SmileDirectClub

The process to get started is very easy.

I did show up to the first appointment and noticed they were triple booked so I rescheduled my appt. Next visit was easy and the staff was friendly. There have been more than a few things I was not pleased with.

I wanted to try them out to see if this would be a good option for my daughter but have decided not to use SmileDirect for her. The aligners were put in backwards in my box so the first ones I put on were the last ones and very painful. The box was very specific not to remove more than one set of trays at a time so after I figured out it was backwards and I had to take them all out.

When I lost a pair a couple of days before I had to switch them they said I couldn't go on to the next set but rather would have to order new ones for $100.

Many of the aligners are sharp and they cut your mouth making it hard to wear the 20-22 hours recommended. I noticed a video on YouTube of someone shaving them down. For the price, I think they should be free of sharp edges that would cut your mouth and be sterile when they are bagged.

I have had a couple of billing issues. On the first payment, my card was verified in person but still charged to the wrong card. Later I updated an expired card and they used it once but didn't save the information so they just started pulling it from another card without notifying me.

Lastly, the retainer should be included in the price.

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

It’s been about 2 months now since I signed up and paid, but I still can’t start the process! I was weary of trying SmileDirect, but their pushy salespeople convinced me to try it. I am VERY disappointed so far. First of all, they told me an orthodontist would reach out to me within 3 days of my scan. I NEVER heard anything from an orthodontist. About a month later, I received my box. I read the directions and went to try the first aligner. It was poorly packaged and badly damaged. I got ahold of customer support and they had me send them a picture of the aligner and said they’d send me a replacement. Well, it’s been another month since then. I’ve tried reaching out to them several times and no response. What a horrible business. I wish I would have started working with a REAL orthodontist.

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

I signed up with SmileDirectClub and was told I was a perfect candidate. Looking back, if someone is willing to pay I don't think there is a candidate who isn't perfect. I had severe crowding on my lower teeth and one bad incisor on top. After the first 30 weeks were nearing an end I let them know my teeth weren't straight and my molars no longer touched. There was a significant gap I was told was "normal" during the process. They gave me a second set of trays for an additional 30 weeks. Near the end of this process, I let them know my incisor was still not straight and my molars were still did not touch, making chewing food extremely difficult. I was given trays for an additional 12 weeks and told the gap in the molars was still "normal". After the 12 weeks, nothing had changed. The email I received said SmileDirect had done all they could and I would have to go to an orthodontist in my area for "final adjustments". It also said their product was never designed to "fix" bite problems. The issue was their product CAUSED the bit problem. I went to a local orthodontist and the fix to my issues will cost $5,000 and take 18 months with regular braces.

Whatever you do, please remember my story. They did not straighten my teeth and have now left me in a position where it will cost more in total to straighten my teeth than it would have if I had gone to a local orthodontist in the first place.

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

After almost two years of trying to get SmileDirectClub to fix a SMALL gap in my teeth, three "revisits" and $2000, I have not seen any improvement in the issues I wanted to address.

Save yourself the time/money/headache, stay far far away and get Invisalign or braces...

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

There are plenty of mail-in aligned companies emerging in 2019 so I would take this time to say go to a competitor, SmileDirectClub has shown some of the worst customer service, the process took twice as long as they said it would, and the insurance refund is a scam. They will promise you free retainers and money off to get you to spend the money and then they will have no record of these promises and never fulfill them.

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

PLEASE READ before leaving a "5-star" review. Those planning on leaving a 5-star, it is probably for the first visit, right?

I scheduled an appointment with SmileDirectClub (SDC) through their website. During the booking, the website requires credit card information in case I was to not show.

I went to the appointment and had images of my teeth made. There, I was told I should receive a 3D custom plan for me to review in three days.

Six days later, while still waiting to receive my 3D custom plan, SDC sent me a "Retail Installment Credit Sale Contract" with my name and initials forged.

From there, I reviewed at my credit card account and saw that SDC went ahead and charged my credit card $250. I contacted my credit card company, who then contacted SDC with me on the line.

The SDC rep on the line tried to make it look like that I signed the document when I met with another rep at a SDC location UNTIL I pointed out the signature's date, which was four days before my appointment with the rep at the SDC location.

