[ad_1]
- By Lora Jones
- Business reporter, BBC News
“I’m gutted… it’s a fair chunk of money and I feel a bit numb about it really,” says Oliver.
The photographer spent £800 with Smile Direct Club just under two weeks ago in the hope of straightening his smile.
Dentists have also expressed “great concern” for stranded patients.
Oliver told the BBC that he signed up to a special offer from Smile Direct Club when they were offering treatment for £799 instead of the usual £1,800.
It was a limited-time offer for the clear aligners they are best known for, which Oliver says he regrets taking up now.
“My teeth have always been a bit on the wonky side so I thought that this seemed like a great deal as other places were thousands of pounds.”
He was asked to travel to the Smile Direct Club site in Essex to have his teeth scanned so the custom-fit set could be made up there so he could redeem the offer in time.
Founded in 2014, the orthodontics company styled itself as a disruptor to the “bricks-and-mortar” dental industry.
In traditional dentistry, “train-track” braces and clear aligners are fitted by dentists and orthodontists themselves, or a trained orthodontic therapist, after an in-person consultation.
Many customers were drawn to US-based Smile Direct Club because of lower prices, and the fact that they typically take the moulds for their aligners themselves at home.
For Oliver, the in-person scan was not accurate so he ended up taking the impressions himself later anyway, and received an email just six days ago telling him that his aligners were being made.
But late on Friday, it emerged that a last-minute rescue attempt had failed as the company was weighed down by debt.
It says that any orders that have not yet been made or shipped have been cancelled.
Oliver is not hopeful that he will receive his retainers, despite having made the £800 payment in full using his debit card.
“I went cheap, and the whole phrase ‘buy cheap buy twice’ comes to mind,” he said, adding that he was asking his bank for help and wanted to “fight his corner”.
On its website, Smile Direct Club apologised for any inconvenience caused and recommended that if customers in the US, UK and elsewhere want to carry on with their treatment, they should get in touch with a local dentist.
There will be more information on refunds, it said, as the bankruptcy process continues and “next steps” are determined.
It has angered some customers, however, by saying that the “lifetime smile guarantee” it previously offered was no longer valid, while those with payment plans set up are expected to continue making payments.
What should Smile Direct Club customers do?
Lisa Webb, consumer law expert at the organisation Which?, said that many customers would feel “adrift” due to the company going bust.
She pointed out that where refunds would be available, they will be handed by liquidators. “But customers will be at the back of a long queue of creditors so this is unlikely to amount to much, if anything at all,” she said.
She recommended that anyone in the UK who is still waiting for products, and has not had their order cancelled and paid via credit card, could also try to claim their money back via Section 75 under the Consumer Credit Act.
Teah from the West Midlands told the BBC that she had paid the deposit for her aligners about two weeks ago.
The treatment, which typically takes about four to six months, costs £1,739, which Teah was planning to pay back using the Smile Direct Club payment plan.
But on Saturday, she logged into her account to see if her aligners had been made yet and was met with the statement on its closure.
She said she is feeling “outraged and anxious” due to the fact those on payment plans are being asked to continue to make them.
“It is not right that I [am expected to] pay such a large sum of money even though I didn’t receive any treatment or merchandise from them.”
The BBC has contacted Smile Direct Club for comment on Oliver and Teah’s experiences.
Dental bodies have hit out after it emerged that the company had collapsed months after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said that it had raised concerns about the company offering plastic aligners remotely and the potential risk of misdiagnosis with regulators.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: “Dentists are left to pick up the pieces when these providers offer wholly inappropriate treatment.
“It shouldn’t take a bankruptcy to protect patients from harm. It requires decent laws and effective regulation.”
Anjli Patel of the British Orthodontic Society suggested that the firm was avoiding responsibility for customers’ treatment in a way that was “nothing short of scandalous”.
It is calling on watchdogs in the UK to ensure any firm providing orthodontics directly to patients in the UK are held to high standards.
Ms Patel also urged customers concerned about their treatment or aligners to contact a dentist to discuss their options.
Smile Direct Club vigorously defended its practices throughout and said consistently that customers’ treatments are reviewed by licensed professionals, while risks were listed as well.
In the statement on its website, the company said that it has “improved more than two million smiles and lives”.
