People who work in Opticians - Do you mind if people take advantage of the test, take the prescription and then buy their glasses online?

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funusernam3@reddit

They always seem a bit arsey when I ask for a copp of my prescription

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mrtopbun@reddit

I had a guy in specsavers who wouldn’t give me it until I purchased a pair of glasses, went elsewhere

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funusernam3@reddit

They LEGALLY have to give it to you and I would have made a complaint and taken it as far as necessary

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RetiredFromIT@reddit

I think the one exception is the interpupillary distance, which is pretty essential, but is not on the mandated list of stuff they have to give you.

A couple of places have tried to hold me to ransom over this. They never see me again.

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ctesibius@reddit

Most online places can get the distance if you send a photo with a credit-card sized object above your eyes. Exercise due discretion on security, but you’d probably hand over the numbers anyway.

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manc_franc@reddit

Fuck. I wondered why they asked for my mothers maiden name. I feel so stupid now :(

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Not when your 20 is giving dodgy advice. Someone with a narrower PD of say 58 (not a misshapen head by any stretch of the imagination) and a relatively low rx of +3.00 would struggle to see clearl with your ‘advice’ of a 64mm PD.

And how would the average consumer know if they have a high rx or ‘misshapen head’ and wouldn’t be suitable for your arbitrary 64mm? They don’t. That’s why it should be measured, ideally professionally, but at the very least not just a number plucked out of the air.

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blabbrador@reddit

See, that's a much better discussion point.
That would induce 0.9 prism which is well within tolerance. Even if you put in the correct pds and the lab made them up to this they would pass inspection. I agree having it measured professionally is best, however people who are buying their glasses online generally aren't looking for accuracy as they overlook frame fitting and if you're going to get made over pds you should do the same about vertex distance which can't be measure with online specs. My point about being dramatic was regarding you saying it was the "worst advise you'd heard" I doubt that

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jackarywoo@reddit

Just because something passes inspection doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. Inducing almost 1 base prism isn’t ideal in the slightest, not to mention it could easily be more for someone with a higher rx/smaller pd that decides to follow some whimsical number they saw on Reddit once.

And god forbid people exaggerate on the internet!

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blabbrador@reddit

Exaggerate = dramatic Anyone taking advice from a stranger on reddit maybe deserves some induced prism. Chances are the online glasses aren't made correctly anyone since the don't have the same governing bodies as other sources. As I mentioned earlier, there are other measurements besides PD to take into account especially when dispensing high prescriptions. There are also alot of online tutorials incase people wanted to try and measure it themselves. I'd like to credit people with a little bit of intelligence but I guess you've changed my mind on that. Anyway, its been fun, but I'm off to ragebait elsewhere 😂

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Unique-Scientist8114@reddit

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tittysherman1309@reddit

The reason they don't give it out is because of the liability. It isnt a legal requirement, so why risk it.

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TheLastDesperado@reddit

I think when I went to glassesdirect they directed me to an app that measured my interpupillary distance. Seemed to work pretty well.

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RetiredFromIT@reddit

Recently, over the last few years, I've had some success asking for an eye test so I can order prescription lens for my VR headset.

This is something that most opticians wouldn't touch (the actual lenses, I mean), so they don't feel they are losing out.

The PD is important for VR lenses, I make this clear from the very start that it is something I need.

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Mutant_Vomit@reddit

I did the same, easy way to get the prescription and ipd!

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notouttolunch@reddit

You should lnt touch them. You'll get fingerprints on them.

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sundowner777@reddit

If you have an iPhone just use the is app. Measures PD using AR. Neat.

Key_Plum_99a@reddit

I used the American brand PAIR, and needed to scan in a signed copy of my prescription to complete the transaction.

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audigex@reddit

Strange, I've never had that with any UK retailer I've used. Maybe it's an American thing

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reditcyclist@reddit

That's not ok.

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Gloomy_Custard_3914@reddit

Specsavers are so annoying honestly. Once they quoted me almost 600 quid for a pair of glasses somehow? Didn't even pick any fancy frames or any extras

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Sudden-Machine-848@reddit

This is actually impossible.

The most expensive frames Specsavers sell are £170, and the most expensive varifocals are £220.

If you weren't having any extras that comes nowhere near £600. That's not even considering the £40 off a single pair offer, or the 2-4-1.

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Gloomy_Custard_3914@reddit

Didn't know you were there. Whatever the dude was doing, that's what it came up to

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srm79@reddit

Specsavers can be terrible - they don't like it when you don't opt for thinner lenses either. I'm guessing it's because they're on commission but, they can be really condescending and patronising too, they treated me like I haven't been wearing glasses since I was 8 years old (I'm nearly 50!)

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shin-chan@reddit

Monst opticians or optical staff don't get commission. They are presenting you with all available options so you can get the nicest/best pair of glasses for your prescription. They are using their expertise (the shop staff are surprisingly well trained in what they are doing and dispense 100s of pairs of glasses each month). I know for certain that Specsavers staff have to try to get you the best value for your money. I'm saying this as someone who isn't a fan of Specsavers.

You don't have to follow their advice but they might seem funny about it because they know there is a chance you (customers in general) will not be happy with the final product if you decline thinner lenses.

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audigex@reddit

I think it often comes down to the branch and how hard the managers are pushing targets

My local one are chill AF - hand me the prescription before I even pay for the test, no pressure to buy, no up-selling etc

I usually buy a pair of glasses and sunglasses from them anyway as my "main" pair (and then get some cheap ones online as backups or to live by the back door in case I go in the garden), but I feel zero presure to do so

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Amazing_Goal_8003@reddit

Odd I had the opposite experience last week in Specsavers - Optician actively gave me my prescription before I had been seen by a sales rep. I felt like he was saying “it’s okay if you can’t afford our glasses, I got you”

Ok-Pumpkin-6203@reddit

Oddly, if you ask their AI chatbot for a copy it provides it in a few seconds.

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New-Raise7589@reddit

I had an eye test on Sunday, no prescription required as my eyesight is near perfect. I still got a slip with my numbers on!

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Apprehensive_Ring666@reddit (OP)

Literally just had this experience at M&S Optician's. Was there nearly 2 hours and had to leave before dispensing. Their customer service friendly tone massively changed when they had to do print out my prescription without an order for glasses.

Recently went back to them after finding some online that they don't stock, and then they refused to measure my pupil distance (PD) that I needed to buy online, and said we only measure it during dispensing, and even if we did measure it, we still wouldn't give it to you.

Seems the care only applies if you buy glasses directly from them... even if you get a prescription there.

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Ok_Aioli3897@reddit

They legally don't have to give pd as it's not a part of the prescription

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Sashapatu@reddit

I wonder if a SAR or similar would work

I have just realised while making my comment that most people doing this will need glasses to see properly so this may in fact be utterly useless info 😅

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Amunahski@reddit

You can also try this: use an eye pencil to mark the centre of your pupils ON the glasses (focus with one pupil at a time). Take those glasses off, and measure the distance between the dots with a ruler (of course, you may need help if you don’t have a spare pair of glasses to read off the measurements).