Silence.

I was then put on hold. Afterwards, SDC rep on the phone returned on the line and said that the charge will be refunded.

After the phone call, I still was concerned that someone forged my name and initials on a financial agreement, and angry that the SDC's rep on the phone attempted to pass the blame onto me. So, I contacted BBB to file a complaint as to what happened.

Another SDC rep, let's call "Rudy" (i.e not this rep's actual name), responded to the BBB complaint with the following:

"Your signature on the Healthcare Finance Direct ("HFD") contract was not forged. On... [the day when the appointment was booked], you or someone on your behalf, placed order number... using SmileDirectClub's online application system. In so doing, you affirmatively consented to HFD terms by checking on the "I agree to SmileDirectClub's Informed Consent, Terms, and SmilePay Conditions." SDC's application software prohibits the user from proceeding and completing the application process without electronically consenting to the terms. The Informed Consent, the Terms, and the SmilePay Conditions were each available to you at the click of the hot link prior to clicking her agreement. Your failure to read the terms does not negate your signature nor your acceptance of the terms.

Your electronic authorization is governed by 15 U.S.C. 1701, et. Seq. ("E-Sign"). E-Sign authorizes transactions to be conducted by electronic means and allows signatures to be created, generated, sent, communicated, received, stored or otherwise processed or used by electronic means or in electronic form. As you likely know, under federal and state law, electronic signatures are granted legal effect.

While you signed up for your payment plan on... [the day of the appointment four days later], your agreement to the terms mention above was on... [the day when the appointment was booked].

I apologize for the discrepancy in the date, but your signature was not forged."

Me, responding on BBB online complaint form:

"The signature is a forged. I did not sign the contract, nor did I give permission for someone to do so on my behalf. (Neither online - the HFD agreement was not shown when I signed up for an appointment to DISCUSS the product, nor in person on [the day when the appointment was booked] - please note that [the day when the appointment was booked] was a Sunday and that the... [SDC location I went to] was closed on that day).

As noted by the business' response, I met with a SDC rep on... [the day of the appointment] to discuss their service. My credit card information was provided in the event I was a no-show for... [the day of the appointment] per SDC website - NOT for a HFD contract.

There was no product/service for me to sign a HFD contract by [the day when I made the appointment]. Even as of this morning [6 days later after the appointment], when I found out about the HFD contract and the charge to my credit card account, SDC had yet to send me a 3D custom plan for me to even agree to a HFD contract."

Afterwards, I uploaded the HFD contract onto the BBB's online complaint response form, showing that my name and initials were not just printed but written out in way that I do not sign my name.

I also uploaded a copy of the web page where SDC asks for credit card information with the following statement: "Your appointment is FREE. However, due to demand, we do keep a credit card on file. If you miss your appointment and don't reschedule, you may be charged a $25 fee." There is no mention of a HFD contract.

No response from Rudy yet.

Needless to say, I am not going with SDC.

I advise anyone who is dealing with SDC to check their email and mail, and review any document that SDC or their affiliates send you.

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

SDC is currently experiencing production bagging and quality problems per customer service supervisor. Finished one month only as aligners for month 2 had uppers for me and lowers for another customer. Customer Service has refunded $100, promised 1 set of retainers free of charge, and now 2 sets of retainers free of charge, for a total of 3 sets free for my delayed treatment! Still correct aligners have not been shipped in over 2 months. I should be on month 4 aligners but have never received them. SDC is continuing to ship aligners to new customers but refuses to take care of existing customers. The last info from customer service is they might be able to expedite the correct aligners by the end of October, maybe, but they can't guarantee that date and to just keep wearing the last correct aligner! That aligner is almost worn thin! If you haven't entered treatment, wait and see where all of this is going!

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

They say 3-4 weeks for your aligners, it’s been over 9 weeks and still nothing. When you call they have no idea when they will arrive! They were quick to take my money but I still have no idea if the aligners will ever arrive! No communication whatsoever.

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

11/5/19 Update: My retainers shipped on 11/4/19 after being ordered on 6/20/19. Unfortunately, after emailing and calling multiple times it may have taken leaving a review over four months later to get this to happen.

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