Bowden Eye & Associates - Southside Jacksonville Location

I'm kinda surprised at all the negative reviews i've found here! I was going to write a positive review already but now feel double obliged.

I recently had the good fortune of getting eye insurance and have been in sore need of new glasses. After having a bad experience with the prices for frames at Perle Vision, i decided to check with my insurance to find out who else i could go to and was surprised to find out that Bowden Eye was right next to my family doctor on Yellow Bluff.

I already had the designer frames purchased online and merely needed to have progressive lenses put in those. After talking to the lady at the eyeglass counter, i decided that the frames i had just bought online might be pulling on my hair too much and went with a new pair instead and will return my online purchase.

Like others, I was shocked and appalled at the cost of my lenses - with insurance my photo grey progressives where about $600. If that wasnt bad enough the sales girls did talk me into another pair of glasses since i got another set of free lenses due to a special. That was good, but waaaaay more money than i thought i would have to spend. Granted, this was the insurance companies fault and not Bowdens. Progressives are expensive. But, i have two pair of great designer progressive glasses with photogrey/brown tint for about $900.

I was told upon ordering that my glasses would take 10 business days, and I was again shocked that i got a call just 4 business days later stating both my glasses where in. 20 minutes later, i was back at Bowden Eye and 10 minutes after that walked out with great glasses.

So, no muss, no fuss. They found a new customer with me. Sorry everyone else didnt have such a good experience! It was a little pricey but quality usually is.

I went in to have my eyes checked and I got glasses . The woman in the back where I paid lots of money too was just rude and the woman at the front desk wasn't friendly. I won't be going back .the doctor I seen was ok but they tried to sell me things that I didn't need . I'll find another eye doctor

I have been going to Bowden Eye Associates for a few years and I have never had any real problem (aside from a scheduling issue -- which was worked out.) Dr. Robben is an amazing doctor. I've been seen for everything from near sightedness to a scratched cornea (damn that hurts!!) he & the staff have always been so helpful & caring. I've been seen here and at the location off 210! Both are equally as good!

Spent 3 weeks going to him. From day one I felt rushed in to new and expensive, out of pocket things. Near the end of the third week, he wanted me to come in for some kind of in socket plastic ring for my eye. The procedure would cost me over $250, and I was expected to not move my eye once the thing was in. A completely absurd concept.
Two days before I would have had to go in for the procedure, I called to get a reference for a consultation. I requested it be from a doctor *not* associated with Bowden and his company. When Dr. Bowden's team lead, Tony, called me back, I was directly and in no mixed words told, "We will not be giving you a reference for a second doctor as we are confident in our assessment." I WAS FLOORED. This was Dr. Bowden's team leader telling me this! Last I checked, the consultation wasn't for them and their confidence in their assessment but for MY confidence!
As of this writing, I was also informed by Tony that they were putting in a termination of my account, which, to me, sounds like that if I ever had to go back to them, I'd have to pay a new co-pay, if it was within this same year. Also, I'm suspecting that if a new doctor's office requests my information file from them, that th e new doctor will not be given it. I'm pretty sure that Bowden and Associates are doing more harm than good, going even so far as sabotaging patient information by withholding it from other doctors.
Bodwen Eye & Associates: Hypocrisy and *NOT* the Hippocratic Oath.

Came in with a nasty stye, I was told I had the option to do something called an IPL, and that it costs $170 out of pocket. I decided to go for it, I was ready to try anything to get the swelling in my eye down. I was told it's not painful and it's just a flashing light. The first flash of light ended up burning my eyebrow hairs and the skin underneath. It was only then that they put some form of gel to prevent this from happening, not before the procedure had started. I was still charged the full $170 for the procedure.

A few days later I get a call from their office explaining that there was an error on their end and they were supposed to charge me almost $400 for this, and they wanted me to pay the difference, to which I declined. I was asked to make payments to pay off the balance, to which I declined. At that point, they contacted management who decided to waive the "remaining balance", rightfully so. My issue with this whole situation was the audacity they have to ask me to pay for their mistake after the procedure was advertised to me at $170, and then performed improperly.

I went to this office twice for regular eye exams. The 2nd time I was given a questionnaire and it asked about neck strain etc. I thought that was odd but ok. I was given some type of test that had to do with that questionnaire. I was told by the Dr that they sold some special glass lenses that would help with the neck strain. So it couldn't possibly be stress of life causing neck pain and tense muscles?? They wanted to upsell me on glasses. Nope. Then the Dr told me I was borderline glaucoma and I'd need further testing to catch it early. Ok that's fine. What was not fine was that after that testing I'd need another appt for results. That would equal another office visit charge. Uhm nope again. I cancelled my appt for the testing and never went back. I'm not going to have a medical office upsell me on stuff. That is despicable and unprofessional.

This practice truly cares about their patients and the health of their eyes! Highly recommend!

I saw Dr Kay and Robert today and had one of the best exams I ever had Robert took his time with my exam and explained everything Dr k also was very professional and discreet her bedside manner was perfect and she demonstrated a high level of care I enjoyed my exam today with these two individuals Bowden eye and associates is one of the best

RUN! Don't waste your time with this practice unless you have HOURS to spend sitting in their office and want totally incompetent doctors. Dr. Robben, at the 210 office, is the absolute best, but I will not see him anymore since he is associated with the Bowden Eye. This practice will try to sell you everything under the sun. I heard the front desk tell an elderly couple they could only get the products they were buying from Bowden's office. LIE. I buy/bought some of the same products on Amazon and for much cheaper.

