Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/16/2025

  Type:Service or Repair 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 June 14th I went to a free consultation with Dr. ********* at Dulles Eye Associates to see if I was a candidate for Lasik or PRK. Dr. ********* informed me that I qualified for *** and wanted to schedule surgery that same day. I was shocked that he wanted to do it right then, and I said I needed to get a second opinion first and I wasnt ready to do a same day surgery. The front desk people said I needed to give a deposit to keep my appointment and pressured me into giving it, so I paid what I was told was a refundable $500 deposit.I got a second opinion from a very reputable ophthalmologist and was told that I wasnt a good candidate due to some other health and medical problems. I was told that if I went through PRK surgery, it would actually not be a good result and I shouldnt do it. When I called I called Dulles Eye Associates and told them to cancel my appointment, that I had changed my mind and would not move forward with any surgery and asked for my deposit back, they informed me the $500 deposit was non-refundable. So they pressured me to have surgery that wouldnt have been good for me and took my money and refused to give it back. Dulles Eye Associates clearly does not have their patients best interests in mind and are only in it for the money. When my husband tried to get the deposit back, they were rude and refused to budge, claiming that all deposits are non-refundable. This is just wrong!I have many more details how this happened and Id be happy to provide further information and discuss in more detail. Feel free to contact me at **************************************** or ************.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/10/2025

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/12/2025

  For my second visit, on June 14th, I was under the impression I was getting a second opinion.  The doctor that saw me informed me that I was a candidate and that I could have the surgery that day, which shocked me and rattled me.  I declined surgery that day but I felt pressured to schedule and pay the $500 deposit.  I was not informed that the $500 deposit was non-refundable and when I left the office, I believed fully that I could reschedule surgery or cancel and get my deposit back.  I went home that day and talked to my husband, telling him that I had scheduled surgery, paid a REFUNDABLE deposit, and that we could change the appointment or cancel it.  

  Please note that the consent form that has been provided does not include any information or statements about the $500 be non-refundable.  The paperwork provided by Dulles Eye, and given to me, shows there are five pages, but I only received pages one through three.  They did not provide me with anything in writing about the deposit being non-refundable.  I did not sign a consent about the $500 deposit being non-refundable, only that I understood the risks of surgery.

  After discussing over the weekend, we decided that we needed a true second opinion before proceeding with surgery.
  

  I called Dulles Eye on Tuesday afternoon, June 18, to cancel my surgery as I needed more time to get a true second opinion and to make sure this was something I wanted to do.  I spoke with a gentleman who had a thick accent who took my information and said he would take care of it.  I called back on Friday, June 21 as I had not gotten a call back from Dulles Eye and I wanted to make sure that I received my deposit back.  They are claiming that I cancelled on the day of the surgery, which isn't accurate.  I had called on Tuesday, June 18, and left a message with their office that I was cancelling that appointment. 

  My dispute is that I was not informed the deposit was non-refundable and that I did cancel the appointment earlier in the week, so I should be refunded.

  I am also really upset about the way Dulles Eye pressured me and tried to perform surgery on me the same day.  When I got a second opinion, they informed me that I am not a good candidate for *** and that had I proceeded with PRK for one eye, I most likely would have screwed up my vision for the rest of my life.  That scares me that Dulles Eye was so ready to do this to me and I had a high risk of poor vision for the rest of my life. 

  As Dulles Eye has not proven that they communicated the non-refundable deposit, I demand my deposit back. 
  

   

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/12/2025

  [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: 23072978
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  For my second visit, on June 14th, I was under the impression I was getting a second opinion.  The doctor that saw me informed me that I was a candidate and that I could have the surgery that day, which shocked me and rattled me.  I declined surgery that day but I felt pressured to schedule and pay the $500 deposit.  I was not informed that the $500 deposit was non-refundable and when I left the office, I believed fully that I could reschedule surgery or cancel and get my deposit back.  I went home that day and talked to my husband, telling him that I had scheduled surgery, paid a REFUNDABLE deposit, and that we could change the appointment or cancel it.  
  Please note that the consent form that has been provided does not include any information or statements about the $500 be non-refundable.  The paperwork provided by Dulles Eye, and given to me, shows there are five pages, but I only received pages one through three.  They did not provide me with anything in writing about the deposit being non-refundable.  I did not sign a consent about the $500 deposit being non-refundable, only that I understood the risks of surgery.
  After discussing over the weekend, we decided that we needed a true second opinion before proceeding with surgery.
  
  I called Dulles Eye on Tuesday afternoon, June 18, to cancel my surgery as I needed more time to get a true second opinion and to make sure this was something I wanted to do.  I spoke with a gentleman who had a thick accent who took my information and said he would take care of it.  I called back on Friday, June 21 as I had not gotten a call back from Dulles Eye and I wanted to make sure that I received my deposit back.  They are claiming that I cancelled on the day of the surgery, which isn't accurate.  I had called on Tuesday, June 18, and left a message with their office that I was cancelling that appointment. 
  My dispute is that I was not informed the deposit was non-refundable and that I did cancel the appointment earlier in the week, so I should be refunded.
  I am also really upset about the way Dulles Eye pressured me and tried to perform surgery on me the same day.  When I got a second opinion, they informed me that I am not a good candidate for PRK and that had I proceeded with PRK for one eye, I most likely would have screwed up my vision for the rest of my life.  That scares me that Dulles Eye was so ready to do this to me and I had a high risk of poor vision for the rest of my life. 
  As Dulles Eye has not proven that they communicated the non-refundable deposit, I demand my deposit back. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/29/2025

  I don't understand how this can be closed.  Dulles Eye Associates keeps sending a copy of the consent form but has not provided anything in writing about the deposit being non-refundable.  They haven't proved that to us or to you.  So confused how this can be closed.  I maintain that I was not informed, either verbally or in writing, that the $500 was non-refundable.  I called to cancel several days prior to the surgery day and I expect a refund.  Please advise.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2025

  Please review Dulles Eye Associates Second Response