Dilemma about my new varifocal glasses

rms1

I have been wearing varifocals for 5 years with no problems but my eyes have slowly deteriorated so I felt I needed change. My long vision was OK but reading was getting harder.

I went to Specsavers and took up the 2 for the price of one offer and I am not happy with the results. I cannot complain about the service or attention I received but the glasses just don't seem to be right for me.

They have now had 3 attempts to get them right. Initially the optician tested my eyes and decided that I needed an increase in my lens in both short and long vision. When I got them, I felt that I was wearing someone elses glasses, I just couldn't see properly.

To cut a long story short, they decided to do a retest and came to the conclusion that they would leave the long vision the same as my old glasses but leave the increase in the short vision. When I got them back, they were even worse however, that was due to a clerical error, they had written the prescription wrong and one of the lenses was incorrect.

I have now got them back for a thrid time and although initially, in the shop they seemed OK, after 3 days, I am not happy with my vision wearing the new glasses. It seems that unless I hold my head in a certain way, I am getting blurred vision when I briefly catch the lower part of the lens. Watching TV is difficult unless I hold my head in a certain way. I should say that for reading, my vision is much better with the new glasses.

I plan to go back in to the shop today and ask for a refund but I thought I would ask here first. Am I wrong to think that with the correct glasses I should have almost perfect vision?

As I stated above, I am not new to varifocals so I know what to expect.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

SparkyG

I had a very similar experience with Specsavers. Like you, good service but after many changes and persevering I still felt like I was wearing someone else's glasses. I had been wearing varifocals for 8 years so knew what I should be seeing!

In the end it came down to the quality of the lens. Specsavers were very reluctant to admit this, but they upgraded them at no extra cost to a different brand lens, and bingo, no more problems.

I do feel that sometimes they try and tell you that their lenses are 'equivalent' to a certain type that you may have been wearing before, but that is not always the case.

There is a lot of mystique surrounding varifocal lenses brands/quality etc and as we are not experts we have to believe what we are told!:mad: I am very sceptical however....

Hope you get it sorted. Try asking for a different brand/grade of lens. Good luck.

SparkyG

Edited to say: Just remembered the frame was to blame as well! It was too wide and caused distortion at the edges. They supplied me with a new frame, so can't fault the service, but I did feel that maybe I should have been given better advice initially when choosing the frame. No disrespect to the shop assistants, but now I always ask for the dispensing optician when choosing new frames.

rms1

Sparky Ditto on all counts.

I went back this morning and they are upgrading me to a better lens and frame at no extra cost. Apparently I need lens that has a less compact area where the changes take place from one lens to another. Like you say, we can only believe what we are told however, in my case, this is a new branch of Specsavers and I have been told that the staff are still learning the job. Perhaps they should learn somewhere else before they are let loose on the paying public.

Specsavers have now had my £200 plus for a month and I don't have my glasses yet.

My fingers are crossed that the solution has been found. I have been told that they will rush the order through and I should have the new ones by the end of next week.

SparkyG

I'm sure that will sort things out for you.

I spent 3 miserable months with headaches/eye strain and difficulties at work until they got it finally sorted:mad:

Please let us know if you have a successful outcome:)

SparkyG

grunnie

I had a similar experience and eventually they gave me a new pair of glasses then another then another. These were still not right and I emailed specsavers head office. I then got a phone call and a new pair of glasses and my money back. Would never go to them again.Mine were varifocals as well.

nedmundo

SparkyG wrote: »

In the end it came down to the quality of the lens. Specsavers were very reluctant to admit this, but they upgraded them at no extra cost to a different brand lens, and bingo, no more problems.

I do feel that sometimes they try and tell you that their lenses are 'equivalent' to a certain type that you may have been wearing before, but that is not always the case.

There is a lot of mystique surrounding varifocal lenses brands/quality etc and as we are not experts we have to believe what we are told!:mad: I am very sceptical however....

I think Sparky hit the nail on the head there. There are hundreds of different varifocal designs and some work much better for most people but not everyone. SS have the branding rights to Pentax and can therefore rename virtually any lens that they obtain as 'Pentax'.
Before this branding deal, Pentax didn't exactly set the world of spectacle lenses alight with their optics and coating quality.

I generally fit Varilux and Hoya varifocals, purely because we have the best success rate with them.

rms1

I thought it may be of interest if I followed up on my original post.

Well, I went back to get my upgraded glasses after waiting another week with no glasses and no money (7 visits and £218 out of pocket)

It was difficult to tell in the shop but I tried them over the weekend and had no luck with these either. They were OK if I really picked my spot where I wanted to look put as soon as I moved my head, everything went woozy. It’s difficult to explain but anyone who has experienced similar will understand what I mean.

I decided that enough was enough and yesterday I went back for the 8th time and got my money back. I must admit there was no quibble, I think they were glad to see the back of me.

I got an appointment for another eye test with my usual optician at Asda yesterday. I didn’t mention the Spacsavers debacle and I was amazed to be told that my prescription was fine and that I didn’t need stronger glasses. That is after the Specsaver optician telling me that I originally needed to go 2 stages up on distance and 3 up on short vision, so no wonder I couldn’t see properly.

I don’t want to slate all Specsavers because I understand that each branch is owned by the manager (a kind of franchise arrangement) and the service supplied is only as good as the staff employed. This branch is new to our area and they did tell me that they always have teething problems with new branches however, I don’t think the doors should be open to the paying public until they know what they are doing.

