2.8 
Business Hours
M-Tu 9am-5pm, W 10am-6pm, Th 9am-8pm, F 9am-5pm, Sa 10am-5pm, Su Closed
Accepted Payments
MasterCard, Visa
Languages
English, French
Year Established
1961
Listed In: Optometrists Place, Opticians Retailers
Hillside Optometry is your neighborhood eye doctor located at 24-1644 Hillside Ave. Your Victoria eyecare center offers genuine eye care where your eye health and wellness is our primary focus. Annual eye exams are a recommended cornerstone for ensuring the health of your eyes. In addition to… Hillside Optometry is your neighborhood eye doctor located at 24-1644 Hillside Ave. Your Victoria eyecare center offers genuine eye care where your eye health and wellness is our primary focus. Annual eye exams are a recommended cornerstone for ensuring the health of your eyes. In addition to checking for changes in your vision and updating your prescription, we will also look at your overall eye health, internally and externally. Prevention and early detection are keys to maintaining healthy eyes, as some eye health issues have no immediate symptoms but can still cause damage if left untreated. Thatâs why regular check-ups are critical. Read more
By Victor45 on May 2, 2015 Verified by Email
I got an eye exam and several boxes of contact lenses recently from this optometry business. They assured me that after purchase I could enter my details on a manufacturer website and get a substantial discount on the lenses, which were expensive. After paying the full price and hoping for a mail-in discount later, I found the website would not accept my receipt number from this optometry clinic, meaning I had to pay full price. I phoned them about this and how to get my money back and I just got a runaround and eventually was told that it was not their problem. Very disappointed and I will not be going back.
By Rose Pilot-whale on February 15, 2013 Verified by Guest
I can't believe this happened to you...and you had to explain yourself for it, over and over again. I definitely will not go to that place to avoid any problems, especially after this review. Had so many problems with different doctors, that's why I went on this site for reviews for clinics. Thanks for posting!
By lov on June 7, 2012 Verified by Email
I visited Dr. Wendy Li recently for an eye exam and she took the time to examine my eyes with care and diligence. I was impressed with her thorough approach and superior knowledge of the field. This is a person who knows what she is talking about. I will definitely be returning to Dr. Li in the future.
By pdub on June 8, 2011 Verified by Email
Several weeks ago I accompanied my girlfriend for her eye exam at the Hillside Optometry Clinic. The optometrist that was assigned to my girlfriend was Dr. Wendy Li. At this appointment, my girlfriend went in, got her eyes checked, and walked out twenty minutes later with her prescription.
The problem was that when we went to an eyeglass store the next day and bought a pair of $500 dollar glasses, they ended up not working. My girlfriend literally couldnât see a thing with them on. Naturally, we blamed the eyeglass store and demanded a new pair of specs. They were very helpful, and with absolutely no fuss, made my girlfriend a new pair.
The trouble was, though, that this pair was just as bad as the previous. So, what we did then was get a refund on her glasses (which the store did again without a fuss) and went back to Dr. Wendy Li. Upon our meeting, we suggested that perhaps she had made a mistake and asked for a refund. She flat out denied having made a mistake and blamed the eyeglass store for the problem. We told her that the eyeglass store had already made two pairs for us, and in both instances the results were the same.
She then told us that the problem was with my girlfriend. She said that it was ânormalâ for people not to be able to see with glasses (irony anyone?) and that we should wait a couple of days. We told her that it had already been a week. At this point, she shrugged off our concerns and told us that she couldnât talk because she had a client to get to.
That night, my girlfriend and I talked, and we decided to go to a different optometrist to get a second opinion. This person did the same tests as Dr. Wendy Li, but got completely different results. We took these results to the eyeglass store, and confirmed the new results: the glasses with the new prescription worked! Once we had the proof that Dr. Wendy Li had, in fact, made a mistake, we went back to the Hillside Optometry Clinic and demanded a refund.
In face of the evidence, Dr. Li couldnât deny that she had made a mistake (although she tried for about a half an hour); however, she claimed that even though she was mistaken, and even though my girlfriend and I had wasted a lot of time and money, she still wouldnât give us a refund. Her reasoning was that we had to pay for the âlabourâ and not the results of the test.
I was outraged. My girlfriend had spent over $100 dollars on this exam and the results were not even correct! I work at a local Subway restaurant, and I can tell you that if I mess up someoneâs $5 dollar sub, I have to make them a new one. I canât simply shrug my shoulders and say âSorry for ruining your sub and wasting your time, but itâs the labour that youâre paying for. So that will be $5 dollars for nothingâ.
All I can say is: anyone who is looking for good quality coupled with good service, avoid this clinic at all costs.
