My glasses have snapped!

pimento

In September 2013 I had an eye test and bought some glasses at my local Optical Express branch.
They were co-incidentally from the £49 range (I'd have been happy to pay more but they were the ones I liked the best). I added varifocal lenses and the total cost was £268.00. They were not my only pair of glasses, I have two other pairs and wear them all equally.

Today, I was watching the Olympics and heard a ping and found that the frames of my glasses had snapped and the lens was hanging out (they're plastic frames).

I don't consider I have misused them. I don't play dangerous sports, I keep them polished and use both hands to remove them from my face.

Optical Express's web site doesn't mention what they do in a case like this but what could I consider to be reasonable bearing in mind they are only five months old?

lincroft1710

Easiest thing would be to contact them and see if they are prepared to replace the frames. SOGA would apply as they are less than 6 months old.

halibut2209

SOGA applies regardless of whether it's six months or not. It just means that as it's under 6 months, it's up to the retailer to prove that there was no fault with the glasses.

After 6 months, it's up to you to prove there was.

pimento

Thank you. I can't get there until the weekend but will let you know how I get on.

pimento

OK, an update. Optical Express replaced the frames without a quibble there and then. They put my lenses in a new frame that was on display.
A few weeks later, the new frame snapped in a slightly different place and as they didn't have a replacement in stock, I waited two weeks for a new frame.

Yesterday evening, the second replacement (third pair) snapped.

I can't get in until Saturday but am I now within my rights to request a different style of frames? Bearing in mind that this will mean my lenses also being replaced?

InsideInsurance

The Mrs had a pair of glasses from SpecSavers and the arm's mount snapped without miss use and they replaced them no quibbles. She then sat on the second pair and they snapped in the same place - took them back in store, admitted what she'd done but they offered to replace them free of charge anyway. They no longer stocked that frame and so made her up a brand new pair inc lenses for free despite it was her own fault they broke.

Obviously a different company but sounds like they have a similar positive approach to dealing with these things (my understanding is the markup on these things are massive, even on the most budget frames/ lenses)

rustyboy21

Have a word with them and see if you can transfer to another frame style instead.


The varifocal lenses could be putting a bit of undue pressure onto the frames and making them weak.


Not all frames are suitable for varifocal lenses, due to the shaping of them ( some people have a - prescription for distance at the top, which is concave and a + prescription for reading at the bottom, which is convex, so they are a weird shape ) Mine are plano at top and +2.25 for reading and they do stick out more at the bottom than at the top.

pimento

I'm happy to change frame but my existing (expensive at £200) lenses will not fit any other frame so will also have to be replaced.

I'll see what they say. Thanks folks.

System

It sounds like the lenses were not quite correctly shaped for the frames