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New specs

(24 Posts)
Auntieflo Sat 28-Sept-19 17:09:59

I had my eyes tested last week, and picked up my new specs this morning.
They are both long distance prescriptions, one pair made up as sunglasses, as my reading ones are fine.
I put them on, and thought, fine, but then I realised that any small print, was definitely not as clear, as with my old specs.
The new ones were adjusted, checked that they had been dispensed? correctly etc, and was told they were fine.
But I am not happy.
I have been told that I can try them for 3 months and see if I get used to them.
An optician came and blinded me with all sorts of science, i.e, that my old ones magnified more? and the new ones were right for me. He checked where I was looking, at a small print, and said that he would have trouble reading it.
I really cannot see why my old ones should be better that the new ones, especially the price I have paid for them! But that isn't the point, is it?

Is there an optician out there who could tell me, in plain language, perhaps, whether he was right or wrong.
I was in the shop for ages, but eventually brought them home, and will test them out tonight, maybe with sub-titles on TV, and see which are clearer.
As I use the distance pair for driving, I want to be absolutely sure that I am as safe as can be.
Any help or advice, gratefully received. Thanks.

Jane10 Sat 28-Sept-19 17:19:15

Maybe your eyes have to get used to the new lenses? I have distance glasses, reading glasses and ones for my computer. I couldn't cope with varifocals but manage fine going between my various pairs.

paddyann Sat 28-Sept-19 17:39:38

my riend had exactly this problem .She spent£830 on her new specs and she thought her sight was worse than with her old glasses.She returned them within the week and was hit with a£100 bill to recheck hey eyes and the specs,Shes still not happy with them but doesn't know what to do next .

BBbevan Sat 28-Sept-19 17:54:20

My DH is having a similar problem. He had trouble with his new glasses. Took them back. They were adjusted, but still not right. He is going to give it one more week and then go back to the optician.

KatyK Sat 28-Sept-19 17:54:57

Wow £830 on glasses? I had two lovely pairs for £69 from a local place.

BBbevan Sat 28-Sept-19 17:58:57

My glasses are nearly always near the £500 mark. It's the lenses. Because I am so short sighted I have specially ground thin lenses. Otherwise my lenses would resemble pop bottle bottoms ?

KatyK Sat 28-Sept-19 18:09:48

I'm the same BBbevan. In the 'old days' the lenses on my specs used to stick out either side of the frame they were so thick. Nowadays my lenses are thin and 'normal'. I still got the two pairs mentioned above for £69.

Daisymae Sat 28-Sept-19 18:21:46

Something sounds wrong. Happened to me once, the optician made a mistake with the prescription. They wanted me to try them too, but I knew they were wrong, had to stand my ground though. However I would have thought that if you don't have varifocals then it would be more difficult for reading, so perhaps you have a stronger prescription? Ask for a retest if you are still not happy next week. Hope you get it sorted soon.

Jane10 Sat 28-Sept-19 19:05:46

On thinking about it, the OP was complaining that her new distance glasses weren't any good for reading small print. She already has reading glasses. Sounds like her distance vision had deteriorated requiring stronger lenses. She can't expect to read small print with distance lenses! Use your reading glasses for small print OP!

paddyann Sat 28-Sept-19 19:29:34

me too* KatyK *I only need mine for reading and my eyesight is the same now as it was when I got my first pair at 17.Two pairs for under £80 from Boots .I cant imagine paying that for glasses but my friends eyesight has deteriorated a lot in the past couple of years and she always thinks more expensive means better ,which of course isn't always the case

Auntieflo Sat 28-Sept-19 19:43:03

Thank you all for your comments.
Yes, Jane10 has got it right, I do have specs just for reading.
Re the distance specs, I was looking at a poster right across the shop. Large print, fine, but, the much smaller print, right at the bottom of the poster, I could read with my old specs, but with the new ones it was slightly blurry.
By the way my new ones were no way near £800.00!