By Hillside Optometry
Some of the details here don't seem true. The eye test fee at this clinic is LESS than $100. Also, I find it hard to believe that any optometrist just "shrugs off" a patient's problem or concerns. They are trained professionals. Reception would probably be who the patient spoke to regarding any refund request. I question this version of events. Beware of what you read folks.
By Hillside Optometry
Lol, I can't believe that someone would think that I took all this time to falsely slander some poor, innocent optometrist. But, in the interest of answering a genuine concern, Iâll try to do my best to sort out any discrepancies. As to the doubts about the $100 dollar fee, it may be true that the eye test did cost a bit less. I canât remember the exact figure, but itâs possible that it was in the $90 range. This doesnât mean that Iâm agreeing that the eye test was under $100 dollars. In all sincerity, I canât remember (I wrote my initial complaint over a year ago); however, in the interest of being fair, Iâll concede that it could have been anywhere from $90 to $110 dollars. As to the claim that I only spoke to the receptionist and not the optometrist, I have two responses: (i) first, even if I didnât speak directly with the optometrist, that would be irrelevant; the receptionist represents the policies and interests of the optometrist. She canât make up her own rules as she goes; she must do what her employer (in this case Wendy Li) instructs her to do. (ii) Second, as a matter of fact, I actually did speak to the optometristâwell sort of. On my first visit, Wendy Li didnât actually say anything; she just meekly stood behind her receptionist as I made my complaint. But unless sheâs deaf, Iâm pretty sure she heard my concerns. On my second visit, however, I did speak directly with her. Yes, itâs true that my conversation began with her receptionist, but at some point Wendi Li came out of her office, and addressed me directly. I distinctly remember that she was the one who said I have âto pay for the labour, not the resultâ. Iâm sorry that I wasnât more specific in my initial complaint, but, with all respect, I didnât think I was writing for a formal legal proceeding. Itâs true that I was a little loose with the facts, but only because this is just a complaint website, not an important case demanding strict precision. Finally, as to the claim that itâs âhard to believe that an optometrist just shrugs off complaintsâ I couldnât agree more! Thatâs why I took the two and a half hours to find this website and write this complaint! Like you, I too was shocked. I never thought that a âtrained professionalâ could act so unprofessional, but I guess that even trained professionals can be douchbags from time to time. I hope this response helps you and others reading this complaint. Please donât suggest anymore that Iâm âexaggeratingâ. My girlfriend and I are poor people who have to give exceptional customer service every day for pennies. Dr. Li is a wealthy woman who gives terrible service and probably makes close to six figures each year. It really hurt me to lose that money in such a rotten wayâespecially since I couldnât do anything about it. All I have is this complaint website. To suggest that Iâm lying is to take away the only justice that I can get. I canât get my money or dignity back, but at least I can help others from losing theirs.
By Victor45 on May 2, 2015 Verified by Email
I got an eye exam and several boxes of contact lenses recently from this optometry business. They assured me that after purchase I could enter my details on a manufacturer website and get a substantial discount on the lenses, which were expensive. After paying the full price and hoping for a mail-in discount later, I found the website would not accept my receipt number from this optometry clinic, meaning I had to pay full price. I phoned them about this and how to get my money back and I just got a runaround and eventually was told that it was not their problem. Very disappointed and I will not be going back.
By Rose Pilot-whale on February 15, 2013 Verified by Guest
I can't believe this happened to you...and you had to explain yourself for it, over and over again. I definitely will not go to that place to avoid any problems, especially after this review. Had so many problems with different doctors, that's why I went on this site for reviews for clinics. Thanks for posting!
By lov on June 7, 2012 Verified by Email
I visited Dr. Wendy Li recently for an eye exam and she took the time to examine my eyes with care and diligence. I was impressed with her thorough approach and superior knowledge of the field. This is a person who knows what she is talking about. I will definitely be returning to Dr. Li in the future.
By pdub on June 8, 2011 Verified by Email
Several weeks ago I accompanied my girlfriend for her eye exam at the Hillside Optometry Clinic. The optometrist that was assigned to my girlfriend was Dr. Wendy Li. At this appointment, my girlfriend went in, got her eyes checked, and walked out twenty minutes later with her prescription.
The problem was that when we went to an eyeglass store the next day and bought a pair of $500 dollar glasses, they ended up not working. My girlfriend literally couldnât see a thing with them on. Naturally, we blamed the eyeglass store and demanded a new pair of specs. They were very helpful, and with absolutely no fuss, made my girlfriend a new pair.
