UKC

Anybody opted for an on-line site to buy their glasses rather than walking into a bricks and mortar shop like Speck Savers?

In reply to The Lemming:

I've been using https://www.selectspecs.com/ for several years now without any problems.

edit: having got tested free at the the local Tescos first.

In reply to The Lemming:

 

Yes, Glasses Direct. 

I've broken my nose on a few occasions and the varifocal glasses needed to be returned to be altered to suit, which they did with no fuss, very pleased with the service.

In reply to The Lemming:

I've had success with Zenni Optical ( https://www.zennioptical.com/ ) for my last couple of pairs of glasses

In reply to The Lemming:

selectspecs for me last couple of pairs, been OK but basic glasses n basic lenses.

Get your eyes tested somewhere professionally though and make sure you get a written prescription, ideally with your pupil distance written on it too (you might need to ask for it as it's not a box on the standard prescription form, however it does rather give away the fact that you won't be buying glasses from them) 

In reply to The Lemming:

I've used Glasses Direct quite a bit and not had issues.

In reply to The Lemming:

Thanks for the replies. I'm a bit aghast at the prices Visionexpress and Specsavers are asking for varifocals.

In reply to The Lemming:

If your prescription is straightforward, and you're after single vision rather than varifocal specs, you should be OK. But if you want varifocals or you have a high prescription (particularly astigmatism), it's a bad idea, as the measurements taken with the frame on your face become crucial to the glasses working. You're also not getting any advice about the type of lens that will most likely work well for you (not a big deal if it's a simple prescription), plus you're probably scuppered for getting them remade if anything's wrong. 

 

 

In reply to The Lemming:

Use separate pairs then. You won't like a pair of bad varifocals much!

In reply to Jon Stewart:

Hmm

Went into Specsavers today and got quoted for a "2 for 1" pair that I really liked but baulked at the price. However I went to one of the links further up this thread and found the glasses that I liked with the same varifocal lenses.  Specsavers worked out to be roughly the same price like for like with buying two pairs.

In reply to The Lemming:

If you're convinced all the measurements are spot on (however the online company do that), it might be worth the risk. If you're not convinced you're going to be looking out of the exact right spot of the lens when you put them on and you're looking straight ahead, you could end up with something extremely annoying. 2mm can be a long way in a varifocal!

In reply to The Lemming:

Christ. You spend any amount on f*cking toys, but you 'baulk at the price' of something that you will use 18 hours a day for 2/3/4 years to make the most of your most important but inevitably deteriorating sense.

And why people think the adage 'you get what you pay for' doesn't apply to optics baffles me. If somebody could make good cheap varifocals they would; nobody does.

Still, your choice. But don't use Specsavers as a comparitor, they only have one business model which is pile high, sell cheap. Frankly they're not always very good at more complicated stuff like varis.

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:

I think you have a point, Rob. I walked into Specsavers last week for my bi-annual new glasses. I paid 303 quid for a pair, the best well-thinned varifocal lenses and good frames. That sounds a lot but is 41p. a day if they last 2 years (not to mention the buy-one-get-one-free deal I also got [prescription sunglasses]). I had three separate eye tests in the shop. Specsavers after-service is also good, I've needed them several times in the last 2 years. I don't regret it

I also have some astigmatism

In reply to profitofdoom:

Specsavers are going to get my business because they are offering what I want at a competitive price which is still not cheap.

I value my eyesight, irrespective of the scathing comment of the contributor above you, who does not know has even met me.

I go by the saying buy cheap, pay twice. And I have no intention of paying twice.

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:

I'm not convinced it always applies in optics! Some products I think are worth the money, e.g. decent varifocals, and others I think are pseudoscientific rip-off crap. 

The thing you can't really account for in varifocals is that some people do absolutely fine in cheap ones, whereas others will really notice a huge difference between low-end and high-end designs. And it doesn't just come down to the prescription: personality and chance also have a substantial role to play in what works for any given individual. 

I'm sure you'll agree that there are lots of people who claim they "can't see" out of an accurately dispensed £600 Zeiss varifocal, and lots more who think that some wonky bargain bucket lens is the dogs bollocks and they'll not moan no matter how much their ill-advised choice just shouldn't work.

 

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:

Are you able to confirm that Specsavers can not make good varifocals?

 

In reply to profitofdoom:

Conversely I'd rather buy online than from specsavers, as I don't rate their service or standards of testing very highly.

For varifocals you really need to see a decent optician. Yes they'll be a lot more expensive for the glasses, particularly if you have any eye issues (a couple years ago I started seeing a double image when my eyes got tired, not good if you suddenly see white lines for 6 lanes on a motorway instead of 3 lanes at night..)

The glasses were very expensive, but the leap in clarity of vision was huge. Worth every penny.

In reply to Jon Stewart:

I've got some £2 ready readers +1 that are excellent for reading but useless for anything else. These were recommended in 2018 by my last optician from Specsavers.

In reply to The Lemming and Ridge:

It's not really fair to judge all Specsavers equally as it's a franchise, and a lot of what matters is how the practice is run, i.e. are the staff knowledgeable and well trained, do they sort out problems well, etc.

I don't think you can  get the top-end varifocals from Speccies, but you'd be able to get something pretty decent. The top of their range isn't going to be rubbish, it's just not the best available. What really matters is that you choose the right thing for your needs and it's measured up correctly. It would be unfair to say that no one who works for Speccies can accurately measure up a pair of varifocals, they have plenty of qualified Dispensing Opticians working for them, as well as experienced shop floor staff who know what they're doing.

But Rob is quite right to say that their business model is pile high, sell cheap. I'd rather go somewhere where you see the same optom each time who's following up any health issues, they know what you do and what's worked for you in the past, etc. But that service is going to be more expensive. You pays your money...

