Ultralase - guarantee no longer valid - advice needed

kmcn1980

hi,

similar to the comments i have read on this thread i had laser eye surgery in 2008 and paid extra for the life time guarantee, after being told yesterday that my eyes have deteriorated and i now have to wear glasses/contacts again full time i decded to chase up my life time guarantee only to be told ultralase ltd have ceased trading. I took fiance out with ultra lase in order to pay for the treatment and i am sure the company was hitacha. I have contacted the financial ombudsman to ask about my rights they suggested I contact hitacha in the first instance, explain the circumstances and await their response. If they are not willing to reimburse me for the extra i paid they informed me i could contact them back and they will look into it further for me has any one else received any monies back. thanks kirsty 

andwan0

kmcn1980 said:

hi,

similar to the comments i have read on this thread i had laser eye surgery in 2008 and paid extra for the life time guarantee, after being told yesterday that my eyes have deteriorated and i now have to wear glasses/contacts again full time i decded to chase up my life time guarantee only to be told ultralase ltd have ceased trading. I took fiance out with ultra lase in order to pay for the treatment and i am sure the company was hitacha. I have contacted the financial ombudsman to ask about my rights they suggested I contact hitacha in the first instance, explain the circumstances and await their response. If they are not willing to reimburse me for the extra i paid they informed me i could contact them back and they will look into it further for me has any one else received any monies back. thanks kirsty 

Was similar situation/circumstances as you.

Just give them a phone and ask for a "aftercare / check up" appointment. I had to go for "aftercare / checkup" about 4 times before being offered retreatment (free of charge).

However had to pay small fee to book place for "meet the surgeon" appointment (which they said goes towards the surgery). I mention that my retreatment was free and they said I'll get the "holding fee" back. (which am still waiting for).

On the other hand, I had the retreatment and it went well/okay. Better eye sight than before.

Clive_Woody

Ultralase Ltd was bought by the owner of competitor Optimax (Russell Ambrose) then shut down, cancelling all debts and liabilities, then re-opened as Ultralase Eye Clinics Limited in 2013 but on it's website still claims to have been around since 1991.

https://www.moneywise.co.uk/work/shopping/ultralases-laser-eye-surgery-guarantee-proves-worthless

Incho68

andwan0 said:

Was similar situation/circumstances as you.

Just give them a phone and ask for a "aftercare / check up" appointment. I had to go for "aftercare / checkup" about 4 times before being offered retreatment (free of charge).

However had to pay small fee to book place for "meet the surgeon" appointment (which they said goes towards the surgery). I mention that my retreatment was free and they said I'll get the "holding fee" back. (which am still waiting for).

On the other hand, I had the retreatment and it went well/okay. Better eye sight than before.

Im in the same boat - had both eyes treated over 10 years ago (wavefront treatment) and one eye certainly requires pretreatment. Ultralase have offered me nothing other than quoting £50 for a consultation (think new customers get free consultation!) and a discounted price of £1,095 per eye. Before I respond to them, what do I need to say or do to push for free pretreatment?

please note - I paid for my initial treatment on 0% finance over 3 years with Hitachi - would you suggest I speak to them first and pursue section 75 protection.

Sickbag_2

Hi I have just found myself in the same situation. I had my eyes done in 2010 and have been told today that the Lifetime Guarantee is not valid. Has anyone had any success in overturning this? I also paid for the treatment through Hitachi Capital. 
Any advice would be much appreciated

sharon_page

Hi I also had this done in St Albans but I’m not sure of the date I can’t find my paperwork I know I had £1000 in credit which I paid off within a year I can’t find any of my paperwork in your ideas what I should do? Any help would be great thank you

Matthew_White

Hello Sharon, I have gone to Hitachi and mentioned the Section 75 Consumer of Credit Act. As they supplied me the finance to pay for the procedure in Chelmsford, as they admit "they are jointly liable" and they are being kind of helpful, they asked me to find the my receipt (which I cannot find), to provide the Life time Guarantee I was given, proof of follow after care visits (Ultralase cannot give me this information and only can confirm the date of my procedure)  proof of eye tests and a current eye test prescription, I had my surgery done in 2006 and was wearing glasses in 2009 (though I could not send a prescription I sent 2 photo with dates with me wearing glasses, I am awaiting for my optician to provide me with the site tests I have had done since 2014 - 2020. My grudge with Ultralase is that I told them I was wearing glasses 3 years after my procedure and done nothing for me and this was before the old Ultralase went into administration. I went to all the follow up appointments in Chelmsford, Hammersmith and Tottenham Court Road. I do not want to have them honour the life time guarantee, I want a refund for the costs of my procedure of £3000 and 8% interest for every year since (going back 15 years) Good luck & best wishes.

lmd2022

Hi, has anyone had any luck with this? 

I had the surgery done in 2007, I called Ultralase today to find out that the ‘old company’ had gone into administration. I was none the wiser! I was advised my life time guarantee is now void and to have re treatment it’s £1095 per eye plus a £50 consultation fee. I’m shocked to say the least!! My dad initially paid for my treatment and it was paid outright at the time. He’s no longer with us so I cannot obtain proof of payment now  

my eye sight worsened a couple of years after the surgery and I actually made an appointment with them in 2012/2013 and they told me to wait until I was in my 30s for the re treatment - they shafted me. They knew, by me waiting all that time that my guarantee wouldn’t be worth the paper it was written on!! 

andwan0

Yes, got my free repeat 2 years ago... Just a lot of chasing

[Deleted User]

lmd2022 said:

Hi, has anyone had any luck with this? 

I had the surgery done in 2007, I called Ultralase today to find out that the ‘old company’ had gone into administration. I was none the wiser! I was advised my life time guarantee is now void and to have re treatment it’s £1095 per eye plus a £50 consultation fee. I’m shocked to say the least!! My dad initially paid for my treatment and it was paid outright at the time. He’s no longer with us so I cannot obtain proof of payment now  

my eye sight worsened a couple of years after the surgery and I actually made an appointment with them in 2012/2013 and they told me to wait until I was in my 30s for the re treatment - they shafted me. They knew, by me waiting all that time that my guarantee wouldn’t be worth the paper it was written on!! 

It's extremely unlikely a firm would deliberately tell you to wait (when that wait is long established medical advice to refrain until at least the 30s to allow prescriptions to stabilise for a couple of years to avoid the refractive error with improve or worse after surgery) because they knew they were going into administration.Generally speaking, the customer service team and branch staff have no idea that this is coming as they don't see the books. Ultralase went into administration on 30th October 2013