Free Eye Tests deals discussion

ScratchandSniff-->[X]

suzannesuzanne wrote: »

Saw this on the boots website

http://www.boots.com/en/GBP5-Eye-Test_1116799/

This voucher entitles the holder to an eye test for only £5 at Boots Opticians or D&A The Opticians. Valid until 31/12/2010

I took them up on a similar offer earlier this year, and it was VERY brief. In fact I've had eye screening that was more thorough. And the prescription was unreadable.

JAG

Uschi wrote: »

Had a free eye test done at the Tesco Extra in Portsmouth this afternoon but they wouldn't give me a prescription to take away. I've got a voucher for Glasses Direct and I wanted a new prescription to use. Any suggestions about where I stand now?

I am sure I have read on this forum that by law they have to give you your prescription. Use the search facility and you may find the post.

glassesdirect_company_representative

Uschi wrote: »

Had a free eye test done at the Tesco Extra in Portsmouth this afternoon but they wouldn't give me a prescription to take away. I've got a voucher for Glasses Direct and I wanted a new prescription to use. Any suggestions about where I stand now?

Optometrists are legally obliged to hand over a sight test prescription following an eye examination, freely in every case.

Quote from the opticians act:

26
(2) Except where regulations under subsection (3)(b) below specify
otherwise, it shall also be his duty to give the person whose sight he
has tested, immediately following the test, either a signed, written
prescription for an optical appliance or a signed, written statement
that he does not need to wear or use an optical appliance

http://optical.org.uk/goc/filemanager/root/site_assets/legislation/act-part4.pdf

Redleela

ScratchandSniff-->[X] wrote: »

I took them up on a similar offer earlier this year, and it was VERY brief. In fact I've had eye screening that was more thorough. And the prescription was unreadable.

Interesting, I used the voucher at Boots in Cambridge and they seemed pretty thorough. I had to pay extra for photos of my retina (I think it was £10). I didn't mention the voucher until it was time to pay.

teflon

If you work with what the law describes as "Display Screen Equipment" (computers, basically), then you can ask your employer to pay for an eye test for you. If your employer's a big company, the HR department might well have a policy or procedure in place for this - or even a preferred optician for you to use.

It's part of the not-very-exciting sounding Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992. Other parts of the same law says that your employer has to make sure that your workstation is set up for you to work comfortably, and minimises any risk of you causing yourself any repetitive strain injuries.

If you require glasses for DSE use, then your employer has to contribute towards these too.

More details can be found in this document from the HSE; the bit about eye tests and glasses is in section 6:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg90.pdf

forze

It's really odd in the UK where people actually are required to pay for eye tests. I'm from Malaysia and the opticians usually give out free eye tests because of competition.

These businesses are making a really huge profit just by selling the frames!

Zanderman

forze wrote: »

It's really odd in the UK where people actually are required to pay for eye tests. I'm from Malaysia and the opticians usually give out free eye tests because of competition.

These businesses are making a really huge profit just by selling the frames!

Paying for eye tests is the norm in Britain - unless you qualify for free ones on NHS because of age, medical conditions etc.

But many traditional opticians do not, these days, make a huge profit on frames - because a lot of their customers get their prescription and then go off and buy the frames/lenses via cheap online providers.

So paying for eye-tests, certainly at independent opticians is likely to continue, and they should be supported as they are losing much of the frames/lenses business. And they probably (judging from some stories circulating) give better eyetests than some of the cheapie chain opticians.

Conversely, of course, the current trend for free eyetests (at big optician chains, plus Tescos etc) is precisely to try and reclaim the frames business back from online sellers - in much the same way as you describe for Malaysia.

nedmundo

forze wrote: »

It's really odd in the UK where people actually are required to pay for eye tests. I'm from Malaysia and the opticians usually give out free eye tests because of competition.

These businesses are making a really huge profit just by selling the frames!

That's an interesting point, but I suspect you are not comparing like for like. Eye tests in the UK are highly regulated, with stringent requirements for tests performed, premises, ongoing training, imdemnity, equipment etc. Along with other factors such as high rents, rates, minimum wage, VAT, then the cost of providing an eye exam in the UK is much higher than it would be in Malaysia and many other countries.

The only reason supermarkets can offer free eye exams is that it's a loss leader to encourage folks to fill their trolleys at the same time.

eilidh_s

I feel the need to point out that in Scotland all eye tests are free for everyone through the NHS, it's only down south that you have to pay.

timanfiya

The offer there says you must book by a certain date which means it is now out of date. The voucher only stipulates that the eye test must be taken before the end of june 2012. So it is still valid a while longer.