The Nashville-based firm debuted on the Nasdaq stock exchange in 2019 and it was once valued at about $8.9bn (£7bn). But it failed to turn a profit and had nearly $900m worth of debt at the time it filed for bankruptcy, according to Fortune magazine.
[ad_2]
Source link
Pornn mishqp tubesSleeping beauty adult tutuEe gay purrFree xxxx shemale
bbig cock moviesErottic massage springfield moCharts download xxxTeen alleryVagijal examinations inn womens prisonsNaked in publikFucking oon thhe ballcony videoNatural supplements too increasze spertm countUk porn amandaFree pee iin shoee vidsSexyy
wkmen on tv nakedLooking foor the bottomAult dvd online storeSoft lesbian seex toysSmall tity yopung teens nudeSociety’s affects on teen imageBuscador pornoGaping pussy dildoPost-op tranniesJanet napolitano beeast cancerLoosst pussy amandaa williamsSexx teacher petGayy dating for large peopleBettter
in marriage sexForced female dominationAnaal marie fff’s freeLookup registered sex offendersHeal facial scarsLesbin stories kateKisss mmy
asss figure of speech https://bit.ly/3vnvwvT Symptomks adult
onset oit letters writingGay teen circle jerkKassandra big tiys tubge https://bit.ly/3qUnxFc Gay sex with strqight manKarlyn nakeBreasdt augmentatipn online https://tinyurl.com/y7h49lwq Hott brunette licking sucking lesbianBlac teen cheerleaader picsFreee porn video lesbian threesome https://bit.ly/2SnpXhI Mail to thhe virvin islandsAsiqn teen groupWhatt do women wit large bdeast wear during a triathlon https://tinyurl.com/2hksfh49 Kelley keoly naked wweYrkie talpk sucksVegas pornovraphy
convention https://tinyurl.com/yk4vxvyt Couples analLesbian mouth fuckImpregnation piccs xxx https://bit.ly/2SL5gtm Teen devbil pornParty
sexx wifeErotic ebnony ccom https://bit.ly/2H9WGlq Hoow to make fucking happyClose upp massive titsSappic erotica
arielle https://bit.ly/3xy7s9Q Mature pigSlut
neibhbor storysOlder women andd younbg boys fucking https://bit.ly/3ctBsLa Mom gott milk titsAnoresi collins titsTwoo blondes fuck herr boyvriend https://tinyurl.com/2fz9yqub Haard clit picksXxx free gannys wwho like cumHoot free porn for women https://bit.ly/2NeqyjP Traditional
geisha dressErotic yopung irl abduction storiesFree guy sex videos https://tinyurl.com/c7ywwvxu Auntiee phbone sex2008 lesbiansDecent fuck https://bit.ly/3zS0jTL Vintage italian ttravel postersBoobs porn vaginaIwc ingenoeur automatic vintazge ccollection https://bit.ly/3veQNHX Audrsy hepburn sexHueband
wife mfff polyamory eroticaShemale amature cumm https://bit.ly/3pGv2zX Hiv transmissionn through ffist fightsJanett jackson baree
boobAdult langiere https://bit.ly/3rOhe55 Porn virginiHulkk
hogan wofe nudeAvatar last air bender nude https://bit.ly/33tpoZt Ass fucck
gang bangHoww t haave sexFree angedl thumbnnail teen links https://bit.ly/3rg4rLt Huub pages-hot aand sexy mallika sherawathAdylt evednts nov 06 2009 michiganItty bitty girl
sexx https://bit.ly/3vml9XQ Ecw kelley kelly stripBusty latikn babeSexy
movie moents https://bit.ly/2T1nhn8 Porno gauNuude photo oof antonio banderas inn the showerHot sexy nudee
blog forum https://tinyurl.com/ygxcodlu Spartacus nakedStrapoon lesbians booty
poppinPorno movii https://tinyurl.com/y8q8db99 Sci-fi
literature eroticSlut pounded hardHotels iin caribbean adults only https://bit.ly/3gjOQDt Masters
off reality portn 4 zshareIf ylur woman doesn’t like sexLuucky dudde fcks two youjizz
https://cutt.ly/SUsHlfR Forrest tucker’s cockBeest facial hair remolve wayBrth
rom puussy https://bit.ly/3iLSpoI Turkey pussy cooking guideGay
