Hi Cobc Case Studies

Hi COBC,

I am glad that you are keeping me updated with the status of the case. I have read Provision Optical's response to the complaint and I feel that it is necessary to provide the inquiry committee with additional info to better the investigation. The reason that I am bringing this issue to the attention of COBC is because I believe that this business transaction does not only involve consumer fraud but also violates ethical opticianry services. It is my hope that the success of this case can help prevent other future victims from suffering fraud and unethical services from Provision Optical.

First of all, I did make my case to BBB regarding this conflict with Provision Optical. Due to BBB's limited legal jurisdictions over the case,

they feel unfortunate in their ability to resolve this complaint. However, the Dispute Resolution Counselor of BBB did notify me that this case will appear in BBB's business review as a closed case where the the consumer is dissatisfied and complaint unresolved. Hence, the case is closed but with no resolution. It is important for the business in question to realize that a closed case does not mean that Provision Optical is freed from their charges. Therefore, this is exactly why I feel that it is necessary to continue on with the complaint against Provision Optical through COBC by suggestion of Consumer Protection BC.

Second of all, the frame was broken but the lens were perfectly intact and functional.

I only asked him to find a new frame for me to fit the lens into. If it was difficult for him to find a suitable frame in the case where he doesn't have an appropriate one in his store, then he should have honestly told me upfront that he doesn't have a frame that would suit the lens. He said that he would try looking for a right frame that is suitable and that I would agree taking, but instead he took my lens and brought it to the back of the store where he fit my lens into a random frame altogether without my consent. He should have took the frame out of the storage room first and ask my opinion. Contrary to his response, I was not satisfied that he disregarded my opinion and my decision on the frame. I would expect him to at least show me what frame he would suggest using and let me decide if I want that frame. His actions made me felt like I was forced into this business and being pulled along without my opinion being heard. It is also important for me to make clear that the frame that he gave me is not a new frame as he has claimed. Instead, it is an old frame that he randomly got in the storage room that is crooked and asymmetrical. The frame's crookedness, cause images on one side to appear higher than the other, merge together and distorted to the point where I can't even differentiate left and right when I put the glasses on. Other issues include dizziness and a headache. If he is aware that an inappropriate frame could lead to potential risks and vision impairment, then he knowingly committed this taking in no consideration of the possible consequences that could happen to me. I raised my concern to him many times, and he firmly said that he thinks everything is fine the way it is. If I was satisfied with the glasses, then why would I need to have a new pair of glasses made? For the crooked glasses, he charged me $80. After he has heard me continuously disagreeing

