Optician visiting care home and inventing orders

Kim_13

Parent received a call this morning asking for payment for some glasses for their sibling (sibling doesn’t feel comfortable having anything more than a small amount of cash in the care home, as items have gone missing in the past.) After getting the caller to confirm sibling’s details and the address of the care home, parent unfortunately gave the card details (though thankfully no more than the amount they said is pending.)

Shortly afterwards, wondering if something was amiss, they headed down to the care home where their sibling said that while an optician had been in for a sight check, they hadn’t agreed to anything and were awaiting a prescription from them. Staff at the care home gave the number of the optician and on calling them, they claimed that their colleague L had taken the order. When told the customer hadn’t signed anything, they said the care home staff sign to agree to the visit - but shouldn’t a resident who still has capacity and who can do so be required to sign for themselves, especially if an order is to be placed? Eventually they conceded that there had some crossed wires somewhere and agreed to refund, but despite being the very same agent who had called to take the payment, said that someone would have to call back to refund. That call did arrive and after trying to talk them out of it - the glasses were recommended, that (parent) had called this morning to pay for them (!) they said they would cancel. In any case they are in receipt of Pension Credit, which they would have furnished the award letter for had they been ordering anything.

Wondering what the avenues are in the event that the refund doesn’t materialise - would a chargeback even work as the card details were given to them? That there had been some crossed wires is as much as they’ll admit; they’re still treating it as a cancellation rather than voiding it on the basis that their agent had no authority to raise the order. The care home have since advised that another resident has also had the same happen to him.

(Didn’t know whether to post here, Praise, Vent and Warnings or the Bank Accounts board - it wasn’t a Credit Card so there will be no S75.)

ArbitraryRandom

IIUC, domiciliary/care home visits are often problematic - a couple of independent optometrists I know have vented at me more than once re how upset and frustrated they've been by the lack of care and respect shown to people who they have looked after for decades and have just moved into a care home/supported accommodation.

Speaking generically, the contracted service don't have all the equipment needed to test the same way they would in the shop (it's just not easily portable); they are often booked by the care home to see all of the residents, even when the resident/the residents family would prefer to be seen by the optician that they have a history with; linked, they don't have access to the residents medical history on site; and they can be (careful not to tar all with the same brush) seen as a quick way to make money, so even when they have the equipment they don't always actually examine the patients eyes/record the information needed to monitor deterioration etc... 

But as for your problem and hypothetical, basically your first step would be to make a complaint to the optician (about the exam, or the lack of refund/delay). 

Then, if they don't respond appropriately, you can go to you card provider (showing you tried to resolve it with the optician first) or to https://www.opticalcomplaints.co.uk/ - who are basically a professional mediation service. 


Not specifically for you, but for completeness (in case you have another issue in the future), if you want to complain about the quality of service provided, you can escalate to the Health Service Ombudsman, and if you are concerned about the quality of care provided, you could report the individual optician or practice to the General Optical Council