What would you do? Pay or not pay ...

Lotus-eater

Sazzarella wrote: »

You're all saying that NHS glasses are free but have you actually seen them??? I have been wearing specs since I was 5 and there is so many embarrassing photos of me in NHS specs. Big plastic multicoloured things that your granny would wear! Also your assuming they have bought dead expensive frames but it might be the lenses. I need various thinning on mine to stop them looking like jam jar bottoms which is about £150 before I even add frames.

When's the last time you went in to an opticions and actually picked out some glasses for a kid then? Not recently, that's for sure.

Pepzofio

Sazzarella wrote: »

You're all saying that NHS glasses are free but have you actually seen them??? I have been wearing specs since I was 5 and there is so many embarrassing photos of me in NHS specs. Big plastic multicoloured things that your granny would wear! Also your assuming they have bought dead expensive frames but it might be the lenses. I need various thinning on mine to stop them looking like jam jar bottoms which is about £150 before I even add frames.

I too have been wearing glasses since I was a child - but I actually chose a pair of NHS specs over another pair that my parents were willing to pay for, as I wanted to look like Jane out of Neighbours! I was a strange child...:rotfl:

But I would say that NHS frames have moved on considerably since then - some of the kids ones in Specsavers these days are really nice imho. And in fairness, all my early frames were monstrosities, even the paid for ones - I think it was more the eighties' fault than the NHS's... In fact I remember a fairly costly pair of 'designer' Dior Junior frames for which I was teased mercilessly!

I also need the super-uber-thin lenses (and they still stick out of the side of even a plastic frame) and agree that this often adds more to the cost of glasses than designer frames, but then again, there is no way I could get by for 3 months without glasses! And if his eyesight WAS that bad, surely he was long overdue for a new pair anyway, if he'd had the broken pair for 2 years? My prescription changed drastically every 6-12mths until I was in my late teens/early twenties.

puddy

well according to the spec savers website, it says that eye tests and all glasses are free for uner 16s with a nhs voucher. however these come with standard pentax lenses, scratch resistant and free uv coating.

so im wondering if it is extra for thinning or any other tint or something.

Lotus-eater

Pepzofio wrote: »

I too have been wearing glasses since I was a child - but I actually chose a pair of NHS specs over another pair that my parents were willing to pay for,

I did exactly the same I can't remember the exact reasons, but sheer bloodymindedness probably was something to do with it.

Buttonmoons

I know I got anti scratch and anti glare tint added to my new pair of specs for free at specsavers. Maybe it's standard if you thin your milk bottles down.....

GlasweJen

If it helps £96.10 is the cost of NHS glasses plus transition lenses plus insurance minus the cost of the NHS voucher at Optical Express. I know this off the top of my head as it's what my sister just paid for my 8 year old niece to get transitions as they're going on holiday and sister doesn't want a separate pair of sunnies for her.

Sazzarella

pigpen wrote: »

We paid £55 for OH to have thinner lenses.. Sazz.. think you need to shop around more .. seems you were done! He also gets various coatings on his.. scratch/glare for example.

I've got stigmatisms, doesn't seem to matter where I go they are always this expensive unfortunately!

I'm not even that old, my last pair of NHS specs was about 8 years ago but that's great if they have improved since then. Not sure why people feel the need to get defensive about it!!

pigpen

I still think you are being overcharged.. these all do too.. DD1's are really bad .. they are all blind as bats. I'd have to ring around a few places see if that is a usual price by you.. I have noticed prices do vary hugey.

JodyBPM

I seem to be in the minority, but I would pay, and with good grace!

I think both children are equally responsible for the glasses being broken, and on that basis I think they are equally responsible for a pair of suitable replacements.

I don't think £90 seems particularly excessive for a complete pair of glasses.

I would probably want to clarify whether the NHS £50 voucher had already been deducted from the invoiced amount. If it already had, I'd give the £25 - half of the outstanding amount, if it hadn't I'd give the half of the invoice amount. I would be getting my son to pay for it himself though, week by week back to me out of his pocket money if necessary. It is an important lesson for him to learn - if he is responsible (or partly responsible) for damaging someone else's possessions, then he is responsible (or partly responsible) for the replacement cost.

Whether the other boy's glasses were old/whether he can manage without them for 3 months etc is all irrelevent to me. On the day in question, he went into school with a pair of glasses that fit him and worked. At the end of that day he came home without them leaving a replacement cost of £90. Your son is partly (along with the other boy) responsible for the replacement cost as they were both equally responsible for the damage being done.

TBH, I would have offered half the cost to replace them moment I had heard the glasses had been broken - its only fair!

peardrops_2

Good evening all

Invoice states:

Scrivens single vision - Qty 2 - £82.00
Designer Frame - Qty 1 - £79.00
Savings - £39.00

Total £122.00
Voucher B Package : -£26.90
Total: £95.10

Paid to date: £40.00

Balance Outstanding: £55.10

This is the scrawled message on the envelope the invoice came in: "Please find enclosed receipts for xxxx's last set of glasses. If we could get half of the amount back it would be something - £25".

I am livid to say the least! It would be something .... I'm sure it would! Why am I paying for a new prescription set of lens' when it was the arm of the last glasses that broke? I don't see why I'm paying half of the remaining amount for him having a brand new pair of glasses with designer frames???

I won't be responding to them because if I do I will probably say something I would regret. Surely we should be paying for half of the damage to the original glasses, not funding a lovely brand new pair of designer specs??? Also I would be questioning why he needs a pair of designer glasses now and not 3 months ago when the original glasses were broken.

What do you all think?