Optician charges

[Onelife]

Went out this morning to pick up my new reading glasses from the opticians.....well not actually the opticians it was a little shop that sells everything from pegs to tea towels....A bit like an upmarket hardware store, anyway my wife pays £100 + for her glasses l paid £1.99 for mine.

Do you keep your local opticians in business or do you shop around?

[barney]

I'm a sucker for the designer glasses so use an optician. I have five pairs I think and don't even get me started on sun glasses. Dozens

[Onelife]

Mine are designer glasses, you just need a tube of superglue every now and then

[Manoverboard]

When you get your age you should be looking after your eyes properly by going to a proper optician …. just saying.

[Mervyn and Trish]

My prescription is too complicated for cheap glasses. But if they work for you go for it.

[Whynd1]

As I have to wear my glasses all the time.I have lightweight titanium.silhouette frames.with super thin variofocal lenses.
Also variofocal sunglasses.
Had to have both renewed last year, which cost about half the price of a decent cruise with single supplement.
I do go to an excellent independent opticians in the village.

Other half just has to buy ready readers for a couple.of pounds.

[GillD46]

I always go to the Opticians and until a couple of years ago was actually told to buy OTC reading glasses vecause my vision was the same in each eye. But then they changed and now I need to have them dispensed correctly. Yes it costs more, but eyes are far too important to not care for properly.

[Ray B]

My understanding from the optician is, if both eyes have equal vision, then using cheap readers over short periods will not do harm. Long usage of readers may cause problems, and it is best to have a prescription pair to suit your eyes.
Having said that, Poundland type shops sell readers for, yes £1.

[Jan Rosser]

I've worn spectacles since the age of 11 (couldn't see the blackboard from the back of the class in grammar school) and have aways had regular eye tests. My eyes have changed over the years - the inevitable decline of reading vision means I now have varifocal multi coated lenses in all my glasses including sunglasses. I do have a bit of a "thing" for glasses and am lucky enough to have an optician friend who gives me a discount - at the last count I had more than 10 pairs plus sunglasses - I match them up to my clothes I know before someone says it I'm but let's face it I could have far worse "indulgences" and I'm helping to keep a local business going

[GillD46]

One of the (very few) advantages of aging, has been the fact my deteriorating reading vision has corrected my slightly poor distance vision, so I no longer need glasses for driving and theatre etc. It’s the only advantage I can think of, but has meant I now only need to buy reading glasses, which I have with clear lenses and also as sunglasses for holidays.

The dowside is, I now need two pairs of sunglasses, prescription for reading and ordinary for general wear.

[Jan Rosser]

One of the (very few) advantages of aging, has been the fact my deteriorating reading vision has corrected my slightly poor distance vision, so I no longer need glasses for driving and theatre etc. It’s the only advantage I can think of, but has meant I now only need to buy reading glasses, which I have with clear lenses and also as sunglasses for holidays.

The dowside is, I now need two pairs of sunglasses, prescription for reading and ordinary for general wear.

Same thing has happened to me Gill - my distance vision is improving with age while the reading is deteriorating - something my optician friend told me years ago would happen but I honestly didn't believe it. I can easily read number plates and road signs without spectacles but continue to wear them for both middle and near vision clarity and because I feel strange without them

[Stephen]

Don't know about everyone else but I can't get on with bifocals so have three pairs of glasses + my wife's old readers next to the bed. Mrs S and I had our eyes tested a couple of weeks ago, and because we changed opticians we both went for the optional eye scan at £40 each.

Yet again I passed the tests but Mrs S cot clobbered for a £400 new glasses bill.

[Onelife]

My personal opinion is that in the main opticians are a load of rip off merchants. I can almost guarantee that when my wife and daughter go for their eye tests their prescription will have changed. I'm no expert but l doubt very much that small variations in your eyes warrants new glasses, but of course most of us don't have the expertise to interprete the significance of what these small changes will have on our eyes so just fork out for another pair of glasses on the encouragement of our optictions....its a business with a up marketing strategy behind every appointment.

I'm not suggesting one shouldn't have their eyes tested as per what is recommended but l think more deeper questioning as too the significance of your new prescription could save many from forking out eye watering amounts for new glasses + add ons.

