Ultralase in Ireland to Close?

I’ve heard that a few legal letters were recently sent out by Ahern Rudden about this. Anyone care to make an informed guess about the likelihood of court proceedings for < €400?

Wow I really am the last in the know, I only called ultralase this morning to get a check up appointment - plodding along content the last few years with the knowledge of my lifetime guarantee!!! Oh how that has been pulled from under me quick!

So- the number went through to optical express uk. They said they Fully took over ultralase customers, but since I got my eyes done in 2012 I'd have to pay 80 euro for an appointment with optical express Wellington road. I said but it is a free lifetime guarantee no? She said no it's not free for the lifetime guarantee. I need to dig out my contract. Like overall I have little hope as of this morning, but I'd love an update to see how people have got on?? Has anyone else formally moved to optical express ?? Did the lifetime guarantee stand up?? There seems to be little talk on it in the last year.

I had a drop to minus 0.25/-0.5 in the initial ultralase follow up. They said oh if it gets worse we can re do the surgery no problem (in my memeory this was to all be free). #Doh😡

Thanks a million if anyone has any advice or updates.

Heebie wrote: »

Optical Express? I know I ended up with my follow-up care handled by Optimax in Belfast.

But.. they took care of my adjustment, I think, only because Ultralase had already made the call to do the adjustment surgery.

The free lifetime care guarantee evaporated when Ultralase ceased to exist, apparently, and very little can be done about it from what I've read. I think some people stopped paying on the grounds that they didn't get what they had paid for. (which included the guarantee)

Once they "discharged" me from care after the adjustment to my left eye, they did tell me that future visits to them would involve costs, so I'll end up going to someone here in the republic instead.

I found out Ultralase was gone by arriving for my appointment to have the surgery done on my eye, and finding a note taped to the door to ring the liquidator. That was annoying!

Thanks Heebie. If I get any further revelations with the optical express crowd I'll pass them on!

Optimax, who have an office in Belfast, took care of my adjustment after my primary surgery at Ultralase in Dublin.

Ultralase had already determined that I needed the adjustment, which is why I think they did it at no additional cost to me.

I have a feeling they're not likely to honour the Ultralase "lifetime aftecare guarantee" They have informed me that since THEY were satisfied with my vision after the adjustment surgery, that any future adjustments etc., would be chargeable.

They might offer you a discounted rate or something like that as an Ultralase customer, if they bought the Ultralase NI business as well as the ROI.

mutley18 wrote: »

I was treated in 2011 by Ultralase in Belfast, I could do with another treatment as after 5 years my vision has declined, any way of me getting this without paying €4000 again?! Who would I even contact?

sugimomo wrote: »

Hi All,

I am just wondering of anyone who has replied on this board had any luck in getting their lifetime guarantee upheld?

I have contacted optimax customer support who have been no help and just sent an email to the following 3 people to try and get some information:

russell.ambrose@optimax.co.uk (CEO of optimax)
doconnor@bdo.ie (David is a Partner in BDO's Corporate Recovery department)
jhamilton@bdo.ie (Jim is a Partner in the Corporate Recovery department of BDO)

Hopefully I will get some information from them soon, I will post the responses here.

Thanks All!

I managed to get them to uphold the guarantee after a lot of pushing, but I had also gotten a written re-confirmation of the lifetime guarantee from Ultralase in 2012 before they closed (by fluke - I didn't know that they would soon be closed). I'm not sure why I asked for it at the time, mostly for my own peace of mind I think. When I tried to follow up the retreatment and got moved to Optimax, they initially accepted this, so when they later told me that I wasn't covered I could refer them to their initial acceptance. Then, later again, they told me that I hadn't maintained conditions of the guarantee such as having a check-up every two years which made it void, but when I asked to see their copy of the document that I had signed agreeing to those terms, they came back to say that they would, in fact, honour the original guarantee.

The doctor and clinic staff were all very professional, but these things obviously get handed down from a central office. All I can say is stick to your guns and ask to see copies of their documentation if what they're claiming differs from what you have. If you don't have things in writing, I'm guessing it will be a lot more difficult. Good luck!

I didn't have any contact with either of them so I can't help you there, I'm afraid. My original treatment had been done in Belfast (i.e., UK, rather than RoI), so it's possible that that was a point in my favour.