price of eye examinations

butterfly72

How much does a regular eye examination cost and a contact lense one. I ask because I have a voucher for 35% off contact lenses at Boots but will need a regular eye test at £20 and a contact lense consultation at £35. (I do need a test as my prescription is old) I've had a look on a couple of optician's websites but they don't seem to give prices.

thanks

Running_Horse

The price will vary not just from company to company, but store to store within most companies, depending on local trading conditions. You can have your eyes tested at one company and take your prescription elsewhere. The only downside is if you have a problem and find yourself being bounced back and forth between two companies (it does happen). And remember, there is no such thing as a free eye test. Most opticians subsidise the eye test with more expensive glasses; sort of like a dentist offering a free filling on condition you buy a toothbrush for £30. My advice is to build a long term relationship with a qualified optician you can trust not to sell you things.

tallyhoh

I have just joined Boots Health Club (application form in store) & they have sent me a coupon for a free eye test.
D & A are doing free eyes tests as well.

Do you have to have the one at Boots to quailfy for the 35%? If not its worth googling for a free eye test in your area.

Its works out to then £55 for a test? sounds pricey to me. I have not worn contact lenses for a while bit I dont recall having to pay extra for the eye test.

melancholly

i think i got a voucher from D&A which would give me nectar points if i had an eye test with them (for free...!)
i go to costco for my eye test because it's only £10 - and i think the standard price is £20.

i did find this link:http://www.visionexpress.com/en/evouchers.php
i can't recommend vision express (but equally have no reason to say not to go there!) - but the offer looks like it might be worth a try!

rich68

melancholly wrote: »

i did find this link:http://www.visionexpress.com/en/evouchers.php

I happened to see this today too. However, I have heard on this site that it is possible to haggle with Vision Express so I wonder if it would be better to haggle instead of using the offer.

If anyone has any tips on haggling with Vision Express I would be interested. When I last looked, Vision Express were 40% more expensive than Specsavers (this was for reglazing).

Also, opinions would be welcome on whether it's best to reglaze existing frames or buy new complete glasses (with respect to haggling).

(Sorry to hijack the thread)

EmmaJ_3

I had a voucher through one of the Tesco Clubcard clubs, for a free eye test at the in-store optician (normally £10), then paid just another £10 for the contact lens exam.

Even without the voucher Tesco seems a lot cheaper than elsewhere, not sure how many Tesco opticians there are around yet though. Mine is at the back of a huge Tesco Extra shop.

Horace

I have free eye tests and my optician doesn't rip me off with expensive glasses either (I used him to get some sailing goggles and he managed to persuade a company to custom make them to my prescription). If you have a complicated prescription you automatically get free tests, you also get free tests if you have glaucoma.

Unfortunately for me I have both and now have to have my eyes tested at the eye hospital and I am cheeky and use their optician to purchase my new specs because it is so much cheaper plus I get more choice (he has told me that his services are only really for poor people and not for folks like me).

MissEyre

Paid £19 for my test at Specsavers-but of a bad experience with Boots a few years back, so prefer to go to my regular optician where they know the long and complicated detail of my entire family and our rubbish eyesight :rotfl: £20 and then an extra £35 sounds a lot...

Running_Horse

It seems Specsavers will be offering an online service soon.

http://www.theoptom.com/viewtopic.php?t=4401