Boots Opticians - Francise, refunds on glasses?

Joanna673

I recently learned that Boots Opticians operates as a franchise, so I'm not sure how to approach this, but I wanted to check if there’s anything I can do or if I've left it too late.

During the summer I took my prescription from a Boots eye test at Branch A to Branch B (closer to my family home) to order some reading glasses. When I collected them from Branch A I was informed the glasses were varifocals, even though I had not ordered varifocals and the prescription didn’t indicate that option was needed,

After struggling with them for around 6  - 8 weeks, I called Branch A, and they said I would need to deal with Branch B directly, since that’s where the glasses were ordered.

I went back to Branch B as scheduled on a Sunday afternoon, but it was a wasted trip because the optician had called in sick. When I returned the following day, I went back and forth with the staff (without seeing an optician), and they insisted the glasses weren’t varifocals. Eventually, they agreed to change the lenses, but the new lenses were too weak to use for reading unless I had very strong light, making my off-the-shelf reading glasses more effective.

I then called Branch A, who offered me another eye test. They confirmed that the lenses given to me by Branch B were for distance (which I don't need). I’ve now ordered new lenses from Branch A but as Boots is a franchise, I've had to pay an additional £140.

Is there any way to contact Branch B and ask for a refund (without having to travel there), as they gave me the wrong lenses? I understand it’s partly my fault for not returning sooner, but I still feel Branch B is at fault for totally misreading the prescription.   

user1977

Joanna673 said:

Is there any way to contact Branch B and ask for a refund (without having to travel there)

Well, yes, I expect so. Phoning them would make sense.

Okell

Are you certain you know who is at fault here?

You get a prescription from branch A, but you decide to choose and order your spectacles from branch B, but then have them delivered to branch A for you to collect.  Yes?

If I've understood you correctly, after branch A advised you to go back to branch B, branch B gave you different lenses.  How did they know what lenses to give you?  Did they test your eyes again and give you a new prescription, or were these different lenses the ones they should have given you in the first place?  Did they admit the original lenses they gave you weren't what branch A had prescribed?

And if these different lenses either complied with the original prescription from branch A, or if they were based on a new test and prescription from branch B, why were they still no good to you?

When branch A retested you, was that new prescription different from the original one they gave you, or was it basically the same?  And why - when you collected the original glasses at branch A - did they tell you they were varifocals when it turned out they weren't and were for distance only?

If you've ended up paying for two pairs of glasses but you're only keeping the second pair because the first pair were "wrong", then yes you are entitled to a refund for the first pair.  Which branch you are entitled to a refund from depends on which branch caused the first pair of glasses to be "wrong".

So did branch A give you the right prescription, but branch B dispensed glasses that didn't match that prescription?

Or did branch A give you the wrong prescription and branch B simply followed that prescription?

Do you see the problem?

The factors that make it even more confusing are (1) I don't understand why branch A told you that your glasses were varifocals when you collected them, but it turns out they weren't, and (2) I don't understand on what basis branch B gave you different lenses when you went back to them.  I'd also like to know how different - if at all -  the two prescriptions from branch A are.

Undervalued

Okell said:

Are you certain you know who is at fault here?

You get a prescription from branch A, but you decide to choose and order your spectacles from branch B, but then have them delivered to branch A for you to collect.  Yes?

If I've understood you correctly, after branch A advised you to go back to branch B, branch B gave you different lenses.  How did they know what lenses to give you?  Did they test your eyes again and give you a new prescription, or were these different lenses the ones they should have given you in the first place?  Did they admit the original lenses they gave you weren't what branch A had prescribed?

And if these different lenses either complied with the original prescription from branch A, or if they were based on a new test and prescription from branch B, why were they still no good to you?

When branch A retested you, was that new prescription different from the original one they gave you, or was it basically the same?  And why - when you collected the original glasses at branch A - did they tell you they were varifocals when it turned out they weren't and were for distance only?

If you've ended up paying for two pairs of glasses but you're only keeping the second pair because the first pair were "wrong", then yes you are entitled to a refund for the first pair.  Which branch you are entitled to a refund from depends on which branch caused the first pair of glasses to be "wrong".

So did branch A give you the right prescription, but branch B dispensed glasses that didn't match that prescription?

Or did branch A give you the wrong prescription and branch B simply followed that prescription?

Do you see the problem?

The factors that make it even more confusing are (1) I don't understand why branch A told you that your glasses were varifocals when you collected them, but it turns out they weren't, and (2) I don't understand on what basis branch B gave you different lenses when you went back to them.  I'd also like to know how different - if at all -  the two prescriptions from branch A are.