I won’t be going back to Specsavers again and just one word of warning make sure you look closely at the offers they have available, there are lots of extras that you will end up adding to your order which will shoot the price up especially if you need varifocals.

In case anyone wonders why I thought I needed stronger glasses in the first place, it was because I have been spending excessive amounts of time on my computer for a few months completing a course. The optician said that it was eye strain.

nedmundo

Thanks for following up RMS1 - it's always good to hear how the story ended.

AA99

Am so glad I have just read this forum!!!! I had to do everything in my power not to have an argument with Specsavers this morning! My long distance vision is excellent but as I am 52, my near vision seems to worsen by the day. We live on benefits so have to perservere with tests/glasses every 2 years! About 3 years ago I was prescribed varifocals which I tried to get 'used' to but had the same effects as above. There was such a 'narrow' line of vision that my head was running along the line of a book or newspaper. When I removed the glasses for long vision, I was blurred and dizzy. Gave them up and used +1.5 from the chemist. Last year I went back for a re-test and was given a prescription but the standard of their frames was so limited that I didn't bother utilising it. I went back last week as I was buying practically one pair of specs a month (tatty quality, keep breaking). They used my 15-month old prescription to make up a pair of readers and to treat myself for the next 2 years, I paid £30 towards a very nice designer frames. I collected them on Tuesday and can only see if I hold anything 12" from my nose!

When I went in this morning, I was dealt with by an extremely aggresive young man (who sells marijuana in the local town I'm told!) who bombarded me with 'jargon' and when I told him I wasn't happy he went to speak to the manager. The manager came over and said it is impossible for me to have glasses to see between 1' and 3' and that I would have to have 2 different pairs!??? I queried why I can see from 1-3' with my Tesco £3 (+1.5) ones and not with their prescription ones. Got another whole lot of jargon that I didn't understand. The manager twice reverted to telling me all about her eyes and vision and I had to interrupt twice to say I was there to discuss my sight, not hers. She said although I wasn't due for another test for 9 months, she thought I should have one. I queried and said I thought I could have tests more often if my sight had detioriated?! She kept looking at her watch and then got up and left me! I went to the desk to make another test appointment for tomorrow and read out the back of the script cover which says No Quibble No Fuss (if you're not happy!). We'll see what happens tomorrow but in the meantime I am very distressed over this morning's visit and so glad to see I'm not the only one!

Fortyman

I too am pleased to have come across these pages. I have worn spectacles for 52 years and varofocals (Hoya lenses) for 10. I quickly adapted to my varifocals and thought they were the best thing since sliced bread. After I damaged my last set, I went to Specsavers for a replacement. I have been four times and am still feeling very unhappy. I must point out that everyone has been very friendly and helpful, but I am beginning to think that this is not enough.

After my eye test, I suggested I would like to have the same type of lense as my old glasses, as I had read this was good practice. The repsonse from a very young assistant was that modern lenses had improved and this was not necessarily good advice. She recommended a particular type of lens. I was aware that she sat lower than me while setting up the measurements for my new glasses.

When I picked up my new glasses I had the shortest and quickest fitting I have ever had, no checking tightness or correctness of fit. I commented that the frames were too loose and they were tightened up and handed back to me with no fitting. Subsequently I felt they were not right, my visual corridor was very narrow, I could not watch TV and before long I was suffering pains in my neck/chest because I was having to dip my head, most of the time, to see clearly.

On re visiting Specsavers I was told the lenses prescribed could not really be fited properly in the frames I had chosen and they were 4mm out as a result. They were very helpful and said they would fit Zeiss lenses at no extra cost.

When I picked up the new glasses I could see better but had problems with near viison. I decided to stick with them as I was assured the prescription was right. Four days later I was having severe headaches and returned. Again fitting and presription were checked and I was assured they were OK. All very friendly and helpful. Consequently I was sent to one of their more qualified people, who 'probably knew more than the managers' who were the highest people I had seen until then. This person took a great deal of time and then realises that the frame was not sitting properly. I could not se clearly near, only through the lower left hand side of my lens. After the changes to the fitting my near vision was much improved. I gathered at this conversation that the replacement lenses were Pentax independence, not Zeiss, and that the suggestion I wanted Hoya lenses was probably not taken up because Specsaver's offers did not apply to them. I feel this should have been made clear to me when I was making my original decision as I may have preferred to pay the extra. In fact, after researching the different lense types on the internet, I realise that at no stage was I able to make an informed decision. That was made for me.

Immediately the frames were sitting properly, my headaches went and I could see better, though near vision is still not brilliant. Today I tried my old glasses for the first time in a week. The improvement in what I can see is amazing. I find this strange as Specsavers have told me (and you can tell from the lenses this is true) that the new lenses I have are bespoke with the prescription applied to the 'face side'. How can my old lenses be so much better than the new? Is it the lens or the fitting?

As a result I am feeling disillusioned and not sure what to do. I shall see them again but am begiining to feel I cannot trust them to make a correct decision. Any advice would be welcome.

PS my old optician was great but he retired and sold up. That is why I moved. Like a previous respondent, I am not wanting to slate Specsavers either. I must stress that they have, so far, been courteous friendly and helpful, but three weeks on, I do not feel my new specs are as good (let alone better as implied) as the old ones they replaced..

nedmundo

Custom made or personalised varifocals aren't necessarily any advantage if the underlying design isn't good in the 1st place. In fact, with the extra measurements and parameters required, there's more to go wrong.

I'm sure they could source some Hoya ones if you asked nicely.