The Great Glasses saga continues...

**eyemanflying** · 03-02-2008, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by Golfnorth

When I read the heading on this post "Great Glasses Go To Hell" I thought it was from another staisfied customer of theirs.

I have heard many horror stories from actual past customers. The amazing thing is...despite the bad press, word of mouth, talk amongst the industry and it's suppliers, they still seem to be surviving and doing rather well. Go figure.:hammer:

**890890** · 03-03-2008, 06:46 PM

LOL... another unhappy employee in great glasses... :hammer:

**AdmiralKnight** · 03-05-2008, 01:13 AM

You know, in Halifax, there was one office that did nothing but bad work. Every Optician in town knew of it, and had heard horror stories from previous customers of this place. The guy even had his license suspended, which is huge when you consider how small a community of DOs we have (180ish for the whole province). Yet people kept going to him. Why? Price. No one could touch his prices. Not Wal-Mart, not Costco, no one. His business model was "Hey they were cheap, I'm not giving you good service on top of it." And it worked. Still works. He's still busy. People are willing to sacrifice a lot to save a buck... atleast they think they are.

**eyemanflying** · 03-05-2008, 05:44 AM

There is a market in every industry. Target yours, focus on it and stick with it. Not-So Great Glasses and the guy in Halifax is living proof you can still survive. The guy in Halifax, is he brother of Bergez?

Excalibur · 06-21-2008, 06:28 AM

Originally Posted by eyemanflying

I have heard many horror stories from actual past customers. The amazing thing is...despite the bad press, word of mouth, talk amongst the industry and it's suppliers, they still seem to be surviving and doing rather well. Go figure.:hammer:

I recently called one of their stores to discuss a lens design for one of my patients that had an adaptation problem from glasses they had made. It seemed that their optician was never there, and when I asked for the name of the optician I later found out from the opticianry licensing body said there was nobody by that name on their register.

**Refractingoptician.com** · 06-21-2008, 07:05 AM

Did you ask who, if anyone, is registered to that location or any of their locations ? An optician working in a store must inform the College within ten days ,I believe, of moving to a new location . Therefore the College database should never be out of date by more than ten days .

Call them back and ask who is registered there .

Excalibur · 06-21-2008, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by Gary

Did you ask who, if anyone, is registered to that location or any of their locations ? An optician working in a store must inform the College within ten days ,I believe, of moving to a new location . Therefore the College database should never be out of date by more than ten days .

Call them back and ask who is registered there .

I received the name of the 'optician' from one of the workers at that location. When I gave the name of that 'optician' to a staff member of the College, the administration official indicated nobody was licensed with that name in their registry. In fact, there was nobody listed in their register with a name even resembling that name.

**LandLord** · 06-21-2008, 12:24 PM

I guess crime really does pay!

**Refractingoptician.com** · 06-22-2008, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by Excalibur

I received the name of the 'optician' from one of the workers at that location. When I gave the name of that 'optician' to a staff member of the College, the administration official indicated nobody was licensed with that name in their registry. In fact, there was nobody listed in their register with a name even resembling that name.

It is not important that the name you had was not registered there . it is important that "someone be registered there" so did you ask "WHO" does the College show as being registered to that location ? Then it is important , when they tell you no one is according to their records , that you ask them why they are allowing the store to stay open without CONSTANTLY , EVERY DAY WARNING & PROTECTING THE PUBLIC . They have a CONTINUAL DUTY to protect the public , not an intermittent duty .

WARNING THE PUBLIC WITH ONE LAWSUIT AND AN OCCASIONAL NEWSPAPER ARTICLE DOES NOT DISCHARGE THEIR DUTY TO CONTINUALLY PROTECT WHEN THEY ARE AWARE OF CONTINUAL INFRACTIONS AND THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE PUBLIC DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING AND THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE PUBLIC CONTINUES TO SHOP THERE THINKING THAT "It Must be ok or it would be shut down ."

Each of us needs to keep the pressure up on the COLLEGE to protect the public from known violations .

ASK yourself this : If there is a huge bus swallowing sinkhole in the road , is it sufficient for a City to roadblock it once then remove the barriers the next day ? or must the City keep the roadblocks and warning signs up each and every day until the sinkhole is repaired ?

Why should it be any different for the Colleges ?

