Boots Opticians misleading sight test reminder

elleffant

I had a sight test at Boots Opticians a year ago. The sight test was fine but I did feel that I was being encouraged to buy a service and then a replacement pair of glasses, neither of which I needed. Today I received a letter reminding me that my sight test is due ("It's too important to miss!"). I had to check but it's only 12 months since I had my last sight test so I wouldn't have been eligible for a free NHS test and a standard test at Boots costs £25. I rang a number given on the letter to opt out of further communications and the employee I spoke to wasn't interested in hearing why I was opting out.

HampshireH

This is standard practice to receive Comms on an anniversary of your last test. It's good practice to have your eyes tested regularly especially if you already have a prescription.

The fact you cannot get it free is not their responsibility.  They have just told you your eye test is due for this year.

They get people opt out everyday, the person on the phone really wouldn't care why you have chosen to I'm afraid.  

elleffant

Fair enough but I think it's wrong of them to give the impression that I'm neglecting my sight by not having a sight test more often that once every two years. I also think it's foolish of companies to ignore an opportunity to gather feedback. I won't be going back to Boots because I don't trust them not to put commerce first. The additional test I was offered last year was some kind of retinal scan, possibly an OCT scan, that was described as being better at detecting retinal faults than the test included as part of the normal sight test. It was offered at an additional cost although I can't remember what that was. The point I'm trying to make is that I think it's wrong of companies to use scaremongering tactics (albeit fairly subtle ones) to increase profits. There's no reason to suppose that I need an OCT scan or an annual sight test and the OCT scan was offered before my standard sight test. If Boots had completed the normal sight test and then said that they thought the additional scan was indicated, I'd have given it serious consideration.
Also, I've used other opticians before (a small private practice and a chain) and neither felt it necessary to suggest I have an annual sight test. I'm disappointed to hear that this is standard practise elsewhere.

pattycake

I go to Boots for my sight test and am reminded on a 2 yearly basis that a test is due.  It may well be that the optometrist thought you needed a more frequent test as something was signposted on your test a year ago.

You have jumped to the conclusion that Boots are touting for business without having enquired why you been recalled at only one year.  Just a thought.

Torry_Quine

When I get an eye test it always states how long till my next test unless there are problems of course. I did get the OCT scan for £10 and think it's worthwhile but you should always be guided by the optician.

Spoonie_Turtle

pattycake said:

I go to Boots for my sight test and am reminded on a 2 yearly basis that a test is due.  It may well be that the optometrist thought you needed a more frequent test as something was signposted on your test a year ago.

And if that is the case, it should be available on the NHS - the standard is two years but if there's a clinical need it can be more often.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/visiting-an-optician/
"The NHS recommends that you should have your eyes tested every 2 years (more often if advised by your ophthalmic practitioner or optometrist).

An NHS sight test is free of charge if you're in one of the eligible groups and the test is considered clinically necessary."

pattycake

Of course it would be a free test if mandated by clinical need by the optometrist.  The OP didn’t make any enquiries as to why a reminder had been sent.  He/she automatically assumed it was upselling on Boots part and an attempt to extract a fee!

kirtondm

Yes if the optometrist had decided a 1 year recall was required that would be covered on the NHS. So either the recall was wrong and you should have not been sent the reminder of the advice that you would have to pay was wrong.
It happens here occasionally when the front of house staff do not update the records correctly and a patient presents early. ( i.e. the computer thinks it has been 2 year since their last s/test ). These are weeded out normally on booking as the patient is asked why they are coming in early, they say because I had a reminder , the staff then realise that they did not update the record properly and apologise to the patient.

kirtondm

Their is no commercial reason to get a patient in early as the test is loss leading and they are less likely to want to buy specs every year!

elleffant

Torry Quine said "I did get the OCT scan for £10 and think it's worthwhile but you should always be guided by the optician." - that's fine, I'm glad you were reassured but it was front of house sales staff who encouraged me to opt for the OCT scan before I'd had the standard sight test - I didn't need one.
There is no reason that I should have a sight test more than once every two years and nothing was said by the optometrist after the sight test. What I object to is the language used ("It's too important to miss!") and the sales push. I accept kirtondm's points that I may have been sent the reminder in error and that sight tests are loss leading although, to me, that goes some way to proving my point about the heavy sales push but either way, Boots Opticians have now lost my custom.
It is wrong to cajole and pressure people into buying any product or service that they really don't need, especially healthcare. For a lot of people, it's a simple matter of choice about where and how they spend disposable income but for others it can be a matter of real anxiety about whether to spend money they can ill afford or ignore a possible risk to their sight.

kirtondm

Tis the system that is broken. NHS eyecare will probably go the way of NHS dentistry as an eyetest can't be provided by what the government pays ( £22 per patient ). This results in traditionally opticians covering the costs by high spectacle prices ( It is pretty unfair in practice for those who wear specs to be subsidizing those who don't! ) or by trying to charge a top op ( such as OCT ) which is arguably a little fairer.

I doubt the govement will put more money into optometry so I think increasingly more will go private. It would be fairer to separate sight testing from spectacle dispensing but the goverment will be reluctant to do that as sight tests would then be charged at the real cost of carrying them out!