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lifetypo10@reddit

I got my dad to help and he took his job extremely seriously and helped me measure about 5 times

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ratscabs@reddit

It’s very common that they refuse to provide your PD; for some reason they aren’t obliged to give you that.

I think Glasses Direct (?) has an online tool where they measure it for you via clever use of a credit card as a measurement calibration method

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TheClnl@reddit

Aye the old selfie with a credit card stuck to your forehead trick.

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CraftyWeeBuggar@reddit

Beats the banana up your nose selfie trick...

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ARobertNotABob@reddit

up your nose

I had the same from vision express. It was during Covid, I was flat broke but needed glasses. They refused to give me my PD, forcing me to buy from their hidden drawer of poor people glasses instead. I mean, they were still cheaper than normal glasses (about £40iirc) but when you could get them online for £6, id rather have done that at the time.

Since I’ve learned that my optician assumes Joe bloggs can’t interpret what the random numbers and letters on their screen mean so don’t hide it from view. 5 minutes on google before my appointment clued me into what things meant so I could spot where my pd was noted.

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JauntyYin@reddit

If they get a bit arsey then threaten them with a Subject Access Request under GDPR. It's a damn site more work than a simple prescription.

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bacon_cake@reddit

They don't always record it though. It's not part of the eye test and if you don't get as far as dispensing they might not have it on file.

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shin-chan@reddit

I work in an opticians and people act cagey asking for it. We literally don't care. You are well within your right to take it.

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ToastedCrumpet@reddit

I’ve only had that experience in Specsavers but I was adamant I wasn’t gonna dump hundreds on glasses then and there just because she wanted me to. I bought ones I liked from online from specsavers anyway.

Robert Glass were amazing. Didn’t get pushy and suggested I come back with a friend or family for second opinions. I got free anti glare as it was my first time with them and 10% off for being an NHS worker. Meanwhile Specsavers pushed me to pay extra for a retina scan I very clearly didn’t need, as well as a hearing test I’d purposely not signed up for

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phatboi23@reddit

Weird.

Specsavers have always just handed a copy to me as soon as my eye test is done before I even see the sales people.

SpitroastJerry@reddit

That's fine, there are plenty of people who do see what we offer.

Just do your local indie a favour and go get tested elsewhere if you're not going to buy specs from them, that's the point I'm making.

Honestly, not sure why you added this comment. If you're happy with what you're doing, all power to you.

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LethargicOnslaught@reddit

If they charge upwards of £80 for the eye test, they price the service as it should be, anything less and they are running it as a loss leader in order to generate spectacle sales, which is where they are able to generate revenue/profit.

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duckiesand@reddit

Depends what you're paying for the test tbh. Providing a test costs a lot of money, so (depending on how long/what equipment they're using) you would be paying ~£100 for them to break about even. It also depends on how busy they are, if you have to book months in advance then I'd guess they probably lose money on you, but if you can get a same week appt. you're just filling time they would have been sitting around idle anyway!

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Round-Detail-664@reddit

If you want to lose more high street shops to be replaced by Barbers and Vape Shops go ahead. Opticians cannot survive on just providing eye tests so will have to close. No tests available on line.

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Apprehensive_Ring666@reddit (OP)

This is just not true. Maybe if they just did a good service and allowed customers to get measurements needed for their glasses. I was willing to pay. They could adapt to the industry and offer an online order glasses service where they will help you order online for a similar markup. They don’t have to be so cold.

That said, glasses are expensive and people have budgets. Most staff get it. What winds them up is when people are sneaky about it and pretending they're definitely buying, asking for all the measurements "for their records," then ghosting. If you're upfront like "I'm just here for the prescription, I'll probably buy online," they appreciate the honesty even if they're disappointed.

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justbiteme2k@reddit

Amusingly I took my goggles4you glasses into Specsavers and after my exam asked if they had a way to check the prescription of my glasses (didn't mention where they came from and no-one asked). They put them into some machine and it read out exactly the prescription I was just given.

I suspect there's only a handful of places that actually make the lenses and all these high street shops use exactly the same services as goggles4you, and the like.

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NotTooShabby95@reddit

Of course it would have given you the right prescription. Do you think different lens manufacturers end up with different prescriptions? We have to be able to read prescriptions from glasses, and all prescriptions have to be made within tolerances of British standards.

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gaco79@reddit

You're asking Specsavers to pay staff to provide a service to you that you haven't paid for? Maybe you should ask a garage to service your car for free when you bought it somewhere else? Or a hairdresser to fix your haircut for free that you paid someone else to do badly? No idea why you think they should do this for you.

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Sashapatu@reddit

> No idea why you think they should do this for you

I asked her any zeiss lens I can choose. She said “we don’t do zeiss. you are not going to buy 1.74 and you telling me you need zeiss ? Huh? Don’t you know the price of zeiss glasses? Huh? (Doing a fly high hand signal)”

“I do know the price and use pay the test fee, I am not going to buy anything from you “ I said. she smirked.

do I need to show my handmade Japanese frame to make her ensure I can afford a zeiss glass?

Weird_Guide_9474@reddit

Thank you, I was hoping to see a fellow DO defending the profession

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NotTooShabby95@reddit

And another here!

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NotTooShabby95@reddit

Just saying, in one of the biggest multiples there is (Specsavers), we don't work on commission. I don't care if you buy online, spend £15 or £500, it makes no difference to me. Source: 10+ yes working in specsavers.

We are not 'sales people'. Think of us as the nurses to a doctor. The optometrist tell us what you need, and we give you all the options and find what is best for you and your budget. Those of us who are ALSO a qualified medical professional (Dispensing Opticians) care only for your vision and what you need.

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miowiamagrapegod@reddit

Speaking only for Specsavers...

After your eye test you are directed to see a sales person who usually works on commission

They do not get commission

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tenthcat@reddit

That varies by franchise - a lot do

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laser_spanner@reddit

If you call a £5 bonus on sales totals for the day of £2500 or more commission... Lol. That's what we get in my store.

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tenthcat@reddit

It depends on the directors. The store I worked for paid a bonus per upgrade item for AR coat, higher level varis, designer frame, thin and light lenses etc. Really salesy people could easily add 50% to their (minimum wage) base pay. Optoms were bonused on conversion rate

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pm_me_your_amphibian@reddit

They almost certainly do care. Business has to business, and the real cost of eye exams has to be heavily subsidised by the cost of sales or people wouldn’t pay for it.

The main reason I left the industry is because it became entirely retail.

So to answer your question OP, yes, we care, because the business has to stay alive. However no-one decent would ever show that worry to the patient - it’s not their problem and shouldn’t be made their problem. They should go wherever they please.

