Spectacles.

[Ember]

Anyone working for an optician that can explain to me why spectacle frames are so costly. I am not beefing about the cost of the lens and the work involved they are separate charges. I have just paid �90 for frames only and two days later the nose rest has parted company. For goodness sake there is only a few shillings worth of metal involved, unless you know different and they are all so similar surely I am not alone in thinking we are being fleeced.

[thecooler]

Yes, we're being fleeced. I bought a really nice, good quality and robust, British made frame in Moscow for about �14, and later saw the same frame in Britain for �120. It's a total rip-off. And how come there's no choice? Dozens of nearly identical small squarish frames or nothing!

[PaulB]

You would be soooo angry if I told you the cost price of lenses and frames - I used to be store manager of a well known opticians. I'll tell you anyway! A frame that we sold for say, �135 designer range type cost just �20 - �30. Standard Single Vision Lenses were about �3.00 per pair.... Sickening isn't it?

[Ember]

Thanks folks. Thought so, now what can we do about it?

[Oneeyedvic]

I do wear glasses and yes I purchased a pair in Thailand a couple of years ago for around �50 which if I wanted to buy here would have cost me over �200.00 However, I do expect the rent and rates here are more expensive. Also the staff costs and the training etc. Do we really think that a pair of levi jeans costs �40.00 or Armani for �100. Yes they are expensive but two options - go to somewhere like Crown opticians who charge you less (and often don't have an optomertrist(sp?) who costs a lot) and (2) don't buy designer glassses. There are lots of frames out there for �30 (in fact there are a lot free). Just as you can buy a car for �6000 - �100,000, you can buy glasses from �49 - �500 (including standard lenses)

[PaulB]

Actually, OEV may have a point... I know that optometrists cost a hell of lot :oS

[Ember]

I did point out that I have no complaint at the cost of my lens, especially as they are varifocal, nor the cost of the eye test, but I really do feel frames are way way way over priced for what they actually are. If you have standard single vision I know you can get everything all in for about �70 in some shops, but mine were almost �300 pounds and after two days the nose piece fell off where is the value in that.

[dawnI]

A friend of mine bought a pair of those universal reading glasses from tesco which cost him about twelve quid and were nice frames he popped the lenses and then went to a small opticians and asked them to put in lenses to his pescription for about thirty quid result cheep glasses

[Ember]

What a good idea, though in fairness I have to say when I asked for a pair of reading strength specs to go over my contact lenses when trying to read small print on food at the supermarket (needed because my hubby is diabetic and I have to watch the sugar content of certain foods )the Optician told me to get a cheap pair from such an outlet as Tesco, with the required strength - which I did and they are just fine, but I must admit I never thought of doing what your friend did, maybe next time. Cheers.