Indeed.

Whilst a patient has a legal right to a copy of their prescription and is free to have their glasses made at any opticians (including pure manufacturing labs and online facilities) it becomes difficult to know where the fault lies if the end result is not good. You have to balance the potential saving, which can be substantial, with the potential hassle if it doesn't work out.

The fact that both opticians here are franchises operating under the Boots name adds obvious confusion as it is not immediately obvious the the casual user that they are dealing with two completely separate small business. A bit like buying a sandwich in Subway, deciding later that it doesn't taste nice then complaining at a different Subway in the other side of town!  

born_again

I would be amazed if the person fitting your glasses was wrong about them being varifocals. As they are always left with markings on for proper dispensing. As varifocals take for more than just single vision lenses.
Also the cost would be far more.
So dig out the receipt & just what does it say?

Okell

born_again said:

I would be amazed if the person fitting your glasses was wrong about them being varifocals. As they are always left with markings on for proper dispensing. As varifocals take for more than just single vision lenses.
Also the cost would be far more.
So dig out the receipt & just what does it say?

The OP has not been clear about which glasses were described as varifocals and which were distance only.

It's quite possible that the original glasses that the OP picked up from branch A were varifocals, but that the new or replacement lenses that branch B provided when the OP complained were distance only.

It seems to me that the OP has simply assumed that branch B is at fault in dispensing the wrong glasses and hasn't explored the possibility that the first prescription from branch A was wrong.

The OP needs to do more digging to find out what happened.

I'd want to know how different the two prescriptions from branch A are, and I'd want to know whether or not the original glasses dispensed by branch B matched the original prescription from branch A.

Either branch A or branch B could be at fault, or they both might be

cannugec5

I’m curious as to why Branch A is close enough for the sight test, prescription and collection but Branch B is the preferred option ‘being closer to the family home’ to purchase the spectacles. 

Why not just stick to one branch? 

born_again

Joanna673 said:

I recently learned that Boots Opticians operates as a franchise, so I'm not sure how to approach this, but I wanted to check if there’s anything I can do or if I've left it too late.

During the summer I took my prescription from a Boots eye test at Branch A to Branch B (closer to my family home) to order some reading glasses. When I collected them from Branch A I was informed the glasses were varifocals, even though I had not ordered varifocals and the prescription didn’t indicate that option was needed,

So prescription done @ Branch A, what is this for. Did you get any glasses from there, if so what type?
Then went to Branch B for some reading glasses. Why are you picking up from A?

Sounds like prescription was for varifocals & that is what they (B) had made up. But then you would have realised from the extra cost.
Unless it is a simple error at the lab that made them up.

Okell

cannugec5 said:

I’m curious as to why Branch A is close enough for the sight test, prescription and collection but Branch B is the preferred option ‘being closer to the family home’ to purchase the spectacles. 

Why not just stick to one branch? 

Yeah - what the OP decided to do sounds like asking for problems...

Far simpler to keep the eye-test, prescription and dispensing to a single branch.  

Okell

born_again said:

Joanna673 said:

I recently learned that Boots Opticians operates as a franchise, so I'm not sure how to approach this, but I wanted to check if there’s anything I can do or if I've left it too late.

During the summer I took my prescription from a Boots eye test at Branch A to Branch B (closer to my family home) to order some reading glasses. When I collected them from Branch A I was informed the glasses were varifocals, even though I had not ordered varifocals and the prescription didn’t indicate that option was needed,

So prescription done @ Branch A, what is this for. Did you get any glasses from there, if so what type?
Then went to Branch B for some reading glasses. Why are you picking up from A?

Sounds like prescription was for varifocals & that is what they (B) had made up. But then you would have realised from the extra cost.
Unless it is a simple error at the lab that made them up.

Good question!

Unfortunately the OP has not made any of this sufficiently clear to be easy to understand.

I think the OP went to branch A for an eye test and got a prescription for some glasses.  I presume that prescription was for reading glasses, as the OP then took branch A's prescription to branch B to - presumably - order reading glasses based on the prescription from A.

From there it went pear-shaped, but whose fault it was we can't tell from the OP's account.

The OP needs to find out whether they got the right prescription from branch A in the first place, and whether or not branch B followed A's prescription - whether it was right or wrong.

I'm somewhat surprised that the OP went to an opticians for a prescription for reading glasses and - after visiting two differnt opticians - ended up with distance glasses(!).