Specsavers broke my glasses and offered me a replacement at half price.

CrarftyCrikey

The other day I went into my local Specsavers to have my glasses adjusted as they keep falling down to the bottom of my nose. That's my reading glasses for close work (so like reading, working, cooking, pretty much anything I do). 

I had bought the frames over a year ago, and had them reglazed with the new prescription once my eye sight had settled after my cataracts surgery and complications that followed. The reglazing happened in January this year.

I have had to have them adjusted a couple times before before it's probably just a design flaw, but they never stay in place (unless it's because I have lost weight!). 

Anyway, whilst doing the adjustment one of the arms snapped. So straight away the girl serving me at the time checked to see when I had purchased them. Then said that because I had originally bought them over a year ago, they could offer me a replacement at half price since they still do the frame, or a new pair / new frame, also at half price or with whatever offers are available at the time. The branch manager was far too eager to sell me some glasses after her team member had snapped mine. and when she said, "yes we will do them half price" (the replacement) as if to say she was doing that because she had a good heart, and fancied doing me a favour... 

I also mentioned that I had another frame with mid-range lenses (supposed to be for computer work) but I have never got on with them, I don't use them. One sales assistant said that I could bring them back and the y could probably do something for me with them since I don't use them, but the manager stayed very vague when she was asked. Therefore as far as I know she probably wouldn't refund or anything... but that's ok, I'll let this one go. 

Anyways.... I decided to go for the super readers which are like varifocals but only for reading (so like close up and mid-range in one lens) and a different frame because I didn't want to have to keep getting my glasses adjusted. They did them at half price for £100. 

At this point I had not even a "sorry for the inconvenience" by the way from anyone... Not the girl  it, not the branch manager, not the other sales assistant... nothing... 

Then the appointment was made for when they would be ready, which is 2 weeks away. And it only dawned on me that it was two weeks the next day. I called them back and asked if it could be done quicker, but no. Nothing they can do about the delays. So bearing in mind I am self-employed with a craft business, for the next 2 weeks I have to use my glasses with one arm, which is very challenging when I have to look down at my work, or cook (looking down too). So I am even less happy about that. but, apparently, it is what it is.... 

So anyway, my question is, have I missed a trick and if so can I do something about it? 
Shouldn't them have offered to replace them since they broke them? I didn't sign any waiver (apart from the one when they were reglazed), so is it not within my rights to expect that they would have just replaced them for free? I get that I have now bought different lenses with a different frame, but did I really need to do that? Should I have asked for them to just replace them for free (not half price) and that's it? 

Brie

Did they warn you about the possibility of them breaking?  I've asked about reusing frames a couple of times when I needed new lenses and have always been warned that while it's possible to do there's no guarantee the frames would survive the process.  Personally I think they should have replaced these for free on a rush job.  

Alderbank

Since those glasses are essential for carrying out your business it would make good business sense to have a spare pair instead of hoping that one pair never lets you down.

Also I do not think you have consumer rights for glasses which you use to carry out your job.

Nevertheless you have a contractual right for them to carry out the repair with reasonable care and skill. Replacing the frames which they broke sounds reasonable but they were over a year old so expecting a brand new pair might not be.

If they consider typical useful life to be 3 years and you have had them for 18 months then 50% discount might be not be unfair.

CrarftyCrikey

Brie said:

Did they warn you about the possibility of them breaking?  I've asked about reusing frames a couple of times when I needed new lenses and have always been warned that while it's possible to do there's no guarantee the frames would survive the process.  Personally I think they should have replaced these for free on a rush job.  

Nope she didn't warn me no. Well I think she said something afterwards of course "like it can happen".... 
They always warn me about re-glazing but I have always done it. They get you to sign a waiver in case they break then, but that's fair enough. This was just an adjustment. They heat up the arm, straightened it, bend it again. These glasses were meant to be a little flexible as well. So I am not entirely how she managed to snapped them if i'm honest.

I'm off the same opinion but not sure that falls within my rights... and apparently they don't know what a rush job is... 

CrarftyCrikey

Alderbank said:

Since those glasses are essential for carrying out your business it would make good business sense to have a spare pair instead of hoping that one pair never lets you down.

Also I do not think you have consumer rights for glasses which you use to carry out your job.