In reply to Ridge:

Testing standards are much more down to the individual practitioner than the chain they work for. The difference can be influenced by how much pressure the optom is under to chuck out fast tests and make sales - which might be worse at some practices within a chain, or between chains on average.

If I was struggling with a more complex problem than just needing a new pair of specs, I'd want to see an optom by personal recommendation.

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:

I often suspect that for standard lenses they <i>are</i> made cheap, but in the same way the actual viagra I take costs little to produce against the cost of setting up the process in the first place. Your preceding paragraph explains why I don't get more than briefly miffed (wearing all day for several years).

There was an interesting article about 'big lens' a while ago that pointed out the limited competition in the lens and frame supply market, before the the optician stage. One of the Guardian Long Reads, I think.

In reply to The Lemming:

In fairness, if you can’t see that he makes a decent point about the disparity between how you seem to merrily spend your money on non-essential electrical gadgets, and how you are quibbling over maybe the price Of half a novelty drone on a medical essential, then you really are short sighted 

 

NB we all spend money on non-essential electrical gadgets and we all also like to save a bit of money where we can, so these things are not wrong per se

 

In reply to The Lemming:

My independent optician took 45 minutes to measure me and sort out my varifocals and they cost about £295 but I put them on and walked straight out and they have been absolutely superb every day since. I simply would not trust a high street chain to get this right.

In reply to Rigid Raider:

That seems to be the going rate with on-line, Vision Express and Specsavers for one pair.

In reply to Rigid Raider:

Given how many pairs they sell, they can't all be wrong, surely?

But I agree, if you find somewhere you trust, where you know you'll be dealing with someone who knows what they're doing, then stick with them. Some chain places will have a good team of experienced staff and maybe a Dispensing Optician for complicated stuff, others will have a high turnover of numpties.

I would add that some of the worst optical crimes I've ever witnessed have been from independents, e.g. selling someone glasses who *obviously* needs hospital referral. It's really not as simple as chain bad, independent good.

 

In reply to Jon Stewart:

May I ask if you work in the opthalmic industry?

In reply to The Lemming:

I'm an optometrist.

In reply to Jon Stewart:

That is excellent news. This site is full of "so called" experts in this, that or the other, that I don't know who to listen to and take advice from.  I shall most definitely go back through this discussion and follow all your advice and recommendations.

I'd like glasses, but I don't want to get ripped off or sold something that is not useful to me.

Any advice you could offer would be most gratefully accepted.

 

Edit.

Got to love my Personal Stalker. I genuinely acknowledge a professional in their field, and thank them for their time to offer advice and my Stalker thinks this is a bad thing. Keep up the stalking. Its like having my own pet.

In reply to The Lemming:

I would also recommend looking through Jon's previous posts on other eyesight issues.He regularly chips in on opticial matters.So many posts that he probably did not think he needed to remind us of his profession.

In reply to Rick Graham:

 

I genuinely had no idea of Jon's profession, but I do now.

 

In reply to The Lemming:

No reason to think you'd read any other eyesight related threads...not everyone reads everything ever posted on UKC!

As for what you need, it all depends on your prescription and what you do (e.g. if you just need specs for reading, is it a pain to take them on and off all the time?). If I had a high prescription and therefore needed specs all the time, and I was 50+ so needed varifocals, I'd probably spend a fair whack for something really decent. With a simpler prescription (particularly if there's nothing needed for distance and just a low reading add, <+1.50) I wouldn't spend much, plus I'd probably have multiple pairs of pound shop ready readers littered around the place. If you've got away with +1.00 ready readers up 'til now ,this sounds like it might be you.

Varifocals are great if you want to be able to leave them on your face rather than take readers on and off constantly, even if you don't need a distance prescription. What you're doing when you're wearing them will determine exactly what design of lens is best, e.g. using desktop PC or just tablet. If you won't be using them to drive or watch TV, you may be better off with something called an occupational or office lens.

General advice is get an eye test, preferably with someone who's got enough time to give you good advice, and isn't trying to rip you off. You'll get good service at some chain branches and not others, and they'll be cheaper than independents. If you're definitely wanting varifocals, I'd avoid buying them online because of the measurement issue.

Good luck! And if someone cocks it up when you've spent your money, go back to them until they sort it out.

In reply to Jon Stewart:

I totally agree that being an independent is no guarantee of either good product or good service. We're doing our best to raise standards in the Indy sector via software and business consultancy but it IS hard.

My own practice, on the other hand...

In reply to Jon Stewart:

Right, next task is to learn how to interpret and understand my prescription

What rights as a consumer do I have if I think that the lenses have been incorrectly made, and how would I know if this was the case?

And, thank you so much for such an informative reply.

In reply to The Lemming:

You should be able get that advice when you go into any opticians with your prescription. But at the end of an eye test, the normal thing is to conclude with some advice about whether you need glasses, if so, what for, and what your options are/what would work best for you. But anyone with the knowledge to sell prescription glasses can help you find the right thing, once they've seen your prescription and had a chat about what you need to use them for.

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/im-unhappy-with-service-from...

If you're not having any problems, they're correct. If, potentially after a couple of weeks of getting used to them, they don't work as you'd expect, go back and tell them what's up.

In reply to The Lemming:

Thought I'd share this.

youtube.com/watch?v=EjIbmQsWtqc&

In reply to The Lemming:

Likewise. However, it turned out that I didn't need them. I couldn't read stuff because the previous guys had given me far too strong a prescription and now I'm still on single focus glasses from Vision Express, at a perfectly reasonable price (miraculously).

Thinking of going online for more spare stuff though.