Specs and contact lenses too expensive

Hello, I have been buying my specs online for a few years now. Have tried a few out, with some varying results. But the one that stands out from the crowd is www.thinlenses.co.uk. They offer really trendy frames with super thin and light lenses, at very good prices. Plus the customer service is excellent. Definately worth a try.

Hi, All who put their comments on the weekly gripe.
My name Is Alan My web site is www.dennies-spectacle-makers.com
I am a traditional spectacle maker with 21 years experience within the industry and have worked for all the major industry leaders in the optical market.
My comments are few, "All that glitters is not gold". What do I mean by that?
Many people offers some amazing can't believe offers, and sure enough they delivery some very cheap quality specs, What of their after sales service though? After sales services has been paid for by you, so don't leave it to chance that you will get it, check out the supplier before purchasing.
This can be done by calling them and talking to the person who actualy makes the spectacles or the owner of the site. Ask them questions and listen carefully to their answers, you can get a good understanding of the ethos of the company and a general feel about them. There are many companies that have set up in the last few years (mine included) that have been designed with their local area's needs in mind, they may even be manufacturing spectacles for opticians. Ask them if it is possible to visit their work shop. (Try to find a small independent manufacturer near you.)
We, the small independent manufacturers are under constant pressure to exceed your expectations where possible, we understand the market place is changing and are willing to adapt to supply you spectacles. Some suppliers will stop our accounts to stop us providing eyewear to you at better prices. The opticians are hoping we fail to deliver, so it is important for us the small independent optical manufacturers that supply direct to the public to do all we can to ensure our survival and get you the best price and service.
If you have any questions please call me on 01376 583 524, I will be pleased to help you.
Or text your details to 07912 036 252 and I will call you back.
Kind regards and happy shopping.
Alan
Spectacle Maker

I have been attending the same optician for many years, and I am very happy with her. I know the spectacles/contact lenses I buy from them subsidise the excellent sight test I have every two years and any additional appointments I need. It doesn't take a genius to work that out. That is the unfortunate state of the optics industry in this country.

If all of my opticians' patients bought from the internet after paying her £25 for a test, she would close within weeks, and there would be a lot of comically fitting specs in my town. You get what you pay for.

A self administered test from the chemist?? Have you ever had a real eye examination??? Most eye diseases diagnosed in this country are picked up opportunistically by opticians doing routine eye tests. So the people walking round with bad fitting specs will also be half blind from undiagnosed glaucoma.

If I have a minor eye problem, my GP doesn't know what to do, and doesn't have the equipment. An appointment with an Ophthalmologist can take months to come through for non urgent problems. My optician diagnoses and frequently treats it within days (cheaply!), and she is open 6 days a week and is within 1 mile of my house. I appreciate that, I like my eyes. I am not being ripped off for my specs.

Ok,ok they're expensive to buy. Can you tell me somthing that isn't expensive to buy?

Shop around to see if you can purchase cheaper and if not, tough luck.

If the cost of a pint of ale rose to £2.20! in my local, I'd still be paying for it cos I want it.

Ordered two pairs of glasses at the beginning of October . One pair were from Directspecs which arrived within a week and were perfect. The other pair from Spexmaniacs arrived only yesterday were filthy dirty and were not mine, well the prescription is wrong and IF I could get onto their website which has been down since yesterday I could check as I'm pretty sure the frames are wrong too (the colour is at least wrong) Now I have the hassle of going to the Post Office to send them back and trying to get a refund. Not very impressed!

I'm also having a problem with Spexmaniac - Ordered my glasses end of may2007. They claimed at the end of june the delay was because of phone/internet connection problems and a huge backlog of orders! It's now been another 2 weeks, and I too fear they have ripped me off for £100 as they took the money straight away!

Has anyone had a problem with Spexsmaniac? I ordered glasses and paid £72.49 on 13th June 2007. I have not received my glasses and have sent several e-mails to them but not had a reply.
There is no answer on the telephone number provided on their website. Another telephone number given on another website has an answer machine but nobody bothers to call back. I am resigned to having lost my money now as I do not know what else to do.

sounds like you all have a vested interest in the companies you all seem to be promoting. Thought I would join your happy bandwagon and tell you about spexappeal, bracknell, berkshire.
glasses start at £25 varifocals at £40, 1.6 lenses including frames and mar coating for £50.
And this is in the middle of a town centre where you can try the frames on, get proper proffessional advice and have your spectacles fitted.

whoopee................... Just received my first glasses they are great -so many compliments I feel like a new person. I'm so happy and I got a free gift and only paid £17.50 and if I order another pair I will get 10% discount - now that's what I call a bargain. I bought my glasses from spexmaniac and already my friends from University are lining up.

Two sites worth trying - spexmaniac and spex4less - both great glasses and good service

I have had 3 pairs of glasses and sunglasses now made from online suppliers and have had no problems at all and would use and recommend all three - spex4less, spexmaniac and thespectaclecase. The glasses have been so good compared to the ones I used to buy from my optician in glasgow and the sunglasses are smashing having spent 2 weeks hiking in Austria they worked perfectly. I do alot of hiking and need good sturdy glasses and they have been great - so would recommend any of them. I've sent numerous emails to other online glasses companies and havn't got replies back to my enquiries and in the end give up - at least from the 3 above I got an immediate response - some of the others I could well be still waiting and I won't even bother mentioning them.

Sounds like I want "something for nothing" ? What a silly comment from someone who doesn't know the facts of the matter.

Let me tell you of my recent experience with Spexmaniac ;

The glasses arrived full of faults. I ordered my READING prescription and they put in my READING prescription in only ONE lens - and my DISTANCE prescription in the other - the presciption I gave them was correct and I stressed to them with the order that it was my reading prescription which was required ! Both the frames and the lenses were "rough" (ie looked unfinished) around the edges in places - and the legs were not even parallel ! The spectacles were obviously not even cleaned before being sent out as they arrived covered in white powder, smudges and finger prints. Worst of all, their customer service appears to be non-existent - I returned the glasses to them and, despite numerous subsequent emails and letters they have not even had the decency to reply once after over a month and I've had to refer the matter to the appropriate authorities.