Contact Lenses and Laser Eye Surgery Discussion Area

bruneythedog

I've been tempted to try out the Asda contact lenses - as I've had a recent sight test and was told a contact lens fitting would only be a tenner, I thought it would be worth it for summer (so I can wear decent, non-prescription sun glasses!).

However, there's a bit of a warning - my sight test (at another opticians) is just 10 days over 6 months old. And that's too old for Asda. At most places, you can use your sight test prescription for a year, but Asda's policy is they're only valid for 6 months, which means you need to get tested again, PLUS the contact lens sight test. The optician kept telling me 'it's only a tenner', but I declined him. I know it's not a lot, but as it doubled my initial costs before even getting lenses, it did put me off a bit. Moreso was only being 10 days over! lol.

russellgreeno

My girlfriend and I went to D&A with our free eye test vouchers from the Tesco Magazine you get free instore, saving £25 each.

So we both went in mind knowing we didn't want to pay too much for glasses and frames etc (to be honest I didn't really want glasses, just contacts).

My girlfriend went in first, then me. When I came out of my appointment she was choosing glasses with an assistant, even though she asked for the cheapest ones etc, the cost was £117 for one single pair (as it turns out with designer frames and non scratch coating).

Next it was my turn, I didn't want glasses, insisting on contact lenses, but they said no, saying they couldn't give me contacts without glasses.

So I was adament that I wanted the cheapest glasses, no designer stuff, just the basics. I was quoted £54 pounds for my glasses (lenses and scratch proof coating) with a free second pair of perscription sunglasses. And then a further 50% discount if I then applied for monnthly contact lenses bringing both pairs of glasses down to £27.

Next up I had to give my direct debit details for the monthly contact lens scheme, then go and have a quick test to make sure if I could have them (which I could).

Then the opticican put some lenses in my eyes to see if they were comftable, which they were.

Then I had to go into a separate room to practice putting them in and out, and cleaning them etc.

Basically I was total crap at taking them out, I had about 8 members if staff in this little room trying to help me. In the end closing time came and I had only managed to get them out, let alone in again. So they said come back again another day to try again.

At that point I had not paid for the glasses, but had set up my direct debit instruction, so 4 days later I get a letter in the post confirming my monthly contact lens agrement.

So then I got my contacts without buying glasses, which is exactly what I wanted, but without any intention of doing so.

So I saved

£25 in eyetest
£117 in glasses compared to my gf
and managed to get my contact lenses without buying glasses.

Last friday I got my first pack of lenses in the post and after a little practice at home, I now have the hang of getting them in and out, it was just the pressure of having to do it on demand infront of a lot of people, now I know how !!!!!! stars must feel

SnavenitraM

One thing to watch out for when looking for the "cheapest contact lenses" is that you not only need the lenses but the solution!

Specsavers I think not offer both lenses with and without solution.

Monthly Lenses with solution, 3 months suppy at a time (posted to you) is £10 a month. Now I don't think you can get much cheaper than that

The daily disposables are about £1/pair

aldo1_2

Hi members,

I have been with D&A opticians for 15+ years wearing rigid gas permeable lenses and have had about 3 slight changes to my prescription in that time with about half a dozen eye tests and the same number of new sets of lenses. I was fitted for these lenses right at the beggining and have never had to change (ie no change in eye shape).
Well, I went for and eye test last week to check my prescription/eye health and order a new pair of rigid lenses (3 years since last check/lense change). The optician carried out the usual sight and lense checks and I ordered a new set of rigid lenses. They charged me £130 but when I got home I noticed that the receipt had £100 for the lenses and £30 for lense check. I sure that eye tests are free in Scotland since April 2006 and feel as though I could have just got an eye test (for free) and just ordered the new lenses without this extra expense. What do tou guys think ? Also, is there anywhere online that sell rigid lenses ?

Thanks,

Alan

accipitus

I went through all the 'jumping through hoops' etc with D&A and from this forum I found the name of a Dutch company - toplenzen.nl, from whom I got my Johnson and Johnson Acuevue Advance hydroclear for 90 euros (£64) instead of the £200 D&A were going to charge me by DD.

There was none of the hassle of ringing up the optician, I simply entered my prescription details on their website and 10 days later my lenses duly arrived.

On top of that, I received a lens case carrier which had a mirror in the lid.

I'm easily pleased.

OK, the site's in Dutch, but use 'babelfish' to translate.

Pete C

JoeyEmma

I actually changed my supplier the other week. Had been getting them for ages for £15 month inc solutions from the Eye Clinic, until the article on here pointed out that they are cheaper at ASDA. I know get exactly the same o2 optics for £10 month inc solutions.