Nevertheless you have a contractual right for them to carry the repair with reasonable care and skill. Replacing the frames which they broke sounds reasonable but they were over a year old so expecting a brand new pair might not be.

If they consider typical useful life to be 3 years and you have had them for 18 months then 50% discount might be not be unfair.

Yes well at the time, knowing that it had been the 3rd time I had changed my glasses in less than a year because of cataracts complications, I couldn't exactly afford to pay for 3 or 4 pairs of glasses in total including the mid-range ones for computer work. Besides, I wasn't 100% yet about whether my eye sight was fully settled after the complications. So I was weary of the fact that I may have to have another test and change them again before the year was over. 
I did the golden ticket discounts etc all used up as well by the time I got the last prescription. 

I don't use the glasses especially or exclusively for my job. They are my normal every day glasses. Nothing special about them, just glasses that I wear whilst I work, like anyone else. 

The repair was not possible because of how they snapped. 

I guess the 50% discount might not be unfair, you're right. Maybe I would have not even thought about whether it was fair or not had they at a minimum apologised instead of jumping on the computer straight away to find out how old they were and look so eager to sell me another pair. 

pdel61

I personally think you should have been entitled to a free pair. If they had warned you about the risk then fair enough, but unless they were so delicate that the next person to touch them was going to break them, I think they should leave you in the same position as you were when you entered the store. The fact they are a year old is not really relevant as glasses don't really have an expect life and as there really isn't a second hand market, you wouldn't have been able to take the 50% monetary value and find something comparable.  

Alderbank

CrarftyCrikey said:

Alderbank said:

Since those glasses are essential for carrying out your business it would make good business sense to have a spare pair instead of hoping that one pair never lets you down.

Also I do not think you have consumer rights for glasses which you use to carry out your job.

Nevertheless you have a contractual right for them to carry the repair with reasonable care and skill. Replacing the frames which they broke sounds reasonable but they were over a year old so expecting a brand new pair might not be.

If they consider typical useful life to be 3 years and you have had them for 18 months then 50% discount might be not be unfair.

I guess the 50% discount might not be unfair, you're right. Maybe I would have not even thought about whether it was fair or not had they at a minimum apologised instead of jumping on the computer straight away to find out how old they were and look so eager to sell me another pair. 

Sadly, many employers are so spooked by the prospect of being sued that they warn their employees to never apologise, express regret or even offer any human sympathy in case it is taken as admission of liability (I have no idea if that applies to Specsavers).  

redped

One option for the future is to buy a cheap spare pair online - there are plenty of places selling cheap frames & lenses.  I've used both https://www.spex4less.com/ and https://www.goggles4u.co.uk/ for glasses, the quality is much better than you'd expect for the price.

sheramber

My husband always bought a spare pair online for a few pounds compared to the optician's price.  He was always happy with them.

LinLui

Alderbank said:

CrarftyCrikey said:

Alderbank said:

Since those glasses are essential for carrying out your business it would make good business sense to have a spare pair instead of hoping that one pair never lets you down.

Also I do not think you have consumer rights for glasses which you use to carry out your job.

Nevertheless you have a contractual right for them to carry the repair with reasonable care and skill. Replacing the frames which they broke sounds reasonable but they were over a year old so expecting a brand new pair might not be.

If they consider typical useful life to be 3 years and you have had them for 18 months then 50% discount might be not be unfair.

I guess the 50% discount might not be unfair, you're right. Maybe I would have not even thought about whether it was fair or not had they at a minimum apologised instead of jumping on the computer straight away to find out how old they were and look so eager to sell me another pair. 

Sadly, many employers are so spooked by the prospect of being sued that they warn their employees to never apologise, express regret or even offer any human sympathy in case it is taken as admission of liability (I have no idea if that applies to Specsavers).  

To be fair, that is exactly what your car insurer tells you too! So not just employers.

born_again

I'm afraid this is the danger with plastic frames.
Given the age (over a year?) reglazed in Jan this year & then needing adjustment again the other day.
That is 3 heat cycles. Not good for them. Heat makes them brittle. 
You would (or should) have been warned this on the reglazing. I know ours do. In fact if they over 2 years old, they will not even reglaze.
So a 50% discount is pretty good.