Coldwater Vision Center

Throughout my whole visit Coldwater Vision Center kept trying to sell me additional products, even though I had already stated I did not want them. When I refused to buy their additional products, they told me I would have to come back in for a follow up visit on my contacts (even though I had worn contacts before).Even though they knew I wanted to purchase contacts that day, instead they only charged me a contact fitting fee and charged what I was actually supposed to co-pay through my insurance on the SECOND visit. Because of this, I had to pay $45 the first visit and $25 the second visit, even though my insurance states I should only have had to pay $35 in all.Even worse, the second time I was there I was forced to wait over an hour and a half for a simple follow up checkup. Customers who came in LONG after me were seen to before I was. I was made to feel very unwanted and as if it were an inconvenience to them.Coldwater Vision Center manipulated the billing process to cause me undue inconvenience and extort more money from me because I would not agree to extra products. NO OTHER PERSON IN MY OFFICE WAS CHARGED THIS WAY.I called their billing office and expressed my distress over this unfair treatment, and the woman I spoke with was completely unconcerned. She shrugged it off saying that she didn't see the problem, vision centers do it all the time, and that I wasn't getting my money back.Product_Or_Service: Eye exam and contactsDesired SettlementI made it clear that I wanted to pay for everything my first visit and that I was going through my insurance. I feel Coldwater Vision Center should honor what my insurance lists as my responsibility to pay and give me a refund of the extra money they forced me to pay out of pocket.Business Response On date of service 10/26/13 Ms [redacted] had an exam and contact lens fit in our office. On that date we collected a $35 contact lens fit fee plus $10 exam copay. The patient returned on 11/9/13 for followup and to order her contact lens. On 11/9 we filed a charge for 4 boxes of contact lens to Ms. [redacted]'s Spectera insurance plan. Ms [redacted] paid an additional $25 copay for material according to her Spectera plan. The office made an error in charging Ms [redacted] for her contact lens fit on 10/26. When Ms [redacted] called to inquire why she was charged the $35 since other patients with the same insurance plan had not been charged, Dr [redacted] promptly reviewed the claim and insurance authorization with [redacted], Billing Coordinator, and determined the error had been made in charging the patient for her contact lens fit. Ms [redacted] was sent a refund of $35 on 12/23/13. Ms [redacted] was a new patient in our office on 10/26/13 and it is customary for the doctor to discuss with the patient whether they wish to use their insurance benefit for glasses or for contact lens. The doctor suggests to most patients who choose to wear contact lens, that they need to consider a pair of glasses also as contacts should never be worn around the clock. I am assuming that is what Ms [redacted] is referring to when she complained that we tried to sell her additional products. There are no additional products that this office sells to a patient choosing contact lens. We do not sell contact lens solutions or accessories.In response to Mr [redacted]'s complaint concerning her second visit. All patients, whether established or new, who select contact lens are asked to return for a follow up visit 2 weeks after the contact lens fit and trial contacts are placed in the patient's eyes. We do not order boxes of contacts for a patient until the doctor is satisfied with the fit of the contacts and that the patient is satisfied with the trial contacts provided by the office on the exam date.On 11/9, Ms [redacted]'s appointment was at 10:30. There were only 2 appointments scheduled after her appointment time as the office is only open until 12:00 noon on Saturday. We did have 3 emergency work-in patients earlier in the morning that caused the scheduled patients to run as much as 20-30 minutes behind. No patient with a scheduled appointment time later than Ms [redacted] was seen by the doctor ahead of Ms [redacted]. There was absolutely no manipulation in billing or collection of money from the patient. An error was made in interpreting the patient's benefit in that we collected $35 for the contact lens fit. That problem was resolved and we made a refund to the patient of $35. Ms [redacted] alleges that someone in our billing office shrugged her off when she called concerning her overpayment. There are only 2 people in the office that discuss refund requests with our patients, myself and the Billing Coordinator. It is customary to tell a patient that we will pull the record, review the account and get back with them as soon as we can to resolve the issue. I have no reason to believe there was a deviation from policy in regards to Ms [redacted]'s request.Final Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)Coldwater vision center was not "prompt" with their refund, as anyone can note by looking at the dates they have listed.In fact, most people will note that Coldwater Vision did not offer me a refund until well after I called them and then was forced to file a complaint with the Revdex.com.I made clear from the moment I entered the office that I was only interested in the basic exam my insurance would cover, plus the boxes of contacts that my insurance would cover. As my insurance stated I could only receive contacts or glasses, I chose to shop around for glasses that would fit my out-of-pocket budget. This did not stop Coldwater Vision from trying to hard-sell me on additional tests that would not have been covered, constantly "forgetting" I had opted out of them, or trying to sit me down at a table so they could insist I also pay for a pair of glasses.Dr. [redacted] did later call me regarding the matter, but she stated it was only after she viewed my complaint on their Facebook page.I was offered a refund when December came around, which I requested by mail as I did not wish to return to Coldwater Vision. Some weeks later I had to call and inquire about my refund, as staff had "forgotten" to mail it.Please note that from the time I had my exam to the time I received my refund, a good amount of time had elapsed. There was nothing "prompt" about it, and the fact that I had to first file a complaint with the Revdex.com is a clear indication of how much courtesy I received.If the billing department, of all things, goes slow, imagine how much slower it went sitting in the office, being shuffled from waiting room to waiting room with nobody so much as acknowledging that you were there, or explaining what was taking so long, or thanking you for being patient. I've been to fast food restaurants that treated their drive through customers with more respect.It's a shame, because Coldwater Vision has genuinely nice optometrists. Perhaps they "forgot" all these things. They certainly seemed to forget a lot while I was there.Final Business Response