CHULA VISTA FAMILY OPTOMETRY

This review is related to the shadiness and hidden fees of this Optometrists office.
On December 21, 2012 I visited this office to obtain a Contact Lens exam. My insurance covered the exam, all I had to do was pay the copay of $ 10.
I removed my contacts, and I got my eyes checked, and my prescription was tweaked accordingly. I told the Optometrist (Marilyn Carter) that I was comfortable with the brand «Acuvue 1-​Day Moist» and that I just needed my new prescription to refill it. I told her that I still had a month supply at home.
I did not obtain any contact lenses during the office visit because I had already exhausted my $ 150 allowance for the year utilizing the insurance. I was told by Optometrist Marilyn Carter that I should return at the beginning of 2013, once my insurance renewed, so that her Contact Lens Technician could order me new contacts.
I paid the co-​pay and left the office. I was not given a copy of my prescription before I left. Just a receipt indicating that I paid the co-​pay.
Two weeks pass, and I’m running out of contacts.
I called Chula Vista Family Optometry at (619) 422‑5361, and Nancy answered the phone. I requested a copy of my Contact Prescription (This is where the problem occurs).
I was at Costco Optical, thinking that they would simply fax the prescription over during the call.
Nancy tell me that my prescription is not on file, and that I need to schedule a follow up and return to the office for a fitting.
I am upset and tell Nancy that I need the prescription now, because I need to fill it as I no longer have contacts.
Nancy places me on a 20 minute hold and eventually hangs the phone up without telling me.
I call back as soon as the line disconnects, and Nancy again picks up and places me on hold. This time, Cathy answers the phone. She tells me that I paid for a regular vision exam and not a contact exam. Cathy tells me that there is no prescription on file.
I explained to Cathy that the doctor wrote a prescription down, because she told me the the specific numbers on the prescription. She just told me to come back so I can utilize my insurance and order contacts through the office.
I was told that I would have to come back to get my eyes evaluated again, and pay an additional $ 85 for a contact lens fitting. I told her that my insurance covered a contact lens exam. We began to argue since they could not provide me with a prescription, and refused to fax a prescription to Costco without seeing me again.
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I made two mistakes. First was going to Chula Vista Family Optometry.
Second, was leaving their office without a prescription in hand.
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Luckily my insurance had reset, and I went to get my eyes checked again. This time with FirstSight, they are inside Walmart’s across america.
The optometrist gave me a free 3 week supply of Acuvue TruEye contacts, those are the Mercedes of contact lenses… (Not Cheap) and treated me like royalty while I was there. No issues at the new place.
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In my honest opinion, I feel that Chula Vista Family Optometry was finding the slightest excuse to get me to order contacts through them. That’s shady, and sounds illegal, since they kept me from my prescription. I highly discourage anyone from getting their eyes checked here.
Funny thing was that Optometrist Carter O.D. told me that my eyes were fine. The new doctor told me that my eyes were super dry, and told me to switch brands due to the dryness of my eyes. The new doctor tested the dryness of my eye with a florescent eye drop, something Carter and the Chula Vista Family Optometry group did not do.
You have been warned about this unethical place. Buyer beware.