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Morris_Alanisette@reddit

It really depends on the practice. My local optician is independent. They have the optometrist who owns the business and a receptionist/assistant. The optometrist also sells the glasses. They're also perfectly happy to give me a prescription so I can buy glasses elsewhere if I want.

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eresibae@reddit

I'm an optical assistant/consultant/colleague/whatever who also does the sales bit (we call it dispensing) and at the places I've worked at we don't get any commissions. Honestly we like it when people don't buy anything because that's less work for us. I just don't support getting them online because too many things can go wrong.

We also give patients the prescription before we even talk about glasses.

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EmperorsChamberMaid_@reddit

What can go wrong when buying online? Pupillary distance?

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eresibae@reddit

Dispensing is more complex than just pupillary distance itself. You also need to make sure the frame fits well, which you can't do without trying the frame on; that the frame is suitable for the prescription and lens index ("thinning") since the larger the lenses, the thicker they will be and heavier, and you shouldn't have thick lenses in metal frames especially because they will look bad and they might not even stay in place; you need to measure the heights too for the best vision, so the pupils sit in the right spot vertically. I won't even get into decentration, blank sizes and other stuff.

The main difference is that if anything goes wrong, or the glasses don't work for you, you can come back and we can go through everything to trouble shoot it. We make mistakes sometimes because we're humans, but we fix them.

What I do agree with is that glasses are too expensive. At my current place I've sold glasses for like £900 (fancy physio varifocals light reactive high index kind of stuff), but also lots at £50. I don't work there anymore but if you want cheap decent glasses go to Asda Opticians lol.

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Spastic_Hands@reddit

Just a point of semantics, they are not licensed medical practitioners, that only refers to medical doctors as per the medical act.

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Practical_Ad6516@reddit

Don’t know why you put optometrist in bold, OP is correct by using optician. Definition of an optician is: a technical professional who fits, adjusts, and sells eyeglasses and contact lenses based on prescriptions from optometrists or ophthalmologists.

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YetAnotherInterneter@reddit

I like to use bold and italic formatting to help explain my meanings in text. Reddit can be tough to read at times when posts are just a mass wall of text.

In this case I was using it to emphasise the distinction between the optometrist and sales person.

In the past I’ve been accused of being an AI bot for using bold and italic. As if a human isn’t capable of writing in such a way :/

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turtleship_2006@reddit

based on prescriptions from optometrists or ophthalmologists.

You answered your own question, optometrists do the actual testing, which is what the original commenter was talking about.

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jdworld_uk@reddit

I read it that the bold is to differentiate between optometrist being the health/prescription side, the sales person is the glasses seller, i.e they are two different things and you shouldn't feel pressured by the sales person peddling their inflated glasses prices, your paying for the prescription info/details.

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herpaderpa123217372@reddit

Because the optometrist is the one that examines your eyes they tell the optician which lenses you need.

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W4rBreak3r@reddit

This is incorrect. The optometrists I know get commission from any glasses sales made after their eye test (and it’s quite a high cut).

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SpitroastJerry@reddit

I run an independent practice, have worked for many multiples and do not know and have never known a single optom that gets commission. The locums I use get a very generous day rate that isn't based on sales, it reflects their clinical excellence. I don't talk to them about sales as though it's linked to their clinic at all.

handthatf33ds@reddit

Went to the specsavers, told them I didn’t like any of their frames and they still gave me my prescription

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NotTooShabby95@reddit

We have to. Anybody who's not giving it out isn't following the rules.

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Opposite_Radio9388@reddit

Sales are important, so there would always be a bit of disappointment if patients went elsewhere. Whoever that's their prerogative.

The thing that always got me was people coming in with the cheap glasses they bought online that weren't quite right, and asking for free adjustments and troubleshooting. That's part of what you pay for when you buy in person.

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NotTooShabby95@reddit

Wholeheartedly agree with you!

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LethargicOnslaught@reddit

As the owner of a family run practice; I'm not happy about it, its your right to have your prescription and go anywhere you like with it. That being said, I'd encourage you to go the multi billion pound national chains if you want to do that, not the small independent practices.

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Just-Standard-992@reddit

Can I ask, do small practices allow you to bring your own frames, and fit new lenses on them for you?

Asking because in my country of origin this is very common, but the big chains here don't do it, and I am curious if it might be something smaller places do offer?

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fussyfella@reddit

My optometrist in Scotland is a one woman show (two if you include the receptionist who also doubles as a technician) and she just gives me the prescription and says something like "you can get this fulfilled anywhere, but if we don't have some frames you like, let us know what you do like and we can usually get them cheaper for you than the big names". I have never had any harder sell than that. As a result I have bought all my frames from them since I moved there.

Of course all eye tests are free in Scotland, but knowing what the fees NHS Scotland pay the optometrist to do them, they must rely on a significant chunk of revenue from sales of frames and fancy lens to make a profit.

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ratscabs@reddit

In fact they make a loss on eye tests: flogging specs is where they make their money.

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thesyldon@reddit

This claim I find hard to believe. Do you have a reference for the statement?

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TheTjalian@reddit

Given a sight test is usually between £25-30, and if you're testing, say, 30 people a day, that's only a maximum revenue of £900 just from sight tests. That would only just about break even once you factor in costs for all the staff, rent, electricity, etc. You might maybe make about a hundred quid or so. Now factor in an NHS sight test is worth less than the value of a private sight test, and then sometimes you're seeing people for rechecks, or other free of charge services, that would also eat away at margins.

If an opticians theoretically never sold a pair of glasses again, I guarantee you they'd go out of business pretty damn sharpish.

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Commercial-Silver472@reddit

That £900 is income from one member of staff. Others can be generating different income.

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TheTjalian@reddit

No optometrist is testing 30 people a day lol that's impossible

It's also paying for the receptionist and the people doing the pretests.

Yes other members of staff are generating income - through dispensing glasses. What do you think would happen if they are no longer doing that? Do you think they are now just free labour?

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Commercial-Silver472@reddit

8 hour shift doing 20 min appointments gets you 24. So not that far off. I think an eye test takes less time than that when I go.

The other members off staff can do whatever. More tests. If they were no longer selling glasses I guess they'd have to do something that was actually required?

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TheTjalian@reddit

Yeah I just use to manage an opticians, what the fuck do I know?

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Ok_Adhesiveness_8637@reddit

Could you explain why its wrong then please, I had my eye test done the other day, it took no more than 10 minutes and I had to do that pressure test for the first time since im now 40.

There's 510 minutes in an 8.5 hour day, if there was a fully booked diary that would make 34 tests a day.... Now are we saying its not possible because theres not 34 people a day needing an eye test, or are we saying it is because of a different reason?

Im not doubting what you are saying, because you have experience in the field and the closest thing I have to the industry is an ex girlfriend who worked at optical express many moons ago whilst we were together.

34 (fully booked diary per day) x £40 (how much my test cost me) = £1360 on a fully booked day.

