Case of the loose screw ends in court

Anil Kumar Gupta of Aves Opticians in Ilford said his situation arose when the wrong colour of screw was inserted into a patient's frame hinge. He said that despite the offer of a replacement frame, the customer's persistence and abusive behaviour prompted the receptionist to leave the practice.
The patient complained to the General Optical Council and the College of Optometrists, but both, said Gupta, found the practice to have done nothing wrong. However, the patient took his complaint to the Small Claims Court. When the case was heard last Friday, Gupta said he was very unhappy about the way he was treated.
He said the court demanded proof of his qualification, made him explain what the GOC was and explain the relevant parts of the Data Protection Act. The magistrate also switched off a Dictaphone he had taken to court halfway through the hearing.
'The magistrate informed me that every adjustment we carry out for a pair of spectacles must be fully explained to the patient before any action is carried out.'
The practice was ordered to pay £281 for the frame, £30 court costs and £50 to the patient for the loss of his time. Gupta said the court had barred him from appealing against the decision.
'Let this be a warning to every optical practice what you are up against,' he added in a letter to optician.