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:03/06/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  On 7/8/2023 I had my eyes examined by ************ and picked up my glasses on 7/27/23. As soon as I put them on I wasn't able to see at all and told them that. I was told to take them home and try them for 2 weeks and if I was still having a problem to call back. I called back and got an appt. for 8/19/23 and have my eyes examined again. The entire prescription changed ( as you can see from the attachment). I picked up the remake of the glasses on 9/9/2023. They seemed a little better but after trying them for a while I was unable to use them. I was told that they only remake them one time and that is it. Which I felt wasn't fair. They called me on 2/27/2024 to change my apt. that was scheduled for July 2024 cause ************ left the practice. At that time I told the person that I wasn't happy and that I'm not going to return. She asked what was wrong and I told her about not being able to use the glasses and was told that they only re-make them once. She told me that was not true and that they would have remade them again. So I was given false information on re-making the glasses again. She said she would check it out and call me back. A message was left on my answering maching but it was cut off so I called back on 3/2/2024 and spoke to *****. She said that she would check it out and call me back and she did. But they are now saying that 6 months have gone by and my eyes could have changed and that I would be charged. That is not fair because I was informed with wrong information from the start about how many times the glasses would be remade and also how can they possibly say my eyes changed when the script wasn't correct to start with? What can they compare it to? I paid $444.00 out of my own pocket besides what the insurance paid. I feel this is not good business practice and that several different people give you differnt answers. Everything should be the same when telling patients information

  Business Response

  Date: 03/20/2024

  I am not the doctor that ****************** saw at Family Vision Care. She saw ***************************** who has since left the practice as of Feb 2, 2024. I have not communicated with ************ since she left, so I am unable to discuss the exact details of the exam. I was made aware of this complaint by my optical staff as ****************** spoke with one of my opticians regarding the difficulties with her glasses. I reviewed **************** exams and these are the findings that were recorded: On ********************** initial visit her complaint was reduced vision that was sometimes fuzzy and sometimes perfectly clear. **************** final result on the spectacle RX was recorded as the patient seeing 20/20 in each eye. There was a change in her RX from what she had been wearing. On the recheck of the glasses, ****************** was recorded as seeing 20/25 with her right eye and 20/40 with the left eye. This was with the new RX. Her statement of "not being able to see at all" out of the glasses is not exactly accurate. She could not see as well. On a recheck of the prescription, ****************** was recorded as seeing 20/20 in each eye again. ************ put the prescription together in a trial frame so the patient could see how her vision would be with the updated RX. ****************** reported that her distance and near vision were clear. Her ocular exam suggests that she does have additional findings that *** also contribute to the quality of her VA no matter what RX she is wearing. I did tell my staff that I would be glad to see her and recheck her RX again to see if it really needs to be changed or if there is something else that needs to be done. ****************** did tell my optician that she will never come back to this office again, and according to my optician, ****************** hung up on her. I certainly cannot force her to return to our practice. It is up to her if she decides to return and determine if a change is needed in her glasses and if an agreement can be reached regarding any other issues.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/31/2024

  I'm sorry I was unable to respond in a timely manner. I was dealing with a family emergency and and my brother passed away.

  I don't feel as though it has been resolved.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/03/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore 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.

  Eye exam 1-24-23 with Dr ********. I order near vision glasses and distance vision glasses total $1,129. Paid in full. 2-6-23 pick up glasses, can’t see at all using distance glasses, I can read with near vision glasses but everything is distorted. I return after a week and they try to adjust them. No improvement. 2-27-23 eye exam #2, tell Dr. ******** can’t see at all with distance glasses (100% blurry) and near vision glasses are distorted but they are not my priority. He agrees to remake distance glasses. 3-16-23 pick up distance glasses #2, can’t see unless I look through them sideways. One week later I return and Optical tech heats frame and bends them to move the focal point. Still can’t see, and now they frames won’t stay on my face. I tell optical tech about distortion of near vision glasses and she heats them up and bends frame to move focal point. They are still distorted and will not stay on my face. I return a week later and they decide to remake distance glasses again (remake #2). They tell me the frames are ruined from the optical tech heating and bending them so they also order new frames. 4-4-23 pick up distance glasses, they are only clear at things over 16’ from me. Useless in daily life. 4-11-23 I call asking for a refund. No call back. 4-13-23 call #2 asking for a refund, no call back 4-15-23 call #3 asking for a refund, no call back 4-17-23 I show up there and speak with *****. I give her both pairs of glasses and she says I will be refunded by credit card reimbursement. 4-24-23 no refund, no call back so I call again. I’m told they don’t do credit card refunds and they will send a check. They question why I returned near vision, I reply “it’s distorted and you bent the frames now they don’t fit. Just because these were not top priority does not mean they were correct.” 4-29-23 got a refund check for my distance glasses only total $846.75. They are not refunding my near vision glasses nor have they returned them.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/08/2023

