SCAMJourney

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

 

Background
We are service providers and suppliers in the medical industry, with a dedicated history of offering unique, value-adding products. Our commitment to serving and supporting the market occasionally exposes us to risks in obtaining products that must meet stringent criteria. Due diligence is crucial, and checks and balances are necessary. However, when forcefully misdirected, blind spots can emerge, and we were caught off-guard.

 

The Request
A customer expressed interest in acquiring AI-driven software for interpreting digitized cytology slides. The AI software supplier recommended a relatively cost-effective scanning solution, as high-quality digital slide scanner units from big brands come with hefty price tags. Serving a market where value for money is crucial, we considered this recommended supplier being OPTRAScan. The AI provider however advised that we arrange for the right to return as the given company OPTRAScan units was still new in the market and we were also provided with the owner of OPTRAScan's e-mail address by them.

 

The Offering
OPTRAScan confidently compared their equipment to renowned brands like Philips and Leica scanners, but at a fraction of the cost. The pricing seemed reasonable for a high-quality product, despite the supplier still establishing their name in the industry.

 

Doing the Checks

Initial checks on the company were promising. They touted ISO 13485 QC standards and claimed membership in the prestigious Digital Pathology Association (DPA). We requested references due to their claims of numerous installation sites. After a considerable wait, OPTRAScan connected us with a distributor who confirmed several purchase sites. The discussion was generally positive, and no red flags were apparent.

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Until...

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HT S.A. Faces Severe Challenges with Faulty Digital Slide Scanner from OPTRAScan Inc.

HT S.A., a leading provider of medical equipment, is currently embroiled in a dispute with OPTRAScan Inc. over a malfunctioning digital slide scanner. The scanner, model OS-480, failed to meet the operational standards and specifications agreed upon prior to purchase, resulting in severe financial and operational difficulties for HT S.A. and their clients.

Unmet Specifications and Operational Failures
From the onset, the OS-480 scanner exhibited constant software and hardware issues. Despite assurances from OPTRAScan' representatives that these problems could be resolved through calibration, the equipment remained unreliable. The lack of functionality not only disrupted operations but also caused significant financial strain and mental distress for the employees of HT S.A. and the pathologist due to the incoherent actions of the OPTRAScan employees and management.

Questionable Business Practices
The Customer, expressed concerns over OPTRAScan' ethical conduct.

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Key issues include:

• False claims of membership in the Digital Pathology Association, which were used to influence purchasing decisions.

• Refusal to send engineers to resolve ongoing equipment issues during the critical evaluation period.

• Unwillingness to honor the agreed terms of the transaction, including the refusal to accept the return of the faulty equipment or provide a refund.

Direct Responsibility of Abhi Gholap
The pathologist places the direct responsibility for these actions on Abhijeet Gholap, CEO of OPTRAScan Inc. Under his leadership, the company has exhibited unethical practices and a lack of accountability. Mr. Gholap's failure to address the serious concerns raised by HT S.A. reflects poorly on his management, commitment to customer satisfaction and brand value.

Lack of Response and Resolution
Despite numerous correspondences dated from Mid 2023 and ongoing, OPTRAScan has not provided satisfactory answers or taken responsibility for the defective scanner. The repeated failure to address these concerns has left HT S.A. with no choice but to consider legal action and public disclosure of the matter.

Public Disclosure and Next Steps

HT S.A. has warned OPTRAScan, sanctioned by the Pathologist who funded the unit, of their intent to publicly disclose OPTRAScan’s scam and fraudulent behavior led by its owner, Abhi Gholap. This action underscores the necessity for transparency and accountability in the medical equipment industry. HT S.A. is dedicated to protecting their clients' interests and preventing similar issues from recurring. While they strive to assist others in such situations, it can be challenging to identify red flags when companies deliberately mislead customers and cover their tracks.

HT S.A. remains hopeful for a resolution that will mitigate the financial and operational impacts of this unfortunate situation. However, OPTRAScan has shown no intention of taking accountability for their actions or their non-functioning equipment.

Conclusion
This dispute underscores the importance of ethical practices and adherence to agreed terms in business transactions. HT S.A.' efforts to seek resolution reflect their dedication to maintaining high standards of service and reliability for their clients.
For more information and updates on this matter, please leave a message in the Contact Us form. 

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A forthcoming disclosure will detail the specific correspondence issued to OPTRAScan, further highlighting their deceptive behavior and identifying the individuals within their company responsible for these decisions. It will also highlight the deceptive traits that they displayed throughout this process.

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FURTHER DISCLOSURE

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Important Notice: OptraScan Distributors, Industry Reporters and Trade Embassies
 

The following is an expose on Optrascan and its owner Abhi Gholap. We have embraced it as our duty to Warn and Inform the public and other companies, as this is a matter of public interest to be protected from this entity’s Misleading and downright Fraudulent actions. Its blatant unethical behaviour under its current management goes directly against the grain of the ethos of the medical establishment.

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We are writing to inform you about a serious issue we have encountered with OptraScan, an Indian-manufactured digital slide scanning brand with a US branch. After agreeing to acquire a system from them, the OS-480 Digital Slide Scanner, we experienced significant problems with both the hardware and software, the poorly manufactured unit was received in an unusable state. Despite numerous attempts to resolve these issues, OptraScan has consistently failed to honor their commitments, including their agreement to refund us per the agreed terms. As a result, we have launched a public awareness campaign to alert other parties about this unethical behavior.