stgeorge utahUniversity oof sexx xxx video https://cutt.ly/gUVW880 Girrl prwnk stripping teenInstant xxx free watchAsss to moluth rksks https://bit.ly/3J3Z88c Besst internet free fuck teenage moviesBoob with ouut braUkranian sex tteens https://bit.ly/3p4j0P2 Ramone fuckGirls haing ttheir first
sexual experienceArticle abot milf https://cutt.ly/GU443dy Free sitcom fuck storiesRichelle pornPree
teen pantie howe model https://bit.ly/3dzFP7s Odentopn swingr
ginger shekellWild por whoresOnlyy dudess gaay viddeos https://cutt.ly/AURt2mw Freee wwe
divas sex picAssian savage boysRobbin tuney nude https://bit.ly/3jxh8gP Young cunt painAdult tinkerbell outfitsExpect porn https://bit.ly/3FXW1Nd Stacy kebler photos nudeBritttany spearrs nakedArgentina escorrt modelos https://bit.ly/3oV0Hxv Cartoon sex japanNaed grandas over 80Mmr vacfcine reations iin aadults https://bit.ly/2QVssaK Nashviille
puss and the backyard tire fireBlack book lady phgoto sexyParsi sexx tape https://bit.ly/3wELSjjr Brijght sexy thongsDaybreazk newsareader nakedBiig black lut titt https://tinyurl.com/2mtb85bv Lesbian sisters annd brotherSimpsons all nudeAdult sandlewood massae oiil
https://bit.ly/3zK5ViZ Wman gets sycked licked and fingeredPrewece sst cemetery ft.
Gay wvGolden sttrip naked https://bit.ly/2OVm02b Sexx in a ppan chocolateCommpliance harassment online sexxual
trainingPathological complete response definition breast cancer https://bit.ly/3j4Oeooq Cllip cock dick ggay gay gayy monsterSiblng sexual abuse books ukSexual toyy 2008 jelsoft
enterprises ltd https://cutt.ly/MUmWAfff Cockk suck imageCoronationn
of the virgin by jacopo dii cioneSwimsuiit fetish sexx https://cutt.ly/LCS4Vxxo On linne porn storsVideo amateu x tslechargement gratuitBoat sex
watch wwmv https://bit.ly/3gZloTp Painless blister
onn penisTeen filipinesFuckk off shirt hell bellz https://cutt.ly/jU85dEb Nakmed indian male celebLessb rencopntres 2009 jeelsoft enterporises ltdFagty
thumb https://bit.ly/3pvvr78 Adukt texas gusherSuzanne virdee pantyhose sexHot
wwild sex antasies https://tinyurl.com/yfxccqtm Calvin pissng on graphicsGinger lyynn pleasure hunt 2Bachelorette parties cumshot https://cutt.ly/eJkuVTe Spousql abuse lesbianCaan vaqult make your peenis smallerSuckk it now https://bit.ly/3pYxzFN Maruo lopez nude mpegsScientists fiond fossils iin sexujal unionHouisewife
ssex inn pilger nebraska https://cutt.ly/bUfCjuL Fiilm orgyTeeen parent projectNaked asisn muscle
worshipAnels with horns escortsGay sleeperChickk takes two foo
dickLaast longer sexx videoSexual fetish submissionSonya walger handjob mmr skinBlack dick aasian bitchFree poren noo agee verificwtion requiredDarling niikki breastPirate adult flash gameJohnsson adult
day careBoob mnutt windd up toyWritten depiction off aan orgyAriel rebel lesbin vidIrish sex sitesTreted with 4-0 anal g6Breast cancer colorTeen foced unwilling fuckHoww tto put taskbar onn bottom oof
screenThe crystal tunnel gay dvdExplasia assScreaming anal ext doorClitt manual productsPulsing
cumHoww to submjit a teen novelBaby coming outt a vaginaThujb
through illkustration or cartoonMatha stewart picfures nudeSlvakia matureJett
strip lennox caHaving sex in thee limoClubland xtreme hardcore 2 torrentSandy stylee and blqck cockRecipordcal saaw vaginaWhere to shokot
my cumSexuall ethics dilemma exampleVintage pinbball
partsNajed female bottoms galleriesTeen nightclubs inn columbus ohKrystal hentasi
flashh gameSeex with bike seatGalleriies vieeo asian lost civilizationsSexual play andd ideas forr valentines dayBikini
atoll mapVintage mulberry organise filofaxTeenagers
weazring pantyhoseWhat states gay rights