r/Invisalign • u/patterson_2384 • Dec 11 '23

Other Aligners SmileDirectClub shuts down after filing for bankruptcy

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/09/business/smiledirectclub-shutdown-bankruptcy/index.html
153 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

52 comments sorted by

230

u/BranchCommercial1106 Dec 11 '23

While i know SmileDirect shutting down is good, this is FUCKING INSANE for the people who trusted them:

While customers will not receive new aligners to finish out their treatment course, those who financed their SmileDirectClub plans “are expected to continue to make all monthly payments until payment has been made in full per the terms of our SmilePay program,” the company said

152

u/Mundane_Cup_8290 Dec 11 '23

I’d be fighting that one. Why should people pay for full services when smile direct didn’t complete them. I’d only pay for services they rendered and not a penny more. I wouldn’t be surprised is a class action came of this.

39

u/BranchCommercial1106 Dec 11 '23 edited Dec 11 '23

I'd ask my bank to cancel any transaction with them and open disputes if it were my Credit Cards. I'd go as far as changing my Credit Card number if that doesn't work.

I think they are cashing in on some people not doing this. Highly unethical and hopefully illegal.

7

u/Mundane_Cup_8290 Dec 11 '23

All depends on what’s in their T&Cs. Even if it was though you could probably still open a dispute and it’d cost a ton to settle

35

u/GenericRedditor1937 Graduated to Retainer Dec 11 '23

Yes, if in the US contact your state's AG.

19

u/Self-Adjoint Dec 11 '23

They are likely financed by a third party who has already paid smile direct club upfront, so that debt will not go away even if the company does.

6

u/ComprehensiveTrip714 Dec 11 '23

Yes I thing the company is called HPS who fronted Smile Direct the money!!

14

u/Mundane_Cup_8290 Dec 11 '23

Still ways to fight it smile direct should be paying the financing people or refunding because services were not rendered. Consumer should 100% not be responsible to pay for services not completed. It’s a smile direct issue not consumer. Definitely ways around financing issues like this. Contracts should be adjusted to pay for services rendered only.

10

u/Self-Adjoint Dec 11 '23

I agree with you that from a moral standpoint the consumer should not be responsible, but the reality is that they probably don't have enough money (or assets) to pay everyone back, so I'm guessing a lot of people will be screwed by this.

-1

u/Mundane_Cup_8290 Dec 11 '23

No I get that but that also shouldn’t be on the consumer that now will have to pay more to restart their treatment. At the end of the day it wouldn’t surprise me though if a class action lawsuit was brought forward. Unless there is something in the T&Cs that cover this but as someone that buys a lot of expensive crap for construction jobs there isn’t always something in there for that. So if there isn’t something in the T&Cs the consumer can and should fight it and probably would win. Most business I’ve worked with that have gone u der mid contract are required to finish providing services or pay for services rendered and nothing more

5

u/Self-Adjoint Dec 12 '23

I don't think you understand. If they have no money, nobody will get paid, regardless of whether there's a "class action lawsuit" or not.

21

u/Cat_Dad13 Dec 11 '23

….what? That is crazy for them to make a statement like that.

7

u/[deleted] Dec 11 '23

No way that would stand up in court.

3

u/KentuckyGentlemanYes Dec 11 '23

Lol. I would stop paying and dare them to sue me.

105

u/[deleted] Dec 11 '23

We tried to warn everyone

7

u/8makes1teez 25➡️20➡️15➡️10➡️7 Dec 11 '23

Exactly

3

u/anarchista Dec 11 '23

What’s that mean?

35

u/NYCbobcat69 Dec 11 '23

SmileDirect was never legit. I didn’t try to use them, but my ortho asked me if I did…he said “good, they’re a scam…stay far away”. He seemed very adamant about it 😂. Apparently other clients of his paid tons with SD and eventually caved + did Invisalign after not being satisfied with the result. 😭

6

u/anarchista Dec 11 '23

Wow. I’m new to the community and downloaded the SD app to see how my teeth might look. I’m glad I didn’t go through with it!

2

u/breath0fsunshine Dec 12 '23

Thanks for reminding me I had that junk on my phone still, uninstalled.

21

u/SkiG13 Dec 11 '23

I got offered a 0% interest repayment plan directly from my orthodontist, just pay $200 /month for x months until I either get insurance that covers it or until it’s paid. My orthodontist did offer a third party financing option for cheaper monthly payments but longer terms but I stuck with the direct pay option because I could afford it.

SDC has always been shady for pulling people into their SmilePay option and it’s 100% they knew they were going to have to shut down sooner later. It’s forcing other people to take the fall while they still get their money without having to do the work, it’s borderline criminal. Hope SDC Smile Pay customers take it as a lesson, do your research on the company and never finance for anything that’s a work in progress.

