HOW TO SPOT BARGAIN SPECS
SPECTACLE wearers focused on saving money should not buy from an optician immediately after taking an eye test – but instead shop around. High street opticians usually charge from nothing to £40 for an eye test – a discounted price aimed at getting customers through the door. The actual price of an eye test is often more than £80 so to recoup this extra cost – and make a profit – the optician must sell the customer an expensive pair of specs.
While designer labels can hike up the price, it is unexpected extras such as thinner lenses and special coatings that mean lenses often end up costing more than the price of the frames. To avoid dwelling on these high costs many sales assistants promote headline grabbing special offers – such as two-for-one deals – that look great on paper but once totted up may not end up offering good value.
Malcolm Kanter, 44, and wife Lisa, 42, from Langley in Berkshire, both had eye tests before going elsewhere to buy glasses – paying £15 each for tests at the discount store Costco.
IT company owner Malcolm says: ‘There is something about the hardsell at opticians I do not like – having a huge bank of spectacles with a sales assistant hovering nearby after the eye test. I feel uncomfortable.’
The couple, who have three children Max, 12, Milly, ten, and 18-month-old Louie, chose an optician through the City of London-based company ISpex on a friend’s recommendation. A salesman then visited their home with a selection of frames to choose from.
Malcolm adds: ‘We both purchased a decent pair of specs for just £70 each – and that included the price of lenses. For that money you can afford spare specs and prescription shades for holidays that if lost or broken you can afford to replace.
‘The price included the cost of someone coming to our home with a wide range of frames, putting in the lenses and returning with the completed spectacles to ensure they fitted.’
ISpex does not offer designer label specs but a range of glasses costing £25 to £70. It also offers optional extras on top of the basic glasses deals. These include £10 for anti-glare coating, £10 for anti-scratch coating and £30 for anti-scratch transitional light sensitive lenses. It charges £100 for ‘ultra thin’ lenses. The cost of having all these extras at a high street optician can be £300.
David Gregor, managing director of ISpex, says: ‘The reason that costs can be kept down is we do not have the overheads of a high street shop – or the expense of offering eye tests.’
The company is not alone in offering discounted spectacles. It is also worth considering internet-based traders such as Glasses Direct, Direct Sight and Glasses123.
Some let buyers try on specs at home before buying but if the glasses do not fit or a prescription is not right it may be a struggle to sort out problems without face-to-face support. With complex prescriptions, such as varifocals, it may be better to have them professionally fitted.
Tara Evans, a spokeswoman for the consumer website MoneySavingExpert, says: ‘Many high street opticians have slashed their prices to compete with discounted offers on the internet, but the best deals for prescription glasses are still usually online. But you must have an up-to-date prescription to be sure the purchase is worthwhile.’
Michael Potter, head of marketing for the 8,000-strong professional trade body the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, says: ‘The most important consideration – above the money someone might spend on designer glasses or save on eye tests – should always be your health. An eye test is not just about improving vision – it can spot potential health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes and even brain tumours.’
Research by consumer group Which? found consumers rate their local independent optician as offering the best experience for buying glasses or contact lenses – including the eye test – above high street chains.