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Is this mis-selling?
Markie76
Posts: 24 Forumite
Hi,
Just wanted to ask your opinion on my mums recent opticians visit.
My mum went for an eye test at a UK wide high street optician primarily to test her eye pressure as requested by the GP.
She was prescribed 2 sets of glasses (surprise surprise) and as she came out of the opticians test room the shop assistant was already outside the door to greet her with "Let's go pick out some frames".... I would have expected something along the lines of "How did your test go" to be friendlier......
My mum has about 9 pairs of old glasses which she bought along as some are unused and all the frames in excellent condition. So she thought she would just reuse them.
But there's a £30 charge to remove lenses from old frames :mad:
My suggestion that I have a hammer which can remove them for free wasn't acceptable......
Then the assistant kept repeating it's therefore cheaper to buy new frames or choose from the small selection of free NHS frames.
Once my mum had chosen 2 frames came the 'selling' of the lenses.
Standard, thin, anti-glare, transitions, scratch resistant, blah blah blah....
One of the frames my mum chose was thin metal and initially she said standard (thick glass) lenses would be fine.
The lady assistant then said they make the glasses heavier and not sit straight on the nose. And also they have a tendency to 'pop-out' of thin frames and they don't look stunning.
My mum was still resisting and opting for standard lenses.
The lady assistant went round in circles with her sales pitch a few times and then my mum decided to go for the thin lenses at a cost of £60 per pair.
Ok fine, we've got frames and lenses so we're done print off the bill.
WRONG.
The lady assistant then asks whether my mum uses a computer and would like the lenses to be 'anti-glare'... at a bargain price of £19.
No thank you, my mum doesn't use a computer - she's an OAP with no interest in social media.
Clearly getting tired and stressed she shook her head saying "No, No"...
The lady assistant starts to produce the order & bill and on the screen then cost of lenses pops up as £79.
I query this straight away pointing out that she said no to the 'anti-glare' option.
The lady assistant replies that thin lenses are only available with 'anti-glare' (so its mandatory).
She gives no explanation to my question of why therefore 'thin lenses' don't just cost £79? And why a minute ago she presented 'anti-glare' as an optional extra?
On the desk there is a chart about different lenses and thin lenses are priced at £60.
If 'anti-glare' is standard (mandatory) on thin lenses then why the sales pitch as if it is an 'optional extra'?
So thin lenses presented as costing £60 but charged £79 for.
Mis-selling / Fraud....
Thx,
M.
Just wanted to ask your opinion on my mums recent opticians visit.
My mum went for an eye test at a UK wide high street optician primarily to test her eye pressure as requested by the GP.
She was prescribed 2 sets of glasses (surprise surprise) and as she came out of the opticians test room the shop assistant was already outside the door to greet her with "Let's go pick out some frames".... I would have expected something along the lines of "How did your test go" to be friendlier......
My mum has about 9 pairs of old glasses which she bought along as some are unused and all the frames in excellent condition. So she thought she would just reuse them.
But there's a £30 charge to remove lenses from old frames :mad:
My suggestion that I have a hammer which can remove them for free wasn't acceptable......
Then the assistant kept repeating it's therefore cheaper to buy new frames or choose from the small selection of free NHS frames.
Once my mum had chosen 2 frames came the 'selling' of the lenses.
Standard, thin, anti-glare, transitions, scratch resistant, blah blah blah....
One of the frames my mum chose was thin metal and initially she said standard (thick glass) lenses would be fine.
The lady assistant then said they make the glasses heavier and not sit straight on the nose. And also they have a tendency to 'pop-out' of thin frames and they don't look stunning.
My mum was still resisting and opting for standard lenses.
The lady assistant went round in circles with her sales pitch a few times and then my mum decided to go for the thin lenses at a cost of £60 per pair.
Ok fine, we've got frames and lenses so we're done print off the bill.
WRONG.
The lady assistant then asks whether my mum uses a computer and would like the lenses to be 'anti-glare'... at a bargain price of £19.
