SmileDirectClub

I called SmileDirectClub early in 2017, and they were very nice at first. I paid for the first impression kit, and when I was done with it, I sent it back. They contacted me and said that they needed another impression kit and that I would have to pay for it. I sent the second impression kit back and waited, and waited, and waited, and nothing.

I called back and they said that they are still doing research on the best way to make my trays and that they would contact me when they are ready. Well, 6 months (yes 6 months) went by and absolutely nothing from them. I called in and asked for a refund, and they had zero explanation on why or what happened. They said that they would refund, but I highly doubt that I will receive it as they have done nothing but take from me.

Please avoid this fraudulent company and spend a bit more money and go to a more reputable company. This is honestly the worst customer service that I have ever seen in my life. Good luck all.

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

Beware of this company. I could write a 10-page review of how bad this company is. I won’t even take into account how I was completely screwed over by them. Customer service is nothing but lies. They tell you what you want to hear, just to get rid of you and onto the next. I was told by 3 different representatives that they have so many new customers that it’s impossible to keep up. That’s why everything is weeks late and they give you the runaround.

Stay away, odds are you won’t be satisfied.

Reviews on their website are a very small percentage of customers. They just take the good reviews. Just do the math. Around 2200 reviews? They have over 100k customers.

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

Their customer service is atrocious. My smile wasn't fixed as promised, just sort of moved around (my teeth are still quite crooked) and I have spent literally two months trying to get ahold of someone to see if it even can be adjusted anymore. In spite of my initial politeness (my patience has long since worn thin), I was lied to, hung up on, told that I was placed on an "expedited review" list three times and still not had any contact and charged for additional correction even though I did not receive it. They are now threatening to send me to collections for refusing to pay for that service which I never even approved. If you have very minor adjustments they may be fine, but I would go with another company as this one is morally bankrupt.

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

One hour after ordering the impression kit, I decided to cancel my order, as I decided I wanted to discuss it with my own dentist at an upcoming appointment. When I attempted to cancel my order through the chat option on their website, the worker I was speaking with would not let me. Despite being persistent, she simply kept suggesting alternatives. I gave up and decided to call the service number. After an hour on hold, I was finally able to cancel my order. However, the next day, I was alerted that the impression kit had shipped. I sent an email asking what I should do - no response. A few days later, I email them again. This time, they tell me they will not accept impression kits even if they are unopened and that they will not refund me unless it is cleared by a dental professional. Why, then, was I not told that when I called originally? Why was I not told that it was too late to cancel? I’m less upset about the inability to get a refund, I’m upset about the lack of communication and assistance.

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

SmileDirect will provide little to no help if your teeth are off target. They do photo checkups on your teeth, but if you tell them you are concerned at the time, they will not reach out to you at all. Also, when I needed to order a retainer to prevent the loss of all my progress, I was told it would take two to three weeks, but it actually took nine weeks! In the meantime, my teeth shifted significantly, since the aligners are only designed to last two weeks. I never spoke to an orthodontist prior to ordering from this company and now I truly regret it. My teeth aren't exactly where I want them, and now I'm stuck with a company that treats their customers like dirt.

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

First off, I ordered their impressions kit and never received it, even though they charged me immediately. I sent several emails and never received a reply. When I called to complain, they told me a dentist said I wasn't a good fit. I have no idea how they would know this since I didn't see a dentist or send anything in (since I never received my impressions kit). I mentioned this to the person on the phone and he ignored it and said I will be getting the refund I requested. No apology for not sending my kit and no apologies for nobody sending an email in response to mine. He then said they are processing my refund, which could take several days, and then it would take about another week to actually see my refund. Horrible experience, and I didn't even get started. Horrible customer service.

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

There isn't enough space here for my full story. First, I went in for the "free consult" and then was charged for aligners I did not purchase. Customer service was TERRIBLE. First they said my aligners were already out and would be delivered in three weeks, then they said that I could still cancel my order since I didn't actually purchase them in the first place. So I canceled my order and still got charged, then they sent my aligners to the wrong address.