[Meg 50]

SD is receptionist of our Optician - so she gets mates' rates - and occasionally they extend to family too!

I am due for a test in a few weeks. It costs more than other places because the scans are included as standard. I only pay for the scan cos I'm old....

I have a macular hole which needs to be checked every 6 months - it would be free at Moorfields, but that's a day out of my life whereas in the surgery I can leave home, get tested and be back again inside an hour... If the grumpy receptionist (SD) has her way it's £25, but the nice optometrist waives the charge when he sees me open my purse!



I have bifocals - with 4 different strength lenses, so they cost a fortune - but as Gill says - vision is so important.
I am long sighted - so getting worse with age - unlike short sighted people.


Even if you get cheapo readers - it is vital to get your eyes checked properly regularly - it's more than just vision - you can always take the prescription to the cheapo shop

[Meg 50]

My personal opinion is that in the main opticians are a load of rip off merchants. I can almost guarantee that when my wife and daughter go for their eye tests their prescription will have changed. I'm no expert but l doubt very much that small variations in your eyes warrants new glasses, but of course most of us don't have the expertise to interprete the significance of what these small changes will have on our eyes so just fork out for another pair of glasses on the encouragement of our optictions....its a business with a up marketing strategy behind every appointment.

I'm not suggesting one shouldn't have their eyes tested as per what is recommended but l think more deeper questioning as too the significance of your new prescription could save many from forking out eye watering amounts for new glasses + add ons.

my prescription was unchanged last time - 2 years ago.
Not sure whether I'll need new lenses this time, but if I do I'll need new frames - these ones havebeen reglazed once, and I don't think the frames are in good enough nick to be re - reglazed

[david63]

I was once told by an optician that the major changes in your eyesight occur approximately every 20 years so at 20, 40, 60 etc is when you will probably need new glasses. I have gone for five or six years without needing to change them.

[oldbluefox]

Even if you get cheapo readers - it is vital to get your eyes checked properly regularly - it's more than just vision - you can always take the prescription to the cheapo shop

I asked my optician if the cheapo readers were OK and he assured me they were as long as both eyes are the same strength but if not why not buy two pairs and just swap a lens over.
I now wear varifocals but prior to that must have had about 9 pairs of cheapos scattered around the house in convenient places.

[Jan Rosser]

My personal opinion is that in the main opticians are a load of rip off merchants. I can almost guarantee that when my wife and daughter go for their eye tests their prescription will have changed. I'm no expert but l doubt very much that small variations in your eyes warrants new glasses, but of course most of us don't have the expertise to interprete the significance of what these small changes will have on our eyes so just fork out for another pair of glasses on the encouragement of our optictions....its a business with a up marketing strategy behind every appointment.

I'm not suggesting one shouldn't have their eyes tested as per what is recommended but l think more deeper questioning as too the significance of your new prescription could save many from forking out eye watering amounts for new glasses + add ons.

This is the advantage of knowing the optician as a friend and indeed the opticians he sold the practice to are the same - they explain the changes if any and only advise new glasses if absolutely necessary and lucky for me they still give me “mates rates”. Buying over the counter readers has never been an option for me as my prescription is not straightforward but having regular check ups is essential especially as we get older. I have “floaters” in my right eye - apparently the eyeball is sagging - like the rest of my body was my response

[Stephen]

As we have Glaucoma both sides of the family we make sure our mincers are tested properly with a reputable optician. The one benefit is we get the test for free.

When I had my eyes tested recently there was a small variation from my prescription from the previous opticians we used, but not enough to warrant new glasses. So I think this new chap was being very honest. And it's been so many years since I've had new glasses, even if he was being, shall we say, stretching the truth a little I would have accepted it.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I do have prescription sunglasses as well, mainly for driving.

Trish broke hers when we were on holiday a while ago and ended up buying a large pair of sunglass for less than 7 euros, that cover her normal ones all round. So that's her plan now.

[Meg 50]

I do have prescription sunglasses as well, mainly for driving.

Trish broke hers when we were on holiday a while ago and ended up buying a large pair of sunglass for less than 7 euros, that cover her normal ones all round. So that's her plan now.

you can get them here