I needed a new sight test and contact lens check, which were £10 each. In Boots they charge £18 JUST for the sight test.

Really happy with the service I got from ASDA (although I do have that bad feeling about buying from Walmart who stifle all competition)

Diminutive

Not sure if this has been mentioned but Specsavers will give you a free consultation/fitting, teach and two week trial of monthly lenses (you get 2 weeks of solution). Though; a few branches are now charging a £20 fee if you decide that you want your prescription without buying lenses. Though you can buy 1 pack of monthly lenses without solution (can't remember the exact price but its less than £20!) They can legally do this because the charge is for the service provided not the actual prescription.

Which?, its independent expert argued that Acuvue, Bausch & Lomb, Coopervision and Sauflon dailies were virtually the same as their monthlies, and if subjected to the same care routine might last just as long. Only with Ciba Vision did he find the monthly lenses very different.

That quote is from the article. I can't stress enough how much re-wearing dailies can damage the eye. Not just with the cleaning and stuff, but with the oxygen flow to the eye. The eye needs oxygen... which is constricted by contact lenses. So they have little tiny holes in, which can get clogged etc when wearing; which is one of the reasons for cleaning them... the design of monthlies allows the holes to be cleaned out properly, to allow oxygen flow. Dailies also don't reabsorb the moist as well... and dry lenses that constrict oxygen really aren't good for your eyes. That's a pretty laymen's term for it; but seriously don't re-wear dailies even if you clean them!

I put them in on day 1 and take them out on day 30. Iwear them all day and all night, they are so comfortable you forget you are wearing them.

You take them out when you're showering/bathing/swimming or even near water/stem... right? There's a bug (name completly forgotton) that leaves in water... even boiled water thats really bad for eyes... especially if it gets inbetween your lens and your eye. Constant wear also isn't advisable... can't remember why

For the record I used to work at Specsavers! Though I've given non biased "advice" completly free of the brainwashing training they give you With the dailies thing we actually had a patient who admitted they were reusing dailies.... he had a contact lense that had completly just broken apart in his eye, he had to be sent to moorfields to remove the fragments. Not sure what happened to him in the end, but last I heard he couldn't wear lenses any more.

Sinjun

Has anyone else having problems with Bettereyesite ? Recommended on this site. I ordered lenses from them on 6 May and received confirmation of the order. My credit card has been debited but no lenses !

I sent them emails on 12 15 and 16 May but no response - you cant phone them only fax or email !

Please post your experience.

lisyloo

Well it hasn't been that long yet, but if they don't arrive and you can't contact them then talk to your credit card company.
Above £100 the credit card company are a legal party in the contract and can do a "chargeback".
Below £100 they have no obligation but some of the credit card companies will help you anyway.

gregg1

accipitus wrote:

I went through all the 'jumping through hoops' etc with D&A and from this forum I found the name of a Dutch company - toplenzen.nl, from whom I got my Johnson and Johnson Acuevue Advance hydroclear for 90 euros (£64) instead of the £200 D&A were going to charge me by DD.

There was none of the hassle of ringing up the optician, I simply entered my prescription details on their website and 10 days later my lenses duly arrived.

On top of that, I received a lens case carrier which had a mirror in the lid.

I'm easily pleased.

OK, the site's in Dutch, but use 'babelfish' to translate.

Pete C

I had similar problems with D & A. My lenses with them cost £30 per month - I can get them online through a contact lense company in the UK for £64.00 for SIX months supply - solutions are cheaper too. Only problem is trying toget a contact lense prescription from D & A without signing up for their lenses. I am quite prepared to pay up to £30 for a prescription but no - they want to tie me in with their scheme!

As an aside, my daughter has been wearing dailies since she was 10 years old. We have just signed her up for something called OrthoK lenses. You sleep in them through the night and take them out in the morning. Over a few nights your eyesight is corrected to 20/20 so you don't need to wear glasses or lenses during the day. They are only prescribing them up to a certain prescription at the moment but are working on expanding it soon. My daughter wore them the first night, went back to the opticians the next morning for an eye check and her vision in her worst eye had gone from a -4 to a -2.5 overnight! It is completely reversible, i.e. once you stop wearing the lenses through the night your sight just reverts back to what it was (unlike laser eye surgery if it goes wrong, as it sometimes does). For the first week or so the optician gives you soft lenses, reducing the prescription every couple of days, until the point where you do not need to wear any lenses or glasses during the day. Some people only need to use the lenses every other night as the results can last up to 48 hours.

Only just started using them but so far - absolutely brilliant - daughter over the moon at the improvement in her sight. Sorry its a long thread but thought others might be interested.