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CactusFlipper@reddit

I'm an optician and used to manage a practice. IMO 10 mins is rushed, granted tech does a lot of the work these days, but the standard is 20-25 mins for multiples (corpo giants), and about 45-60 mins in private practices with more pricey specs that cover the costs. Chances are that your optom has 20 mins allocated to each patient but choose to rush the ones they can so they have lots of free time throughout the day. I could be wrong here, but I've never known a practice to allocate less than 20 mins for a full sight test: What would happen if they found a problem in the test? Or needed to write a referral? Or had a patient with communication issues? Or the patient is 5 mins late and loses half the testing time?

So, let's do the maths at the minimum side of standard and consider this is a business with variables and not just an equation.
Let's say you have 2 optoms testing 20 mins/patient. One clinic starts at 9:00 and the other at 9:10 to stagger the arrivals/lunches and remove pressure from the shopfloor, opening hours are 9:00-17:30.
Optom 1 sees 9 patients before 12:00 lunch, and 12 patients after lunch. Optom 2 sees 11 patients before 12:50 lunch, and 10 patients after lunch. The clinics finish at 17:00 and 17:10 to allow time before close for admin, cleaning or if the clinic ran late all afternoon.
Your test may have cost £40, but lets say all of these patients are NHS, that brings us down to £23.53/test.
9+12+11+10 = 42
42×23.53 = £988.26 for TWO 7.5 hour clinics*

Now, you have two optoms to pay, and likely 3-5 shopfloor staff, plus other overheads that I'mbot going calculate.
Daily rate for optoms can be anything from £250 - £550, depending on area and whether they're locuming or employed.
Let's say we have the bare minimum of 3 dispensers on min. wage, that's £286 per day, ignoring that they may have Dispensing Opticians or experienced staff being paid more than min. wage.
* Average for 2 optoms at £800/day and for 3 min. wage dispensers £286/day.

£988.26 from 42 tests vs £1086 for staff alone

Without mentioning last min cancellations or no shows, utilities, wastage and all the other variables.

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TheTjalian@reddit

I completely agree with your sums, excellent breakdown by the way, glad someone did it for me!

Just to add, that the majority of patients an Opticians gets is typically NHS, ranging from a simple majority to super majority depending on the day. The NHS exemption list is quite vast, so while it doesn't cover everyone, it does cover a large percentage of the population. Plus, older people who are likely going to need testing more often, are typically going to be NHS exempt.

While it can be a bit of a ball and chain from a business perspective, from a patient perspective I'm pretty glad that sight tests are covered under the NHS for those who need it most and there's no "upper limit" to the number of patients one can have - looking at you, Dentistry!

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Ok_Adhesiveness_8637@reddit

Fair enough, and thank you for the awesome breakdown.

Also, we are only working on the cost per day, but forgetting the NI/holiday/pension contributions as well as any insurance etc etc.

I guess thats why OE can offer their staff a 66% discount, because they need to charge so much for the frames to pull a profit

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CactusFlipper@reddit

No worries, it's a sum I've had to do tens of times before!

66% discount is likely near to cost price, it has been most places I've worked, but I've not worked at OE. Cost price of frames is about £1-£40, cost of lenses is about £1-£100+ (lenses vary massively when you include photochromic, polarising, high index or varifocals).

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TheTjalian@reddit

If you had a full sight test done in 10 minutes that either means you were straight forward as much as humanly possible or the optometrist basically did a poor test

Most other places allow for 25 minutes for a sight test, with independent opticians normally allowing for 40-45 minutes.

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Ok_Adhesiveness_8637@reddit

Fair enough, thank you for teaching me something today!

https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/news/2025-04-17/eye-care-costs-barrier-people-low-incomes

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thesyldon@reddit

That is the cost to the patient not the profit of the optician.

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mumwifealcoholic@reddit

yes, and they are very fucking greedy about it.

200 quid at sec savers, or under 50 online....no competition for someone like me who reguarly needs new glasses.

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Fluid_Assumption_457@reddit

I appreciate they're a business, but recently a pensioner relative was pushed hard to buy new glasses while the optometrist missed a deteriorating eye condition. Luckily we caught it in time with a different health provider, but it worries me that things slip because they're under so much pressure to "sell you" healthcare.

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Fit_Afternoon4604@reddit

A lot of companies pay for eye tests now (mainly if you work on computers) so you can have your free test with them and then buy your glasses elsewhere

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thetechguyv@reddit

Your company pays the optician - that doesn't mean the tests are free...

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Fit_Afternoon4604@reddit

I literally said the company pays. That in turn makes it free to you.

If I buy a chocolate bar and hand it to you, it is free for you.

I'm not sure why this needed clarifying, it's quite clear that I wasn't suggesting the test is completely free (no payment from anyone) considering I said the company pay..... Is your reading comprehension always this poor?

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coomzee@reddit

I do that basically every year. Get the afternoon off and get some lunch

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Practical_Ad6516@reddit

Used to work in an optician now work for an online glasses manufacturer. Yes we did mind but only because of head office. Every day we had to submit our conversion figures (percentage of people that bought glasses compared to amount of eye tests). If it was below 75% front of house got moaned at, below 60% optometrists and front staff got moaned at and below 50% head office would visit and discuss with each staff member how they tried to convert.

If they overheard you saying “are you wanting to look at glasses today?” Then you got in massive trouble. If someone said they get glasses online and you didn’t push for the sale you got in massive trouble, if someone said they didn’t have time today and you didn’t book an appointment for them to come back… massive trouble.

My company was very diligent about people being entitled to a copy of their prescription though. Pupil distance however was a weird one, I was told legally we couldn’t give it out as it’s not a part of the eye test clinically so if we gave it and it was incorrect we were liable, whether that’s true I still don’t know. If you have had your glasses made by a company though and you got on with the glasses they really should give you it but again if a manager overhears they may get in massive bother.

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ratscabs@reddit

Pupil distance however was a weird one, I was told legally we couldn’t give it out as it’s not a part of the eye test clinically so if we gave it and it was incorrect we were liable, whether that’s true I still don’t know.

It’s complete bullshit: they don’t legally have to give it out (so they don’t) - which of course is a completely different thing.

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TheTjalian@reddit

Actually it's not entirely bullshit. If it's written and signed by a clinician, then someone else dispensed a pair of glasses and you got into a massive accident and somehow it was because you couldn't see out of your glasses due to an incorrect PD, the clinician who signed off on those PDs is the one in trouble.

Now yes while I totally appreciate that does sound farfetched, that scenario is possible, so nobody would rather risk their licence over it.

TheTjalian@reddit

I didn't say it was part of the medical prescription, I said it was a medical measurement as part of dispensing a medical device.

Also, no, you're wrong again, not anybody can just sell or dispense glasses, you need a licence to do that under The Opticians Act, or authorisation from a licenced optician to do it on their behalf (officially known as a delegated task or activity).

I love how you went out of your way to go to the COO website and then just cherry pick specific lines from it to try and make your argument when you have no clue what you're talking about.