My last appointment was for 9am. At 10:45am, I asked the front desk when I would be seen since my appointment was at 9am. She told me that was my "arrival time." WHAT? I didn't see the doctor until 11:45am. Most of the staff is very rude and impatient. Unhappy too!

If you need blepharoplasty, (which they push on you after a certain age) do yourself a favor and see a plastic surgeon. Darbandi does NOT know what she is doing. She did mine (unfortunately) and 10 days later she took the stitches out. Two days later both incisions opened up. Dr. Bowden said the stitches came out too early - Darbandi said they did not. Dr. Bowden had to do a "wound revision" surgery to correct the problem, so basically I went through the surgery twice, and might I add I felt everything and was even crying on the operating room table during the 2nd surgery. The staff was pissed off at me anyway and were all very rude. Dr. Bowden said I would not have to pay for the 2nd surgery, but two days later when I came in for the "wound revision," I told Bowden the front desk was trying to collect over $600 from me and that he told me I didn't have to pay for the 2nd surgery, he said "I never said that." He lied right to my face. I did see a plastic surgeon a few months after my surgeries because my scarring is atrocious and looks bad. The plastic surgeon said "I'm sorry to tell you this, but you got what you paid for." Apparently - and no one will tell you this, but I will - when you have surgery in your ophthalmologist's practice, insurance will only let them do so much. If you want REAL eyelid surgery - you need to see a plastic surgeon so that it will be done correctly.

Another interesting note - my daughter-in-law is a nurse practitioner who does Botox/fillers, etc. A woman came in and asked her if there was anything that could be done with the scarring on her eyelids. My DIL asked her if she had blepharoplasty and the woman said yes and that the incision had opened up. When asked where she had the surgery - the woman replied Dr. Darbandi at Bowden Eye. My DIL told the woman her story was very familiar.

Stay AWAY from this practice. Not sure how they stay in business.

Well, my first visit here was quite a disappointment. So, I was referred to Bowden because I'm interested in ICL, Inplantable Collamer Lens surgery, and Dr. Bowden does this type of procedure regularly in his practice.

It took approximately a month to get on Dr. Bowden's books due to the way I'm scheduled at work so I was excited to finally find a day I could be available and Dr. Bowden would be available for a consultation. I scheduled my appointment a week in advance.

I drive the 20 min, arrive for my appointment, fill out the paperwork and wait for about 15 min then I'm called back. I'm brought into a room and given an overview of what lay ahead for the day. I then do a visual eye test and I was put on a machine to get an idea of my prescription. Next, I'm told about a $150 consultation fee I'll need that day to have my consultation... WTF!?!?

Now, when my referral was initially called in and I was contacted by Dr. Bowden's office, this wasn't mentioned. When I called on and off for about a month trying to get on the books for this consultation, this wasn't mentioned. When I arrived, registered, did paperwork, was photographed and waited to be seen, this wasn't mentioned. When I was given the visual and put on the machine, this wasn't mentioned. It wasn't until after the train pulls out of the station this is mentioned.

I was annoyed to say the least! How unprofessional and inconsiderate. I was told that someone tried to call me the DAY BEFORE to let me know about the fee and I got that VM message after I got off work. Two things: first, it's unacceptable to notify a client the night before their appointment about a $150 fee.

I do pretty well but I'm a budgeter and planner so how dare this office assume otherwise by allowing anyone less than 24 hrs to be prepared for their visit. Secondly, the VM message stated the call was to confirm my appointment which I'd already done via their email online and via their text message I'd received. The VM message made no mention of a $150 fee so when I was told I was called for the purpose of being put on notice less than 24 hours before my appointment about that fee, that was a misrepresentation of the truth. If that were the case it would have been mentioned like confirming my appointment was mentioned.

Finally, when I voiced how aggravated I was by being blindsided I was told that my visit could be coded for a dry eye consultation, a necessary part of the ICL workup, which is covered under medical so I could see Dr. Bowden but he still wouldn't be able to come to a conclusion as to rather or not I would be a candidate without me paying the $150 for the "additional testing". Hummm... So is the $150 for the consultation or testing?

I was told the $150 is "kind of like a deposit" for the surgery because it goes toward the cost of the surgery. Well, I don't know if A) he'll say I'm a candidate and B) if I'll choose him for the surgery so why am I paying a deposit for something I don't know if I'll qualify for or choose to have with him??

I now understand that the $150 is a non refundable fee for the necessary pre-op testing however if I'm and candidate and decide to have the surgery the $150 will be applied toward the $10,000 bill. In fact, I got the impression that being blindsided by this "fee" is a common occurrence which implies it's intentional. After complaints about being blindsided with this fee, this office doesn't change the process. Instead, they use coding tricks to put the client at ease and collect that fee by any means necessary. I felt like a number and means to a paycheck and not a human with a medical need.

The way this was handled by this office was deceptive. Trust is something that must be established at the beginning of the process and is maintained throughout the process for the client. I'm not new to this procedure. I got my first consultation in Chicago in 2013 and the only reason why I didn't do it then was because the lens I needed hadn't been approved for use by the FDA in the United States in 2013.

That experience with Dr. Lubeck's office was amazing and it set the standard for what I've come to expect. This experience was dismal. After some time reflect I will not be returning to this office. Plainly, I don't trust these people. Our vision is extremely important and I can't afford to put mine in the hands of people who do business like this. The communication is misleading and the process feels rather convoluted. If it's like this in the beginning what will it be like getting into the OR, in the OR, and afterwards? It takes a team that flows and this team and the process is broken.