"Optician Haggling" Discussion

ThinkingOfLinking

I just wanted to say, as someone who wears glasses myself, I found this tip useful.

If you are working and on a low income, (you can be on benefits/tax credits but you have to be on a benefit that does not already give you free prescriptions etc, so not Income Support etc), go to your GP (you can do this at reception) and ask for an application form for a HC2 certificate.

Fill it in and send a few recent payslips (I think they ask for 3) and then they look at it and decide how much help, if any, you can have. I found I was entitled to the same level of financial assistance as someone on JSA/IB; so I get a free annual eye test and I also get a voucher to go towards glasses or contact lenses.

HTH; my glasses cost more as I have a high prescription so thick lenses and I pay extra for thinner lenses so I don't look like a geek. I have never tried haggling; I will.

I do have a small face and got some NICE glasses from D&A kids range; if you're small they will let you buy kids' specs for yourself so don't be embarrassed to do that either.

poi55on

horsechestnut wrote: »

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!!!

:rolleyes: I own 50% of CostSpex Discount Opticians a cheap optician in Durham. And I can guarantee our service standards are important to us as they are to DA, and our products are of very high quality(as most opticians will use similar lens suppliers. The way we can afford to offer the prices we do is because we aren't on a high street we have lower overheads.

Also we only sell you what you want, we won't force anti-reflective coating, transition lenses etc
The only thing we do give is hard coated anti scratch lenses which are free we've done that for nearly 5 years.

We sell complete single vision glasses from £19 (2 pairs for £36) and thats with spring loaded frames too. Our Eye tests are £10.
If anyone on the local area would like any details then don't hesitate to PM me.

In fact if you call in mention this forum I'll give you 10% or free anti-reflective coating (on single vision lenses, half price on bi/vari focals)

nonplussed_2

anniehanlon wrote: »

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.

If specsavers offered you £125 discount just like that, clearly you were quoted too high to begin with. You get what you pay for.

Howard_Bennett

My partner got (as I remember) 50% off at D & A - she had a 20% voucher and asked for more money off as the price they were asking was just too high. They 'found' another voucher which gave her the discount she wanted.
She is very charming and I'm sure I wouldn't get that much off - I always find women much more charming and amusing when haggling.
I don't think opticians have got any defence for the outrageous prices they charge- maybe a more realistic charge for the test and cheaper glasses?

fairy_gurl

i was a student last year and tried to use the hc1 (i think thats right) form but when i applied i was rejected because i had an income of £60 a week!
was a little miffed because my prescription is -12 :O and i'm only 22 sigh, and i have to get these ultra ultra thin lenses one with a prism or something in and with a couple of glazings like anti scraft and anti glare. they ended up being about £350 for the lenses alone! thats almost 6 weeks of money for me! and i had to get new glasses because the lenses are still thick and wouldn't fit in my old frames.
cant believe i didn't get any help.
Vision express were amazing though and gave me free insurance for 3 years and took off £50 at the end without me saing anything as i don't think i could haggle :S

sweetstudent

I myself have a high prescription and whilst i am happy paying for my frames and ultra thin lenses at what many people think is a rip-off, i have that reassurance that i am being seen by a trained person and that i can get adjustments done, you cant get that online.

i think its unfair that just because i have to have Toric Contacts i have to pay twice the amount of standard contact lenses.....

lawsofnature

It's definitely worth shopping around for glasses.

I used hi-index plastic 1.74 lenses. Today I got the following quotes for these lenses from local opticians:
£400
£340
£260
£185
£150

And someone suggests haggling is offensive.....

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

I went to my local optician for years and realised I could get a better service and cheaper glasses at specsavers. My kids glasses now cost me nothing (due to the voucher they get as under 16) whereas I was paying up to £100 at the local opticians as well as having to wait up to a week for them to come back from the lab.

I took my daughter for her eye test a few months ago and asked for the prescription and voucher as I told them I wanted to go to specsavers, they didn't like it and were huffy about giving it to me.

Guess where I'll be taking the family next time?

adamdavid

Howard_Bennett wrote: »

I don't think opticians have got any defence for the outrageous prices they charge- maybe a more realistic charge for the test and cheaper glasses?

I agree that a realistic fee should be charged for an eye examination, but if people had to pay £50-70 for an eye examination, then few people would ever get their eyes examined. Lots of people don't value their sight until it's gone, unfortunately.

High prices are charged, due to the high cost of being an Optometrist (Optician to lay people). This year it's going to cost me over £1000 to remain registered to work as an Optometrist. Compliance with various regulations, maintenance of equipment, rent, insurance etc all add up. Not to mention the cost of training to start with, and the cost and time of keeping up to date to provide a high level of care.

Feel free to haggle if you want. There is no harm in asking for a discount, but don't get aggressive or abusive if you get refused.

Sweetstudent. As for the cost of toric contact lenses. They cost twice the price of standard ones to you, because they cost twice the price of standard ones to us. They're a much more complicated lens to manufacture and fit, therefore they cost more. Simple as that.

Hope that's been enlightening.
Adam

Howard_Bennett

adamdavid wrote: »

I agree that a realistic fee should be charged for an eye examination, but if people had to pay £50-70 for an eye examination, then few people would ever get their eyes examined. Lots of people don't value their sight until it's gone, unfortunately.

High prices are charged, due to the high cost of being an Optometrist (Optician to lay people).

Hope that's been enlightening.
Adam

I just don't see this (perhaps I should have gone to SpecSavers).

High Street Opticians have very flashy premises to give you that 'special' (i.e. being fleeced) feeling. That and the armies of salesmen/women that prowl the shopfloor are what costs. Opticians charges are a fraction of what is being paid for with expensive glasses.

My experience is a 10-minute test followed by badgering and high-pressure sales tactics from commission-driven sales flunkies.

Last time I was in an optician, it reminded me of two other experiences:

One was arranging my mom's funeral - expensive premises, pushy sales people and, most of all, cynical badgering to get me to spend more.

The other was buying a mobile phone, years ago, before I learned better and bought on the web.

The professional costs argument doesn't wash, never has and never will.