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[MSE Jenny]

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You can save £100s haggling in high street stores or for broadband contracts, insurance and more. The first point of call is read the full Haggling guide. Then, this discussion is specifically to talk about haggling tips for

Opticians

If you want to discuss airport parking in general please go to the Haggling guide Discussion.

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[nedmundo]

The title of the thread is offensive - we are not car salesmen you know!
If anyone came into my practice and started haggling, I would give them directions to the nearest bucket shop and then point them to the nearest exit. Prices are set for a reason (to cover exceedingly high costs etc) and quite frankly, hagglers are likely to not going to appreciate the difference between the specs I dispense and cheaper ones found in competitors and online. They are also likely to be more trouble in future.


There - that should kick this thread off!

[Slapps]

Maybe it's me but if your selling items then really your no different, as a salesman is a salesman weather they are selling cars, glasses or even a service. If it's ok to haggle money off a car then why not a pair of glasses. Personally I find it offensive that( through no fault of my own) I have to pay high prices just to have the luxury of being able to see.
Rant over

[cookie monster]

Missed out on the specsavers free reaction lenses and got mine when they were doing the 2 for 1 offer, didn't really need 2 pairs of glasses and asked them if they could do the free reaction lenses but was given a firm no.

[McKneff]

I didnt have a problem recently in Specsavers. I am 59 years old so too young for the 60 year old promotion. they offered me 25% and i said it would be great if i could be included in the 30% deal, no problem. My £425.oo glasses cost me under £300.00 and my sight test cost me a tenner with a coupon on the back of a Morrisons till receipt. I was well pleased.

[marcowil]

Originally Posted by nedmundo

The title of the thread is offensive - we are not car salesmen you know!
If anyone came into my practice and started haggling, I would give them directions to the nearest bucket shop and then point them to the nearest exit. Prices are set for a reason (to cover exceedingly high costs etc) and quite frankly, hagglers are likely to not going to appreciate the difference between the specs I dispense and cheaper ones found in competitors and online. They are also likely to be more trouble in future.


There - that should kick this thread off!

I hope you have a thriving business because with the attitude you are displaying you must lose custom quite often

[horsechestnut]

It all depends on your prescription.
I have a very complex prescription. Usually cost me £400-£500 !!!
Only once have I used a cheap optician and I will NEVER do it again. Now I save up and go to D & A. absolutely wonderful service.
I do however go at sale time to get half priced frames!!!

[lizziebell*80]

Originally Posted by cookie monster

Missed out on the specsavers free reaction lenses and got mine when they were doing the 2 for 1 offer, didn't really need 2 pairs of glasses and asked them if they could do the free reaction lenses but was given a firm no.

Yep I missed out on this one too and also got done for coatings that I really didn't need (note: do not go to opticians when hung over!) bah!
Have to go back in Jan again so will see what I can get then if I need new lenses

[katiecoodle]

I used to buy my lenses from my optician until I discovered the internet prices were a lot cheaper so I stopped the direct debit for the opticians lenses. A few months later he asked why I'd stopped so I told him that his prices were £90 for 90 pairs but online they were £65. So he offered me at £60! Can you believe it?! I bit his hand off & was faithful for a while until I discovered Tesco.com do the same ones at £51 inc delivery....
I'm a lenses tart and will happily go wherever offers the best deal. Why not?

[yummymummy888888]

I used to work in an optitians and can tell you all for fact, the mark up on lenses and frames is astronomical. Frames in the budget ranges cost less than £1.00 to buy in, certainly not more than a couple of quid. Designer frames cost from about £30.00 upwards and sell for over £100.00.

Basic lenses again are cheap to make, a few quid each as are basic contact lenses.... HOWEVER

complex prescriptions, coated lenses, staff costs, equipment costs, contact lens trials and fitting and complex contact lenses etc are a lot more expensive so profit margiuns are a lot lower.

The problem with trying to haggle in a branch of a chain of optitions is that all the prices are fixed, however go somewhere that is still selling lenses and frames seperatly and I am certain frames can be hagggled for quite easily.
Independants need stock to turn over quickly to keep peoples interest and will be quite glad to discount a frame that they want rid off.

