SmileDirectClub

My boyfriend and I visited a pop-up Smile Shop in Lakewood, CA on 09/08/2019. We received text confirmations for our appointments that stated we would be receiving $25 Amazon gift cards just for completing the scan. We are also told that I would be receiving $150 Amazon gift card for sending my referral link to my boyfriend. This would later change to $100 for some reason.

After our scans, I brought up my concerns that I needed to get a crown and a teeth cleaning prior to committing to purchasing/starting the aligners because I read on their website that patients should take care of these things prior to starting the treatment. The ladies assisting me said that I didn't need to take care of these things and that it would actually be better for me to take care of them later. I'm not sure why they would contradict what their website says aside from just trying to push the sale.

My boyfriend and I decide we are going to purchase the aligners and after discussing payment options they recommend my boyfriend apply for a Care Credit card to pay for the aligners and insist that it would be a soft inquiry. It was not a soft inquiry, he was denied and his credit score dropped. I give my card information to put down the deposit of $250 each which they said would take 72 hours. While we are leaving I ask about the Amazon gift cards and they both said they would be emailed to us within 72 hours. We would never receive them and after speaking with 3-4 different people are told we won't be receiving them because it wasn't applied at the Smile Shop. Something that should have been taken care of the reps assisting us, especially when I make it a point to ask for them while I'm leaving. I would go back and forth with multiple reps about this but am basically told that I am not going to be receiving it.

The next day we receive our "Smile Plan" and decide we are going to order. I mistakenly order on the wrong card and immediately call to cancel the order so that I can place it again with the correct card. I place the order again the same day with a different card. My boyfriend waits until the following Saturday, 09/14, to pay his in full. Since I paid mine early I was not charged the deposit but my boyfriend was. When we call to place his order the amount has increased by $50 than originally quoted and the $250 deposit is not taken off the total amount so at this point we've paid an extra $300 on top of the quoted price. We would eventually receive the $50 back and I am still waiting to this day to see the $250 refund for the deposit.

This same day I notice that my dashboard is not showing the order anymore and I ask about it and they said that everything is fine and that it would update soon. In actuality, the order had been canceled because of the initial request I made to cancel the order when using the incorrect card. I understand the confusion so I'm not upset about it. I wait for the money to be returned to both the original card I accidentally used and the 2nd correct card I used to make the purchases before submitting a 3rd order. The same day I submitted the 3rd order I am reviewing the smile plan and notice that the treatment plan will actually cause a huge gap in my bite. I call and speak to a member of their dental team who confirms that the treatment plan will create this gap in my bite. I do not understand how they would even provide this type of treatment that would create permanent issues. I connect with customer service to cancel the order for the last and final time. When I attempt to cancel the order, I am offered an additional $100 off. As if $100 off would be an incentive to ruin my bite for straighter teeth. My boyfriend also decides to cancel his order because of all of the inconsistencies in information given to us throughout this 2-week process.

It seems they only care about you purchasing the aligners and do not care to honor incentives they offer to you for coming in, ordering, etc. I am glad I was able to confirm the treatment plan would create bite issues for me so that I did not begin the treatment. I would stay far away and visit a traditional orthodontist for treatment.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

SmileDirect's poor customer service led to a 15-year-old boy not getting his 30-month scan that was booked weeks before last Friday. I spoke with 2 SmileDirect customer service reps and explained to them that my 15-year-old son would be going to his scan alone. I had to work due to an audit going on. I was told by SmileDirect customer service (twice) that it would not be a problem and they would contact the tech on the bus to take care of it.

My son showed up for his appointment only to be told he needed a parent there to sign a form. I am a single Dad of 15-year-old twins. When SmileDirect assured me everything was taken care of twice I thought what a great company.

They filled my email daily for 2 weeks about the appointment but never mentioned I needed to be there to sign a form that allowed SmileDirect to take pictures of my son's teeth.

Due to there poor customer service, he has no braces and needs them.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I went to the SmileDirectClub in Leeds on Monday and I will say the overall experience was good. HOWEVER, and this is a big HOWEVER, I kept saying to my Smile Guide, "I won’t be charged any money, will I?" I need time to reflect on parting with such a large sum of money. Money is relative, I understand that the whole brand is based on cost-effective dentistry but it’s still a huge chunk of money at $199.99 PER MONTH so a period of consideration is justifiable. My Smile Guide reassured me, "No money will not be taken out of your account until you watch your smile journey movie and approve it. We say it takes around 72 hours before that information is released. Watch the movie, if you approve we’ll take the first installment of £199.99." Cool, I thought, handing over my card details.

It’s now Wednesday. I had a voicemail left yesterday evening from James, who I intended to speak to today. However, I haven’t yet viewed my smile journey movie or approved it but to my astonishment, £199.99 has been taken from my account. I was mortified because I feel I have been lied to.

I phoned the contact 0800 number (dread to think how much it cost) because it was an American lady who answered and the line sounded very distant. They have admitted that the payment shouldn’t have been taken without my approval of the smile journey and that, even though my bank had told me they could cancel the pending transaction so the funds could be released into my account today, they couldn’t do that and would refund me but this will take ex amount of days to hit my account.