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Apprehensive_Ring666@reddit (OP)

You've shifted twice now. First it was a flat "that's not how measurements for medical devices work" now it's "medical measurement as part of dispensing a medical device" which is a longer way of conceding it isn't part of the clinical prescription.

You think think the screws and nose pads are also "part of dispensing a medical device." That doesn't make tightening them a medical measurement

The College of Optometrists isn't cherry-picking lol they are literally the professional body for UK optometry. If their own guidance treats PD as a dispensing measurement rather than a clinical one, that's the answer. You don't get to dismiss the actual governing body as me being selective!

Section 27 restricts sale of optical appliances to under-16s and people officially registered as sight-impaired/disabled; that is it. Selling prescription glasses to an adult with a valid prescription doesn't require a registered optician supervising, that's why Glasses Direct for example and the rest exist perfectly legally in the UK. "Delegated tasks" aren't doing the work you think they are

PD is retained as a commercial motive; not as a clinical or medical one, or it would be part of the NHS and prescription

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TheTjalian@reddit

Oh please do point out the part where I said it was part of your prescription. I'll wait, but I'm not holding my breath. I haven't flip flopped from my position at all.

Also I never said that screws and nose pads are part of dispensing a medical device, I haven't mentioned the frames at all.

So far all you've done is cherry pick lines to suit your argument and put words in my mouth. Are you a professional bullshitter, or do you just like to volunteer your time?

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Apprehensive_Ring666@reddit (OP)

Look, we've gone round the houses on this. The professional body says it's a dispensing measurement and the law allows online dispensing to adults without a supervising optician

If you genuinely believe PD is a medical measurement, then withholding it is withholding care for commercial reasons. Either it's clinical, in which case it should be given as part of the prescription, on the NHS, like the rest of the eye test - or it's a dispensing measurement and not medical. You can't have it both ways.

If you've got a source that contradicts any of that, I'm genuinely happy to read it. Otherwise I think we'll have to leave it there, cheers for the back and forth.

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Morris_Alanisette@reddit

"nobody would rather risk their licence over it"

Bullshit. I got my PD from my optician earlier this year. Just rang up and asked and they sent it by email so I could get some specialist glasses made online.

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Morris_Alanisette@reddit

That's not true at all. They don't legally have to provide the pupillary distance (unlike the prescription) but they can do if they want. Alternatively you can just measure it yourself. It's not hard.

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kpwxx@reddit

I'm curious, is that a percentage of total eye tests or of tests requiring a (new) set of glasses? I go every two years but have never needed glasses. Obviously I'll continue going, but curious if I'm damaging the shop's percentage by doing so!

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Practical_Ad6516@reddit

Total eye tests. They changed systems recently and now if people come in even for red eyes, itchy eyes, something in eye etc, then that is counted.

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Do_You_Like_Owls@reddit

This is why I won't bother going for an eye test even though I'm noticing my eyes getting worse at 40.

I don't trust them to be honest. If I read every line on the chart except the last they'd probs spin it that I need glasses for X reason.

Kinda like how US-healthcare is more about profit than health.

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SpitroastJerry@reddit

Google presbyopia. I won't try to convince you to go and get a test, but it's a real problem that you might be starting down the road of.

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Do_You_Like_Owls@reddit

Just not that bad. It's only a problem reading very tiny ingredient lists on food in low light. Something moist people would have problems with

Do_You_Like_Owls@reddit

Nah be reet.

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gaco79@reddit

Or glaucoma...

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Apprehensive_Ring666@reddit (OP)

Wow! I was told the same today. Surely that's not right

I was told legally we couldn’t give it out as it’s not a part of the eye test clinically so if we gave it and it was incorrect we were liable, whether that’s true I still don’t know

That they didn't "know my PD" and couldn't give it even if they measured it, despite connecting up like 4 different advanced machines that certainly looked like it could know my pupil distance...

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PurpleLauren@reddit

Specsavers have given me a different pupil distance on my prescriptions multiple times lol, so I assumed it can't be that important.

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Practical_Ad6516@reddit

Tbf those machines are set to an average PD and work off that. Some people have very narrow PD’s and some very wide so the machines can’t adjust that much. So they just are an average since it’s such a short time you’re on them your eyes can manage that long but glasses are worn a lot longer so intolerances are a lot more noticeable.

Seriously what are we doing in the UK. I've realised it would unironically be cheaper to fly to Korea every couple years to get an updated prescription than to continue to visit Specsavers, given that I get multiple pairs of glasses and sunglasses at a time with each updated prescription.

Admittedly that's far from realistic, so shopping online seems like a great alternative that I'll have to look into but I like being able to check how frames on my face. I'm not sure how that would work with an online purchase

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Recurvejake@reddit

Yes it does bother us. We get around £45 for a sight test and around 60% of rrp on glasses is profit. That profit pays all the staff, building rent/lease and other expenses and just doing eyetests doesnt come close to covering that.

Opticians as a trade or at least the high street version is likely to die off where people take their prescriptions and get them made online.

While its all completely legal to do and you are entitled to taking your prescription elsewhere it is killing small businesses and they will sooner rather than later die off, except for maybe some of the larger players (specsavers, vision express etc)

Work in an opticians as their diabetic eyescreener so while i dont deal directly with glasses sales i hear all about it.

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ForcedChangeling@reddit

Not an optician but I understand why.

The times I’ve needed it for prescription lenses that they don’t sell (VR headsets mainly) I’ve explained why I need it and they’ve been fine giving it to me

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Jealous_Sympathy9402@reddit

I know you haven’t asked this but just be careful when buying online as not only do you need to know your prescription strength but also the distance between the pupils and other things.

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CrustyHumdinger@reddit

You have legally paid for the prescription, if they create fuss, get the script and never, ever go there agin

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Humble_Ad_8822@reddit

I worked for Boots opticians. I wish we had worked for commission! Instead we would sometimes get printed out bingo cards with things like “dispense a pair of varifocals” and “sell a pair of glasses over £150” etc on it. If we “won” at bingo, our manager would bring out a bucket of the shittiest prizes you have ever seen and you could select yourself a 50p biro or a sticker or something. It was honestly offensive. If we all did well and met the day’s target, the manager would make brownies for us for the next day. So no, I didn’t care if you took your prescription elsewhere.

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EUskeptik@reddit

It’s your prescription, not theirs. Whether you paid for it, or the NHS did, it’s 100% yours and you should demand a copy.

Opticians try to hang on to it to get you to buy glasses from them at extortionate prices. I buy my glasses online and the only thing I need apart from the lens prescription is the PD measurement.

PD or pupillary distance is the measurement of how far apart your pupils are. Whoever makes your glasses needs the measurement to ensure the lenses line up exactly with your eyes.

I always ask the optometrist to confirm PD before the eye test is complete. The opticians prefer you not to have this information and reserve measuring the PD for the member of staff who’s selling you glasses at eye-watering prices. So ask the optometrist. It takes half a minute.

