Specs and contact lenses too expensive

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How much do contact lenses and glasses cost?

Last year in the England and Wales alone there were nearly 11 million eye tests and no doubt many of these individuals required their vision to be corrected using glasses or contact lenses.

Eye glasses can be bought for less than a hundred pounds, but the average pair costs a little over this and you could find yourself paying several hundred pounds for nice frames and extra thin lenses if you really want to go to town. Don't you wish that your vision was perfect now?

These prices might seem quite reasonable, but if you need to buy a new specs every two or three years how much is this going to cost you over a lifetime? It isn't all bad news though because it is possible to have your eyesight corrected on the national health and glasses can be obtained at low cost or even free.

Also, depending on your occupation it may be possible to claim back the cost of the eye test and some of the cost of spectacles. A good example of this is if you use a computer for long periods of time. Most good employers take the health of their employees very seriously and will usually encourage you to have your eyes tested regularly if you work with display screens.
	The downside of national health glasses is that the frames are usually very plain and special thin lenses for those of use with poor eyesight are usually not an option. I remember wearing these Clarke Kent type glasses when I was younger with bottle top lenses and thick black frames. I personally don't think they were all that appealing but I hear that that look is back in now. *The Clarke Kent look with NHS specs*
NHS spectacles are much better these days, and if your on a budget then you should be able to find something that suits you in the looks department and more importantly properly corrects your vision.
Other sites of interest Specsavers I've got to recommend Specsavers because I've had nothing but good service from them and their spectacles are the cheapest I've found yet. They were doing a two for one offer when I was last in there so I got 2 pairs for £124 and that included extra thin lenses on one pair. Working with VDU's Good resource for VDU users and their employers. Many questions and answers can be found here about the health aspects of using vdu's. Find an Optician This is quite a useful site for finding an optician near you, although it may not have all of them it' still a good resource. Optishop Mail order prescription glasses and contact lenses at reasonable prices.

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wat would you rather be £100 out of pocket or blind

simon xmas 30-Jun-2009 14:57

why not buy eyeglasses online?

I have try opticalchic.com and 39dollarglasses.com

Both are great

Robert 07-Nov-2008 17:38

I bought two pairs of glasses from Moorfields four years ago, for £25 each.

Now I need some new ones, and I find - GASP! - that VisionExpress want over £500 for two pairs, incorporating their cheapest frames !

I guess there's a rip-off going on....

Robin Clay 04-Nov-2008 15:44

I ordered a pair of glasses one of the links on this page, Optishop, this link takes you to www.opticalmailorder.co.uk and is a very simple site to use. I needed some advice before I ordered my specs so I called the number on the site. The chap was very helpful and even explained some disadvantages to ordering on the web (he told me it was not a good idea to order vary focals over the internet as they should be fitted by a trained optician). He could have lost my order, but I did order a pair of their Carducci designer glasses and got them within the week. I am very pleased with my new glasses and have recommended Optical mail order to all my friends and family.

NHSKev 24-Oct-2008 13:13

I recently used www.thinlenses.co.uk and I am extremely impressed with their service. Their prices are amazing and I was able to purchase two pairs for a lot less than what I would have normally paid from the High Street Retailers. It was my first time buying glasses online. I found it very easy as I was contacted by their Customer Service team via telephone and I was able to speak to a person who guided me through the whole process from helping choose frames from there wide selection, right through to when they contacted me to make sure I was happy with my new glasses when they arrived. I would recommend www.thinlenses.co.uk to anyone.

Surjit Singh (West Midlands) 14-May-2008 08:53

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.

Simon 22-Apr-2008 09:55

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

Alan 07-Jan-2008 09:56

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.

Chemi_jon 30-Nov-2007 14:58

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.

Gerald 07-Nov-2007 13:17

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!

gaolbird 07-Nov-2007 09:37

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!

T Brown 11-Jul-2007 17:07

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.

Alan 10-Jul-2007 20:40

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Specs and contact lenses too expensive

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