Can I return my glasses for a full refund?

demapoles

Hello

Had an eye test Fri 19th Nov and bought a pair of glasses same day. I got a call on Thurs 26th to say glasses are in store. I collected them and the sales assistant asked me to try them on, I did and immediately said they felt wrong. I was told I would get used to them and to try them from first thing in the morning. I called the store as soon as I got home and said that they just feel wrong and asked them to check that all the details were correct. The sales assistant didn't check and just told me they were checked in store and were correct.

I wore them from first thing but I couldn't bare it. I phoned another optician and booked another test and told them the problem I was having. I got an eye test booked for today and within 10 mins they had identified the fault told me I didn't need another eye test, didn't charge me and explained the mistake that was made.

I returned them to the original optician, asked them to check them, they did and found the mistake. Now they have to be sent off again and it will be another 7 days before I get them back. The people at the original store have been unhelpful and rude, they've wasted my time and at no point offered an apology. In fact the sales assistant acted fairly indignant when I told her I used one of their rivals to find the fault.

Am I entitled to ask for a full refund? I want to take my business to the opticians who are polite and know what they are talking about but I don't want to phone up Optical Express and tell them I want a full refund unless I know I'm entitled to it.

Cheers for any help

GlasweJen

No, you're not entitled to a refund as you are getting the glasses put right. You can make a complaint about how your query was ignored though.

wealdroam

demapoles wrote: »

Am I entitled to ask for a full refund?

Have you already agreed for the original optician to 'fix' them?

demapoles

wealdroam wrote: »

Have you already agreed for the original optician to 'fix' them?

I guess I have. When they checked them they kept them and said they would have to be sent away. I didn't say ok but didn't say no. I asked how long it would take and then walked off. I didn't think about asking for a refund until I was home and had time to compare the difference in customer service. Vision Express being excellent and Optical Express being poor.

Dealing with Optical Express I'm made to feel like I'm putting them out. When I returned them today in the time it took for the sales assistant to leave her computer, make herself a cup of tea and check my glasses Vision Express had photographed my eyes, done a quick test, identified the fault and then took 5 mins to explain everything to me. Comparing the 2 is like night and day.

I guess it's a lesson learned and I'm stuck with bad service getting my money

Should have gone to SpecSavers or at least Vision Express.

GlasweJen

What was the fault with the glasses?

demapoles

GlasweJen wrote: »

What was the fault with the glasses?

The left lens was over 90 degrees out. The guy in vision express turned the glasses around and then turned them diagonallly / and it brought things in to focus. I don't know how it happened but they managed to get my surname wrong on all the paperwork so I'm guessing it was an input error along the way.

I only just remembered. When I gave them the glasses back my prescription was with them. Do they have to give me my prescription even though it was over a week since they tested my eyes? I didn't mean to give it back I only had it so Vision Express could check it.

littlewren

Yes, you ARE entitled to a refund but only if you have let Optical Express put the fault right and they haven't. I had exactly the same problem last year, I couldn't see out of the glasses, I let them send them away for re-adjusting, still not right, I had another eye test which they said was the same as the first, went back again, the glasses were still not right, everything was 'swimming' so they asked me to have another eye test, which was still ok, so I phoned them up (not Optical Express) and said that I just couldn't wear the glasses and they gave me a full refund of the glasses, which was £380.

If the glasses still aren't right, don't let them do this to you, you have rights and it's expensive buying glasses. Keep on at them - politely - and in the end I'm sure they will refund you.

Good luck!

littlewren

...and yes, you are entitled to your prescription back.

nedmundo

If they do put the fault right then no. But at least you know where to go next time.

GlasweJen

Yes definitely allowed to get your prescription back, just ask next time you're in.

Our local optical express has a habit of writing "copy" in the area where the optician should sign it and not stamping the back. Make sure your copy has the opticians signature, the date of the eye test, your recall date, the opticians list number and an optical express stamp on it or it will not be valid to be used by another optician.

ETA 90 degrees out sounds like some muppet has transposed it wrong, no idea why VE just didn't check them with a focimeter though instead of going to the fuss of messing about with the lenses, unless OE had written the prescription wrong in the first place?