Specsavers bizzare free eye test rules.

tyllwyd

KLW wrote: »

... She went back with the same feeling when wearing them as she had when she left they retested her eyes and told her that one of the lenses was "right but wrong" they had tested her eyes completely right but her brain was telling her eye that it was too strong...

I don't think that's necessarily so unusual - I've never been able to wear lenses that are my full prescription because there is too much difference between my eyes.

KLW

Contact lenses and glasses are quite different even of the same prescription, I can always see better in glasses then I can with contact lenses, it's something to do with the lens sitting on your eye I presume and I've always been told you can't get absolute perfect vision with lenses that you can with glasses..

The thing we found so strange about his explanation was that if your brain was telling your eye that it was too strong then I'd imagine that would have still been the case in the first test... Showing up as not the perfect prescription for that eye.

Weird, we'll never know!

tyllwyd

KLW wrote: »

The thing we found so strange about his explanation was that if your brain was telling your eye that it was too strong then I'd imagine that would have still been the case in the first test... Showing up as not the perfect prescription for that eye. ...

Well, for me I've got one long sighted and one short sighted eye, so the images get magnified differently - so although one eye is OK on its own, it's too much when they are both together.

iclayt

I had an excellent experience with specsavers in Leeds. Visited them to take advantage of their free contact lens trial, as it was about 7 years since I last wore some, I remembered having problems and hoped the technology had improved. They provided me with 5 pairs to try and I went back after a week saying they were quite drying. They gave me some pairs of a more expensive lens to try and again I went back after a week to say they were better but I didn't want to commit to a monthly plan incase I didn't end up wearing them very often. I was offered being able to buy a box as a one off, and if I wanted anymore I could go back as and when. As my prescription is the same in both eyes she didn't even push for me to buy two boxes, like most people do (one each of different strengths), so I left with one box, saving me about £12. About 4 months later I have hardly ever worn them, as predicted, so I'm not out of pocket by paying monthly.
She also gave me my prescription there and then, didn't have to ask, and she said I could use it to buy lenses elsewhere if I wanted to, although warned me some places might still want to give me an eye test to check it.

My partner went there to get some glasses, no appointment, it was sorted within the hour and it was easily arranged that the glasses would be sent to another store for her to pick up as she was working away the following week.

So all in all I really recommend specsavers in Leeds, at least!

pmduk

abacab wrote: »

Specsavers exist to extract as much money as they can.

It's a private business. It exists to make money for it's shareholders by doing as much trade as possible. What else do you expect?

tidus

A contact lens specification should be issued when a trial period is completed. If the Optician considered that you needed a trial period of 3 months - that's why you were not issued a copy.

3 months is considered the maximum, but it's pretty much the norm especially if you have a "free" trial. The whole point of free trials is to get you to become a customer.

What you should have had here was an "aftercare" or "contact lens review", considering you were an existing wearer. There would have been a charge for this, but then (assuming you were not trialling a new lens) it would have been concluded on the day.

Hope that makes some sense - if not let me know and I'll have another bash at explaining! I'm an Optometrist.

abacab

pmduk wrote: »

It's a private business. It exists to make money for it's shareholders by doing as much trade as possible. What else do you expect?

I expect that the train I am on next week will be late.
I expect that it will start raining as soon as I put the washing out.
I expect that Sky will increase prices again shortly(I can go on if you wish)
Well,you did ask.:D

KLW

Thanks for trying to explain Tidus, but I think on this occasion the shop just isn't following the rules. I've only found it annoying basically because I'd have rather paid and got the service if I would have known it was such a saga in the end.

While I was at my final appointment I actually heard the sentence "Kirsty has now completed her trial can you talk to her about the mail order plan"... Also I'd already completed a months trial surely I wouldn't need a further three months.

Just to add to the fire too another thing I found weird about this branch is that they seemed to have nothing in stock, which is fair enough but when they ordered my trial lenses which is a monthly they ordered literally two lenses, one happened to be defective and so I had to wait another week for another lens... this then happened again! Maybe it's normal to order just one lens at a time but it had me baffled lol I've never had that issue before.

I'm willing to believe it is just this branch though, I've never been to Specsavers before but all other chains have been totally different in so many ways... I'd give Specsavers another chance but stay clear from the Salford branch!

nicolax

I'm with Specsavers for my lenses
I get free lenses checks as I am on their DD scheme however the optician did say if you weren't on their scheme you did have to pay for tests

Which is fair enough - at the end of the day they are a business and need to make money

tidus

KLW, many Opticians don't have contact lenses available to buy by the box and order in as required, but they normally only take 2-3 days (unless its a very unusual power or brand) We have "trial banks" which have one single lens of every power. When a power is used, its gone until we order another to replenish.

Regards completion of your trial, they certainly implied that it was complete. Looks like they backtracked when they realised you weren't going to buy anything. Typical Specsavers to be honest.