I have been buying glasses online for years. I have a complex prescription (strong astigmatism) that demands glasses are made with care. Twice I decided to go to a high street optician to have glasses made. They were considerably more expensive and one set were so poorly made I took them back for a refund.

I use SelectSpecs in the UK. They are highly competent and prices are low.

For even lower prices I use Goggles-4U. I have never had a problem despite my complex needs and the prices of their options are particularly attractive.

In both cases, the glasses arrive in 2-3 weeks.

Anthony_813@reddit

here I replied on another comment https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/1sx9nph/comment/oin8cl6/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

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chahu@reddit

Firmoo and vooglam are a couple I have used and liked.

I used to work as a dispenser in an opticians.

Some folk had simple prescriptions, just needed reading specs or whatever, and generally a chill demeanour - yeah, fine, no worries. Online spec suppliers are generally fine.

Then you get the people who had a stick up their arse about the whole thing from the start, with complicated prescriptions or just incompatible requests (you want a half-frame with your +6.00 but don't want it to be "too thick?" Yeah, sure...). You just know they're going to come back and kick up a stink about the whole thing.

If you get specs from a decent opticians and something goes wrong, there's a lot more they can do, and it can be done much more effectively - much easier for the opticians. It also benefits you, since you won't get pushed pillar to post with one company blaming the other for the issue.

So yeah, it depends.

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So if you going to buy glasses online then you’ll need to get your own PD’s.

Back in 2005 it was £36/37 odd the Gov pays for an eye test not £24.13 have they dropped it?

The frames and lens are what keeps the practice running - Designer Prada frames etc that they sell for £450 £500 a pop whilst cost price is £40 odd pound.

The lenses that sell for 100’s of pounds but only cost pennies or a couple of pound too.

They are a massive mark up.

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pig-dragon@reddit

The GOS1 voucher fee was never £36/37 in 2005

I don’t think you know the up-to-date cost prices. Yes the markup is high but £40 odd pound is not correct.

Lady--Morning@reddit

Sight tests prices rarely cover the true cost involved. Think NHS dentistry. When people need specs, the business makes money on the sale of specs. That is how they survive, especially independents. Going elsewhere can result in problems, not always, but sometimes. The PD is not part of the test and therefore, no legal obligation to provide it afterwards. Better service, shop local.

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mumwifealcoholic@reddit

Sorry, but it's not been better service for me going local.

I understand it must be frustrating for you, but from a customer point of view, there's just so many more options online. Whenever I try and get glasses in store, the cheaper women's frames just never seem to have any styles that suit me.

And the designer ones are too expensive.

Online I have hundreds of cheap options to choose from.

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bekahfromearth@reddit

I used to work at Vision Express. Yes, it did bother us as we were under a lot of pressure to hit certain KPIs. We got no commission though. There is a bit of skill involved in fitting and measuring glasses, especially if it’s a complex prescription.

Also it was funny when a costumer came back complaining about their glasses they’d bought online because they had put their prescription in incorrectly.

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AggravatingStruggle1@reddit

Also I ve had conversations with folk who really shouldn't buy their specs online (high prescriptions/varifocals ect) basically saying I know you don't want to buy from us, but if money is an issue please at least go somewhere cheaper (Asda)

The issue with online places is they don't have to play by the same rules as opticians because they aren't registered as a UK company. So don't give two shits if you get crappy fitted glasses, your measurements wrong ect.

Hello! I'm a registered and practicing optometrist. I agree that there are many different types of contact lens multifocal designs, and perhaps one you may get on well with. There are some points to consider here:

Some shops, like chain multiples might be more limited in what they stock.
Some optometrists aren't quite as specialised in contact lenses as others (we all have special interests).
I would routinely fit monofocals over multifocals unless the patient needed their perfect depth perception (It's well-tolerated, and much much cheaper for the user).
It's not unusual for one lens thar was working to stop all of a sudden. This can be because the lens actually changes (manufacturers don't make the same thing for long) or because the eyes genuinely do change with age.

I asked the optometrist at ASDA, whom I assume if not on commission for the eye distance stay so I could buy a -second- pair online. I had every intention of getting a pair from them. They refused outright. It's absolute bullshit.

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PleasedNacho@reddit

I just go somewhere where I can a pay for a test

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irrelev4nt@reddit

Mine didn't seem to care, but I said I didn't have time and needed to go to work (true) and that i'd pick some online and order them (also true, just wasnt from rhem) helped that my test was 9am on a week day morning

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DaUnicornTamer@reddit

So I'm a dispenser in an opticians. I don't get any commission for selling the glasses. However, even if I did, I can assure you, it doesn't bother me or the other dispensers.

Times are tough and I'd rather people be able to see properly due to being able to get glasses they can afford. Even if it is just a case of preferring to spend less, or because the styles are more their thing elsewhere, then go for it. My only concern when it comes to online purchases, is that higher prescriptions and varifocals etc should really not be bought online, due to the fact that there are specific measurements required to be taken that are very much better done in person for each specific frame.

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JonathnJms2829@reddit

You / the NHS have already paid them for the test.

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Morazma@reddit

It's annoying enough that I can't do an eye test myself. They just sit there doing things based on what I say anyway. They provide very little value. Just let me sit at a machine and try different lens strengths myself please.

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Revolutionary-Hand41@reddit

Just go to university and get the degree, then do the 12-18 month preregistration year and pass the OSCE exams at the end. One you e done that and paid upwards of 40 grand for the knowledge and experience needed to do a proper eye test you can get your own lenses and figure out how to do it one yourself. Simple!

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Morazma@reddit

Nothing to figure out, just need to flick between the lenses and see which one I can see better through.

I used to work in a franchised store. Yes, they do mind as it is a lost sale on their end for a frame or 2. Some people pay over £500 for a frame which is a considerable amount in an independent opticians. It’s management putting pressure on the OA’s to get sales, but I don’t think the OA’s actually give a shit. In my store, we did not get commission or bonus, it was minimum wage. I secretly used to be happy when patients took their prescription elsewhere as it meant one less patient to deal with for the day

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Malagate3@reddit

I went to a local opticians for an eye examination, turns out only one of my eyes is wonky and the other one is pretty good.

I asked them if they did monocles, they said no, so I asked for the prescription and they seemed fine to print it out for me - so I suppose they wouldn't mind at all if it's for a product they don't provide.

It was weird ordering the monocle online though, after I put in my details and placed an order the company then put my order on hold and sent me an email - to confirm that I didn't make a mistake, because one eye was quite different compared to the other! I had to write back to confirm "yeah, my eyes don't have the same prescription, that's why I am ordering a monocle from you"...felt odd to have to clarify that.

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I last went to a local independent opticians, booked online leaving a message saying I was looking for a prescription to buy glasses and contacts online, signed up for their special expensive eye test, purely with the reasoning of wanting to support local and not wanting to screw someone over by getting a free/cheap test and spending elsewhere.