Finally two months later I got them and figured I'd try. Now, I went to a real orthodontist right before using the first aligner, and I had two mildly crooked teeth and zero overbite issues or dental health issues. After using the aligners for a few months - I noticed problems with my bite, bleeding, loose teeth. I went back to the orthodontist and had all sorts of problems from "malocclusion" to overcrowding and gum issues (from moving my teeth improperly). What should have been an easy fix has now become a major problem; I will now need about five thousand dollars and two years to fix this problem, and I have compromised my oral health for the rest of my life. And SmileDirect is still charging me every month.

Do yourself a favor, DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY or any of these "cheap, quick fixes" for your teeth. THEY ARE NOT WORTH IT and will cause more damage than good. Teeth can simply not be moved without regular orthodontist visits or assessed by sending in selfies to a customer service rep with a high school education. Their "licensed dental professionals" are simply customer service people; they are NOT actual dentists, orthodontists, or medical professionals. They also conveniently send you correspondence without an actual order number to make it harder to look up your information (probably because they wrongly charge people and find excuses not to fix it). Again, do not use this company - please, please, please, go the real route and use a real orthodontist, don't cut corners.

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

If I could give negative stars I would. This company is a joke and a disappointment on every level to say the absolute least. We started with such high hopes for SmileDirect. My boyfriend went to an on-site location, got a scan and fit by the staff in person. They were all super helpful and we were very impressed by how smooth everything was.

The kit arrived about a month later and he started wearing them immediately. Out of curiosity one night around week 3-4, I asked to open his very last set to see what his straight teeth would look like. Jokes on us - they were THE EXACT SAME as the first week. He put them in and they were LEGIT THE EXACT SAME!

After speaking to a general customer service rep, we were told to send photos of his mouth/braces from all different angles. We did what we were told, though I thought it had NOTHING to do with the actual problem we had. After someone finally listened to and addressed our actual problem, it was determined manufacturing had made the mistake and 4-6 weeks was the new ship date.

At the end of week 6, there was no email update with the shipment - go figure! This company LOVES to just give generic responses and give you the runaround. They all sound like freaking robots on the phone. After following up a second time, I was told "Manufacturing is super backed up". Funny how the new set arrived on my doorstep 3 days later. Yet again the second the set was STILL INCORRECT.

After multiple emails and demanding to speak to someone with authority or a manager of some sort, they called me back (of course not the same day, but 24-48 hours later). The associate started the conversation by telling me the new box would be shipped in 2 weeks - LITERALLY referring to the box we just got 3 days ago. So, it was not even notated it was wrong yet a second time despite the fact I told them this through email the SAME day. Unreal.

We are currently awaiting a full refund. This company’s lack of detail is disappointing and unprofessional, what a scam and a joke.

Not quite sure where their breakdown in communication and follow up is, but it’s a HUGE problem. Our dentist warned us not to use smile direct and to go through Invisalign. We didn’t listen for the sake of getting a cheaper price. Being a cheapo only gets you so far and you get what you pay for. Hope this saves at least one more soul on this planet from choosing this horrid company!

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

So from the start, my experience with SDC has not been ideal. On November 9th I went and got my smile scanned. I was told that my aligners would arrive in 5-6 weeks. Well, 2 months (9 weeks) went by and I never received anything, not even an email explaining the delay. So I reached out to see what was taking so long and was given no explanation. Only that my aligners were going to take another 2 weeks to get to me. It actually took another 3 weeks before they were finally delivered.

The retainers are very cheaply made which I can understand. You get what you pay for. However, I have a problem with their customer service when an aligner breaks. I had one break 3 weeks ago (April 15th) and immediately reached out to get a replacement. They told me it would take 10-14 business days to get a new set out to you! So now I’m delayed 3 weeks. They also said they will be in touch shortly with a tracking number. It has now been 14 business days and I still haven't received anything. So I reached out and, again, was given no explanation as to why there is a delay. I was just told, "Please give us time until May 3rd to process your order."