No thank you, my mum doesn't use a computer - she's an OAP with no interest in social media.
Clearly getting tired and stressed she shook her head saying "No, No"...
The lady assistant starts to produce the order & bill and on the screen then cost of lenses pops up as £79.
I query this straight away pointing out that she said no to the 'anti-glare' option.
The lady assistant replies that thin lenses are only available with 'anti-glare' (so its mandatory).
She gives no explanation to my question of why therefore 'thin lenses' don't just cost £79? And why a minute ago she presented 'anti-glare' as an optional extra?
On the desk there is a chart about different lenses and thin lenses are priced at £60.
If 'anti-glare' is standard (mandatory) on thin lenses then why the sales pitch as if it is an 'optional extra'?
So thin lenses presented as costing £60 but charged £79 for.
Mis-selling / Fraud....
Thx,
M.
0
Comments
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Not sure what pressure has to do with glasses.
If you need glasses then you need them. A pressure test is to look into other potential issues. You could have high pressure but not need new glasses/prescription or glasses at all.
I have a simple prescription and buy mine online with none of the upsell.
They did the same hard sell on my mum.
Did your mum not compare her prescriptions. Many peoples remain the same for years.0 -
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GP told her to go for an eye test to include having her eye pressures measured and the results noted and returned to the surgery.Not sure what pressure has to do with glasses.
If you need glasses then you need them. A pressure test is to look into other potential issues. You could have high pressure but not need new glasses/prescription or glasses at all.
I have a simple prescription and buy mine online with none of the upsell.
They did the same hard sell on my mum.
Did your mum not compare her prescriptions. Many peoples remain the same for years.
Optician said her prescription has changed slightly.
Yes my mum compared the prescription to her last test and the differences were +0.25 but optician recommended new reading & distance glasses.
OK.Deleted_User wrote: »No / No...
So if I ask the shop assistant how much is that hot Italian sportscar and they say £100k but at the till charge £125k to my credit card - what's that known as?0 -
If you know the answers already, why ask the question?0
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Sorry I don't understand - what does your post mean in plain English please not riddles.Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »If you know the answers already, why ask the question?0 -
OK.
So if I ask the shop assistant how much is that hot Italian sportscar and they say £100k but at the till charge £125k to my credit card - what's that known as?
Wouldn't you ask what the extra £5k is for before popping in your card and paying? Exactly like when you asked why was it £79 and not £60. You could have walked away at that point and get the glasses elsewhere, yet you decided to pay.
As such, can't see what the issue is.0 -
So if I ask the shop assistant how much is that hot Italian sportscar and they say £100k but at the till charge £125k to my credit card - what's that known as?
A pricing discrepancy.
Did the hot Italian shop assistant speak good English? Could something have got lost in the translation?0 -
GP told her to go for an eye test to include having her eye pressures measured and the results noted and returned to the surgery.
Optician said her prescription has changed slightly.
Yes my mum compared the prescription to her last test and the differences were +0.25 but optician recommended new reading & distance glasses.
OK.
So if I ask the shop assistant how much is that hot Italian sportscar and they say £100k but at the till charge £125k to my credit card - what's that known as?
Ok, well now you are giving more info. The eye pressure is not really relevant in this issue.
I bet if you went to two different Opticians you would get a difference in plus 0.25 or minus. Of course, they recommended new glasses. That's where the money is. Its all about upselling.
If they won't let you have what you want then say no thanks and go elsewhere.0 -
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Yes & Yes.powerful_Rogue wrote: »Wouldn't you ask what the extra £5k is for before popping in your card and paying? Exactly like when you asked why was it £79 and not £60. You could have walked away at that point and get the glasses elsewhere, yet you decided to pay.
As such, can't see what the issue is.
So it's ok for a shop to state a selling price for Product A, offer you Product B as an optional extra, then tell you Product B is mandatory with the purchase of Product A?
Yes & No. (But she wasn't a hot ItalianDeleted_User wrote: »A pricing discrepancy.
Did the hot Italian shop assistant speak good English? Could something have got lost in the translation?
) 0
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