When it came to the end of the test I asked for the prescription and the optometrist refused to give it to me, started claiming some legal stuff which I do not remotely believe.

The fact is they are in a decent position of power, I’m non-functional without visual aid, I will not actually survive without glasses. All they need to do is offer the tests with a little profit and because we need it we’ll pay for it. If they choose business practices which make them go out of business then it’s their fault.

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Mother-Market-4056@reddit

Been wearing glasses for 30+ years. Still go to an optician to have my eyes tested but will only buy them online now. Last time I went to Specsavers my test, lenses and frames were nearly £400. I think I blurred out the word "bargain", then just asked to pay for the test. They weren't happy, kept telling me I'd save the cost of the test of I bought the lenses and frames. Told them I intended to save roughly £300 by going to Asda. Now I don't even bother going there.

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TillyTeckel@reddit

Slightly off-topic, but has anyone bought glasses online with varifocal lenses? My last pair from the optician cost a fortune and I can't afford to spend that again!

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EmberTheFoxxo@reddit

Most of the opticians I have been to just print your prescription out and give it to you anyway as part of the service without asking, the one time I did ask for it I said it was because I wanted some prescription lens inserts for a VR Headset, which was true, and they obviously don’t sell them themselves anyway so not losing a sale.

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Lucky-Addendum-7866@reddit

I bought my glasses from Specscart after having had an appointment from Specsavers since they had cheaper glasses which were rimless.

It is worth noting online companies don't have anywhere near the level of quality control as high street brands do, I remember reading some study which said half of all online prescriptions weren't accurate.

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Nerry19@reddit

Eh, i cant speak for others experience, but i went for an app because i had been having headaches and blurryness. Turns out my eye sight it quite good, might just need a slight magnify when im tired. They told me it would probably be best if i just nipped to the pound shop and got a cheap pair with a (i think) .25 magnifier (??) For when my eyes were tired. Literally said "thatll save you 50 quid". So i was very impressed with that service, they could have tried to sell me a pair.

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darybrain@reddit

The last time I got examined at an opticians as an actual patient rather than doing a talk on my rare eye disorder the optometrist wouldn't hand over the prescription unless I bought some specs so I made an appointment with the local hospital's low vision clinic because I knew he also worked there and got examined by him again and got some free handheld magnifiers that I returned when I eventually needed others that were more powerful and a prescription for some heavily discounted specs.

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duckiesand@reddit

Optometrist here! (The people doing the eye tests)

Long read - get your popcorn.

TLDR: We personally don't care that much but it really hurts the business. The cost of your glasses is what actually pays for your test.

Commission is not a large factor at play for many people in the profession, we're far more interested in your health than your wallet. That's not to say it isn't a thing, of course it is - but it's secondary to the health and patient care. I reckon most of us who receive a commission take it as a "Oh cool I made some more money today, nice." when looking at end-of-day stats. We (the good ones) won't be telling patients they need things they don't (We are registered health care professionals - we can't directly lie to you, legally).

So commission isn't a huge issue, but are you still problematic if you dispense (buy) elsewhere? In short - Yes, but it's not your fault.

Glasses should cost a fraction of what they do, but they have a healthy mark up. That mark up exists because the NHS, alongside large chain practices, and to a lesser extent, complicit hidden chains of "independent" practices (its a whole thing...) drove the value of a sight test into the ground, so the cost has to get subsidised elsewhere. If the shops broke even on the tests like they should, it would cost over £100 for a basic one.

The NHS pays about £25 (which hasnt meaningfully changed in years, by the way) for a sight test, so where does the other £75+ come from? - Glasses.

The NHS expects people to buy glasses from the shop, that's why they can pay so little. For comparison, in my area, (they're all different) they pay us about double for a clinical check that takes about half the time. These very rarely result in glasses and therefore are paid properly at about 4x the normal rate (£/hr). I reckon they might be close to break-even if you get efficient enough with them.

Online retailers take the victory from the shops that do all the work, and if they mess up, they're absolved of responsibility. Essentially, it's like buying any prescription online from an unregistered place, except the medical professional made a loss to provide it to you.

It most certainly doesn't make you a bad person or customer, I'd probably buy online too (Though I hope I'd know more about what I'm doing tbf). It's just the state of things at the moment that clinical time is so undervalued. Unfortunately, there are large companies/conglomerates that are ready to take the losses on tests, so nobody can charge what their time is worth without getting out-competed.

As an aside commentary (not really answering the question): if EVERYBODY bought their glasses online for 2 years, it would, ironically, solve the entire problem, because the industry would have to flip back over!

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J_rd_nRD@reddit

A few years ago i went to specsavers for my eyetest, they didnt have any frames suitable for me or that I liked so I went to Asda. Cue three hours of the Asda optician team having to go absolutely ballistic because specsavers wouldn't hand over the prescription. Got it in the end but it was a massive hassle and the Asda team were furious at them.

A week or so ago i gad to go to for a health test at specsavers, prescription changed etc. The lady doing my eye test gave me the prescription but said it wouldnt have my measurements on it. I ended up getting some frames there because i really needed them. When I came back to collect I snuck a picture of the form with all the details. I then asked the guy doing it if I could have my details and he was hesitant but eventually said he couldnt give me them but I could take a photo of the sheet (which i proceeded to do again).

My plan was buy a second pair online, its a pisstake how expensive glasses are and afaik its down to one or two companies being extortionate and controlling the market.

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eresibae@reddit

We don't mind, we always give out the prescription anyway. We judge though, it's a bad idea to get glasses without them being measured and fitted properly. It's like asking a piercer what they think of people piercing their own ears/nose.

What annoys me is when people get glasses online, they don't exactly work, then blame it on the place they had their eye exam at. Like it's not my fault the frame doesn't fit right and you're not looking through the optical centre

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Asher-D@reddit

Buying online allows me to have them properly measured and fitted. I measure and fit my own glasses and I've never gotten it wrong, the optician at the optometrists office has though. Which makes sense, I'm going to take more time and care when I'm doing it, I'm just a sale for the optician, but it's MY sight, obviously I'm going to do a better job because I value the end result a lot more.

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eresibae@reddit

If you're just a sale for the optician that's a really bad optician :(

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Top_Enthusiasm8552@reddit

Following an eye test your ophthalmic practitioner optometrist is legally required to give you your optical prescription or a statement to say you've been referred for further tests.You should never feel obliged to buy glasses or redeem an optical voucher from the place where you had your eye test. Shop around for the best value and only buy glasses or contact lenses when you're happy with the product and cost. That's NHS advice. Cost of opticians wages £50-65k is not covered by eye test fee so creates pressure by owners, managers ,sales staff to get you to purchase glasses.

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anguslolz@reddit

I work as an optical advisor/assistant and I don't personally care that much as we don't work on commission (though some practices, not mine monitor targets) but for higher prescriptions and varifocals I'd advise against it.

The practice I'm at is one of the cheapest brick and mortar locations in a supermarket with a mostly all inclusive pricing scheme so we take alot of external prescription glasses orders ourselves lol.

