Contact Lenses

Lynxe

I use Daysoft lenses and love them - £6ish a pack for 30 (So making it around £12 for both eyes)

Danili

I had similar issues with Specsavers and tried to find a better deal elsewhere and failed - sorry not especially helpful!

I would however complain to their head office and at least see if you can get a couple of months free as 'compensation' for the inconvenience.

rdone

I tend to use lenstore.co.uk to buy my lenses. It turns out around £50 for 6 months including postage. These are for monthly lenses. I haven't been wearing them much recently though as I have stuck with glasses over the winter but as Spring/Summer (hopefully) draws nearer I will be wearing them more often. Due to not wearing them all of the time I can get away with only ordering when I want making it a lot cheaper.

colazombie

Visiondirect, i pay £35 for lenses, they last me 3 months
(they are the type that you wear for 2 weeks then dispose)
I've found them to be the most competitively priced and they are very fast delivery

C_Mababejive

Lynxe wrote: »

I use Daysoft lenses and love them - £6ish a pack for 30 (So making it around £12 for both eyes)

I too have used daysoft for years with no issues. Please note though that anyone thinking of trying them should not just order on line !

Lenses need to be checked for suitability and daysoft may not be applicable in many cases.

For hose who need a good ,economical spherical daily lens they are a great product.

There is an optometry forum called the optom which delights in slagging off daysoft and its founder. Its fair to say that some of th reasons are sound clinical reasons based on end users prescribing and self fitting but i suspect a lot of the real truth behind it is that they feel their profits being threatened and the possible pressures on the cosy cartel agreements between optoms and the big suppliers like J&J etc

nedmundo

What are these cosy cartel arrangements you mention - C_M?

C_Mababejive

nedmundo wrote: »

What are these cosy cartel arrangements you mention - C_M?

Hi Ned,, of course i cant produce any evidence as im not in the business.

I've not studied the minutiae of the cases but i know there has been a lot of sabre rattling about price fixing by the big manufs of CLs in the states..


http://market-scope.com/breaking-post/54-class-action-lawsuits-accuse-contact-lens-makers-of-price-fixing/


There are so many things in the mix and it must be difficult.

We have optoms fighting to maintain their professional standards and standing

We have high street competition which is putting pressure on independents

We have a public that wants it fast and cheap

We have optoms having to convert a basic NHS fee into a sales conversion

And a whiff of arrogance and King Canute syndrome from certain quarters..


I currently use Coopervision clariti 1 day CLs. I used DS for years with no issues. I dont use them all the time,,maybe 3 or 4 pairs a week.

I buy them direct off my optom. Why do i do that? Because we have a great relationship and he now has his own direct sales operation and his published prices match any prices you are likely to see on the web. He knows that it ultimately leads to customer retention and hopefully the best outcomes for both himself and his punters.

He could do with ditching at least one receptionist and save some money as they are almost dead wood but thats his business.

I get to see the organ grinder, hes a good man,i pay him money,,whats not to like?

You cant stop whats coming,,non of us can Ed..we can only set our sails to run with the wind.

We all face challenges. I have had the same where i work.

That said, i would not want to see people buying any lens and self fitting without them being properly checked/prescribed and with regular eye health checks.

Baby_Angel

I buy monthly toric lenses (astigmatism ones) for £15 a month from specsavers. You get the checkups free and some discount on glasses. I have just frozen a 3 month supply as I somehow had more than I need. They are very flexible. In the last 2 years I am with them never had any failed deliveries. Not all branches are the same. They are some sort of franchises so the service do differ. I hate my local branch service where we go for OH and DD. My branch near my workplace is excellent service and I will pay and stay with them for that alone. I usually don't risk with online retailers when it comes to eye health.

C_Mababejive

#19,, yes there are many high street chains that provide great service and value.

I think a lot depends on individual requirements.

For example, if you are a young low myope with no other clinical issues, the high street would be a good place.

If you have more complex needs, you might need to be more selective.

nedmundo

If you can't support the claim - perhaps you should edit it?

I can assure you that there are no cosy cartel arrangements between Optoms and big suppliers. If anything, I wish there was, because in reality, it's the other way around - if anything, there are favourable arrangements with big online suppliers and supermarkets to the extent that we could buy certain products from these suppliers for far less than we can direct from the manufacturers.