Forum Topic

The high cost of specs at the High Street Opticians

One seems to spend a fortune at Dolland and Aitcheson in Hounslow High Street..and I recall sales assistants encouraging me to pay out£150 and more for new glasses.Indeed a pair of bi-focals cost me over £200. The problem is I keep losing glasses and damaging them as I jump in and out of my Van or car..and particularly when I'm carrying boxes of print etc.Having spent £1500 over say £5 years,I today wear a £10 pair from Tesco!! ..and thats not good.So, it came as no surprise to hear on the radio of a young lad who discovered that these Optical outlets charge us TEN times the cost of manufacture. It sounds a rip off. The four or so main High Street optician shops trading in unison  keeping prices high and the suppliers of frames and lenses being a bit of a "closed shop".This young lad has set up a GLASSES DIRECT type website..selling proper glasses at massive price reductions. Any comments.Also..Ive heard the same thing about hearing aids. Apparently prices are so much lower in places like Denmark..and it apparently pays to fly over there for a "fitting weekend" !!

Jim Lawes ● 7398d8 Comments

Perhaps I should write this in broil...I'm sorry, I'll feel that again...!(Thankyou Peter Cook,RIP)

Keith Iddon ● 7393d

......... oh what a spectacle of yourself you must have made.

Gareth Evans ● 7393d

Gareth :0)  Oh what fun!So: I stormed up to the High Street to Dolland and Aitcheson or whatever to complaint about their glasses and their high prices..and that I was fed up with them..and I kept losing them..and that they were a waste of time...and the assistant replied.. " Excuse me sir, but this is the travel agents..the opticians is next door"!

Jim Lawes ● 7393d

hdis myt gddow  xjk4r,m qyzx  glases mtiknsorted - as seen in the window of an opticians in Vyborg?

Gareth Evans ● 7393d

Vanessa: thanks for those messages. Could you post here or e-mail me with the website address..as I really ought to get hdis myt gddow  xjk4r,m qyzx  glases mtiknsorted!

Jim Lawes ● 7393d

True - silly me! I thought that deregulation was supposed to make specs etc. cheaper - I think they just run a cartel to which they are all a party, so we're really no better off, no wonder they're all up in arms over that young chap. My sons wear contacts which are far cheaper to buy on the net, the snag being you have to go to an optician to have a test etc. several now refuse to give you the prescription if you won't buy the lenses and lotions in their shop. I complained to Trading Standards as my understanding is that the prescription is the patient's property - unfortunately they couldn't be asked. The other scam is to be on the list of opticians who will do business with a web company and then they just rook you for the test fee! You just can't win.

Vanessa Smith ● 7394d

"but can't these big chains have websites as well and give the customers a choice?  "A friend of mine runs a high street shop, one of the big names, in a medium sized town up north.  They turn over a million pounds per year.  Why run a website when you have a cash cow like that in every high street!

Steve Peake ● 7395d

Yes I read the article too in the "Sunday Times" about the young lad who is obviously on to a good thing. Have perused said website and it is very reasonable and quite easy - even for me. Unfortunately they don't yet do varifocals, although he is working on that too. It really begs the question if he can do it why can't all these optical chains with their purchasing power? Clearly he doesn't have the overheads of shops and staff - but can't these big chains have websites as well and give the customers a choice?

Vanessa Smith ● 7395d