NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — The News 5 Investigators have been hearing your concerns about the optical departments in JCPenney stores suddenly closing recently, and some orders haven’t been filled.
A North Olmsted woman told us she did everything she could trying to get her new glasses or a refund before contacting us.
Mary Buddie, 80, showed us her former pair of glasses.
“These are really old,” said Buddie.
She lost her other pair of glasses. So, she said on April 1, she went to the Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted and spent $278 for a new pair of glasses at JCPenney Optical.
"I did business with them for 15, 20 years,” said Buddie.
“No problems?” we asked.
“No problems ever,” she replied.
“Until now,” we said, and she nodded yes.
She told us she called about the order in mid-May and was told it wasn’t ready. A week later, she went to the optical department, but it was closed.
TRYING TO GET INFORMATION, HAVING NO LUCK
Buddie said the store’s manager gave her a phone number.
"I called several times, yeah. Almost every day, I’d call and leave a message to call me back, and they just didn’t,” she told us.
JCPenney’s site said to contact the company, US Vision, which is in charge of filling the orders. She did that, too. No response.
She’s not alone. We found complaints online from people across the country wondering about their orders, too.
"I was getting a little frantic because that’s a lot of money. I’m on a fixed income. I can’t afford to throw away $280,” said Buddie.
IN GENERAL, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Sheryl Harris is the director of the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs.
"It’s a little panic-inducing, especially if you have an order out,” she told us.
Harris said if a store closes, consumers should follow the directions of the retailer or service provider, and if they used a credit card, start a dispute with their card company.
"You can always claw it back if you get a response and things are going well, but sometimes if you wait too long, it gets a little trickier,” said Harris.
If you’re not getting answers and you live in Cuyahoga County, you can file a complaint through the Consumer Affairs site. Click “product, service, retail….” If you live outside of Cuyahoga, you can file with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office online.
Another tip from Harris is to contact your insurance company directly or, if you get insurance through your employer, get ahold of your benefits department that can reach out on your behalf. Maybe they can lean on the retailer to get your order or a refund.
FINALLY HEARD FROM COMPANIES
After we contacted JCPenney, it sent us an email saying it would work with Buddie, and that very day, both JCPenney and US Vision called Buddie saying her glasses would be mailed to her home.
"I’m very grateful,” said Buddie. “Thank you so much, because they would never have called me back if you hadn’t called them.”
Email from JCPenney:
“Thank you for making us aware of Ms. Buddie’s situation. We have reached out to her as well as to US Vision to help with this matter. All optical customers with pending orders were notified to contact US Vision directly because prescription eyewear is considered medical information that we are not legally able to access due to privacy laws. We do, however, want to ensure that Ms. Buddie receives her glasses and has a positive experience.”
