Small Claims Case Against Specsavers

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ArbitraryRandom said:

Okell said:

My local Specsavers is excellent.  I suffer from a recurring eye condition that requires frequent medical treatment and my local Specsavers has always been extrememly helpful in helping me better to understand and manage the condition.  I wouldn't use any other chain or independent opticians. 

I would agree my experience has been equally good - my main dislike is that they're a little TOO good when it comes to the upselling portion of the experience (my prescription is such I can't realistically buy glasses online using their prescription). 

If you have a strong prescription, Asda do thin and light lenses at no extra cost. 

Vectis

So, how much would you be intending to claim for in the Small Claims, given that you've had 3 years wear out of them?

And, if this deterioration has been happening for 3 years, why is it only now that you've decided to do something about it? Surely you must have noticed the state of the lenses some time ago? I don't think saying that 'your eyes adapt to scratches and damage to the lens' is a valid argument, given the state of at least one of the lenses.

It's also interesting that you do actually say that the lenses are scratched and, well, scratches don't just occur by themselves, something has to scratch them. There is a circular motion to some of the scratches, which would tend to indicate they were scratched whist being cleaned.

I'm not really surprised that SpecSavers rejected your claim, and I'd be amazed if a judge sided with you, given what you've shown here.

powerful_Rogue

HillStreetBlues said:

born_again said:

What do you use to clean them?

Looks like a brillo pad

More like sandpaper.

Tr33house

I’m able to stop my claim by serving notice to the court once allocated to a track. Stopping this isn’t the problem. 

I take on board everything that has been said but equally I chose specsavers because they were cheap, simple as that. I do not accept that glasses should only last 2 years. I doubt any manufacturer of
lens says that anywhere. But if someone can point it out then please do so. 

I contacted both the associations for opticians and optometrists and neither wanted to help me. It seems like this is some kind of strange cartel!

The situation is clear here - I need a report, preferably multiple reports agreeing with me as without that it’s a 50/50 based on the judge as to if they accept my facts or not. 

I want to point out again that I would not be going through this process without knowing that these are faulty as I’ve never seen my glasses do anything like this before. Scratches happen it’s normal wear and tear. 

Both lens shouldn’t have peeling in the corners of the layer which both lens DO have. That to me is a clear sign of a problem. 

RefluentBeans

Tr33house said:

I’m able to stop my claim by serving notice to the court once allocated to a track. Stopping this isn’t the problem. 

I take on board everything that has been said but equally I chose specsavers because they were cheap, simple as that. I do not accept that glasses should only last 2 years. I doubt any manufacturer of
lens says that anywhere. But if someone can point it out then please do so. 

I contacted both the associations for opticians and optometrists and neither wanted to help me. It seems like this is some kind of strange cartel!

The situation is clear here - I need a report, preferably multiple reports agreeing with me as without that it’s a 50/50 based on the judge as to if they accept my facts or not. 

I want to point out again that I would not be going through this process without knowing that these are faulty as I’ve never seen my glasses do anything like this before. Scratches happen it’s normal wear and tear. 

Both lens shouldn’t have peeling in the corners of the layer which both lens DO have. That to me is a clear sign of a problem. 

Then I ask again - how much were they originally? They can reduce the claim based on age (and use), and expected lifetime of the product. 

Also if the lenses are scratched, then this will severely damage your chances of success. The lenses you have shown aren’t just mildly scratched, there appears to be some severe scratches on them. As others have said, when the scratches are there, they allow water to enter and damage the lenses, which can cause delimitation. 

Given you said you chose SpecSavers because they were cheap, it would lead me to think that you didn’t buy a multi-hundred pound pair of glasses, and thus the actual amount of money you may be entitled to is likely to be far, far less than £100. There isn’t a good chance you’ll win this, and if anything I’d say that your arguments are weak. Taken together (a very very small claim and the lack of evidence) I don’t think the case is viable. But I’m not a lawyer, and you will no doubt disagree. But normally if no one is willing to put their opinion in writing, there’s a reason…

GingerTim

Tr33house said:

I’m able to stop my claim by serving notice to the court once allocated to a track. Stopping this isn’t the problem. 

