What Happened to Wondersmile Australia?

After its inception in 2018, Wondersmile’s popularity soared. Their customer base saw steady growth and their ratings on TrustPilot and other sites were some of the highest in the industry. But things took a turn in January 2022, when customers started reporting issues like low-quality aligners, poor customer service, and shipments that supposedly got lost in the mail.

For months, Wondersmile halted their operations and their communication channels went dark. Now, they’ve resurfaced as “Dr. Wondersmile,” claiming to have new management and a new team. But many customers are still wondering if they’ll ever get their aligners, retainers, or refund. So, what happened to Dr. Wondersmile Australia? That’s what we’re here to discuss.

If you’re considering using Dr. Wondersmile to straighten your teeth, we suggest you look into other providers. Check out our comparison review of the best at-home clear aligner services in Australia for an in-depth analysis of your options.

Why Did Dr. Wondersmile Cease Operations?

From the outside, Wondersmile was a highly successful company. They saw steady growth from the moment they launched in 2018, thanks to their in-person clinics, competitive pricing, and lifetime smile guarantee. Even when the pandemic took down many businesses, including other at-home aligner providers, Wondersmile kept marching on. Their customer reviews were overwhelmingly positive and before-and-after photos documented great results.

That’s what made their months-long radio silence such a mystery. And until December 2022, the company didn’t offer any insight into the matter.

Customers started noticing issues in the middle of January 2022. They would send in impressions and Wondersmile would claim they lost them — sometimes losing multiple sets in a row. Customers who had been waiting for weeks still hadn’t received their aligners. Some had their aligners arrive, but they just didn’t fit properly. When customers contacted Wondersmile about their problems, many of them received an identical canned response:

We are in the process of undergoing internal system updates and due to the transition required, there have been some delays. We sincerely apologise for your recent experience and our support team will be reaching out to you immediately to help resolve your enquiries.

Then, the company stopped responding at all. When they went dark depends on who you ask. Some customers have been without a response since February 2022, while others stopped hearing from Wondersmile in June. It’s unclear how they chose which customers to respond to and which to ignore during this five-month window. Despite this, customer reviews indicate they were still taking new orders through May 2022. In rare cases, they responded to comments as late as June.

But December 2022 brought a ray of hope for those customers — the company resurfaced on Instagram and Facebook under the name “Dr. Wondersmile.” They claim they’ve rebranded under new management, and that they’re ready to start serving customers in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Ireland again. They’ve even responded to customers who’ve commented on their posts.

However, some customer reviews from November and December 2022 still say they haven’t received products, refunds, or communication from Dr. Wondersmile, so we’ve yet to see this new business model prove its effectiveness.

Did Wondersmile Management Know The Company Was Going Under?

We’d love to give Dr. Wondersmile the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they kept taking orders through May because they truly thought things were going to turn around and with luck, they could fulfill their outstanding orders. But the paperwork tells a different story.

Head to the Australian Securities and Investments website and search the public notices to see what we mean. According to the first available notice, the company went into receivership, and an administrator was appointed on May 31, 2022.

That might make it sound like they stopped taking new customers once they knew they were going under, but going into receivership takes time. How much time it took, we can’t say. But we can look at the company’s UK arm.

According to Companies House, Wondersmile UK filed to be struck from the register on March 24, 2022, effectively starting the company’s dissolution. While one arm of a business can run into trouble while others are going strong, customer reviews indicate that the Australian and UK branches hit the same issues simultaneously. If Wondersmile UK knew it was shuttering back in March, WonderSmile Australia understood they no longer could fulfill orders, yet kept on taking them.

Perhaps leadership anticipated the company’s December 2022 re-emergence under a new brand and management, but they still left customers hanging for months with no hope of receiving their products or refunds.

How Is Dr. Wondersmile Helping Existing Customers?

In all the reviews we read from Australian customers, none said they had received money back or any help finding an alternative aligner treatment. In a few cases, customers contested the charges with their bank and received money back that way.

At first, Wondersmile Australia put a pop-up notice on their website that read:

According to this statement, they planned to fulfill customer orders. And it seems like they still hope to deliver on that promise as Dr. Wondersmile. The message no longer appears on their website, but they’ve drastically reduced their in-office locations, and impression kits are listed as “currently not available.”

However, we’ve seen them responding to customers who commented on their Instagram posts, so there’s hope that they’re working with those customers to find solutions.

Best Alternatives to Dr. Wondersmile

Whether you’re a current customer wanting to switch to a reliable company or a new client who thought Dr. Wondersmile could be a good fit, you don’t need to give up on your dream smile. Australia has plenty of at-home aligner providers, and below are our three favorites.

Byte

Byte was founded in the U.S. in 2018 and started their Australian division in the spring of 2020. While they are somewhat young, they’ve quickly become a popular aligner company for their excellent customer service, nighttime-only treatment, and HyperByte device. Best of all, they guarantee your smile for life — something that Dr. Wondersmile also used to offer, but no longer does.

EZ Smile

It isn’t always easy to fit clear aligner treatment into your budget, but EZ Smile makes it simple. Their rates aren’t the lowest you’ll find, but they are some of the best in the industry. And they don’t cut corners to offer these low prices; they focus on quality from start to finish.

SmileDirectClub

If you want an experienced at-home aligners company, SmileDirectClub is the way to go. Founded in 2014, they pioneered remote aligner treatment and they’ve helped more than 1.5 million people to date. Their aligners have been available in Australia since 2019, and they offer in-person scans, just like Dr. Wondersmile.

Final Thoughts

This is a difficult situation for all Dr. Wondersmile customers, whether they were just getting started or waiting on retainers. But no matter where you are on the journey, you have other quality remote aligner (and retainer) options. Otherwise, we hope Dr. Wondersmile’s new management and team can deliver on their unfulfilled promises.