Glasses Buying Cost Cutting Plan Article Discussion Area

Steve_xx

squibbles wrote: »

Please read what I say correctly if you are going to claim that what is said is "folly" ... I do understand the importance of fitting, it has however, proved to be irrelevant in this instance.

Correct fitting is not irrelevant in this, or in any other case. Fitting is an important aspect in the provision of spectacles. You have not offered a valid explanation as to how your problem was fixed, except to say that the lenses were exchanged for ones that were the same! So in effect, nothing was actually different prescription-wise between pair one and pair two.

squibbles

Steve_xx wrote: »

Correct fitting is not irrelevant in this, or in any other case.

In this instance the PD was not needed and, in my opinion, questions about fitting remain irrelevant because the frames and fitting remained the same whilst the problem was resolved by changing lenses.

Steve_xx wrote: »

Fitting is an important aspect in the provision of spectacles.

I'm sure fitting is important even though it does not seem to warrant inclusion on the prescription which makes me equally sure that the high street stores are, callously in my opinion, trying to maintain a competitive edge by not providing the PD. I'm no optician but this seems a pointless business tactic as it appears easy to do for one's self.

steve_xx wrote: »

You have not offered a valid explanation as to how your problem was fixed,

I wasn't aware that I needed to offer a "valid" explanation and I'm not even sure as to what qualifies as 'valid' or whom should decide on said validity albeit I would guess that you feel more than qualified.

steve_xx wrote: »

except to say that the lenses were exchanged for ones that were the same! So in effect, nothing was actually different prescription-wise between pair one and pair two.

What can I tell you? This shows how frustrating this must have been for the staff at spex4less because, in terms of prescription, the new lenses are the same. However, in terms of what I see when I look through them, the second pair are better.

It was perplexing for them and for me ... Below is a copy of part of an email that I sent after they asked for the PD and before I finally got the fixed:

"My bi-focal glasses are fantastic. The reading section is clear and the distance section is crisp right to the edges of the frames no matter what angle I look through them at (which is how I want the distance glasses to be!)

However, the distance glasses are only clear in the centre section. If I tilt my head down and look up they become fuzzy and they also become fuzzy if I turn to the left and look right or turn to the right and look left or tilt up but look down. So, for example, unless I look squarely at an object, with my head facing directly at it, I will lose focus."

From my point of view I received a great service, saved money and been dealt with with a high level of understanding.

IMO, this subject is exhausted and I have better things to do than to continue a never-ending session with a forum troll, therefore I'm un-subscribing from this thread.

No doubt you'll need to feed your ego by having the last word so;

Please welcome to the stage: Steve_xx

Steve_xx

As you so obviously say, you're "no optician".

Your implication that I may be a "forum troll" hardly bears scrutiny when you note that I have contributed more than 5000 posts to these forums.

You don't have to like or agree with my view. But if you choose, as you have, to post on an open forum, then you must expect that not everyone will want to concur with everything you write.

LouLou

I've ordered from Goggles4U (based in Pakistan but packages have a UK address on them) numerous times...must have about fourteen pairs from there, prescription sunnies and regular glasses!

Current codes are 2FOR10, for 2 pairs of £6.95 frames, 1.57 CR single vision lenses, anti-scratch coating and UV protection
Another 2NDFREE, buy one get one free £15.95 frames.

It can work out just over £10 delivered, depending on which frame you choose. Very pleased with them, though their selection can be a bit same-y.

Put my first ever order in to Zenni (keep seeing pairs I like, argh) and looking forward to it!

I added a few comments on here about my experiences and the various Goggles4U frames I have. To avoid rambling on, I'll linky instead:

http://www.hotukdeals.com/ask/best-place-buy-glasses-online-2132705

Curiously, there's a couple of Goggles4U frames on Zenni as well (cheaper at G4U though, particularly with the codes at the moment).