Jane10 Sat 28-Sept-19 19:51:12

I've always been happy with Specsavers up to now. My eyesight was the same for years and years but worsened a lot over the past couple of years. Comparing the lenses with old ones there's a big difference. I had quite a headache the first day with my new ones as my brain accommodated to the change in strength. All fine now though (although I preferred my old frames ?)

Luckygirl Sat 28-Sept-19 20:22:05

If you are very short-sighted, as I am, the frame you choose can make a difference. Only a small difference in the distance between your eyes and the lens (as compared with your previous specs) can make a lot of difference.

Always put new glasses on in the morning so your brain does not have to make a rapid readjustment from the old to the new.

Jane10 Sun 29-Sept-19 16:18:35

I have had to wear glasses since I was 8. Of course I put my glasses on first thing in the morning!!

trisher Sun 29-Sept-19 16:30:03

I'd advise you to go to another optician and have everything checked. My DS did this and the glasses he had been given were wrong!

ayse Sun 29-Sept-19 16:41:48

I bought some varifocals last time I had my eyes tested. I’m really not happy with prescription as long distance has always seemed very fuzzy although I’ve been reassured that they are correct. This was about 6 months ago.

Back to bifocals for me next time as I will feel safer with these glasses.

Sometimes I wonder if they are in too much of a hurry to prescribe. I can’t afford another pair right now so will have to put up with what I have.

How much does it cost to have an eye check in the interim period please?

Auntieflo Sun 29-Sept-19 16:43:18

I tried my new specs last night, while watching TV, and I still feel that my old ones are better.
You know the way the optician asks, when testing, "is it better with 1, or is it better with 2?"
Well I feel like that. It is better with old , rather than new.
I don't put my specs on first thing, as I am not short sighted now as such, I have had both cataracts done, but, just sometimes I feel that I need to use them for driving, and making sure that distance objects/ words on signs etc, are really clear.
So I suppose I am not training my brain. I will persevere for a couple of weeks and see how I get on, but may go back eventually.

petra Sun 29-Sept-19 16:52:57

KatyK
Where do you get high impact lenses at that price?
If your in the southeast please let me know as my last ones were £200. That was just for the lens. Then there's the frames £200 & the tint.

KatyK Sun 29-Sept-19 17:03:45

Hi Petra. I'm in Birmingham. I got my specs from a place called Eye Express. I'm not sure if they have branches elsewhere. I wear contact lenses when I go out which is why I don't want to pay a lot for glasses. The ones ai have now are quite stylish (I think). I could certainly wear them to go out if I had to. As I said, I am very, very short sighted. These specs are great.

petra Sun 29-Sept-19 17:10:09

Thank you, KatyK
I think Birmingham is a bit too far from Southend ?

whywhywhy Sun 29-Sept-19 17:14:55

I got some glasses from a famous company and I had to take them back and it turned out that they had got the prescription badly wrong! They offered to do a retest and sort me some other glasses out, which I took but I didn't go back after that. Glasses are so expensive these days and my latest pair cost over £500 and they are really great but I did go to a smaller company. I think all opticians do make mistakes at times - so go back to see them.

KatyK Sun 29-Sept-19 17:31:33

Yes it is petra. Shame.

glammanana Sun 29-Sept-19 18:04:35

I would certainly go elsewhere and arrange another test,I did this a few yrs ago when I had trouble with new spec's what had happened was the company had put the lens in the wrong way around but they insisted they where correct for me.
I have just had a retest after cataract surgery and got new specs they are just great both distance and reading and cost me £89 in the buy one get one free offer both are up to date and fashionable.

Jane43 Sun 29-Sept-19 19:21:57

My DH has a similar problem with glasses from the ‘should have gone to ———-‘ optician a couple of years ago. When he went back they were most unhelpful and insisted the prescription was right. So many people having problems isn’t good. We have tried to find an old fashioned optician instead of a chain of opticians but they are few and far between.