Buying Glasses Advice

Ted_Hutchinson

When I bought my varifocals from Selectspecs £42.75 there was no VAT to pay nor did I get caught for VAT on import neither did I have to pay a post office handling charge.

Han_naH

I bought 2 pairs of specs in Istanbul last month. Looks like one lab serves a number of optician outlets because it is all done within an hour, and I bought from 2 different shops.

The lenses are flatter than usual and the clearest I have ever known.

Better quality than the UK and faster service.

Now, at the same time I ordered a pair from Glasses Direct. Their lenses are much thicker, because it's a cheaper lens.

The difference is significant, so only use Glasses Direct if you are saving money, or demand the thinnest they have, and pay the extra - you're starting from a low price anyway.

So the specs I bought from Istanbul are Tommy Hillfiger, with lenses fitted in 1 hour - £108. This was 300 TRL at the time.

This is an awesome price, fast service and the best ever lenses.

I implore anyone with high prescription or a little astigmatism to buy better branded lenses. For me these would be the flatter Nikon lenses from D&G, but they are more expensive. Folks, you don't realise what bad glasses are until you try better lenses.

But for best price, go to Istanbul. Easyjet from Luton and from December from Birmingham with Turkish Airlines.

Best place? The Asian side of the Bosphorous, by a statue of a bull. Roads lead out from this point - choose the one going uphill - there are several opticians, all the big brands, and more advanced than Birmingham, UK where they tell me to wait for a week.

PS I also bought a long warm, smart coat. Partly cashmere, with 2 trendy scarfs, £60.

Thanks.

Running_Horse

Seems like a long way to go just for a pair of glasses.

What would you do if you couldn't get on with them?

Jump on a plane and take them back?

You could get them even cheaper in India, and many other countries.

Ted_Hutchinson

Select specs
have to say I've been very pleased with the new varifocals I've just got from select specs.
2 pairs for £67.45 and one of those was bendable titanium.

vegankris

lipidicman wrote: »

This is fine (maybe) if you have simple long-sightedness. It is possible however that you could have astigmatism, or the need for bifocals, or prism in your lenses. As you age you should have your eyes tested even if you have good vision as you will get an early warning of other eye related problems. If your test shows the need for reading glasses only then your advice could be OK.

Indeed. Definitely go for an eye test first. They're free now in Scotland every 2 years, but I'm not sure about the rest of the UK?

Oh, how I envy those people who have simple longsightedness and can buy glasses from their prescription cheaply- mine cost a fortune because i'm -14ish myopic and astigmatic. I'd like a new pair for vanity reasons as the enamel has started to chip off the metal on my current frames and they look awful but I can't afford them right now. I'll definitely be going for plastic frames next time so they last longer!

Savvy_Sue

This old post was revived by some spam ...

So just to update you all:

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Middle son's been warned he mustn't try to drive without glasses but he's fine until then!

DS2 got his glasses before his driving licence, and is now a confirmed glasses wearer. Wish I'd insisted on him getting them sooner, but there you go, there's no reasoning with a teenager who doesn't want glasses. I spotted that one arm was held on by a paperclip at one point, he'd taken them apart (as you do ) and lost the screw. I did show him how that was allowing the arm to swing further out than it should, and therefore putting extra strain on it, and took the glasses back to get their screw fixed.

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Like the OP, all I need is a little bit of magnification if the light's not good or the instructions are printed in miniscule writing or I'm trying to thread a needle (although even with glasses on I usually have to use one of those threader things!)

Bit of role reversal going on here: when I was young both mum and grandma used to ask us to thread their needles for them. But last time I was at my mum's I needed to sew a button on and asked her for a threader. She took the needle and thread from me and did it herself, without glasses or anything! That's what two cataract ops does for you.

vegankris

Oooh- I've just joined boots' health club(its free) and they sent me a wee welcome booklet which I've just noticed on browsing though it has a coupon for a free eye test! Sadly it's not transferable though its no use to me, but if you're living outside Scotland and needing an eye test anyway, then register and get your own coupon for a freebie one.

pattycake

vegankris wrote: »

Indeed. Definitely go for an eye test first. They're free now in Scotland every 2 years, but I'm not sure about the rest of the UK?

Oh, how I envy those people who have simple longsightedness and can buy glasses from their prescription cheaply- mine cost a fortune because i'm -14ish myopic and astigmatic. I'd like a new pair for vanity reasons as the enamel has started to chip off the metal on my current frames and they look awful but I can't afford them right now. I'll definitely be going for plastic frames next time so they last longer!

I am no expert on the subject but with a high prescription such as yours, do you not get some help on the NHS via the voucher system towards your lenses? I know you would still have to pay for the frame but to quote a well known institution "Every Little Helps".

vegankris

pattycake wrote: »

I am no expert on the subject but with a high prescription such as yours, do you not get some help on the NHS via the voucher system towards your lenses? I know you would still have to pay for the frame but to quote a well known institution "Every Little Helps".

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Yes. About a tenner. The high index lenses alone, not counting frames, needed for my prescription cost £170.:rolleyes:

**dancingbutterfly**

pattycake,

with a prescription like yours +14.00 was it? you would be entitled to a voucher towards the cost of your lenses as you have a 'complex prescription' (i think i am correct! please tell me if im not!) now this voucher should be roughly £56 towards the cost of your lenses

i will double check this at work for you!