UPDATE --
November 24, 2009 -- On November 19, 2009, the Carter Eye Center presented information which reasonably substantiated its claim that it conducted a clinical study. The company has also agreed to limit the time frame of its future promotional offers to adhere to BBB advertising standards. The BBB rating for Carter Eye Center has been updated to A, on a scale from A+ to F.
BBB Reliability Reports are subject to change at any time. To check on a business, start at
www.bbb.org.
UPDATE --
October 14, 2009 -- As of October 14, 2009, Carter Eye Center representatives have met with the BBB and provided substantiation which it believes will substantiate the advertising in question. The BBB is reviewing the information provided.
Dallas, TX, October 7, 2009 -- Is it possible to get Lasik eye surgery for free? That’s what Carter Eye Center was offering recently in radio commercials. The ads claimed the center was conducting a clinical study and offered participants Lasik in one eye for free. Study participants were required to pay for Lasik in one eye in order to receive Lasik in the other eye for free.
At the same time, Carter Eye Center has been advertising "buy one, get one free" Lasik separately from the study offer.
Carter Eye Center, 5315 N. Central Expwy., Dallas, now says the study is completed, but continues to advertise the separate “buy one, get one free” offer.
In response to BBB requests, Carter Eye Center has not provided basic information about the advertised study or the continuous “buy one, get one free” offer.
As part of its local advertising review program, the BBB serving Dallas and Northeast Texas wrote to Carter Eye Center on August 12, 2009, asking about the “free” offer. The BBB was seeking information to show that a study was actually being conducted, and that the “free” offer was truthful.
Carter Eye Center replied on August 19, 2009, that the study was “designed to evaluate certain parameters regarding Laser Vision correction … The study involved the patient paying for the first eye surgery with the second eye surgery being performed at no charge or free for the patient.” Carter Eye Center also advised that the study was concluded.
"One of the BBB’s basic principles of truth in advertising is that advertisers should be prepared to substantiate any claims or offers and, on request, provide that substantiation to the advertising medium or the BBB," said Jeannette Kopko, BBB Dallas spokesperson. "Because Carter Eye Center’s reply did not provide dates or other details of the study, the BBB followed up."
On August 31, 2009, the BBB wrote to Carter Eye Center, asking for “specific details regarding the study which Carter Eye Center advertised to consumers: the start date of the study; the end date of the study; and the number of participants in the study.”
The BBB also asked whether the advertisement was approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to public dissemination, as called for in U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines.
Ads for the separate, continuous “buy one, get one free” offer appear on the center’s Web site, stating: “Buy One Get One FREE. IntraLASIK with the latest iFS Technology.” Details state that this is a limited time offer.
The BBB Code of Advertising states that, “in an offer of ‘free’ merchandise or service that is conditional on a purchase, the ‘free’ offer must be temporary; otherwise, it would become a continuous combination offer, no part of which is free.”
In the August 31 request, the BBB also asked how the study offer was any different from the continuous “buy one, get one free” offer. There’s been no further reply from Carter Eye Center to these questions.
Carter Eye Center has a BBB rating of F, on a scale from A+ to F. The reasons for the F rating include:
• Advertising issue found by BBB.
• BBB does not have sufficient background information on this business.
During the BBB’s 3-year reporting period, Carter Eye Center has been the subject of 5 customer complaints. The complaints are concerning billing and customer service issues. Some complaints are resolved, and some are administratively closed because the parties could not provide sufficient information to support their positions nor were they agreeable to make reasonable efforts towards resolving the dispute.
The local Advertising Review program of the BBB in Dallas works with business to achieve the highest ethical advertising standards through self-regulation. The BBB identifies advertising that may be deceptive or suggests unethical business practices. The BBB Code of Advertising, part of the Code of Business Practices, outlines basic principles and specific guides for truth and accuracy in advertising.
When an ad is challenged, the BBB asks the advertiser to substantiate, modify, or discontinue the advertised claims. If an advertiser is unable to substantiate the claims or declines to discontinue claims not in adherence to the BBB Code of Advertising, then that information is included in the Bureau’s report on the business. For more on the BBB's local Advertising Review program, see
http://www.dallas.bbb.org/dallasadreview/.
Learn more about BBB Code of Advertising at
www.bbb.org/us/code-of-advertising/To check out a business or to file a complaint, start at
www.bbb.org.
About BBB serving Dallas and Northeast Texas
The Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas, Inc., is an independent, non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization's standards of ethical business behavior. BBB services include BBB Reliability Reports™ on businesses, complaint resolution services, advertising review, and information on topics affecting marketplace trust. The BBB serving Dallas and Northeast Texas was founded in 1920 and is one of 124 BBBs serving the U.S. and Canada. The BBB System evaluates and monitors more than 4 million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information.