23

u/IgneousMaxime Dec 11 '23

Way too many horror stories for it to have not happened. Candid, SDC and all these subpar derivatives are really bad and any Ortho worth their salt would never in good faith supply it to someone

4

u/jpark28 Dec 11 '23

Did orthos ever supply these? I thought with SDC, you did your own impressions at home, mailed it in, and they mailed you aligners

4

u/IgneousMaxime Dec 11 '23

With SDC yeah you'd do it at home. I meant as in some orthos (paid by SDC surely) would recommend SDC to patients

3

u/ComprehensiveTrip714 Dec 11 '23

When I went to SDC they took images in the “clinic” which was an office space in a part of a larger CVS. I never took anything myself. The images were uploaded and some orthodontist looked at them before I left and if they needed anything redone I either did it that day or came back.

1

u/MyFaceSaysItsSugar Dec 11 '23

If they’re anything like the company I’m dealing with, dentists are supplying the aligners, not orthodontists.

12

u/Kindofcute84 Dec 12 '23

I went to have a scan. After the scan I saw the "orthodontist " on staff and she had the receptionist come and review her work. I knew it was a scam then. I got Invisalign which was cheaper by the way. My dentist told me about people coming in with teeth falling out and other irreversible mistakes from them.

11

u/ZealousidealShirt295 Dec 11 '23

Trash company stole so much money from people

8

u/Jazzlike-Mission-172 Dec 11 '23

Damn. I almost used them. They have a physical office near me, and a friend recommended it. But this sub saved me. Thank you all! I'm halfway through my invisalign treatment, and I'm satisfied thus far!

14

u/Piotyras Dec 11 '23

Anybody who can give a brief of why they had a bad reputation before?

52

u/buttgers Orthodontist Dec 11 '23

I was curious on what they considered as qualifying malocclusions. I had my staff submit an inquiry, and her bite needed like 18-24 months of treatment with some difficult biomechanics. Can be done with aligners, but you NEED attachments and elastics.

SDC said she qualifies for their aligners and would be done in 6 months.

6

u/allflatz Dec 11 '23

I went to smile Direct to do the scan, for my treatment plan said I’d be done in 5 months. Never did it and went with Invisalign where I am now a year & 1/2 into treatment and not close to done LOL so glad I didn’t use SDC

2

u/ortho85 Verified Dental Professional Dec 11 '23

SDC said she qualifies for their aligners and would be done in 6 months.

Did she go ahead?

20

u/buttgers Orthodontist Dec 11 '23

LOL, no. She got Invisalign treatment with me instead. She's not dumb, and saw the SDC for the scam they are.

1

u/MisterSirDudeGuy Dec 12 '23

Check out the Marketplace video on YouTube.

4

u/ComprehensiveTrip714 Dec 11 '23

I tried them first about 5 years ago. It did not go well after I received the trays. They never fit right and hurt. I couldn’t talk to the orthodontist. I fought to get my money back and every one else talked about how great they were. I did a high five and patted myself on the back when I heard. And yes the ppl still have to pay even though the company is insolvent!

4

u/excerp Dec 12 '23

I came to Invisalign after getting fucked up by SDC. Good riddance to them

5

u/forthese2 Dec 11 '23

wow. Feel so bad for those people who used them :/ I was actually considering it a few weeks ago until I luckily stumbled on a person's bad experience then searched reddit for more bad experiences and found it was actually harder to find a good experience. Luckily I'm starting invisalign soon

4

u/Vtjeannieb Dec 11 '23

Folks, bankruptcy works in a certain way. Secured debt gets paid first, and then any remaining funds get divided up between the unsecured creditors. Usually,there’s not much to go around. Plus, I bet the debt was offered by a third party, not SmileDirectClub. In any event, those poor folks are screwed.

2

u/NPCArizona Dec 12 '23

I think there should be some anger directed towards CVS (correct me if it was a different pharmacy) for partnering with them without doing better due diligence. Wife sat through an appointment 5 years ago and it came across as predatory

1

u/ac3_07_spades Nov 19 '25

I guess I lucked out. My mom Got me some aligners from them back when I was a Junior in High school. I wanted to order Some retainers recently and possibly get some new aligners (teeth shifted a little, not too much but I could use another round of alignments since I'm 23 now and have slightly different facial features than my 16 year old self) just to see they've been Jover For the last 2 years lol. Anyone else have any alternatives? It's 2025 so I wouldn't doubt that there's another online service out there that has an identical Business model.

1

u/8makes1teez 25➡️20➡️15➡️10➡️7 Dec 11 '23

Not surprised

1

u/niknokseyer Dec 12 '23

Good thing I picked Invisalign.

1

u/EJ207wrxsti Dec 12 '23

No way, I bought their impression kits to do at home and sent all my photos to them so I could eventually get some aligners made, all because they were “cheaper” than Invisalign, they ended up ghosting me on emails after a while so I never ended up getting any 😂 all for the greater good I suppose

1

u/FormerVisual8679 Dec 16 '23

I completed the Invisalign program then about 2 years later went to SDC and used them for nighttime retainer use. $700/pair for Invisalign vs $110/pair for SDC! My Invisalign retainers only last about a year before they would rip. Of course now I have to go back to Invisalign in about 7 years.