Bottom line, the lack of customer service and the nonexistence of communication with their customers are ridiculous. I would NEVER recommend this product to anyone and I actually encourage people to go with their competitors.

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

Here is the thing, I'm not going anywhere with SmileDirectClub. Since my statement above is brief I will publicly tell you my story. I am not getting into specific details as those are being saved for my protection.

On March 29, 2019, I made an appt with SmileDirectClub online. Their online system asked for a credit card number. That should have been my first clue. Because when I was interviewing orthodontists for my daughter I made a few appts with different offices and I was never asked for a credit card number. For the next several days I was bombarded with emails and texts from SmileDirectClub reminding me of the upcoming appt.

About a week later I showed up to the appt. It was inside an executive office suite. That should have been my second clue. The appointment was brief. They appeared to be more interested in getting my information into their system, on a tablet, than providing actual information. This was also different for me. The girl that took me into the second room was nice but she didn't really provide a lot of information. She showed me some pictures and there wasn't any medical talk. She was smooth, though, and I signed my name on a tablet. I didn't see a date. Frankly, she said if I changed my mind I could just cancel. That's why I signed. Thinking that I could simply take some time to think it through and cancel if I wanted.

The rains stopped and my business bloomed. Not only was I remodeling the shop I began to get real busy with a lot of work. This was awesome, however, a lot of my personal life was put on hold.

I began to get some texts from SmileDirectClub that it was time to register my aligners. I remember thinking, what aligners? I hadn't received them yet. That is when I went back to look at the emails they'd sent me. I saw the contract. There was one little insignificant detail that stood out. It was the date. It didn't make sense to me that it had March 29, 2019 as the date the contract went into effect. That was the date I made the appointment but not the date I signed the contract. For some reason, it sent a red flag. It's not something I'd do. This triggered my curiosity and I began to search for reviews.

SDC must really hire a good online reputation company to help them look good. Notice most of the good reviews are from people's first visit. Because one has to go deeper into the internet to find the reviews from actual experiences wearing the aligners. I was appalled at someone's teeth coming loose and having to go to a real dentist to have their smile saved. There was one commonality that appeared to repeat itself one review after the next. SDC messes up a lot of people's bites. This will eventually cause teeth to fall and many have to spend thousands to fix the damage SDC had caused.

Naturally, I no longer wanted to wear those aligners. I decided I'd go a different route. In the meantime, I was swamped at work. I was remodeling my shop and I had graduations coming up, etc.

The aligners arrived. Though, I wasn't aware because a family member placed the box inside a closet without my knowledge.

Then I got an email from what I thought was SmileDirectClub. They were deducting a payment out of my credit card. At this time I had no idea I could return the aligners. I, literally, was living life thinking that I was stuck with those aligners and didn't know what to do about it.

I was confused. There was a lot of miscommunication between SDC and me. I thought my payments were being deducted by SDC, not another company. On my credit card statement, it shows as HFD SmileDirectClub. They charged one payment. A couple of weeks later I went into the account and saw they'd charged a duplicate payment 2 days after the 1st payment. I immediately contacted the cc company and asked them to look into it. Weeks go by, they took another payment out of my cc account. Then the credit card company contacted me with the results of the investigation. They found it in my favor. They wrote, however, that if Healthcare Finance Direct was able to provide proof that I owed that 2nd charge they would reverse the credit and it would then become a charge.

Several days later I received a letter from Healthcare Finance Direct. They claimed that by disputing a charge with the credit card company I had defaulted on their loan. They were calling the full loan amount due, which I can afford. However, they accused me of defaulting on a loan for disputing a charge they were, it appears, fraudulently trying to collect. AND, I wasn't going to have that. I took it as a threat. In a subsequent letter, I asked them to explain themselves. Meanwhile, I took that box that was never opened with the aligners in it along with the tote from the appt and mailed it back to SmileDirectClub.

