Buying Glasses On Line

[Ric.ror]

Has anyone ever bought any glasses on line?
Just wondered what the process was like

Many thanks

[Prudie]

I've bought cheap readers off Amazon several times and been very pleased but I doubt that's what you mean.

[McMouse]

Have used by local opticians prescription and used it to buy on-line. Perfectly satisfactory ( and much cheaper).

[sunny-dave]

Yep - used Glasses Direct several times.

All very easy (you can even get them to send a selection of frames out for you to try on).

Very cheap too - my last two orders got me a pair of photochromics, two pairs of sunnies and a plain pair for a total of about £160.

The quality is good and the prescription is accurate (although mine is fairly simple).

I have heard that getting bifocals and varifocals can be a bit more fiddly - mine are simple distance/driving specs.

One bit of info you need as well the standard stuff on your prescription is your Pupillary Distance (PD) - it's worth getting this right as it affects the accuracy of the lenses. The optician who did your eye test (which must be in the last two years) should give you this measurement if you ask.

Ask away if you want any more info

Dave

[grasscarp]

Like sunny Dave I have used Glasses Direct. I measured my own pupillary distance with a mirror and a ruler. They are fine and very reasonably priced. If there is anything wrong they are very quick to change them.

[AB Editor]

I have friends who have used this site before: http://www.theinternetglassescompany.co.uk/ (and recommended it)

And it does appear to be good value.

There's a ton of varibles to choose from, which don't make sense to me, but probably does to you!

[ChillDoubt]

Often. I tend to buy my frames from eBay(sometimes at a quarter of the cost of High St opticians) then send them to a company in Nottingham called reglazemyglasses.com.
Nothing is too much trouble and they've gone out of their way to help(added 2mm of width on each lens once at no extra cost) in the past.
I generally get the glasses back in 6 days.
As a guide, I have single vision lenses with UV and anti scratch coatings, rimless, which are usually £39 a pair.
Hope that helps.

[gness]

Blimey....I am going to give this a try....My prescription changes almost every year and I have to have varifocals. I'm fed up paying up to £500 for one pair.
I'd love to have different glasses for different occasions but would like to know if anyone has had varifocals from an online company?

[grasscarp]

Mine are not varifocal Gness, but they do these too
http://www.glassesdirect.co.uk/help-varifocals-and-bifocals/

[Ric.ror]

Ok - well mine is quite a simple prescription too - I only wear for distance - I take them off to read - but the frames I want (Tom Ford) are pretty expensive.
Never thought about Ebay though - good tip Chilli

[gness]

Thank you, Grass...I always had the top of the range lenses and getting the correct measurements when ordering online was worrying me but I see from that I can send my last pair for them to take the measurements from. Excellent... I shall mull all that info over this evening and look at some frames... xx

[tonyav]

gness, Dame Edna Everage wears nice glasses.

[gness]

Bet she doesn't have a shed and a shopping trolley like mine though, Tony...☻

[tonyav]

Doh.

[Ric.ror]

And the answers above are exactly the reason this site is the best

I love you all x

[gingejbee]

Before you buy glasses online, read these words of wisdom from Which?....

http://conversation.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/buying-cheap-glasses-online-problems/

[ChillDoubt]

FAO gness:

http://www.reglazemyglasses.com/pricing-guide.html

gingejbee,
To be fair, I believe the example given in your link is for those who don't bother with an eye test and just buy them on spec(no pun intended!)
The other companies mentioned in the thread require you to send your prescription in order to complete your purchase.

[ChillDoubt]

Ric.ror,
18 months ago, these were £180 at Vision express, unglazed!
I picked up a pair on eBay for £30, then had them glazed for £39.

http://www.visiondirect.com.au/designer-eyeglasses/Ray-Ban/Ray-Ban-RX8402-2509-80181.html

[gness]

Thanks, Chill....I will try using them to buy some reading in bed glasses first then look into varifocals...x

[chamois]

Well I had no trouble when I ordered half a dozen whisky glasses and a dozen tall tumblers. They all arrived safely and not a single one was broken!!

[Mamyalynne]

Ah the beauty of bubble wrap - if only it could aid our vision too!

Seriously, I am envious of those of you who can buy online (done safely) sadly my prescription is so strong they have to get NASA involved and the cost is alarming.