Opticians “ add ons”. Are they worth it?

An interesting thread for me, as Specsavers has offered free glasses in inadequate compensation for a serious mistake. My vision is compromised.

They don’t get any more out of me for specs and ditto for hair dressers but they will give it a try !

I have worn varifocals for years, from a large chain opticians.
Yes, they always try to sell me more expensive lenses and all the coatings etc. I always have the cheapest basic varifocal lenses with no coatings. I think they are encouraged to sell the ‘add ons’.

If they offer a coating, or something similar, to keep your lenses cleaner I would recommend having that done. I didn't and regret it as I am FOREVER cleaning my lenses.

My father was an optician with his own business and in his later years he always went to Specsavers as he felt that the equipment they have is second to none and the local private opticians were eye wateringly expensive. (Sorry, pun wasn’t intended!)
Now he’s gone I go to Specsavers too. I’ve had varifocals for years and always have the anti glare coating which I feel makes night driving easier.
Yes I pay more than the basic £70 but I do usually get two pairs - one being prescription sunglasses - at the same time.

I only need glasses for distance and not for reading . I first had glasses at 45 and I’m now 73.on my first visit the optician try to sell me varifocals , when I said I didn’t need glasses for reading he told me that they would put plain glass in the bottom ! Why would I pay extra for plain glass . I declined his offer .

For 45 years we have gone to the same independent optician, run by a husband and wife team. In all that time I have never heard them try to oversell, in fact uite the contrary - and several of their 5 star reviews comment on this.

When I still wore contact lens, so rarely wore my back up glasses, she showed me only the cheapest frames on the basis there was no point in spending money on expensive frames when they would be rarely worn. On one occasion, because I have uite a narrow face she found a pair of children's frames to fit me.

Sadly last year we moved nearer family and we are now over 70 miles from our previous optician, so have to change. If only the 70 mile distance was an easy journey I would still go back there.

tanith

I’ve just had second cataract surgery and now should only need reading glasses. Before surgery I had varifocals which were thinned and had reactolite. I thought SpecSavers deal of 2 foe 1 was good but misleading I realised only the 2nd pair of frames were cheap or free the cost of everything else thinning, prescription, any coatings is added on so all that’s free are the frames. Maybe I was a bit dim assuming ‘free/cheap’ east exactly that.
I have the extra scan though and I will go back to SpecSavers for my new glasses as it was my own fault for not realising what their offer meant.

A little known fact - if your cataract operation was NHS you ae entitled to free lenses in your spectacles.

My logic now is, ‘buy cheap, buy twice’! I went to a chain optician some years ago, two pairs for £x….and they were awful! The technician didn’t measure me correctly so the frames were just too big, no amount of adjustment would rectify this. It also meant that my vision was compromised as I wasn’t actually looking through the correct part of the lens as I have prisms in mine. This gave me horrendous headaches.

Total waste of money imo.

I now use a long established independent optician, might pay a little more but we are born with one pair of eyes, sight is precious!

I wear contacts (have had glasses since I was 5!) but can't go for lasering. I just buy cheap magnifiers from Poundland, about 2.00 is right for me, they do the same thing as optician supplied reading glasses and are cheaper.

I have regular checks and would say it's worth paying for the extra checks to make sure your eyes are in good shape

Sorry Humber’s. Your info re free lenses after NHS cataract surgery is incorrect.
I have just checked.
Correct me with details please if I am wrong on this?

Ha ha mae13 - I think you are maybe going to the wrong hairdresser!
Mine has twice given me products try.

I have found SpecSavers excellent for customer service. Had my recent eye test and mentioned that I found my last time varyfocals hard to get on with at times. Decided to opt for two separate specs (long sight for tv and short for reading).
As I am on Pension Credit I got some money off and they did not try to push the expensive frames, so ended up with getting three pairs of specs (also need an intermediary one for my laptop used on my lap), for just £15!!!

When I collected these I realised I had made a mistake with the reading spec, as the frames I had selected meant that whenever I looked down (as I do when reading/using my kindle), I was looking UNDER these specs.

So back the specsavers telling them I had been an idiot and asking them to change them which they did whilst I waited. The frames they used were marked £50 - so I took out my credit card expecting to pay the extra - but got told as they should have realised this problem when I first tried on the specs, there would be nothing further for me to pay.

I sat with the the opticians assistance and was asked would I like anti glare, anti scratch, costing for this and that etc etc.The price was exhorbitant so I said ‘ Right, let’s start again’. Two pairs, one for reading, one for long distance. Perfect and £90 for both. Very pleased with both.,

I am now paying a small fortune for my varifocals from an independent optician, but that’s after Specsavers messed up big time. They are all independent franchises with the same branding and price structure, but only as good as the individual members of staff.
When I moved house, I left behind an excellent Specsavers store, but the local one is inferior. They got my husband’s prescription completely wrong and mine slightly wrong, which with varifocals is disastrous. The customer service at the independent place is excellent. I suppose that’s what makes the difference in price.