My experience with Direct Optical Superstore started great but is ending in small claims court. The woman I made the appointment with over the phone was very friendly. The Ophthalmologist was great and provided a much more comprehensive exam than I received in the past at Pearle Vision. And the “stylists” in the store were great. I worked with Marina (?) and someone else who helped me select frames that I really love.\r
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But in less than 3 weeks, the lenses were scratched and gouged. I went to the store and spoke with Robert. He said that the scratches were so severe they were not covered by their warranty. I explained that I’ve worn glasses for nearly 30 years and that I’ve never had any lenses get so scratched, period, let alone within only 2.5 weeks of ownership. I asked to speak with a manager. He said she would call me the next day.\r
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As promised the Owner called me the next day. Mariana repeated what Robert told me—that the lenses were so scratched that they would not be covered by warranty. I suggested that if the lenses were in such a defective state, that would be exactly what the warranty was for. I asked how it was possible that I could wear numerous other glasses for 30 years and never get such bad scratches. I also asked what would cause such terrible starches and she had no idea. She eventually offered to replace the lens at half price. I paid $584 for the glasses and this meant I would need to pay another $100+ to return them to non-defective condition. \r
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I continued to leave messages for Mariana with the store manager Pauline. I said I wanted them to replace the one lens at no charge to me or I would dispute the charges with my credit card company. After a few days of no call back, I filed the dispute. \r
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The dispute is still on-going and is wasting my time. So I posted a note on Facebook and LinkedIn saying that if Direct Optical didn’t replace the lens at no charge that I would tell my colleagues and friends about my bad experience—I should spare my friends the hassle. Within a few hours, Mariana called me at work and threatened to tell my employee that I was threating her. I tried to reason with her that I wasn’t threating her, but that I was just being honest. She told me to never contact them again or go into their store. I replied that her decision left me with only one other option—small claims court.\r
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All I want is for Direct Optical to stand behind their merchandise and replace the defective lens at no cost to me. I’ve tried to be reasonable and patient, but they have forced me to take greater action than I would have preferred. \r
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UPDATE: As promised, Direct Optical followed through on their assurance to call my employer. On June 21, Dennis Chaiken (the owner) called my office and asked for my supervisor. He was transferred to my business partner. Dennis left a voicemail requesting that my ‘boss’ call him back immediately as he had ‘something very important to discuss regarding one of your employees’. I’m glad Dennis has the time to call my colleagues, but not call me or fix my lens.
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