Boots Opticians

MariaJP

I recently had an eye test and needed 3 new single lens spectacles. I brought to Boots my quality, 2-year old frames in excellent condition, including a favourite Givenchy frame, and asked Boots to reglaze my own frames. Incidentally, these frames were purchased at Boots. The technician was adamant that it will be much cheaper to buy 3 new frames. As I am fond of my Givenchy frame, I asked for this one to be reglazed and reluctantly bought 2 new frames. I was charged £160.00 for reglazing my one frame with a single lens! Two other opticians whom I subsequently consulted were of a different opinion and definitely did not advise scrapping 3 perfectly good frames. Their charges were a fraction of £160.00 Boots charged. A rip off Boots Opticians? No use contacting Boots Customer Service, not interested as Boots Plc have sold the franchise of their opticians business. There is nothing to indicate this as one walks into "Boots" Opticians. The Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS) - operated by Nockolds Solicitors Ltd - is also a waste of time. The only "consumer service" I received from them was a lecture on the law of contract, free market and advice to shop around.
M

amersall

I think it's ludicrous not to re glaze any frame.
Money making racket in my opinion,it's more lucrative for them to sell with frames.
Don't even get me started on the "add ons" tints etc,I have just had new specs and the blue tint was £70!!!!,needless to say,I did not get it.

hollydays

I think the new company is dolland and atchison. I think it's been a few years now. They aren't one of the cheapest.sometimes the quality is better though.

I had a pair of Tiffany sunglasses frames and one independant optician just refused point blank to reglaze them, yet Specsavers did it for £40 or £60 ( can't remember exactly) with the proviso that they couldn't guarantee they might not break them.

takman

Well it's not really a rip off because you accepted the price and they provided the service. Obviously you have realised now that the time to shop around is before you hand over money and not after!.

pleasedelete

I get my eye test at boots and then use cillary blue to reglaze. Back in 4 days last time and less than £30 . You fill in form online (day1). Box arrives and you post it back (day 2). On day 4 the glasses arrived back. The last time it was about 6 days but still pretty impressive

http://www.ciliaryblue.com

MariaJP

takman wrote: »

Well it's not really a rip off because you accepted the price and they provided the service. Obviously you have realised now that the time to shop around is before you hand over money and not after!.

Not quite as it seems. I accepted the price for reglazing of one frame and reluctantly agreed to unnecessary purchase of two frames after vehement "professional" advice from consultant/salesman. He assured me that it is cheaper, and makes economical sense, not to reglaze good, quality frames but to buy 3 new ones. If this is true, as a diabetic, I would have to buy new frames every time my prescription changes! Three other opticians informed me that it is cheaper to reglaze. I was misled and given an unprofessional and unethical advice. In these circumstances the contract is invalid. I have already been given advice about shopping around, free market and the law of contract from the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS) - contacting OCCS is a waste of time. As for "Boots Opticians", no longer owned by household brand Boots, Rip Off is the name of the game - in my experience.

takman

MariaJP wrote: »

Not quite as it seems. I accepted the price for reglazing of one frame and reluctantly agreed to unnecessary purchase of two frames after vehement "professional" advice from consultant/salesman. He assured me that it is cheaper, and makes economical sense, not to reglaze good, quality frames but to buy 3 new ones. If this is true, as a diabetic, I would have to buy new frames every time my prescription changes! Three other opticians informed me that it is cheaper to reglaze. I was misled and given an unprofessional and unethical advice. In these circumstances the contract is invalid. I have already been given advice about shopping around, free market and the law of contract from the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS) - contacting OCCS is a waste of time. As for "Boots Opticians", no longer owned by household brand Boots, Rip Off is the name of the game - in my experience.

Well if they are charging £160 to reglaze the frames then he is correct that in their shop it probably is cheaper to buy new ones. So the advice he gave was correct considering their expensive prices.

I have just typed in "cost to reglaze frame" and the first result was a website offering the service starting at just £25. So I do agree you went to an extremely expensive shop. But considering how easy it is to find out how much it costs elsewhere then you really should have researched it before you committed.

Just take this as a lesson to always shop around before you commit to a purchase, especially if costs as much as £160!. Just remember that shops have no obligation to inform you of their competitor's prices or how much cheaper you can get the service elsewhere!.

MariaJP

Would you not agree that 160.00 to reglaze a perfectly good frame is a Rip Off? I, and several people whose views I canvassed including 3 opticians, are of this opinion - a Rip Off! The unprofessional and unethical advice that it is cheaper to buy new frames for each prescription it clearly misleading. Consumer Protection (Amendment) Regulations 2014 stipulate that aggressive selling and misleading practice would render a contract invalid. Do you consider it the ethical practice for a healthcare professional to give such a misleading advice to pensioners with diabetes and other conditions affecting eyesight?
You seem to be of the same mind as preciously mentioned OCCS (Optical Consumers Complaints Service)? I wonder, how would the General Optical Council (GOC) view this matter. Perhaps I should be writing to them?

hollydays

As someone already said, they told you it was cheaper to do this with THEM, so that wasn't incorrect presumably.

MariaJP

If you are right, then this means that "THEM" i.e. Boots Opticians operate a very unique and highly specialised Rip Off! Neither 3 opticians I contacted, nor members of this forum, and other fora, think that it is cheaper to buy new frames than reglaze; all agree that £160.00 to reglaze one single lens frame is unreasonable and excessive. Crawley has aging population, many retired people with diabetes and other conditions go to the "trusted" household name Boots. Yesterday, I have heard from one such person, on the local forum, who was charged £450.00 for ONE pair of varifocal spectacles with the cheapest frame, and the only extra he asked for was a transition lens priced £80.00. His comment on Crawley Boots Opticians:"a Rip Off". Trading Standards, via CAB Citizens Advice, are taking up this case for me, as are General Optical Council to whom I wrote yesterday.

takman

MariaJP wrote: »

If you are right, then this means that "THEM" i.e. Boots Opticians operate a very unique and highly specialised Rip Off! Neither 3 opticians I contacted, nor members of this forum, and other fora, think that it is cheaper to buy new frames than reglaze; all agree that £160.00 to reglaze one single lens frame is unreasonable and excessive. Crawley has aging population, many retired people with diabetes and other conditions go to the "trusted" household name Boots. Yesterday, I have heard from one such person, on the local forum, who was charged £450.00 for ONE pair of varifocal spectacles with the cheapest frame, and the only extra he asked for was a transition lens priced £80.00. His comment on Crawley Boots Opticians:"a Rip Off". Trading Standards, via CAB Citizens Advice, are taking up this case for me, as are General Optical Council to whom I wrote yesterday.

I still don't understand why you didn't shop around BEFORE you agreed to pay the £160 price. You must have been happy to pay that at the time so you can't complain after the fact!.

Also how much were they selling new frames for in the boots shop?. If it was less than £160 then they were correct to advice you that it's cheaper to buy a new one in their shop. Remember they don't have to tell you how much competitors are charging.

I also don't understand what having diabetes or an ageing population has to do with not being able to say no to expensive services?.
My grandmother who is in her 80's is perfectly capable to shop around and get the best price. Being retired actually gives you more time to go to each shop to get the best price. I am often surprised at how good a deal she can get on good and services considering she doesn't have a computer.
But you obviously have a computer so you have even more of a change to shop around before you even leave the house to go to the opticians!.