  May 8, 2023 
  
  Dear *** *******,

  Thank you for the opportunity the BBB provides to businesses to respond to a dispute. Please allow me to address the monetary issue first before I relate the findings from the health record. The patient returned both pairs of glasses to our office, April 18, 2023. Stating neither worked and he did not want them. He was refunded 75% of the cost of the custom eyewear. He paid $564 for the near glasses and $565 for the distance glasses. On the receipt, a copy is attached, it states, "All eyewear is custom made. 25% restocking fee if order is cancelled or returned." This policy is in place to cover a portion of our costs since once completed and worn the lenses and frame cannot be reused for any other patient or purpose. He was refunded the amount he was entitled to net of the stated restocking fee. $1129 less 25% came to: $846.75. This check was sent to the patient and was reported as received in his dispute. 

  The description of the patient's complaints and level of vision as described in the dispute do not match what he described in his history or what was recorded in his health record. This patient is highly myopic and has a prior history of needing to have his glasses remade to meet his desired level of vision, which was done to his satisfaction in 2021. 

  He was seen this year, January 24, 2023. At this examination his best corrected acuity with his refraction reached a level of 20/25 in his right eye and 20/20 in his left for distance. Near acuity reached 20/20 for near. He was noted to have developing posterior subcapsular cataracts in both eyes. Due to the good level acuity achieved, eyeglasses were prescribed, and he was educated to the presence of the cataract and the potential limitation of vision, but surgery was deferred. Separate distance and near glasses were prescribed. The patient does not wear multifocal lenses. 
  

  He returned to our office, February 9, 2023, to see me to recheck his prescription due to the problems he was reporting to staff. His chief complaint that day was about his distance vision not being sharp enough. He stated that his near glasses were great. The examination showed the acuity with his new distance glasses was 20/40 in his right eye and 20/25 in his left eye. His refraction was repeated, and an additional 0.25 diopter of distance power was added to each eye achieving an acuity of 20/25 in the right and 20/20 in the left. He was again reminded of the cataract change present but since relatively good vision in the examination room was achieved surgery was again deferred but it was explained this will be the maximum potential vision that can be achieved with glasses. He was not seen by me for further examination after this date. He was not charged for this visit as it is customary in our office not to charge for a recheck of eyewear made from our prescriptions. 
  

  In the dispute the patient states he, "can't see at all with the distance glasses (100% blurry)". He also refers to the near glasses being, "distorted but not being his priority". This does not reflect the conversation recorded during his examination history on the date of that visit, nor does this reflect the reality of a highly myopic patient and his documented visual acuity. 
  

  Regarding the multiple calls made to our office, it is not always possible to return all calls during the same business day. Our office is not open on Wednesdays or Sundays. His timeline reflects delays that most likely overlapped these time periods. On April 24, 2023, he returned both pairs of glasses to our office and requested a refund. 
  We are disappointed we could not meet the patient's needs as we strive to meet the visual and eye health needs of all our patients. He is free to seek care from a provider of his choice and we can forward any medical records he requests. 
  

  Please review this letter and the attachments. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us. 
  

  Sincerely,

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/15/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I do not feel that I should have to pay a "restocking fee" for services not rendered and should be refunded in full.  At every step of the process I repeatedly told Family Vision Care of Kingston that I could not see clearly at any range.  This was why I told them I was there for my initial eye exam, the 2nd eye exam, and when I picked up each of the attempts they made to manufacture glasses for me. They mentioned the formation of cataracts to me, but dismissed them as not the reason for my blurry vision.  As all the appointments and remanufactured glasses failed to provide me with clear vision, they never thought to investigate the cataracts further. Their solution was to keep strengthening my prescrition which did not solve the problem.   I have since gone to ************ and ************** and they both have concluded my blurry vision can not be corrected with prescription glasses.  See the attached information from these two doctors.   I am currently scheduled for cataract surgery in both eyes. 

  When I asked multiple people at Family Vision Care of Kingston  about a refund they never mentioned that it would not be in full. I feel that Family Vision Care of Kingston is now not acting in good faith by claiming a restocking fee for something they made for me that had no chance of helping me.  It is not my fault that they did not act upon or follow up on their own cataract diagnosis with more testing or a referral to a specialist.

   I am not coming away from unharmed either.  It is mid May and I still have to deal with blurry vision every waking minute of the day.  I live 18 miles from Family Vision Care of Kingston's office, and with all the visits drove a total distance of 252 miles back and forth.  Beyond that, I missed 14 hours of work and had to make up all those hours I lost from going back and forth, sitting there, and not being helped.  I feel the only way for Family Vision Care of Kingston to make this right at this point is to refund me in full.
  

  Regards,
  
  *****************************