Specsavers problem

minimad1970

Hi, I recently had 2 pairs of glasses reglazed at Specsavers. I paid £30 extra for an anti glare coating, one of the pairs is ok but the other pair are unwareable at night for driving. The glare coming off the headlights of the other cars is blinding. Specsavers have sent them to be tested and they've just phoned me to say that there is no problem with the coating. They offered me a £15 refund, half the cost of the anti glare, but they would have to remove the lenses. I've told them that I'm not happy with this and will be taking advice on what to do next. If they were offering me the £15 refund and letting me keep the lenses I would probably be ok with that and just use them for daytime. Do you think their offer is reasonable? Thanks.

artbaron

So why are they removing the lenses? Sounds bizarre that they'd prefer to give you £15 and new lenses rather than just £15. Are you sure that's what they said?

That aside, their offer is probably reasonable (although mean-spirited) if there's nothing wrong with the lenses. If there is something wrong with them they should repair, replace or refund at their own cost.

Last few pairs I ordered were from spex4less. On the last order I made a mistake and ordered too thick a lens and I only spotted it when I received them. I rang up and they told me to return them for a correction, so I did that, expecting a big bill, and they replaced the lenses (£120) for free and I had them back within a week. (Looking at their site now they have an explicit guarantee for refunds or replacements for any reason, might be worth a look next time).

minimad1970

artbaron wrote: »

So why are they removing the lenses? Sounds bizarre that they'd prefer to give you £15 and new lenses rather than just £15. Are you sure that's what they said?

That aside, their offer is probably reasonable (although mean-spirited) if there's nothing wrong with the lenses. If there is something wrong with them they should repair, replace or refund at their own cost.

They don't want to give me new lenses and a £15 refund. If I take the refund they will remove the lens, and as they no longer have my old ones they can't replace them. According to them there's nothing wrong with the glasses. That's definetly what they said because I queried it as it sounded so strange. So I will have paid £30 for the anti-glare and £39 for the new lenses, but I will be left with glasses with no lenses in and a £15 refund.

curlywurly82

i have been in a similar situation as I have a high prescription. The optician first of all replaced the lenses and when the second pair were no better gave me a full refund (and had the lenses back which was fair).

If they are asking for the lenses back then I would ask for the original cost of lenses to be refunded afterall if they take them back and only give you £15 then they are leaving you seriosuly out of pocket and without what you originally paid for.

Do you have another optician nearby? if so perhaps pop into theere and see whether they can also test them for a small fee?

minimad1970

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to go in tomorrow and speak to the manager. If they don't give me back at least the full price of the anti-glare coating, £30, I'm going to contact head office and see what they say. Then I will take them somewhere else to be tested, but that will leave me even more out of pocket. It's not as if they can reuse my lenses, so I'm can't see any reason to remove them.

tidus

So the two pairs are identical? There is anti reflection coating on both pairs? Or just on the one pair you're having a problem with?

Buy the way there is no such thing as an "anti-glare" coating. Anti reflective coatings make the lenses more transparent by reducing reflections from the lens surfaces. It makes the lenses perform better. Uncoated lenses can make glare worse - the coating will reduce this effect, but won't "reduce" glare otherwise.

visidigi

When I had this and complained they swapped out the lenses on all FOUR pairs for me and the other half for free.

We didn't like the coating and found the glare worse for driving with.

minimad1970

tidus wrote: »

So the two pairs are identical? There is anti reflection coating on both pairs? Or just on the one pair you're having a problem with?

Buy the way there is no such thing as an "anti-glare" coating. Anti reflective coatings make the lenses more transparent by reducing reflections from the lens surfaces. It makes the lenses perform better. Uncoated lenses can make glare worse - the coating will reduce this effect, but won't "reduce" glare otherwise.

Thanks. Yes I had 2 pairs done at the same time, both with the coating, one of them is fine.

nedmundo

If one pair is fine, why don't you suggest they redo the problem pair with fresh lenses?

artbaron

minimad1970 wrote: »

They don't want to give me new lenses and a £15 refund. If I take the refund they will remove the lens, and as they no longer have my old ones they can't replace them. According to them there's nothing wrong with the glasses. That's definetly what they said because I queried it as it sounded so strange. So I will have paid £30 for the anti-glare and £39 for the new lenses, but I will be left with glasses with no lenses in and a £15 refund.

If that's the case then tell them they're not only stark staring mad, they're in breach of the sale of goods act in that they haven't provided you with the item you paid for. Only a lunatic would assume a customer would be happy paying the price of a full pair of glasses and receiving only the frames.

minimad1970

nedmundo wrote: »

If one pair is fine, why don't you suggest they redo the problem pair with fresh lenses?

They aren't willing to do this, as they say the outcome would be the same as there isn't anything wrong with them.

artbaron wrote: »

If that's the case then tell them they're not only stark staring mad, they're in breach of the sale of goods act in that they haven't provided you with the item you paid for. Only a lunatic would assume a customer would be happy paying the price of a full pair of glasses and receiving only the frames.

I completely agree. Their response was that they have been tested and there is no problem with the lenses. I didn't have time to go in today so I'll be going tomorrow. But I won't be taking them up on any of their offers so far.