Can anyone answer this?

The_Generals_Wife

My husband and I went to Turkey last July and visited opticians for new glasses. We were taken to get our eyes tested and both of us got varifocal glasses (which we did know that we would need) and sunglasses (distance). This cost £400 paid on our credit card. Since we have came back we have found out that neither of us can use the glasses especially at our computers as blurred. I went into our local opticians who said that the strength in the glasses is weaker to what they last prescribed. We have paid this money and now find that the glasses lie in their cases as we both cannot use. Can we make any claim? Any advice please.

lisyloo

I would say with two "bad" eye tests, then the weight of evidence is on your side and you should be able to win a claim under section 75.

The_Generals_Wife

Thanks for your reply. Do I just contact the credit card company? I'm assuming they will want us to get another eye test to show there is a difference.

izools

You first need to exhaust the opticians complaint procedures, by calling them, and writing to them, explaining the situation, send in your UK prescription, too, to back up your claim, and if they do not play ball only then can you use S.75 of the consumer credit act.

The credit card company won't entertain your claim until this has been done.

lisyloo

So you "needed" new glasses last July, but you haven't bothered having another eye test or getting new glasses over the last 7 months :eek:

You need to get your story straight before you make a complaint as right now it's sounds a bit fishy (I'm not saying it is just that it's not being well presented).

You can go to either the credit card company OR the retailer, they are jointly liable.
Normally it makes sense to contact the retailer first.
I would say you would have absolutely ZERO chance of having any joy from an optician in Turkey, but the credit card company may not be very helpful unless you try with the retailer.

I would think a current eyetest along with a previous one would show the TWO prescriptions from Turkey to be bad.
However I am very suprised you haven't had to replace the glasses if they don't work properly and you "needed" new glasses 7 months ago.

The_Generals_Wife

Thanks for the advice, the reason we both haven't replaced the glassses is the opticians in Turkey changed the lens in my old glasses and they are just reading and I can see computer perfectly ok with them. My husband bought a cheaper pair of reading glasses and this is what he's been using. Our local opticians just checked over the glasses and looked back at the last time I had my eyes tested. I will make an apppointment for both of us to have them tested again. I have just found a card that the opticians in Turkey gave us with email contact so will make contact with him first to see what he says. Our fault that we have never done anything else about it but I just thought there was nothing we could do and just put it down to stupidity of buying abroad then had a brainwave and thought I would ask on here.

lisyloo

Putting in a case late after the event hampers your credibility.
The normal course of action for someone with a faulty item (especially something as crucial as glasses) would be to sort it out immediately.
It may look at though it's a case of buyers remorse and you have decided you don't like the glasses.

I fully believe what you are saying and I understand your reasons (you didn't realise you couldnlt claim and you had other reading glasses) but I think it's important for you to be aware that the timescale may hamper you case which is not entirely black and white.
The card company might also ask why you didn't check the glasses (at all relevant distances) whilst you were in the opticians in Turkey.

I'm not trying to be nasty, just trying to make you aware that you may face some difficulties and it's better to be forewarned.

Good luck.

PNPSUKNET

I thought max time to claim was 6 months ?

nedmundo

I know it's easier said with hindsight, but why would anyone want to get their eyes tested and specs abroad. Granted, it might be cheaper, but the standards and regulations we have to work with in this country are the highest around and if you have any problems, it's much easier to sort out.

moggylover

nedmundo wrote: »

I know it's easier said with hindsight, but why would anyone want to get their eyes tested and specs abroad. Granted, it might be cheaper, but the standards and regulations we have to work with in this country are the highest around and if you have any problems, it's much easier to sort out.

TBH, if it cost £400 for the pair of them out in Turkey then they probably should have gone to Specsavers!

Even including varifocals I doubt there would have been a need to spend £200 per head in there for one pair of specs.

Hax

moggylover wrote: »

TBH, if it cost £400 for the pair of them out in Turkey then they probably should have gone to Specsavers!

Even including varifocals I doubt there would have been a need to spend £200 per head in there for one pair of specs.

Depends what you're after - if you're happy with glasses that look like milk bottle bottoms then yes, you could get some cheap. If you want some half decent ones, with thinner lenses, anti-glare coating and reactions tint then you're looking at a cost of around £200 just for those extras - and then there's the £100 for a half decent frame...

Wish I'd done what my brother did - ordered the glasses, then 15 minutes later went back to cancel the order saying he'd changed his mind and they knocked a significant amount off the total cost to keep his custom!

Might have to try that when I go for my eye test in a couple of months