[sarahpenny]

Hi
Horsechestnut, can I ask what put you off going back to a cheapy place for your glasses? I too have a complex prescription and normally have to pay around £350. The coating on my glasses has started to detiriorate, leaving me walking round in a perpetual fog! This happened after about 2 years and optician said, basically, tough! So I was looking at the online sites, but d'you think they are no good?
Cheers
Sarahp

[nedmundo]

Originally Posted by Slapps

Maybe it's me but if your selling items then really your no different, as a salesman is a salesman weather they are selling cars, glasses or even a service. If it's ok to haggle money off a car then why not a pair of glasses. Personally I find it offensive that( through no fault of my own) I have to pay high prices just to have the luxury of being able to see.
Rant over

Try reading my original post. I said I dispense - not sell! There is a difference. Dispensing requires specialist technical understanding. If you want cheap - go online (effectively dispensing yourself). Just don't then complain when you have any problems or need adjustments. You can't have it both ways.

[nedmundo]

Originally Posted by marcowil

I hope you have a thriving business because with the attitude you are displaying you must lose custom quite often

I don't lose custom very often at all. I value my time and service, as do my patients. Everything has a true value, which doesn't just take into account gross profit margins. Yes there is a big mark up on products, but taking into account other costs, the net profit rate is relatively low. Discounting would effectively mean making a loss - hence I will quite happily turn it away. Seriously - would you pay to work or work for nothing?

What's next - haggle with your dentist? While we're at it, let's have a pop at the supermarket for the price of potatoes - £1 for 4 baking potatoes with a cost price of less than 10p?

[10past6]

I'd like to thank the OP for this thread, the saying goes "It pays to shop around"

Once someone has their glasses prescription there's nothing stopping them shopping around / haggling

[10past6]

Originally Posted by nedmundo

Seriously - would you pay to work or work for nothing?

Some people earn just above the minimum wage with no additional benefits / handouts and therefore have to go where their money takes them.

[10past6]

Originally Posted by nedmundo

let's have a pop at the supermarket for the price of potatoes - £1 for 4 baking potatoes with a cost price of less than 10p?

Have you tried haggling?

[Girlzmum]

I normally go to Specsavers for my glasses (I usually pay about £150 for 2 pairs so not complaining about the prices!) but am a full time student atm and simply can't afford new glasses - I know I need new ones as I can barely read any signs and my night time vision is horrendous. I was considering going and getting my sight checked and buying online but not sure how to go about it.

[adamdavid]

Originally Posted by Girlzmum

I normally go to Specsavers for my glasses (I usually pay about £150 for 2 pairs so not complaining about the prices!) but am a full time student atm and simply can't afford new glasses - I know I need new ones as I can barely read any signs and my night time vision is horrendous. I was considering going and getting my sight checked and buying online but not sure how to go about it.

If you're a full time student (or just on a low income), try getting hold of a form called an HC1. Most optician's and some chemists will have them. It allows you to apply for help towards the cost of things like eye examinations, glasses, dental checks etc. The form is quite a daunting looking book, but most of it won't apply to you. I'm an optometrist and most of the practices I work in give free standard lenses and half price frames (or a small range of free frames) to patients entitled to help under the NHS voucher scheme.

As for haggling over the price of examination fees, spectacles and contact lenses, I usually "look after" my regulars, particularly if they are nice, friendly people.

[nedmundo]

Originally Posted by 10past6

Have you tried haggling?

No, but I happily shop around for products, always bearing in mind product quality and convenience, as well as price.

I very much believe in competition and a free market economy, but I don't want everything to be like a middle eastern market.

[vegankris]

I've got a high prescription (-14, ie quite literally cannot see past the end of my nose!) and prefer to wear high index thinned down lenses, not just for vanity (although the regular lenses do look quite awful!!) but that carrying all that weight on the face isn't comfy and can cause headaches after a while, and vision is actually a lot clearer through high index lenses too.

I'm sooo jealous of anyone who only has a low prescription and can get glasses relatively cheap without having to fork out for high-index lenses to go with them.

The NHS voucher for high prescriptions isn't much more than a tenner, which feels like a slap in the face considering the high-index lenses alone are £180 for my prescription!

Personally I find it offensive that( through no fault of my own) I have to pay high prices just to have the luxury of being able to see.

Me too!