Always better trying a frame in person too and make sure it fits good.

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Asher-D@reddit

Having a high prescription is the reason I started buying online (because buying in person was becoming far too expensive especially with the thinning and the special glass or whatever they wanted me to buy), if you take your time and really make sure you're getting the right thing, I've found the glasses I've gotten online to be so much better than in person, they fit so much better to the point I've never had to adjust them which is wild prior I thought glasses always needed adjustments, turns out I was being advised to buy frames in the wrong category and I tweak my prescription so I see perfectly without a blur (I don't know how the optometrist gets my prescription slightly wrong nearly every time by anyways).

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ravenpg@reddit

I've always felt a bit guilty asking for my prescription but we pay for the eye exam so it's not like they're making zero $$.

I bought my first pair of online glasses last year and I was really happy with my purchase. I used to buy at Costco but online is way cheaper than Costco which is way cheaper than optometrist.

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mydonna@reddit

Absolutely don't mind anything like that. Your prescription is yours to do whatever you want to and I will neither get rewarded if you buy glasses from us, nor will I get punished if you don't. What I do mind is people being rude when interacting with me and assuming they know my job better than I do.

In the company I work for we don't really do commission. Personally I don't believe in comission, especially in fields adjacent to healthcare.

While managers track how many designer frames etc you've sold, it doesn't really bring you anything apart from the managers liking you. We might get a bonus every now and again but we are all salaried employees and most of the metrics used for the bonus don't revolve around sales. Of course, can't answer for all stores but I've been lucky to work for stores that don't encourage sketchy practices. Unfortunately, I am aware that there's some really shady employees who have been the cause of a bad experience for you and I'm so sorry for this.

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Calm_Criticism9544@reddit

Asda give you them just fine, but maybe that's becuase you pay £20, but what does that matter, you can claim that back from work anyway.

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GroupCurious5679@reddit

I've had my eye test about a year ago at asda opticians, I bought glasses there. Do you think they would still print out my prescription now if I ask? So I can get another pair online? Or do they not store the results?

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duckiesand@reddit

Your results will still be there for (iirc) 10 years after they last saw you or 10 years after you turned 18 if you hadn't already. [Don't quote me on that]

Most certainly they will have your prescription. Though most prescriptions last between 1 and 2 years, so it might be out of date.

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GroupCurious5679@reddit

Thank you, I'll pop in and ask.

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tqmirza@reddit

Been doing this for almost 6 years now and couldn’t be happier. Been getting 2 pairs of thin lenses with all the treatments, £70 for 2 pairs usually. And their accuracy can be attested by the optician measuring my precious prescription by simply scanning the glasses and it was exactly what my previous prescription figure were. It’s your right, take advantage.

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Fuzzballs_IMVU@reddit

My husband is a lab tech at an opticians. I can buy frames online and he will cut the lenses 😜

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Best_Jump6955@reddit

As an ex Optician I can understand why you guys as the public make these complaints but having done the job for 36 years I will make a few comments you may not like.

In the UK it is accepted that it costs about £60+ to provide a sight examination and most are charging around £25 . If you guys don’t buy specs from them and go online you won’t like the alternative model, look up the cost of seeing an Optometrist in the US or Latin America for example .

Why should we measure your pd for you to take your business elsewhere ? For a start if we do this when things go wrong customers return expecting is to resolve the issue for a product we haven’t supplied. The same with adjusting and repairing glasses from online suppliers.

The problem starts with the pittance the NHS pays for providing an NHS sight examination and the problem has deteriorated rapidly since covid as minimum wage has increased far more quickly than sight test fee’s.

My window cleaner has a better hourly rate and I doubt you do 4 years at University to do that job.

There is a reason you can’t get an NHS dentist anymore and Optometry would be the same without the large chains in the UK.

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LocalMendicant@reddit

I actually think glasses are mostly pretty cheap given I'm wearing them on my face every day. Ok not a reply to the OP I know

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ceciem2100@reddit

Well I worked at Boots Opticians (I am not an optometrist) we never minded. Also if you lose your script or never got it, another optician can just call the original place you went and have you prescription sent over, it's all on the CPU so very easy to do.

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sapphire-sky-dragon@reddit

I cant get my lenses on line so I dont have a choice but to bf fleeced 😩 im on disability I just dont have £400 to pay so I had to walk away and buy readers from the poundshop which im not supposed to use as I have astigmatism.

I’ve always had no problem getting a prescription from whomever is doing the test, however, I did find an old prescription recently where some of the readings were negative, when putting that into sites now they always ask “are you sure” I’m pretty sure the cheap glasses I wore back then were due to an incorrectly provided prescription.

I remember at the time thinking that I must have gotten my husbands prescription instead. But even he couldn’t wear the glasses.

I need to get another test soon and will probably get one from Costco.

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RedsChronicles@reddit

I had a test at Specsavers last month, gave them my voucher from work and said I'd just like the test today, and that was that. They were friendly and gave me my prescription at the end without me asking.

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hippiehappos@reddit

I mean they shouldn’t since you pay for the test

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Intruder313@reddit

After my last test I was looking at specs in the shop when the assistant abandoned me, even leaving my prescription on her desk

Another said ‘someone will help you soon’ but that desk got taken up by more staff and customers

They cannot refuse as it clearly says on their website.

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SteakSandwichSideEye@reddit

The worse experience i had was a few years ago at a Tesco optician. At the end of my eyes being tested, I was told I didn't need glasses yet, but (and I quote), "I can show you some glasses. Shall i show you some glasses?"

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future_surgeon24@reddit

If they record it on their system, you can do a GDPR request for it!

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Cranston_Pickle@reddit

I’ve requested mine and my daughter’s prescriptions from Specsavers on a couple of occasions and not only did they not question why I wanted them, they emailed them over to me pretty sharpish. FWIW, I like to try glasses on in person, so I’ve never bought a pair online.

TheRealPyroManiac@reddit

I found a pair of glasses I liked at my local opticians but was able to find the exact pair online for about 1/3rd of the price. I said could I just buy bring them in and they adjust them for me for £25 but they agreed to a 20% discount with the adjustment included. Still paid about £50 more overall but didn't mind supporting them as it was a small business rather than specsavers etc.

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EmToMo@reddit

I've worked in both chain and independent opticians for over 10 years. We do not get paid commission. There is no incentive for us to sell you something we know you wouldn't benefit from just to get a better sale. You can take you're prescription wherever you like and it doesn't affect us personally. It generally balances out because we get walk-in customers who've had their test elsewhere but bring their prescription to us. I will admit it is frustrating to have to deal with the occasional patient who is sure their prescription is wrong and it's because they've ordered online and missed off their astigmatism correction, or misinterpreted the reading add as being the full Rx, or tried to order near vision glasses using their distance PD, just because it takes time to explain to that person where they went wrong, and how to fix it, when we're generally busy with our own customers.

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