Spectacles

[melonfool]

I bought my current spectacles three and a half years ago at an independent optician I'd not used before.

The pair before came from Boots and, at the time, Boots said I was borderline needing varifocals, but I couldn't face them so bought day to day glasses and a pair of reading glasses.

At the indy I explained this, they tested me and agreed I needed varifocals. It was about three years since I had the previous Boots pair. They prescribed vf and I bought them from them. I was happy I didn't suffer any of the usual effects associated with vf and wished I'd had them the previous time. Obviously they were not cheap, c£600 I think, probably around £200 more than single vision.

Fast forward to now and I've just been to have my eyes tested. Yes, I need varifocals. But no, my current glasses are not vf, they are single visions. The optician (which is Boots again, though a different one near my current work) checked them on their machine, there is no second (or third, as I was told there would be) prescription in the lens, just one. Two different opticians looked at them as well as the machine.

I'm a bit discombobulated by this.

On the one hand I have been able to see for the last three years and liked the glasses. Though I have had to take them off to read a lot of the time.

On the other - over-charged and misrepresentation!

I don't have the receipt any more though if I dig around I might be able to find the script. I think I will write to them (I no longer live near them) and do a Subject Access Request for all my data so I can see what notes etc they took. And then, if their notes seem to suggest I was prescribed vf, write to them asking for a [partial] refund.

What do people think?

Mel

[redsturgeon]

That seems a sensible course of action and there is the official body to independently resolve things if you don't get satisfaction from the optician.
http://www.opticalcomplaints.co.uk/

John

[oldtimer]

Unless you can find the original invoice describing the spectacles as varifocals I don't think you have a claim against them. It would be your word (that they were varifocals) against theirs (that you preferred single vision lenses).
They were certainly expensive and it does pay to shop around, with a breakdown of the costs for the lenses, any special treatment of the lenses and the frames.

I get round the problem of varifocals by having one pair, called "professional" or wide partition, which have mostly the ranges for reading and working on the computer. I have another pair for driving and walking over uneven ground which I found difficult with varifocals.

[quelquod]

The problem that I find with 'standard' varifocals, even the newer ones with a larger 'sweet spot' is that the reading portion is too near the bottom of the lens, so with large deep lenses (which I prefer) it's a bit of a strain on the eye and neck muscles to use it. Fine with shallower lenses, but there you go.

I still prefer a separate pair for computer work as varifocals seem to need too much head movement on my wide monitor. Luckily my aircraft instruments are far enough away not to need to use the reading portion though the navigation computer is challenging.

[DiamondEcho]

An old tip for someone who needs optical-adjustment [glasses/contacts], who ever travels via SE Asia, is to get an eye-test done in the UK and get the prescription made up out in Asia. The cost is a fraction of the prices in the UK, perhaps because so many people out that way need eye-correction, hence the pricing is cut-throat. Plenty of places out there can make-up a prescription with your choice of frames in an hour or two.

Thailand/Malaysia/Singapore/Indonesia etc are all good candidates to get such work done. I even had a local eye-test redone in Europe, as my 5 year old Asian specs were not longer attuned to my eyes, e-mailed it to an optician I'd previously used in one of the above countries with details of my/their original frames. They posted me back new replacement lenses + a micro-screwdriver + several micro-bolts, all for the princely sum of about GBP20.

[melonfool]

Unless you can find the original invoice describing the spectacles as varifocals I don't think you have a claim against them. It would be your word (that they were varifocals) against theirs (that you preferred single vision lenses).
They were certainly expensive and it does pay to shop around, with a breakdown of the costs for the lenses, any special treatment of the lenses and the frames.

I get round the problem of varifocals by having one pair, called "professional" or wide partition, which have mostly the ranges for reading and working on the computer. I have another pair for driving and walking over uneven ground which I found difficult with varifocals.

Not *just* my word against theirs, my partner came with me to buy them in fact, because although I have worn spectacles for forty years I am unconfident choosing them (because I can't see what they look like on me!) and he knows we settled on the varifocals.

I know they cost a lot. I know I can get them cheaper online/in Asia etc etc. But I don't want to take any risk at all. I've always paid a lot for my glasses, I have very poor and complicated eyesight (both short and long sighted, dry eyes, asitgmatism, and both eyes quite different to each other) and I wear these every single day, so it's worth it.

I can't cope with having to change pairs - I tried that the time before when I couldn't quite face having the vf, but it drove me mad having to carry another pair around with me and I found I very rarely used the 'reading' ones, so they were a waste of money and I tended to take my glasses off to read and the hold whatever it was next to my nose - and I doubt any of that was good for my eyes. Though when I did wear my reading glasses I loved them, I just couldn't see anything at all if I looked up (so no good using laptop and watching TV at the same time, for example).

I'll go with the subject access request first and see what I get back. I will probably be able to find the prescription but that doesn't show what was dispensed of course. It's possible the receipt is with it, but that may also not show the type of glasses.

Mel