Glasses Deals Discussion

stevenfisher

My wife is an optician and got increasingly annoyed at the price of glasses and the hard sell that the big names were trying to her to do. She always stuck to her principles and never issued glasses unless the person needed them.

Due to this, she has now set up her own mobile optician here in Dorset in a converted bus. Due to her low overheads she is able to provide glasses at internet prices but with the choice and aftercare of a normal practice.

I was quite shoked at how little a pair of glasses could be made for. We send away for the lenses and even have them fitted to the frame and for single vision it is less than £20.

Obviously big business has big overheads but the high street chains take thousands of pounds a week.

Browntoa

Lensway I noticed you are replying to this thread , please read

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stevenfisher

Lensway - not sure how you have been able to respond and promote your business. I posted a message on Freebie board about my wife's new mobile optician in Dorset giving away free eye test when it opened in August last year and within minutes I was reported, it was removed and I was told off!

MSE Deborah - How can I get this level of freedom to promote my company on this website?

tifo

Browntoa wrote: »

Lensway I noticed you are replying to this thread , please read

How is this abuse at the company?

They've increased prices immediately after a voucher offer and consumers are saying they're not happy about it. Free speech.

Plus not everyone may want to get a voucher so is now not able to get the £9 glasses (which were on yesterday). Were these at a special offer price?

tifo

stevenfisher wrote: »

I was quite shoked at how little a pair of glasses could be made for. We send away for the lenses and even have them fitted to the frame and for single vision it is less than £20.

I would say less than £10. You can source frames at around £5 and the lens can cost the same as well. Depends what UK lab you go to.

tifo

stevenfisher wrote: »

MSE Deborah - How can I get this level of freedom to promote my company on this website?

Why don't you do a special promotion for MSE members and get it sent in the weekly email? Would you be able to cope with the demand?

If you can sell me glasses at the same price as selectspecs or a few other online retailers, as you say your wife can do, i'll buy some pairs. That's with single vision lens, anti-scratch, anti-glare, UV and with a good choice of frames.

Can you match the lensway £9 offer?

Let me know your details and i'll put the order in.

Sally_2

Reply to tifo, sorry I wasn't very clear, I realise I only paid £30 for £85 pounds worth of glasses which would have been good as I could have bought 4 pairs until they hiked up the price, now at £29 for the cheapest I can only buy 2 pairs without adding money to the coupon, also postage is not included in the coupon. I have just checked my email and Groupon have refunded my money in full already.

stevenfisher

tifo wrote: »

How is this abuse at the company?

I think they meant that, as a company, they are only allowed to comment if you believe they have been wronged and only with permission. You are not allowed to use this website for your company promotion.

This is why, if one company is allowed, I should have the same rights or the company should be reminded that they are not allowed to use the site for promotion.

Saying that, other companies have advertised events and promotions, such as the opening of a chip shop in Bristol and got away with it. If no-one complains, nothing is done.

stevenfisher

tifo wrote: »

Can you match the lensway £9 offer?

Not quite but compared to the big high street boys, we are cheaper. We have people coming from big towns to the small villages we visit as they have been told we are professional and cheap.

We still have overheads and currently do not have an NHS contract due to legal issues which we are trying to resolve with the NHS. Until we do, we are offering free tests to all, so are covering all our costs with glasses sales alone at the moment.

Maybe in the future we might be able to reduce our costs. Also we are investing in new machinery that will reduce our les prices.

tifo

stevenfisher wrote: »

Not quite but compared to the big high street boys, we are cheaper.

So when you said in an earlier post you can match other internet prices you actually meant high street shops? Sorry to ask again, you seem to want to promote your business and prices are a keen part of this.

Due to her low overheads she is able to provide glasses at internet prices but with the choice and aftercare of a normal practice