Prescription Glasses (1 Viewer)

TheBig1

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many many years! since I was a kid
no idea if they are cheaper abroad, but the companies like glasses direct are way cheaper than the highstreet shops
 

scousebird

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When I've looked at the price of frames in optician's windows in France they seem horrendously priced - never been in and asked though. I get mine 2 for 1 at Tesco and my DIL who is almost blind without glasses got hers from Glasses Direct and is very pleased with them.

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tonka

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Specsavers in Spain (Benidorm, where else) is cheaper.. But I keep forgetting to go in there...
 
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Jim

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About 25 years ago, I had some shared offices in Sutton. A nice really guy next door called Paul sold wholesale frames, to High St stores. His office was rammed floor to ceiling with tens of thousands of frames. He showed me frames that he sold by the gross to retailers at about 7p a pair. He told me they would be sold for £30 each before glass!

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Jim

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Given some of your rugby posts I should have realised you were blind, or at least one eyed.:)


They're not for me mate. Katie and Siân have just been to the opticians and they want to spend £500 between them!!!!
 

Ivory55

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Did one of the original owners of a known opticians start doing a mail order service from Jersey. As they sold out they was nat allowed to set up in competition etc etc.

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Wombles

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big map

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They're not for me mate. Katie and Siân have just been to the opticians and they want to spend £500 between them!!!!

Not outrageous for designer frames.

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Oct 8, 2014
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I'm a newbie and always will be. You never know it all.
I don't give a monkeys about what make the frame is. It's the lens that counts every time......but there again, when your as ugly as me:eek:
 
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GJH

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We go to a local independent, family firm and have done for years. They may not be as cheap as the on-line sellers but they are a lot cheaper than the high street chains and the service is first class.
 
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Frentchy

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They are all ordered from China anyway, and they are not allowed to be delivered direct to France for protectionist reasons. Go online with disposable e-mail, with optician prescription; They will be identical to the spec-savers and other glasses wholesalers, with all options, 1/4 or 1/3 cheaper (y):cool:

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Oct 29, 2008
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I used to manage a large city centre Opticians practice in Leeds. If you want any advice We will be at Lincoln show. Bring their prescriptions with you.
 
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dabhand

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Listen carefully, I shall say zis only once..... I like varilux comfort lenses, over the years I have found it suits me although not the cheapest it's not the dearest either, I wear varifocals, Specsavers do not do this lense apart from a special order, I have found Tesco offer a good service and prices are good especially with the points discount, I got two pair designer! Varifocals for £200, however, as a test I ordered a pair from specky 4 eyes over the Internet. Gave them my prescription and got a pair of varifocals by return for £30 no bells or whistles - tints etc, for the money can't fault them but I do not suggest you do this for your first par or if an eye test is due.

I have been to "specialist" high street opticians twice, both times they were crap. Find the frames the girls like, get their faces, pupillary distance etc measured properly, find the same online and buy cheaper
 
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I use Vision Express and don't find them that expensive (apart from designer frames) The tests and lenses all seem cheap enough to me.

I also get a discount as they sponsor the rugby club (y)

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I always go into any of the High Street opticians every two years and say, from the outset, that I don't want their spectacles, only the prescription. They try to give you their hard sell but stick to your guns with " prescription only". They then test my eyes and write the prescription for free on age concession.
Then I go to www.spex4less.com ; transfer the details of the prescription to their website pay about £25 and the specs come in about 3 days.
 

DanielFord

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I don't know if this still holds true, but I will relate a long and boring story, which surprisingly for me, actually ends in a salient point! :D
Many moons ago, when I was a wee slip of a lad at 17, we went on a family holiday to Cyprus. Upon entering the villa we were staying in, my mother tripped and her glasses came off and smashed into about a million pieces on the tiled floor. Now even back then, my mother was as blind as a bat, so my mother and father wandered into town (perhaps foolishly leaving me and my younger siblings in the villa!)
About 2 hours later both my mother and father returned with brand new glasses, apparently they were so cheap, Dad got a new pair to save money, and he said that the optician he saw told him that lots of people were travelling to Cyprus, simply to buy glasses.

As I say, not sure if it is still true today, but it was back then!

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Oct 8, 2014
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I'm a newbie and always will be. You never know it all.
Listen carefully, I shall say zis only once..... I like varilux comfort lenses, over the years I have found it suits me although not the cheapest it's not the dearest either, I wear varifocals, Specsavers do not do this lense apart from a special order, I have found Tesco offer a good service and prices are good especially with the points discount, I got two pair designer! Varifocals for £200, however, as a test I ordered a pair from specky 4 eyes over the Internet. Gave them my prescription and got a pair of varifocals by return for £30 no bells or whistles - tints etc, for the money can't fault them but I do not suggest you do this for your first par or if an eye test is due.

I have been to "specialist" high street opticians twice, both times they were crap. Find the frames the girls like, get their faces, pupillary distance etc measured properly, find the same online and buy cheaper
I have never heard of this lens before, but will be looking into it now.(y) as I said before the lens is the all important bit after all if you didn't need the lens you wouldn't be looking for frames anyway.....would you?
 
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Tootles

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They're not for me mate. Katie and Siân have just been to the opticians and they want to spend £500 between them!!!!
Nothing wrong with NHS glasses. (y) They made the frames out of old Lancaster wing struts, and the glass lenses were wartime emergency windows. (y)

glasses.jpg
 
Oct 29, 2008
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The thing is. The dispensing pays for the practice. If everyone took their prescription and bought online there would be no optician practices. There is a lot more to selling glasses and lenses than most people realize, or choose to realize. A low power single vision prescription lens is a pretty simple thing, but if you have a high or complicated prescription then you need a good dispenser who knows what lenses are available, knows what you will be happy with and knows how to measure and fit them correctly. I used to hear things like, "I don't want varifocals because I cant get on with them" Then you hear that they bought them from a large multiple which doesnt have the time to do a good dispense because their Optometrist churns out 26 eye tests a session.

Yes there is big gross profit on a pair of glasses, but once you take the salaries of the staff, The cost of rent and rates, equipment and maintenance etc there isn't much left.

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Tootles

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The cost of rent and rates, equipment and maintenance etc there isn't much left.
Tough!! Why should the consumer pick up the tab up for a posh shop, and clone dressed staff? o_O
 

Ivory55

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Sian can fight her own corner , but when your at school or young and have to wear glasses you need to fit in. You do not need something to make you different then the glasses are already making you by having a naff pair. They either will not wear them or get picked on when they do.

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