I am trying to view this as a blessing in disguise and that I've potentially dodged a bullet, however, because had this not have happened I WOULD have committed, however, after putting in "SmileDirect reviews" into the Google search engine it generated a lot of rather terrifying reviews on YouTube.

Hopefully, I will get the refund and I can just forget this stressful outcome.

The overall feel is very American, very sickly sweet and having had this experience it’s only reinforced some of my deeper instincts that this is purely a mass-market money-making provider and smile guides earn commission, which creates this very over-eager need to "win a sale."

Do your research.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Everything was perfect until running into an issue. Ended up with a cracked aligner and when I contacted them (8/16) I was told that the replacement would be delivered in 10-14 business days. Since then I have contacted them multiple times to only here excuse after excuse. 9/9 was told there was a delay because they had to verify which ones needed to be replaced so they had the order being placed at 8/20 due to this whereas nobody reached out to me or asked me to verify when I called on the 16th, was a day I switched so figured it was pretty freaking obvious since I said it was the ones I was just switched to. 9/23 I called again and apparently they managed to lose my order.

CR Cust Service Team Cptn told me he would give me an update on the status of my order within the week. I told him I would be posting negative reviews on any outlet possible if he did not. I actually can deliver on what I tell people. At this point, the aligners I have been still using since August 9th seem to be getting flimsy and starting to crack themselves. I have lost all faith in this company.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I received my kit and like all new patients, I was really excited. Read the directions, shaved down the braces, and placed them in. Within 2 days I had ulcers in my mouth, and could barely eat and talk due to the extreme pain. Returned the package back. Was told the accounts management department would call me in 3-5 business days. Never got a call. Returned the braces and they were received, was told it would take 7 days to review the return. The problem is that no one called, no one bothered to email. There was no patient concern from the company. AND, no promise to not charge my card. This company is a joke.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Started with SmileDirect one year ago. Problem has not been corrected. Have been through two "redo" and am waiting on the next set of aligners. It has been 6 weeks and aligners are still "in production". I think it's BS and they don't want to honor their contract.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I wish I had good things to say about this company, but surely I do not. My consultation went great and I was extremely pleased when the gal who did my consultation called my insurance company for me. She came back into the room and said "Ma'am, I just got off the phone with your insurance and the $1,500 ortho coverage that you have will be covered. All you'll have to do is pay today (either by installments or one lump sum) and once you've got the aligners, you can email us to get the insurance claim paperwork sent over." So I did just that. I sent my claim paperwork to my insurance company and within a few days...DENIED. So I figured...must've been a fluke thing and sent it again...DENIED. WTH! So, of course, I reach out to my insurance to figure out what the issue is, and they said that the information about the dentist doesn't match what they have in their records (Delta Dental). So then I reach out to SDC to see what I should do, and that is when they decided to tell me that Delta Dental doesn't work with their database of licensed orthos and pretty much I was SOL. I am beyond frustrated with this scam of business and now I am out $1900. I'm also 5 weeks in and haven't seen a lick of difference in my teeth. So I may have just thrown $1,900 out the window on an absolute garbage product. So - be warned - just save your sanity and cough up the extra dough to go to a REAL ortho that will take care of your teeth and leave you with actual VISIBLE results.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

They told me I had a Dr. Amanda Girardi who is in Maryland where I’m from who will be helping with my journey. I googled her and she is not in Maryland, she is in Arizona somewhere. Why lie? I am going to get my refund today.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

BUYER BEWARE!

This program is HORRIBLE!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Went for a consultation and was informed several times that I could cancel within 3 days. My mum canceled after 2 days and yet the charge still went through and they proceeded to send us the aligners. Despite my mum calling several times, they have deflected her calls and when she finally got through was informed that it was her fault! She was also misinformed of the steps needed to send the aligners back and receive a refund. We still have the package with us. I am outraged due to the lack of communication and professionalism.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Well...I was so excited to get my aligners - a little over a year ago, but then things went down hill. I wore my aligners for about 7 months - got my retainers. Teeth weren’t exactly aligned, so I had another scan and 2 more months of new aligners. While I was wearing those, I put in my order for the next set of retainers which took more than 8 weeks to get to me and I wasn’t happy (I mean, they were exactly the same as the last set of aligners so it NEVER should have taken them so long). By the time I received them, SmileDirect had put 2 free sets of retainers in my file.

So here we are months later and my teeth have been shifting so on August 5th I went for another scan which was approved. Over a week later, I received an email saying it wasn’t done properly and I needed another scan. So on August 22nd (yes, 17 days later), I went for another scan. After the scan, they wanted to know why I had come in (seriously?). So my dashboard says it will be 4-5 weeks to get my next 2 months of aligners, yet it’s now October 9th. Yesterday I called, and after difficulty with my representative, I spoke with a manager because the phone system says they are being prepped for shipment. In the meantime, I’m wearing old retainers that are loose. So, I got an email today telling me they will try (because of the number of orders) to ship them before the end of October - WHAT THE HECK? Oh yeah, but they’re going to give me 2 free sets of retainers...obviously they are incapable of meeting demand and I understand that new customers bring in the money, but as an existing customer - they really don’t care!

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend