contact lens discussion thread (merged)

jaks111

hi all i have finally made a app for friday regards contact lenses with boots not sure which to go for but im thinking of the daillies which seems less hassle as i dont want to be cleaning them but is there a big difference in price
thanks

emj83

Hi,

I signed up for the Specsavers Elite contact lens package 2 years ago under the impression that the £13 monthly DD covered everything including contact lens check ups and my sight test.

I just received a letter through the post reminding me that I need to go for a check up and saying that I will be charged for the sight test?? Now I know its only £20 but I am a student and signed up under the impression that the DD would eliminate any charges such as this- otherwise I'd get all my lens online for much cheaper!!!

I called the store and the woman says the inclusion of the sight test in the DD has never been the case though I do specifically recall it being sold to me under those circumstances and the literature appears to read that way.

Can anyone advise me or am I going to be fighting a losing battle!!! Thanks in advance :-) xx

katieh1990x

I was told they are obliged by law to give you your prescription... my opticians was funny about giving me mine aswell but on the website i use they just ask your prescription and who your opticians is and i doubt it was ever chased up and i recieved my contacts within 3 days, went frompaying £40 a month to £10!! xx

pmduk

I've always understood that the basic eyetest is not covered by the direct debit, only the contact lens specific consultations are included.

rev_henry

emj83 wrote: »

Hi,

I signed up for the Specsavers Elite contact lens package 2 years ago under the impression that the £13 monthly DD covered everything including contact lens check ups and my sight test.

I just received a letter through the post reminding me that I need to go for a check up and saying that I will be charged for the sight test?? Now I know its only £20 but I am a student and signed up under the impression that the DD would eliminate any charges such as this- otherwise I'd get all my lens online for much cheaper!!!

I called the store and the woman says the inclusion of the sight test in the DD has never been the case though I do specifically recall it being sold to me under those circumstances and the literature appears to read that way.

Can anyone advise me or am I going to be fighting a losing battle!!! Thanks in advance :-) xx

Only the contact lens assessment/check up is included on the DD scheme. However as you're a student you may well be eligible for an HC2 certificate which gives you free eye tests, amongst other things. Look it up, you need to fill in an HC1 form to apply...

barbiedoll

I don't know if any of you contact wearers can help me with this one but here goes.....

My husband went to Specsavers today to see if he would be suitable for extended wear contacts. His sight has always been pretty poor, although he has worn contact lenses in the past. During the eye exam, the optician told him that he may have a cataract in one eye. I know that this isn't life-threatening but he has another appointment tomorrow to have some drops put into his eyes to see if he can wear the contacts.

With regard to the cataract, should he be seeing our GP for a hospital referral too? I'm pretty sure that Specsavers don't do cataract operations so I'm assuming that he will need to see an opthamologist at the hospital, will the Specsavers optician be able to write a referral letter for the GP?

My husband has been a bit shocked by this news, he's now moaning about everything "falling to bits" and so on and so on, and I think that he may not ask the right questions tomorrow. I can't go with him and he won't take a list! Am not too sure what to do right now?
Thanks!

rev_henry

barbiedoll wrote: »

I don't know if any of you contact wearers can help me with this one but here goes.....

My husband went to Specsavers today to see if he would be suitable for extended wear contacts. His sight has always been pretty poor, although he has worn contact lenses in the past. During the eye exam, the optician told him that he may have a cataract in one eye. I know that this isn't life-threatening but he has another appointment tomorrow to have some drops put into his eyes to see if he can wear the contacts.

With regard to the cataract, should he be seeing our GP for a hospital referral too? I'm pretty sure that Specsavers don't do cataract operations so I'm assuming that he will need to see an opthamologist at the hospital, will the Specsavers optician be able to write a referral letter for the GP?

My husband has been a bit shocked by this news, he's now moaning about everything "falling to bits" and so on and so on, and I think that he may not ask the right questions tomorrow. I can't go with him and he won't take a list! Am not too sure what to do right now?
Thanks!

I think the optician himself should be able to make a referral direct to a hospital opthamologist if that's what's required.

barbiedoll

Thanks very much!

pmduk

When my optician found evidence of glaucoma he referred me to my GP who had to make the hospital referral. I suspect that will be the case for your husband. The RNIB have a guide to cataract that you may find helpful here

qwertykeys92

AMC1979 wrote: »

Hi guys, I've been with D&A since the age of 16, when I first started wearing contact lenses (although my mum paid for them then!). They recently put their prices up to £20.50 per month - this is for two pairs of contacts (one pair for two weeks) and a bottle of solution. I often build up the solution over the first half of the year so usually change it to lenses only, which brings the subscription down by about £5.

My brother told me he only pays £10 p/m for his lenses and solution - he has one pair per month. I think they are slightly poorer quality than mine - he was offered the two-weekly better quality ones for £13 p/m but chose to stay with his current subscription.

Either way though, if I switched this would represent a massive saving for me, so I am seriously thinking of changing. Like some other users, I prefer to go with a high street optician as I feel better leaving something as important as my eyesight in the hands of the experts (for peace of mind).

Before I switch, I'd be grateful for any opinions/feedback on Specsavers or any other cheaper options - without sacrificing the quality.

Many thanks!

I'm just about to switch to monthly disposable contacts after wearing glasses since I was 8 or 9. I'm going with Specsavers, as their prices seem the best.

Depending on what you need, their prices are as follows (on Direct Debit, more info on that below):
STANDARD £5/month (£8/month with solution)
PREMIUM £7/month (£10/month with solution)
ELITE £10/month (£13/month with solution)
ULTIMATE £15/month (£18/month with solution)

I'm going with the non-solutions because at Wilko or Sainsburys (also Tesco or Asda) their contact lens multi-purpose solution is just £4 for three months supply. So for example with Specsavers you get a month's supply for £3, or with own-brand solutions you get a month's supply for £1.33.

If you go on Direct Debit with them at the above prices you get -
o All routine aftercare checks
o Any additional contact lens checks you might need
o Up to 2 free easyvision monthly disposable contact lenses to replace lost or damaged lenses
o One pair of half-price Specsavers Standard PENTAX single vision glasses or sunglasses per year from their £69, £85, £99 or £125 price ranges

I hope this helps - it took me ages to type it all!

P.S. Also if you like you can get your contacts delivered in three-month packages for FREE.