Oh, I can smell rats from miles away. "If you play dirty with me, you will hear from me." Because now it's not about the money. Now, it's about the principle of the thing. They basically wrote back that it was an honest mistake. But if it was an honest mistake, why did they send me that threatening letter? Why not tell the credit card company that it was an honest mistake? It’s not my job to ask for a refund on a duplicate payment. It’s Healthcare Finance DIrect’s job to make sure they keep good records and not play with people’s money to their company’s benefit. I also asked for validation of the debt. They didn't provide that either. Instead, they sent to collections.

Folks, read the contract because it contradicts itself. On one hand, it says that purchasers have recourse against SDC via arbitration and in the same document in small print, SDC hides a provision obligating the customer to waive any and all rights the customer or any third party may have against Smile Direct Club.

I hope that you, the reader, learn from my experience. I now have to deal with a collection agency for monies that I have nothing to show for. I sent the product back and I have gotten nothing but subtle accusations from SmileDirectClub. Their representative on this forum told me that since my file was sent to collections there is nothing she can do for me.

Get smart. Avoid this company at all costs. I paid $7,700 for my daughter’s smile. FDA approved Orthodontists are prepared and happy to work out payments with their patients. Do it the right way. And, as a bonus, you may get a lifetime of friendships.

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

I started SmileDirectClub back in 2017. I did the impression kit and sent it back. Months went by and I never heard anything so I sent an email saying that I hadn’t received any updates on whether or not I was eligible for the aligners and I requested a refund for the impression kit. Once I asked for my money back, they got in gear and "good news," I was eligible, so within two weeks I had my aligners coming to me. Now I waited about 9 months to get started on them because life gets in the way.

Once I got started, everything was fine. I was on set 10 when I was told it was time to order my retainers. So I went ahead and ordered them and paid the $99. When I received the retainers, I only received the upper retainer and not the lower. About two months ago I started set 12 (out of 20 sets). When it was time for me to switch to set 13, I found out they had sent me someone else’s aligners for sets 13-20. I emailed back and forth with about 4 different customer service reps and was told to send in photos of the aligners I have. So I sent in a plethora of photos of each set. Through the emails, I was told I needed to be re-evaluated and sent a new impression kit for new aligners. I then called and spoke with a young woman on January 7th who put in an order for my retainers (both top and bottom this time) as well as my aligners for sets 13-20 and she said they were free of charge, which DUH!

Here we are on February 14th, 2019 and I haven’t received anything still. I just got off the phone with a different customer service rep who told me that the retainers were delayed due to high demand but that they were going to be shipped out with 7 business days. As far as my aligners sets 13-20, they couldn’t send them to me and they would need to re-evaluate my smile by sending the new impression kit. I asked why the lady was able to order them in the first place and he said she made a mistake. I told him I was done and I wanted a refund for sets 13-20 as well as for the retainers I paid for. He said that the refund isn’t possible because they are willing to send me the impression kit and get me my "new smile" free of charge. I told him I didn’t understand why I had to do the impression kit over again. Why couldn’t they just send me my aligners sets 13-20. He said that since I’ve been wearing my set 12 for over the recommended time, that they could crack at any moment and I’d lose my progress. He said that if I were on set 11 or 10 that they could have just sent 13-20 and I’d have been okay. It makes absolutely zero sense. I hate that I’m having to do this over again instead of getting the refund I deserve!

They are a scam. They just want money and the minute you realize your mistake of going to them instead of a professional it’ll be too late. Don’t waste your money. Go to a professional. Sure you might pay a little more, but you’ll have the peace of mind of no screw-ups.

And don’t pay attention to their response to bad reviews about caring and all that and to send an email. You’ll just get the runaround again. NOT! WORTH! IT!

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