opticians

[mccfluff]

i need to get my eyes tested and normally go to vision express. I know i need a new prescription and i'm dreading it as i need new frames as well this time.

I'm expecting around £300-£400. but on saturday i was reading comparsion on this and they were saying that supermarkets are breaking into this field and being able to offer cheaper but comparable services - Asda coming up cheapest

does anyone have any eperiece of using asda or any other supermarket/boots type of thing.

i've looked it up on review sites but everyone is moaning and that seems to go across the board!

[wolf63]

I went to a small independent optician and paid £100 for varifocals.

[Old_Geezer]

That's a lot of dosh. Is it the lens or frames you're paying more than expected for ?

BTW there are Net sites that can supply fairly cheaply, not that I've used them.

[york310]

Why not get a quote from several optician for the sight test and new spectacles. Definitely have your eye test where you want to purchase the specs from so that if there is a problem with the specs it can be solved in house. If you aren't happy with the eye examination and it doesn't seem up to your usual sight test then I wouldn't buy any specs at that opticians.
Cost is only one factor. The service, recommendations, advice and afterward are worth a lot too.

[Jemisa]

You don't have to buy your frames from VE, ask for your prescription and on line you can get the frames for as little as £39.
Google Frames.
Good Luck.

jem

[mccfluff]

its my lenses, i have crap eyes and unless i want bottle ends i need to get them thinned down, then add anti glare, anti scratch (which i'm not convinced works) and polarising lens and wooooooosh the opticians start rubbing their hands with glee.

I've looked ast the online sites as well and as far as i can tell without a prescription on front of me i'm still looking at the £300 mark without frames

[sunny-dave]

Used Tesco (at the Ricoh) for perfectly accurate eye-test & then bought specs through Glasses Direct online - saved a fortune & the specs are fine.

[york310]

Aftercare not afterward. Good luck.

[woofgang]

My Dh used to get his glasses from the net sites and while they were good value for what he paid, the quality and durability wasn't as good as Specsavers...also because a "real"optician will fit the glasses to your actual head, the fit is better IMO. My Mum used to use Boots and was very pleased with them.

[mccfluff]

just looked at glasses direct i'm liking the £75.00 option! but i do like the idea of having an opticians to go to when i break something...

will book and eyetest in then i think i'll have to shop around!

[Old_Geezer]

It's been a few years since I last replaced mine, but you seem to have similar eyesight to me and have to say I wasn't expecting quite that sized bill.

A quick Google for 'cheap prescription glasses UK' brought up this, which sounds cheaper.

http://www.glassesdir...ens-price-comparison/

There were other links of course.

[shaneystar2]

Thing is it's the lenses that cost .
Like you I would have to wear bottle bottoms if I didn't have them thinned etc
I put my prescription into one of those on line dispensers and they wouldn't touch it .

[RATTER15]

I got two pairs of designer glasses for £150 in SpecSavers last year.

[Old_Geezer]

Ah. Ok :-D

[Tubbycoates]

I went to Tesco. The eye test was free, and what I liked was they have a leaflet where you can calculate exactly how much your specs are going to cost. I got a frame costing £30 odd quid, and the lenses would have been free. However, there are extra charges depending on what lenses you want. I wanted reactolites, so they cost me £49. I ended up with a new pair of specs and it cost me about £85.

[Tubbycoates]

I went to Boots about 10 years ago, and the initial prescription was wrong. It took them 3 goes to get it right. I'd have been stuck if I had gone to another maker with my initial prescriptions.

[mccfluff]

so tescos was ok?

i did pop into asda this morning and the range of frames wasn't great but i didn't get to have a good look at the opticians bit wasn't open and the security guard didn;t seem happy with me just going in anyway

[jno]

VE have a discount offer going

http://www.visionexpress.com/offers/evoucher/

actually, I had a voucher from them the other day offering free test and £50 off the glasses; good till May. I don't know exactly where I got it from, though.

Their anti-scratch is included, I think.

[rowanwitch]

For next time... join BHSF you get up to 70% of the cost back plus your dentists bills etc really worth doing I usually get out more than I pay in over 12 months

[LoftyLottie]

My varifocals, best quality, cost me £80.00 'cos my friend is a glasses man. The quote I had from the optician was in the region of £220. I get my eye test done (free 'cos I am old) and a really good optician and take the prescription to my friend. You don't have to get your glasses from an opticians.

[rowanwitch]

Specsavers 2 pairs varifocals one with ultrathin reactolite one ultrathin with anti glare £210 but I got £170 back