As for experiences with opticians, I've found my local Specsavers have been happy to adjust online-bought glasses and very helpful all around.

In contrast to Tesco Opticians who were bordering on hostile the moment I said the magic "online" word!!

mfactor

https://pd.warbyparker.com/ from LouLous thread

SJshah

I work at an Opticians... Every so often I come across people who come back for a second sight test complaining that they can't see/get headaches/double vision/eye pain/coloured fringes with their newly purchased glasses from online stores. So, whats the problem?

So lets start...
1. Bad fitting nose bridges.
2. Bad fitting side lengths.
3. Oversized or undersized frames.
4. Bad quality lenses.
5. lenses are always off centre.
6. Wrongly positioned varifocal/bifocal reading areas.
7. Incorrect/missing prisms.
8. Low quality frame hindges.
9. Warped or mishapen plastics/metals.
10. Allergic reations to frame materials.
...The list goes on and on.

The number of fake RayBans we see makes me wonder how do these online stores seem to operate within the law or even keep to regulations for dispensing specs. There is no way for an online store to be able to tell if they are correctly dispensing specs for the people they are selling to.

/end of rant.


If you want a good quality pair of glasses, think twice about buying them online... You should really have them fitted by a qualified Opthalmic or Dispensing Optician.

ChiangMai

Although I can understand the temptation to try to cut costs for glasses, there are other matters to consider as you get older. An optician isn't just there to prescribe the correct lenses for your glasses. They have a really important role to play in ensuring the health or otherwise of your eyes. I think it's worth the extra cost to ensure my eyes are as healthy as possible. Having had the fright of a detached retina, completely out of the blue with no warning, and now only partial sight in that eye, I would never risk the health of my eyes, as far as I can control it. I've been going to the same optician's practice for 40 years, and took my kids along too when a couple of them needed glasses from school age. The tests they do show year on year changes and pick up anomolies. In the grand scheme of things, two pairs of perfectly adjusted variafocal glasses over two years works out at less than £1.00 a day. Cheaper than a coffee!

Patr100

ChiangMai wrote: »

Although I can understand the temptation to try to cut costs for glasses, there are other matters to consider as you get older. An optician isn't just there to prescribe the correct lenses for your glasses. They have a really important role to play in ensuring the health or otherwise of your eyes. I think it's worth the extra cost to ensure my eyes are as healthy as possible. Having had the fright of a detached retina, completely out of the blue with no warning, and now only partial sight in that eye, I would never risk the health of my eyes, as far as I can control it. I've been going to the same optician's practice for 40 years, and took my kids along too when a couple of them needed glasses from school age. The tests they do show year on year changes and pick up anomolies. In the grand scheme of things, two pairs of perfectly adjusted variafocal glasses over two years works out at less than £1.00 a day. Cheaper than a coffee!

But the general health issue with the eyes, aging or not , is not actually relevant. because opticians do not provide general eye care examinations, or tests for free so you have already paid the extra cost for the exam. You can still have your eyes checked every year etc for glaucoma, etc by an optician as often as you like. as long as you pay. No doubt the high st opticians on this board will be along to tell us again, the expensive glasses and lenses subsidises the tests. The consequence of that is that those with eye defects are actually subsidising those with healthy eyes who never need glasses. Well why not provide free regular tests with their subscribed lenses or bought glasses? They never do.
Well, as for after-care, all my old high st optician used to do was swipe my card every 6 months.

RajaStyle

Isn't it about time the the pupil distance formed part of your prescription, I asked my optician to tell me what it was and they refused even though the sight test was £30 which I think is shocking.

If the opticians want to be transparent why refuse a personal question about the expertise you have paid for.

Maybe Martin can take this up if he is reading.

buglawton

Germany had a big price fixing case with Glasses.
115m Euros in fines.
https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/verbotene-preisabsprachen-hohes-bussgeld-gegen-brillenglas-kartell-1625395.html&prev=search

Nothing like that could happen here, could it?