OptraScan operates as OptraScan, Inc., a California-based company with its headquarters at 1798 Technology Drive, Suite 210, San Jose, California 95110, USA. It is involved in providing digital pathology solutions, including whole slide imaging and AI-powered diagnostics. They also have an Indian branch, OptraScan India Private Limited, located in Pune, Maharashtra. If you wish to contact them, they can be reached at info@optrascan.com or by phone at +1-408-524-5300 (U.S.).

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Key Issues We Have Faced:

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1. Deceptive: Before acquisition, we raised our concern received from a 3rd party on product issues and thereafter OptraScan agreed that we would be able to return the unit if it did not function correctly during an use to evaluate trail. OptraScan only agreed to this into luring us to purchasing the unit as they failed to honour and acknowledge both these even though its in writing. OptraScan blocks comments on their YouTube videos of their equipment getting and providing functional feedback to prospective users difficult. OptraScan’s only reference they provided was contacted after this incident, they mentioned that “they would commercially withdraw from OptraScan due to deceptive commercial issues encountered.”

2. Defective Product: The OS-480 unit provided was non-functional, plagued by software and hardware malfunctions. Despite documentation and proof, OptraScan claimed there were no manufacturing defects.

3. Refusal to Honor Refund: Director Abhijeet Gholap has refused to issue a refund, despite prior agreements, resulting in financial loss and distress.

4. Misrepresentation: There have been blatant misleading claims by OptraScan, including false declarations about their affiliations with professional associations like the Digital Pathology Association.

5. Unresponsiveness and Legal Maneuvering: OptraScan has used delay tactics and off-record communications to avoid resolving the issue, solidifying concerns about potential fraudulent practices.

6. Jurisdiction: Hides behind their US Jurisdictional claim due to the cost of litigation in this region, rather than to correct their wrong-doing they just block the claim on jurisdiction.

7. Terms: We placed Optrascan on terms in accordance with the purchase terms agreed before the acquisition of the unit, however, they remain uncooperative.

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We are launching a public awareness campaign to prevent other companies from facing similar issues. More details can be found at https://www.optrascam.com/scamjourney.

Unfortunately, we were not so fortunate to be warned of this entity in an elaborate and clear fashion beforehand. We got the “Welcome aboard ! You are in safe hands” – Statement from Abhi Gholap (CEO Optrascan).

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This video clip illustrates some of the poor manufacturing quality on the system which is the direct cause of its failure: https://youtu.be/a5EaiXNZCYw.

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Abhi Gholap’s response to this was: "There are no manufacturing defects, and we can prove that on any platform you wish to take us. I wish you all the best, and any further emails on this matter harassing us will be treated accordingly."

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For further information and those doubting this: The non-functional OS-480 can be made available for viewing and assessment in Cape Town, South Africa. Additionally, we can share the facts and correspondence received from OptraScan and its owner, Abhijeet (Abhi) Gholap. The awareness campaign will continue unless there is a serious course correction by OptraScan and their management. We can also provide the OS-480 for sale at cost. This system is new and unused as OptraScan’s technical team failed to make it functional after weeks of calibration attempts.

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More Recently, a company contacted us, noting that Sheetal Ramteke (OptraScan Marketing) mentioned there has never been a system sold in South Africa and that our company’s (then – September 2024) listing on their website was an error further adding to their unethical behavior. Sheetal Ramteke is also the person that blatantly made false statements regarding Optrascan being a member of the Digital Pathology Association (DPA), after which the DPA had to confront them directly to have these claims retracted.

(In 2023) Furthermore some of his outrageous comments by Abhi Gholap to the one mediator was, “we do not even want this unit returned at 50% of the cost, in the same conversation they suggested that our company was able to handle the loss of the unit better as they (Optrascan) are a small company.” This made it clear that we were not dealing with an ethical person and institution.

 

In conclusion:

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Abhi Gholap is fully aware, as per initial correspondence, that the unit would be returned if it failed to operate correctly. This was a clear condition of the purchase, as our pathologist had concerns based on feedback from other OptraScan users. Instead of addressing the issue, Abhi Gholap has downplayed the situation with deceptive wordplay, and suggested solutions that would only be to his and his organizations benefit, that we return the unit at our own cost to one of their manufacturing sites for refurbishment and to be sold off for a significantly reduced price. This raises a crucial question: what is there to repair when their engineering team could not identify any issues during the failed three-week calibration and subsequent trial? As per Harshad Mulye (OptraScan Delivery Manager), when we raised serious concerns on the chronic failures of the system to get their engineer to site during the calibration period, his response was; “Don’t Worry, sending an Engineer would not be necessary and that we should just continue with the calibration process along with their remote team as this would be sufficient.”

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Follow-up and supporting information are available upon request. We can support all the above claims knowing that all the given facts have either been confirmed with Optrascan or with third parties.

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Please note that OptraScan has been legally notified via email and physical document delivery to their registered office regarding all public declarations and issues with their system. We have been seeking a resolution since June 2023, but have received no reasonable response from their management.

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This given letter was submitted to their Legal Team and Abhi Gholap to confirm for correctness on 11 October 2024, with a reasonable response time of 3 business days ending 15 October 2024 COB PDT(US).

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We can’t allow entities like Optrascan to ruin the market only to defraud others for their own gain. Ultimately, it is the patients who suffer the most, as they face increased costs and barriers to receiving care.

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Get the word out and make a change, entities defrauding other parties and scammers need to be stopped. Claiming ignorance is now impossible.

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