I dont trust Mellins i.Style

I had a consultation in July 2024 at the Claremont branch. I was told the consultation fee was R499 if I paid cash for the consultation, and more if submitted to medical aid.

I chose to pay for the consultation myself. Two days later, I received an email from Discovery about a claim submitted by Mellins i.Style Claremont (MontClare) for the consultation. I immediately contacted Mellins i.Style, who assured me that the claim was purely administrative, and that they did not receive payment from Discovery for the consultation. I trusted the information and moved on.

However, yesterday, I needed to access my Discovery profile for an unrelated matter, when I did a spot check by chance to see if the claim from Mellins i.Style Claremont (MontClare) was paid. To my surprise, the claim was in fact paid, and upon enquiries, Mellins i.Style Claremont (MontClare) confirmed the payment from Discovery for the same consultation, and that I should contact the branch for a refund.

My question is this: With how many customers does this happen, and if I had not questioned the duplicate payment, would they have kept quiet about the credit that "should" sit in my profile? Why did they not contact me when Discovery also made payment, and in fact, why was the claim submitted to Discovery in the first place?

When I visited the branch, I had to explain to them how to read my statement, before they could see the duplicated payment, which it clearly shows. They then informed me they need bank account confirmation before they could process a refund. This is pure admin and red tape, and while it frustrates me even more that I now have to wait who knows how long before the refund is processed, I do not feel that I can trust that Mellins i.Style are honest?

I will think twice before going back there, and I will most certainly not recommend them or any other company who is not honest, transparent or upfront with me.

Should I question the optometrist's qualification, accuracy of my eye test and advice as well?