I take on board everything that has been said but equally I chose specsavers because they were cheap, simple as that. I do not accept that glasses should only last 2 years. I doubt any manufacturer of
lens says that anywhere. But if someone can point it out then please do so. 

I contacted both the associations for opticians and optometrists and neither wanted to help me. It seems like this is some kind of strange cartel!

The situation is clear here - I need a report, preferably multiple reports agreeing with me as without that it’s a 50/50 based on the judge as to if they accept my facts or not. 

I want to point out again that I would not be going through this process without knowing that these are faulty as I’ve never seen my glasses do anything like this before. Scratches happen it’s normal wear and tear. 

Both lens shouldn’t have peeling in the corners of the layer which both lens DO have. That to me is a clear sign of a problem. 

Or, to look at it another way, perhaps they won't state there's a fault with the lenses because they don't think there's anything wrong with them?

Pretty much every website that comes up in response to the question 'how long do glasses coatings last?' give an answer of between 2-3 years.

As RefluentBeans notes, that picture you showed has severe scratching on it, far beyond a problem with the coating. I've a five year-old pair of Specsavers glasses, my dossing about the house pair which I'm not careful with in any way, and they aren't scratched at all, let alone looking like the state of your pair. Always a bloody fingerprint on them though...

PHK

Tr33house said:

I’m able to stop my claim by serving notice to the court once allocated to a track. Stopping this isn’t the problem. 

I take on board everything that has been said but equally I chose specsavers because they were cheap, simple as that. I do not accept that glasses should only last 2 years. I doubt any manufacturer of
lens says that anywhere. But if someone can point it out then please do so. 

I contacted both the associations for opticians and optometrists and neither wanted to help me. It seems like this is some kind of strange cartel!

The situation is clear here - I need a report, preferably multiple reports agreeing with me as without that it’s a 50/50 based on the judge as to if they accept my facts or not. 

I want to point out again that I would not be going through this process without knowing that these are faulty as I’ve never seen my glasses do anything like this before. Scratches happen it’s normal wear and tear. 

Both lens shouldn’t have peeling in the corners of the layer which both lens DO have. That to me is a clear sign of a problem. 

In the nicest way possible. Does the fact that no one is agreeing with you not tell you something. 

I think you've gone about this all the wrong way and I'm afraid I  can't see a way out of this for you. You are running against a deadline to get your evidence together. If the case has been allocated you'll need to apply for an order to have it cancelled which carries a fee. 

I would suggest that you consult Citizen's Advice. 

Ayr_Rage

Microfibre cloths are fine if clean and any debris is removed from the lens before  polishing.

To me it looks like the lenses have been rubbed with a contaminated cloth or not rinsed before doing so.

ArbitraryRandom

Tr33house said:

I’m able to stop my claim by serving notice to the court once allocated to a track. Stopping this isn’t the problem. 

The problem with rapidly escalating to court action is less that it can't be stopped as much as doing so is giving the impression that you were calling their bluff and acting unreasonably - if they didn't look a the case and decide to offer you a settlement immediately, then why would they do so when the pressure of a court date and costs is removed? 

Plus if you cancel with the intention of refiling at a later date, you won't be able to claim for the fees you have already paid - which, given the very best outcome you can hope for is a partial refund, makes taking this further even more futile than it was to begin with...    

I chose specsavers because they were cheap, simple as that. I do not accept that glasses should only last 2 years. I doubt any manufacturer of lens says that anywhere. But if someone can point it out then please do so. 

Have you tried google? It actually seems quite hard to find a source suggesting they should last LONGER than 3 years... especially 'cheap' ones (and your right to goods that are sufficient quality includes consideration of price)


https://www.feelgoodcontacts.com/blog/what-is-the-average-lifespan-of-a-pair-of-glasses#:


https://www.lensabl.com/blog/how-often-should-you-replace-your-glasses/

IvanOpinion

Those glasses do not look 'well looked after'. The lenses are badly scratched which may well be the reason for the protective surfaces coming off. At 3 years old they have probably served their useful life.