Has Your Optician Gone Private? I Mean For Your Check Ups And Not Your Spectacles?

[Bobbisox1]

I received a text telling I was due my two year check up, I rang to make the appointment and was askedAre you NHS or private as it’s changed since you were here last?
Errr, NHS, I said as I’ve never paid before
In that case we will put you on our waiting list to be seen or you can pay £84 for a private appointment, if not we have 6&12 month plans where you can pay by DD

[Old_Geezer]

Hmmm Specsavers. Stopped going to them recently. Vast majority of their frames have these spring things as part of the side mechanism, and they ALWAYS break. Every time. They told me on more than one occasion that I'm the only one who has a problem with them and asked what did I do with them, which I always suspected was a lie as what I did with them was simply to wear them. But on the last occasion I was told that despite the glasses still being in the warranty period the spring mechanism was the only thing not covered under the warranty ! One has to ask why, and the obvious answer is that the manufacturer and the retailer both know the design is unfit for purpose so try to get out of fix or replacement when it breaks; and clearly what they told me, when trying to put the blame on me, was a blatant lie. I had to fight to get it sorted, pointed out the non-warranty thing was a clear admission that it was a flawed design. The owner then decided I could have a replacement, presumably for customer relations reasons, but by then their copybook had been blotted. Next time I went elsewhere.

[bhg481]

Interesting, OG.
For over 20 years I have gone for spring sides as they feel more comfortable; only once have I had problems and they were sorted by Specsavers with no fuss. As Hoppy pointed out, they are a franchise so you might find completely different service at another branch.

[Maydup]

Just use a high street optician that doesn’t charge if you are over 60 for an eye test. They’ll fit you in within a week or so.

Then you can shop around and go wherever you like to buy the frames and lenses.

[barry1010]

I've had springy arms in my specs for years, many pairs over that time and never have the springs broke. What are you doing with them, OG? Do you drag them off by one arm?

[Hopkirk]

Mine don't have springy sides, they are the non folding titanium sort. After about nine months one snapped off. Specsavers had it replaced, no problems.

[Bobbisox1]

That’s what I have Hoppy, the Titanium ones

[barry1010]

Non-folding? No spectacle case? Can't imagine that

[Bobbisox1]

Mine fold ( sorry I should have said) but they Titanium and very very light

[barry1010]

I've never seen glasses that don't have folding arms.

[gingejbee]

Always been to Specsavers, always had springy arms...never had a problem. The £10 charge is not for the sight test - it is for the (optional) OCT scan - an eye health check well worth having. Last year I was referred to eye hospital for a laser iridotomy...on the basis of my Specsavers OCT scan. £10 well spent!

[Hopkirk]

Of course they fold, but there is no hinge.

[Hopkirk]

https://www.specsavers.co.uk/glasses/lite-502?sku=32739282

[Hopkirk]

OK my fault. I said no non folding, but meant not hinged.

[barry1010]

Clever! Thanks for clearing that up.

[Old_Geezer]

One can't drag glasses of, one removes them. The number of arms is irrelevant.

[jno]

one arm on mine broke - the arm itself slots into the hinge, and it came adrift. I invited Specsavers to repair it (it came from the same branch but it was years ago) and they said they couldn't - health and safety. Eh?? Anyway, I was due a free test with them so I had one, but the new specs they've sold me on the basis of it aren't quite right.

Disappointed, because they've been good before.

[Peter Pedant]

That's exactly what happened to me at my dentist last week.
My god you go to your dentist for an eye test ?
sozza sozza, I must take AB more seriously....

no - change opticians and find one that will do it on the NHS.
and dont go in to them pulling your mouth to one side and gobbing
"god I have a 5 that needs filling!"