Eye Academy Avis 

Excellent service, very helpful.

Very knowledgeable, kind, attentive and trustworthy. Very quick turnaround on lenses too. No hesitation in recommending.

The variety of frames / lenses is far better than other opticians. In addition, I think the standard of customer service from Qais and his team in Windsor was absolutely outstanding

Quick professional service. Highly recommended.

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A PAIR OF VARIFOCAL LENSES FROM ELLIS AND THOMPSON IN COBHAM AND WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL GIVEN BY JULIE ON MY PRESCRIPTION AND FITTING,I WOULD CERTAINLY RECOMMEND.THANKS

Ellis & Thompson in Cobham, Surrey provided me with a decent quality service today when I visited to discuss a problem with an expensive pair of reading glasses bought 15 months ago. The front desk were not clear of the warranty situation on my glasses and quoted that I could be faced with a sizeable bill to have repairs made by the factory as they were over a year old, however after a few minutes I received a call from another member of staff; Julie who clarified that the warranty was 2 years and she'd already arranged to have a replacement frame sent to the shop from Italy for lenses to be re-fitted. Everyone was warm and friendly and did all they could to help and I look forward to continuing to place my custom with this retailer.

All the staff are always extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

Great choice of prescription sunglasses.my Oakley sunniest are perfect thanks to very professional advice from eye academy staff.perfect

Excellent with my 7 year old son . Extremely patient and very good choice of glasses for children . Wouldn't go anywhere else !

***** UPDATE TO REVIEW ****

I received a solicitors letter, most of it denying the contents of my review but I quote the following from the letter.

Because I told customers what was happening to me in the store: "Our client finds this outrageous. We are instructed that throughout your time in the store, you intimidated staff and other customers, affecting our client's sales and overall business. Our client potentially lost sales on that day and we hereby reserve our client's position to seek compensation consequent upon your conduct"

So consumers.... if you purchase from The Eye Academy at no point should you complain loudly in the shop or you may end up in court :)

If you are a 5'3 lady be aware that by talking loudly in the shop you will "intimidate grown men"

Thankfully the CCTV together with my own evidence will disprove this.

Final paragraph of the solicitors letter...

"Our client is extremely proud of the high reputation for quality and service that it has earned over many years of trading in the town centre and guards it jealously. Your actions in making defamatory comments in front of customers in the store and outside and subsequently publishing an endless list of untruths on Trust Pilot (sic) are wholly unacceptable and extremely damaging to our client's business. Entirely separate from the issue of the actual glasses, which our client denies were in any way faulty [of course they aren't faulty with only one arm attached :)], our client requires you to undertake not to publish any further untrue statements on Trust Pilot (sic) or on any other web site(s) or publishing medium together with an immediate apology and retraction of your defamatory remarks on Trust Pilot (sic), and all to be effected by 12 noon on Friday 12th May 2017. Failure to do so, our client reserves its rights to taking further legal action against you for defamation together with a claim for its costs, which will not be insubstantial."

I replied telling them to proceed with whatever action they choose. Shortly after I received an email from the firm stating

"Dear Madam

We acknowledge your email upon which we are taking instructions.

In the meantime, please provide us with your full address so that we may correspond with you properly.

We put you on notice that should you seek to publish any further untrue and/or defamatory remarks on Trust Pilot or elsewhere, you do so at your peril.

We invite you to take independent legal advice.

Regards

Charsley Harrison LLP"

Original Review:

This review is for the Windsor branch.

My experience with my purchase was excellent and I will not deny that. I was happy with the sunglasses and they were adjusted to fit by competent and friendly staff. At this point I would have awarded this company 5 stars.

However within two weeks the arm came off the frame. I returned to the store and explained the problem, a Manager was summoned and he informed me I had no right to a refund and that a repair is all that is required. This was a rather aggressive stance to take from the outset and I asked for a refund. I was denied outright. I pointed out my rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 that if the item became defective within 30 days I am legally entitled to a refund. The Manager, who refused at all times to give his name, said I have no rights because he can take the glasses to the back, repair them and then they are fit for purpose. I questioned how a one armed pair of glasses are fit for purpose and he said they are if I fix them.

The Manager was rude and smirked at all times.

I asked the Manager to write on my receipt that a refund is refused and the reason why, then I would happily leave the store and take it up with Head Office. He again refused then turned away and ignored me.

I started to talk to the customers explaining my situation and warning them of the after sales customer service. The customers that I did warn upon entering the store were equally disgusted and chose to leave without purchasing. The Manager said he would call security and have me thrown off the premises. I was ok with that, security arrived, the police were called, and I waited for the police to come so that I would have a reference number, in the event that the Manager attempted to claim that I hadn't returned the item within the 30 day period. The Manager also locked me inside the store and used intimidating yet childish comments with the two security guards in an attempt to discomfort me. To no avail I might add.

I emailed Head Office and the owner replied saying she would investigate but I have heard nothing in over ten days. They also have not responded to my request that they confirm my legal right to a refund and deal with that issue whilst they investigate the threat to manhandle me and, to all intents and purposes, false imprisonment.

Please review your receipt card very carefully as it states "in addition to your legal rights....."

Those legal rights were refused to me and this company has been reported to Trading Standards. Other matters are currently ongoing.

I'm new to the Cobham area and popped in to see if my glasses could be mended ... the service I received from Kim Patel was above and beyond in terms of customer service and quality of work ... whilst I was in the store the ambience provided by the staff was wonderful - really polite and welcoming ... there were a couple of other clearly satisfied customers in there at the same time which is always a good sign. I'm delighted and will definitely be back - good to have found my new local opticians!

I had prescription lenses put in some RayBans which I have had for a couple of years - it was done efficiently and courteously at a reasonable price. And when the sunglasses were done the fitting was adjusted so that for the first time they fit comfortably.

This review started out as a 2 - I was very unhappy originally with the glasses I was recommended and felt that I was not listened to in terms of what I was looking for which ended up with me buying glasses I did not like at all. However..... I would like to say how fantastic Eye Academy have been in responding to my concerns. Romana contacted me as soon as she saw my original review and invited me in today to meet with her. I ended up being able to change my original frames and get something that really suited. I was treated so brilliantly and was also given some free sunglass lenses. Romana and her colleagues could not have been more helpful in listening to me and putting things right for me and I would not hesitate to recommend this company. Thank you so much Romana - I am now looking forward to getting some glasses that I love and will definitely be back! Excellent

Thoroughly professional and exemplary service.Highly satisfied with the Eye Academy.

Very professional service, staff all amazingly friendly and helpfully. Amazing choice of frames.

Excellent, thoughtful, tailored service