questionable, I continued to call every few months to request the remaining checks. These requests often led to unnecessary back-and-forth communication, with promises of follow-up calls that were never receivedalthough I eventually did receive the checks by mail." These were my exact words. Therefore, the claim that I am suggesting I never received my checks is incorrect. My concern is that, had I not been persistent in contacting the office, I would not have received the checks until the very end of my treatment which would have been 10 months to a year. Point being, I already paid in full upfront at the beginning for my treatment so there should be no reason to ever want to hold someones checks for up to a whole year. I shouldnt have had to beg or fight the office every few months to get my reimbursement checks back. 
  
  
  Additionally, I highlighted in my previous statement the specific responses I was given during each call, which the responder failed to address. To reiterate, I previously stated, "They were rude and dismissive during these interactions but would eventually inform me that I would receive one final check, and that the remaining balance would be provided at my final appointment." I would like them to explain why this was the case. My purpose in bringing this matter to the BBB is to shed light on Class One Orthodontic's business practices, which I find unacceptable. While I did eventually receive my reimbursement checks, it was solely due to my persistence. Not everyone will have the same time, energy, or knowledge to pursue what they are entitled to when they need it rather than the office having them wait until the end of their treatment which can take months to a year or over a year.
  
  
  Furthermore, the assertion that I was satisfied with the outcome of my treatment is completely false. I am shocked by the responder's claim, as it directly contradicts my experience. During my last conversation with the office, I clearly expressed my dissatisfaction with both my overall experience and the treatment I received. When asked about my smile, my exact response was that it was "okay." Early in my treatment, I informed the orthodontist that I was experiencing discomfort when eating, requiring me to floss after every meal. The issue persisted even after an attempt to adjust my back teeth, and I was ultimately told that nothing further could be done and that I should consult my primary dentist regarding a potential filling. This should be documented in my records.
  
  
  To suggest that I was satisfied with the outcome of my treatment as a way to dismiss the unprofessional conduct I encountered throughout the process is both misleading and unacceptable.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* ******

  Business Response

  Date: 09/27/2024

  Dear BBB, 
  

  As we mentioned before, we explained to the patient several times that our office policy is that reimbursement checks are typically issued once at the end of the treatment, as a way to streamline the process and minimize confusion. This policy is in place to ensure that all payments and any adjustments from the insurance company are accounted for correctly.  However, despite this policy, we accommodated the patients request and issued the checks to patient once we received the payment from the insurance company. 
  
  It should be noted again that the insurance company does not send a lump sum check to our office - they sent checks every 2 to 3 months in smaller amounts.  Once we received the checks, we then issued the payment directly to the patient. 
  
  We recognize that this might not align with the patients expectations, and we apologize if this was not a convenient process. Your feedback is valuable, and we are committed to reviewing our processes to better accommodate our patients needs.
  
  If you have further questions or would like to discuss this matter in more detail, please dont hesitate to contact our office directly.  
  
  Sincerely, 
  *** ***** ******* 
  Class One Orthodontics