TREVOR KOROLL
NEWS REPORTER
Humber students are urged to take precaution after a service offering full-time students free eye exams was found to have no affiliation with the school, services director of HSF said.
“A lot of the students during orientation are coming up to us and asking us,” SieuMoi Ly said, about the service advertised on humberoptical.com. The students told her they had booked eye appointments with a company they thought was in partnership with HSF, she said.
The service’s website offers Humber students free eye exams, designer prescription sunglasses, contact lenses and prescription sunglasses. Students can book appointments on the website, as well as a ride to and from the examination. Humber Optical also claims the service will be covered by the Humber Vision Insurance Plan.
“If you’re going to these appointments, it’s not recommended by us. We don’t know this company, we don’t know the location. We don’t know the services provided to you,” said Ly.
The HSF placed posters around the school warning students if they use Humber Optical it’s at their own risk.
Humber Optical’s website lists Dr. Vinod P. as a staff member but no contact information is provided. Gary Jeynes, director of public safety, said they are reviewing the matter and have nothing concrete on the subject.
Ly said students are assuming Humber Optical is directly affiliated with Humber College because the HSF held an eye clinic last year.
“We did an eye clinic last year by a company called Super Eye Specs, not Humber Optical,” Ly said. “Recently, we’ve also discovered that they were at Lakeshore campus trying to sign up students.”
Walter Sidoruk, the owner of the real Humber Optical at 2321 Bloor Street West, said he has nothing to do with the website or the offer. He said he was made aware of the website when Humber students came in asking for free eye exams.
Sidoruk said he has operated Humber Optical for 20 years and he said someone is operating under his name.
Ly said this isn’t the first time a company has tried to take advantage of Humber students. Small-time vendors have come in and handed out flyers to students, she said.
“It looks pretty silly on our end, but it is a company we never invited onto campus,” said Ly. “We’re doing all we can to make sure Humber students are aware that it’s not a service that we’re promoting or offering so they need to be a little more cautious with who they provide their information to.”
About the service advertised on humberoptical.com. Which is now HumberEyewear.com. Did not come to us to give us free eye exam and free glasses like they told us.
Many students believed that they came here to provide us free services, but nothing really comes for free don’t they? what they haven’t told us is that with the Humber Vision Insurance Plan, students can simply go to their store and get prescription glasses and/or contact lens for free. But the truth is that students can also take the insurance plan, and get more promising service done somewhere else.
Another promise was made to the students that went and have their eyes check, was that they will recieve their glasses with in 5 business days. Many students had already recieved their glasses/contact lens, but many are still cludeless waiting. some students went for their appointment and there was no doctor, more than three times in a row. We asked to speak to a manager, the only answer we got from them was more and more excuses.
So what are we getting ourselves into here? What are our choices? Are the services that they’re providing really free? Could they be satisfied with the excuse of “free”? Or would they push their luck by having their name change every time they ruin their own name?
I think we have our answers here. I said “No!” to those lying words, and got my glasses done somewhere that does true business. We’d all have our choices, you’d too should value yours.