Are Opticians ripping people off? Boots/Specsavers/Vision express

ljonski

I visited a local independent today. Got the feeling that i was an actual human being with feelings and dignity. Going to get my bi focals from them, maybe at greater cost but its nice to be considered as a person and not a commodity. Tescos are you listening?

robin58

ljonski wrote: »

I visited a local independent today. Got the feeling that i was an actual human being with feelings and dignity. Going to get my bi focals from them, maybe at greater cost but its nice to be considered as a person and not a commodity. Tescos are you listening?

I had to find a local optician after my original optician, who i had used for a few years, gave me an eye test and managed to mess it up badly on the prescription.

The newer optician, who are a family concern, gave me a full eye test plus optical field test. Took a 2 hours in all.

But it was the best decision I ever made. I am now on his book as I know I can trust them.

Was once with Specsavers many years ago. They don't make any money on the test so they gain it on the sell up and boy don't they push it.

In my opinion the only two 'extras ' you need are scratch resistance if you are taking your glasses on and off all day. However careful you are you will soon enough put them in a dirt contaminated area.

Plus a tint for your prescription sunglasses for the summer.

Mrs_Ryan

I just bought two pairs of glasses online- Lipsy ones. Two pairs for £76. I normally go to Vision Express who charged me £90 for my last ones- a Karen Millen pair but I loved the Lipsy frames. Took a big leap of faith but they're absolutely fine. I can see perfectly out of them and they look nice too.
Wouldn't ever go back to Tesco after they made an enormous mess of my prescription once.

KxMx

miller wrote: »

You fell for that photo they showed you of Olive's glasses from "on the buses" too...

Lol no I fell prey to my own vanity!

Francesanne

My husband went to Specsavers for eye test yesterday. Went with him to give honest opinion on frames.
He needed 2 pairs of glasses. Reading & distance. Choose frames and we decided no extra's were needed or wanted. After Over 60's 25% discount the total came to a very reasonable £127.50. We were put under no pressure to have unwanted extra's. Might have been different outcome if I hadn't gone with him though.

mttylad

Had you gone to Asda you would have saved £47.50 and would not have been pressured for extras, the glasses would have been of equivalent quality.

teddysmum

I used to buy from Specsavers, but needed lighter lenses. They did help by selling me two frames and putting just one light lens (for the eye with stronger prescription) in each, meaning I paid for two lighter lenses and two with antiglare (which also reduces the circles round the outside of higher prescriptions).


At Asda,I got four pairs, for just a couple of pounds more, but all the lenses were lighter (and of a thinner grade) with antiglare coating.


The only problem is that they don't have as wide a range as others.

mersey

Ordered 2 pair of varifocal yesterday,with anti scratch,and anti reflective coating.Have used Asda before, price this time £110. Friend of mine broke a lens in his glasses,distance and paid over £80.

MalcolmY

windup wrote: »

... frames cost pennies, the idea that some injection molded plastic or a piece of bent wire is worth £100's is ridiculous.

Absolutely! I tried arguing with my local operation that I didn't care what the frames looked like but I wanted the cheapest ... and they quoted me £50!

You can go to your local garage and buy those "emergency reading glasses" for £1.50 including the frame. So why can't these national chains do a decent set of frames for, say, £5?

It IS a rip-off!

C_Mababejive

The truth of the matter, like many things is,,it depends on your individual case.

If you have complex visual requirments, you would be well advised to seek out a recommended independent optometrist.

If yours is a simple case of needing readers only, buy some off the carousel at any high street supermarket

If you only have a low degree of myopia and only need single vision lenses, try one of the big chains or even on line.


Optometrists are in a sticky position. They only get a fixed fee for eye tests and can only charge a fixed amount. It isnt often enough to cover chair time. They then have to try and recover some of that notional loss by retaining you as a valued customer by selling you specs/contacts/whatever.

My independent optom, who is one of the very best i have met is well worth paying. He also has his own site selling contacts for prices that match or are lower than most if not all website i have checked.

Whats not to like..?

As for varifocals,,well these days its easy to get a duff pair.

Think about it. In the 80s a lot of specs were Dierdre Langton specials,,i,e big lenses..it was the fashion. If you measured for and grafted a pair of verifocal or progressive lenses into those frames,well there was a good margin for error.

Today the fashion tends toward smaller frames and smaller lens blanks so far less margin for error.