The trouble was, though, that this pair was just as bad as the previous. So, what we did then was get a refund on her glasses (which the store did again without a fuss) and went back to Dr. Wendy Li. Upon our meeting, we suggested that perhaps she had made a mistake and asked for a refund. She flat out denied having made a mistake and blamed the eyeglass store for the problem. We told her that the eyeglass store had already made two pairs for us, and in both instances the results were the same.
She then told us that the problem was with my girlfriend. She said that it was ânormalâ for people not to be able to see with glasses (irony anyone?) and that we should wait a couple of days. We told her that it had already been a week. At this point, she shrugged off our concerns and told us that she couldnât talk because she had a client to get to.
That night, my girlfriend and I talked, and we decided to go to a different optometrist to get a second opinion. This person did the same tests as Dr. Wendy Li, but got completely different results. We took these results to the eyeglass store, and confirmed the new results: the glasses with the new prescription worked! Once we had the proof that Dr. Wendy Li had, in fact, made a mistake, we went back to the Hillside Optometry Clinic and demanded a refund.
In face of the evidence, Dr. Li couldnât deny that she had made a mistake (although she tried for about a half an hour); however, she claimed that even though she was mistaken, and even though my girlfriend and I had wasted a lot of time and money, she still wouldnât give us a refund. Her reasoning was that we had to pay for the âlabourâ and not the results of the test.
I was outraged. My girlfriend had spent over $100 dollars on this exam and the results were not even correct! I work at a local Subway restaurant, and I can tell you that if I mess up someoneâs $5 dollar sub, I have to make them a new one. I canât simply shrug my shoulders and say âSorry for ruining your sub and wasting your time, but itâs the labour that youâre paying for. So that will be $5 dollars for nothingâ.
All I can say is: anyone who is looking for good quality coupled with good service, avoid this clinic at all costs.
By Hillside Optometry
Some of the details here don't seem true. The eye test fee at this clinic is LESS than $100. Also, I find it hard to believe that any optometrist just "shrugs off" a patient's problem or concerns. They are trained professionals. Reception would probably be who the patient spoke to regarding any refund request. I question this version of events. Beware of what you read folks.
By Hillside Optometry
Lol, I can't believe that someone would think that I took all this time to falsely slander some poor, innocent optometrist. But, in the interest of answering a genuine concern, Iâll try to do my best to sort out any discrepancies. As to the doubts about the $100 dollar fee, it may be true that the eye test did cost a bit less. I canât remember the exact figure, but itâs possible that it was in the $90 range. This doesnât mean that Iâm agreeing that the eye test was under $100 dollars. In all sincerity, I canât remember (I wrote my initial complaint over a year ago); however, in the interest of being fair, Iâll concede that it could have been anywhere from $90 to $110 dollars. As to the claim that I only spoke to the receptionist and not the optometrist, I have two responses: (i) first, even if I didnât speak directly with the optometrist, that would be irrelevant; the receptionist represents the policies and interests of the optometrist. She canât make up her own rules as she goes; she must do what her employer (in this case Wendy Li) instructs her to do. (ii) Second, as a matter of fact, I actually did speak to the optometristâwell sort of. On my first visit, Wendy Li didnât actually say anything; she just meekly stood behind her receptionist as I made my complaint. But unless sheâs deaf, Iâm pretty sure she heard my concerns. On my second visit, however, I did speak directly with her. Yes, itâs true that my conversation began with her receptionist, but at some point Wendi Li came out of her office, and addressed me directly. I distinctly remember that she was the one who said I have âto pay for the labour, not the resultâ. Iâm sorry that I wasnât more specific in my initial complaint, but, with all respect, I didnât think I was writing for a formal legal proceeding. Itâs true that I was a little loose with the facts, but only because this is just a complaint website, not an important case demanding strict precision. Finally, as to the claim that itâs âhard to believe that an optometrist just shrugs off complaintsâ I couldnât agree more! Thatâs why I took the two and a half hours to find this website and write this complaint! Like you, I too was shocked. I never thought that a âtrained professionalâ could act so unprofessional, but I guess that even trained professionals can be douchbags from time to time. I hope this response helps you and others reading this complaint. Please donât suggest anymore that Iâm âexaggeratingâ. My girlfriend and I are poor people who have to give exceptional customer service every day for pennies. Dr. Li is a wealthy woman who gives terrible service and probably makes close to six figures each year. It really hurt me to lose that money in such a rotten wayâespecially since I couldnât do anything about it. All I have is this complaint website. To suggest that Iâm lying is to take away the only justice that I can get. I canât get my money or dignity back, but at least I can help others from losing theirs.
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Hillside Optometry 2.7 out of 5.0 based on 4 user reviews.
Hillside Optometry
24-1644 Hillside Ave, Victoria, BC
24-1644 Hillside Ave, Victoria, BC
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