that the glasses was usable, he lured me into another business transaction. He saw that I was not satisfied and reluctant, so at the time, he promised that I could pay him $80 first and return the glasses whenever I want and get the $80 back if I choose to make a pair of new glasses with Provision Optical. He said that since my lens are progressive and with a high prescription, it would be difficult to find a frame that would work with the lens that I have. At that time, I had already paid him $80. Seeing that the crooked glasses are difficult to function with and that I need a pair of functional glasses at the time, I agreed. I felt that he was extremely irresponsible knowing from the beginning that the crooked frame is problematic, but still persist that it is fine, and actually charged me $80 for something that would be detrimental to my vision; so that he could bring up the idea of a new pair of glasses to have spend an extra few hundred dollars. My last prescription dates back to a few years ago, in which he is the one that suggest that I should get my eyes examined. He said that after I have my new prescription, he could offer me a pair of new glasses for $380, with me only paying only $300 because when I bring in the the crooked frame, he would give me back my $80. Therefore, $300 is the agreed price for the glasses (1.67 high index, progressive, presbyopia, anti-glare, scratch resistance with V2 Comfort Azio Crizal EC and etc). It was not a situation where I wanted to have a new pair of glasses done by Provision Optical, since I was not satisfied with how dishonest and irresponsible he was previously. Instead, I felt like that was the only choice that I had in order for him to give me back my $80. However, after I got my prescription and we were ready to revisit the price of the glasses, he raised the price all the way up to a double of the original agreed price, which is around $650. The difference of what he had initially promised was beyond belief. I decided to leave then because I had enough of the ways he had used of taking advantage over me. When I showed no interest and decided to not go along with the glasses, he held me in way beyond his store's closing time. After a long dreadful conversation, I managed to talk the price down from around $650 to $430. However, I was still eager to return the unusable glasses for my money back. So I reminded him that I want to return the old frame now that I am having my new glasses made. Instead of carrying out what he had promised, he said "we don't want it back now, its all worn and old now," which I thought was extremely awful for him to say because of the frame's poor condition from the very beginning, to neglecting my vision and failure to carry out what he had promised. Therefore, how he wrote off that there was an $80 deduction to the price and the total as $350 is totally misleading. It would be $350 only if he had let me refund the frame for a full $80 back. He didn't give me back $80, so I ended up paying $430 altogether for a crooked frame and an unusable pair of new glasses. Now moving on, the new glasses itself was more problematic than the previous one since both the frame and the lens itself possess problems of their own. The frame is once again one side higher then the other, the right being lower and the left higher which causes a headache and dizziness. The lens are problematic in that images are distorted, blurred, out of focus and duplicated. In addition, the lens which he has used for my glasses is not V2 Comfort Azio Crizal EC, but instead something of much lower quality. I could tell that he was furious when he didn't end the deal with more than $600 and therefore, he ended up going back on his words by using something cheaper to "make it even." However, I did end up going over my budget, and he did raise the price all the way up before the " deduction/discount" (Please note: it was not a real deduction, there was no deduction at all, it was a tactic to cover up that he had cheated me with an unusable frame in which he refused to give a refund, the $80 "discount" that he falsely wrote off on the invoice is to falsely claim that he has paid me back $80 for returning the frame ). So at the end of the day, I still paid for an unusable frame, a pair of completely dysfunctional glasses, paid $130 more (initial cost is only $300, the total now is $430 altogether).Therefore, in total I paid $430 altogether for a crooked old frame and a pair of unusable glasses that absolutely cannot function at all. Hence, I find Provision Optical extremely unreasonable in their dishonesty on agreed matters, irresponsibility of their client's vision health and unethical in how they provide services and products. Provision Optical has already took advantage of me in many ways, and it is absolutely disappointing to learn that they are trying to have me pay an extra $220 for what he had initially promised, another strategy to rip me money off of me. The broken promise on using V2 Comfort Azio Crizal EC is definitely a primary issue, but paying $430 for a pair of glasses that is absolutely dysfunctional remains as the main concern and reason for the complaint. It is important for Provision Optical to let go of their constant desire to seize every opportunity to make money out of me. Instead, he should have been concerned why his customer is unable to function day to day activities with his glasses and is experiencing dizziness, headaches and visual issues when wearing the glasses made by his business. I have talked to him prior to filing my complaint, but he has refused to listen, remained strong only on what he believes and disregarded my every concern and the request for help.

Thirdly, I did want to return the first frame but he refused to do so and there was no deduction whatsoever. I paid $80 first, then the remaining $350, in which adds up to $430. Therefore, in the end, I did not get to return the first frame nor get my $80 back. If we revisit the invoices, we can see that he charged me $80 first in March and wrote off that he had took off $80 from the the $430 total on the April invoice. What he basically did was wrote off that he had discounted me $80 for the $80 he never gave back. He took my $80 first, then wrote on another invoice that he deducted $80 so that it seemed I had "saved" $80 when the money is still in his pocket. Therefore, the total amount that I got scammed by this business is $430 altogether. In addition, I did raise my concerns of the new glasses when I revisited the business, but not only was he not considering the issues, but he was also hostile to the point where he warned me not to visit his store anymore. I had no other alternatives but filing a complaint against him. I had tried to communicate with him, but he is unreasonable to the point of disbelief. I had discussed very thoroughly what I want to have done (the glasses that I want to have made), my issues and concerns with the glasses after the product is finished (he is fully aware of everything discussed in this message but chooses to ignore). He fully acknowledges what I want done, but still persists on the products and services that he believes that I deserve. Lastly, the statement about his 18 years of good services and high quality products is extremely questionable if this is the type of service and products he is providing for the last 18 years. In addition, the credibility of him and his business demands scrutiny based on his unclear status of being a registered optician, qualifications and him and his store's past practice history . His credibility is also in question when faced with his unethical, irresponsible and dishonest actions in this entire situation. The glasses and the first frame are definitely unusable and dysfunctional, and I believe that this is in no way a fair and ethical transaction. The product is not functional at all and is contrary to what he had promised and what I would expect. I truly believe that I got scammed $430 for something that I can't even use. Therefore, I strongly believe that it is only reasonable for me to demand a full refund of $430 from Provision Optical, have him formally promise to never commit anything that violates ethical standards in providing such service/products and to have his status checked as a registered optician (and the consequences in consideration to the type of service he had provided if he is not recognised).

Lastly, I am willing to comply with any part of the inquiry committee's investigation by providing product inspection. Please inform me when it is necessary to have the glasses be inspected by an optician and all the instruction in doing so.

Thank you once again and I look forward to the progression of the case.

Best regards,

Ms. Lam