User:Hardlygone/sandbox

Optical Express is a retail optical services company in the United Kingdom.

The Optical Express group of companies, subsidiaries of DCM (Optical Holdings) Ltd, operate in a wide range of healthcare services including the optical, dental and cosmetic industries.

Optical Express is the fourth largest high street retail optician in the UK, which, combined, account for 55% of the optical goods market, of which Optical Express has a 6% share. The company provides eye tests, spectacles, contact lenses and is the largest provider of laser eye surgery in the UK. Optical Express is part of the Optical Express Group, which aside from opticial, also operates in the cosmetic, dental and healthcare industries under the brand names The Cosmetic Clinic, The Dental Clinic and the Bridgewater Hospital. The group was founded in 1991 by David Moulsdale with one Optical Express branch based in Leith, Edinburgh. The company grew steadily following its establishment, acquiring the 11 stores of Remocker Shapiro in 1995, and the 65 stores of Specialeyes PLC in 1997. These were followed in 2001 by 34 stores from Co-op Eyecare, and 14 more Scottish stores from Specdeals in 2002.

In 2004, Optical Express acquired two Free Vision Euro Eyes laser vision correction clinics in Amsterdam and The Hague, marking the first large-scale UK optical chain to extend its laser vision correction business in Holland. Further acquisitions in Germany, France and Croatia, added to its sizable UK and Ireland business has made Optical Express the largest laser eye surgery provider in Europe.

Optical Express acquired the dentistry and laser eye surgery services of Alliance Boots in 2005 - the dental services now trade under the name 'The Dental Clinic.'

In 2007, DCM (Optical Holdings) Ltd became engaged in a dispute with HM Revenue and Customs over a disputed £10.9million pounds in tax. HMRC rejected their original appeal citing factual inaccuracies. In 2010, DCM (Optical Holdings) Ltd won its tribunal case on appeal granted by The Court of Session. The UK tax authorities have since contested the decision and the case remains under appeal. At the same time DCM Holdings lodged its own appeal. Also in 2007, Optical Express formed a partnership with Glasgow-based charity organisation, The Caring City. Donated spectacles are categorised, tested and distributed free of charge via local clinics returning sight to the most at risk communities within Burundi.

In 2008, Optical Express became the first corporate provider to reveal its working practices to its refractive surgery competitors in the Journal of Refractive Surgery the first of its kind by a corporate provider. However, despite this and significant investment in both its Irish operation and its level of advanced technology   Optical Express has been criticised by Which? and BBC Watchdog.

Which? criticized Optical Express, along with fellow laser eye surgery providers Optimax and Ultralase, focusing on the concern that laser councillors consistently downplayed the risks of surgery In a separate 2011 undercover investigation Which? rated Optical Express as the worst performing optical chain.

In 2011, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint about television advert featuring Pádraig Harrington, which was later replaced by one featuring Michael Gambon. . In May 2011, the BBC Watchdog programme ran a feature on Optical Express including hidden camera footage of laser eye surgery consultations in ten different Optical Express clinic locations. The programme was critical of Optical Express 'from £395' pricing even though in 2007 ASA rejected a claim that Optical Express pricing was misleading. Optical Express responded to allegations made in this programme on the BBC website.

In 2011 Optical Express donated an Oculus Pentacam (worth £45,000) to optometry and dispensing optician students in Glasgow Caledonian University, which was the first of its kind in Scotland and allows students to use the technology as part of their optometry degree, and also donated the use of their customer contact centre to support the STV Appeal to collect public donations in support of children in Scotland affected by poverty. In 2012, the ASA ruled against a TV advert due to misleading content. and rejected a complaint against the Optical Express website.