Excalibur · 06-22-2008, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by Gary

It is not important that the name you had was not registered there . it is important that "someone be registered there" so did you ask "WHO" does the College show as being registered to that location ? Then it is important , when they tell you no one is according to their records , that you ask them why they are allowing the store to stay open without CONSTANTLY , EVERY DAY WARNING & PROTECTING THE PUBLIC . They have a CONTINUAL DUTY to protect the public , not an intermittent duty .

WARNING THE PUBLIC WITH ONE LAWSUIT AND AN OCCASIONAL NEWSPAPER ARTICLE DOES NOT DISCHARGE THEIR DUTY TO CONTINUALLY PROTECT WHEN THEY ARE AWARE OF CONTINUAL INFRACTIONS AND THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE PUBLIC DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING AND THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE PUBLIC CONTINUES TO SHOP THERE THINKING THAT "It Must be ok or it would be shut down ."

Each of us needs to keep the pressure up on the COLLEGE to protect the public from known violations .

ASK yourself this : If there is a huge bus swallowing sinkhole in the road , is it sufficient for a City to roadblock it once then remove the barriers the next day ? or must the City keep the roadblocks and warning signs up each and every day until the sinkhole is repaired ?

Why should it be any different for the Colleges ?

I agree. And let me clarify my note again -- the College representative indicated that the person whose name I provided was not listed as a licensed optician in Ontario. Thus, the person who claims to be the 'store optician' is not actually a licensed optician in that jurisdiction. We called the store many times to discuss the patient's case with an optician, only to find that this 'optician' or any other licensed optician was on site when we called.

**Refractingoptician.com** · 06-22-2008, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by Excalibur

I agree. And let me clarify my note again -- the College representative indicated that the person whose name I provided was not listed as a licensed optician in Ontario. Thus, the person who claims to be the 'store optician' is not actually a licensed optician in that jurisdiction. We called the store many times to discuss the patient's case with an optician, only to find that this 'optician' or any other licensed optician was on site when we called.

File a written complaint with both Colleges , get details in person with a witness . Fraud and misrepresentation is a police matter is it not ? Demand that both Colleges start protecting the public by public awareness ads and demand to know why the licenses have not been revoked permanently.

Excalibur · 06-22-2008, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by Gary

File a written complaint with both Colleges , get details in person with a witness . Fraud and misrepresentation is a police matter is it not ? Demand that both Colleges start protecting the public by public awareness ads and demand to know why the licenses have not been revoked permanently.

There was no license to revoke. This person who claims to be an optician is not licensed as one, however, this may well be a case of fraud.

**Oedema** · 06-22-2008, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by Excalibur

There was no license to revoke. This person who claims to be an optician is not licensed as one, however, this may well be a case of fraud.

In these cases the College of Opticians is quite aggressive in going after those that dispense without a license... pretty hefty fines considering that those dispensing for great glasses aren't making much.

**Refractingoptician.com** · 06-22-2008, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by Oedema

In these cases the College of Opticians is quite aggressive in going after those that dispense without a license... pretty hefty fines considering that those dispensing for great glasses aren't making much.

Nice thought, but unfortunately not true .

If it were true then , they would not have just suspended two licenses they would have already had the misconduct hearings and then revoked the two licenses . As it is , I would be willing to bet that if you called them , you would find out that they have not even set a date for a misconduct hearing .

One license they "Interim Suspended " November 16th, 2006 . In 5 more months that will be a two year old suspension and they still have not even set a date for the misconduct hearing . The man's right to a speedy trial is being violtated and the Statute of Limitations will run out before any "aggression" kicks in .

The other license is also in "Interim Suspension " since December 20 , 2007 according to their web site and also no hearing date seems to have been set .

Oh yeah, real Aggressive .

If I make a circle out of my thumb and finger that would be how many times I have personally seen a College paid for public awareness ad .

If you read the trial transcripts you might even come away with an entirely different point of view.

In fact , why not call the College and ask " exactly how many individuals working at this place have been charged with unauthorized dispensing " and also ask " are these charges being actively pursued " ,

Aggressive ???

**Refractingoptician.com** · 06-23-2008, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by Excalibur

There was no license to revoke. This person who claims to be an optician is not licensed as one, however, this may well be a case of fraud.

We are on slightly different wavelengths. I was talking about the two licenses that they did suspend but did not revoke because they never did set a date for a misconduct hearing .

You are correct about the person you dealt with , if there is no license then there is nothing to suspend or revoke . You only have a civil or police matter . Which might be a blessing . Maybe something would get accomplished.

In any event , licensed or not , they still operate .