How to avoid Vision Express rip off? Also cheaper glasses?

TallDaisy

My boyfriend is blind in one eye and receives subscription lenses from Vision Express. He hasn't been wearing them due to lockdown so he has loads stockpiled by his bed.
I have nagged him continously to cancel this direct debit - only yesterday I found out he pays £21.60 a month, so 3x30 boxes 90 lenses every 3 months. 
Last time he was in there he told them he wanted half the amount since he only uses the one a day. He told me they reduced the price or so he tells me (he literally is pretty clueless with money). I can find that the same contacts om vision express 1x30 is £18 and brand equivilant is £16.40. So he is paying £3 a month more? I'm guessing I can't argue this to get this refunded?  

Anyway, he phoned to get an eye appointment for next week and needs some glasses as he the lense pops out of his ones. I am wondering if theres any way to get cheaper glasses? Like can we try them on there and look for same style on glasses direct or buy them from another shop? He has quite big head so just unsure of what would suit or fit him?

Also I want to avoid buying from this opticians as the optician told my boyfriend that he has glaucoma and was going to go blind in his seeing eye. He paid privately to go to Moorfields where they told him he wasn't going blind or had glaucoma. It actually enrages me that he still wants to use them when something like this happened but gets angry whenever I bring anything like this up. I actually wanted to write a letter to them about this but feel like its too late now.

Sorry for the long post!

sheramber

 He probably will have to go into the shop alone.
He doesn't need to buy from Vision Express,  He can get his eyes tested and take   his prescription to any optician but it sounds like he wants to stay with them.
 

MovingForwards

As you've been online you can see his deliveries can be managed online:
https://www.visionexpress.com/contact-lenses/contact-lens-subscription

He will have to go in alone, it's only kids who are allowed someone with them.

What does your boyfriend want to do as you can't do anything on his behalf.

theoretica

The subscription also pays for eye tests and contact lens checkups, not just the physical lenses.

Mnoee

Don't just cancel the direct debit without cancelling the actual subscription - they could send your partner more contacts and then chase him for payment. There's a very recent thread about ordering cheaper prescription glasses online here : https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6245669/where-online-to-order-prescription-glasses

p00hsticks

As sheramber says, he doesn;t need to get his glasses from there - he can just ask for the prescription and take it to another optician, or use one of the cheap online companies like glassesdirect.co.uk or selectspecs.com

I've used the latter and was very pleased with them. It's helpful if you have an existing pair of glasses that are comfortable - it you look down the side of the arm there are some figures which indicate the length of the arm, width across the nose etc, and you then pick ones that match (or are close to) those figures and are a design you like, and enter the prescription numbers.  

 

TallDaisy

Thanks everyone, I didn't realise he would only be allowed in - he only wants me there to help pick glasses. Makes sense it includes an eye test, guess it depends on how much it is for one, so will have to look this up against costs.