So I need new specs, recently have used a mixture of Boots Opticians and local independents. I haven’t found any specs which work for me in the local indies, well I’ve found a couple in the local high end shop but that would mean shelling out about £400. Most of the shops don’t offer anything much in lens sizes bigger than 54mm, apparently I’m a bit of a melon head so only lens sizes of 56mm or ideally 58mm work for me.

Thought I’d pop into Specasvers, found a titanium frame which works for me, can get the very high index lenses and a second pair of sunnies for about £330.

How can it be this cheap (admittedly the £85 sunnies look more like no brand £15ers from a beach store), they also offer a no quibble return (anyone used this?).

So forum Specsavers, Good/Bad?

How can it be this cheap

By making the main HQ on the channel islands to save on tax and running in the mid level management grommets back and forwards from the mainland HQ via a private jet for meetings a few times a week for a start.

Just got 2 new pairs last week from Specsavers. A pair of titanium and a pair of Karl Lagerfeld both with thinned down to the 2nd level lenses. £245 all in. That was bogf on the frames at £125 then £60 per set of thinned lenses.

Glassesdirect have a 50% offer on at the moment. I’ve had my last 3 pairs from them.

I get my contact lenses from Specsavers, £10 a month, as a result I get 50% all frames.

Shame they never have any I like in, and every branch despite being a franchise, has the same styles.

Oddly, Tesco opticians seem have a really nice choice.

The rimless ones I got from specsavers a few years ago turned out to be a bit crap but the rimmed ones I got with them are still going strong.

Will definitely consider using them again.

EDIT: Actually, if they’re not going to pay UK tax I might try and avoid them. Looks like another tedious ‘who pays tax’ search before my next purchase 🙁

Shame they never have any I like in, and every branch despite being a franchise, has the same styles.

thats not despite being a franchise- that’s exactly what a franchise is

By making the main HQ on the channel islands to save on tax

The family who own Specsavers live in the Channel Islands and the business was started there, they have merely stayed where they were founded.

So forum Specsavers, Good/Bad?

yes (sometimes) / yes (sometimes)

my wife used to work for a couple so I’ve gathered a few opinions…

Quality of store / staff can vary massively. Stores are franchises and so different store directors have differing standards.

I’d say the sales volumes allow them to operate differently. There are good and bad tales all over but some smaller opticians without these big volumes may try extra hard to extract every pound from each customer whereas [some] Specsavers staff are not so desperate because they are so busy.

Testing times may be shorter (depending on the franchise / optometrist) but either way the optom is in danger of being struck off if they do not do their job properly.

Some top Optometry students work / worked in Specsavers (or used to) because they could pay some of the best salaries (because of number of sales) – again different franchise directors have different priorities and some I guess would try and run it as cheap as they can.

edit..franchise owners of each store are usually UK resident paying UK taxes on store profits…but stock and other costs will be going to head office.

thats not despite being a franchise- that’s exactly what a franchise is

I did mean to write something along the lines of ‘as every branch is a franchise.’

Not quite sure what happened.

Point still stands, or does it? I don’t know anymore.

I buy their premium varifocals. I got a framers pair that were, frankly, crap, but a week out of the annual warranty they replaced them with a titanium pair FOC as I’d had nothing but trouble from them. Those have been great for 12 months, and as I smashed them up on Saturday I shall go back. Pentax varifocals, plus timberland polarised varifocals in the bogof deal for £400? No brainer

They’ve been fine for me, over a number of years.
I’m not a fashion queen, so I tend to go for the cheapest frames that suit me (in my daughter’s opinion).
2 pairs for £65, including lenses, seems an excellent deal to me. As a big chain they have all the optical testing gear that’s needed and some good optometrists.

Whilst on the subject can Specsavers be trusted with your eye test ? Been going to them for quite a few years . Went for test Sunday , the pressure test where they puff air in your eye came out a bit high . They asked me to do it again yesterday at a different time of the day . Did that , they still aren’t sure going to get head optometrist to give me a ring ? Both times the pressure test has been done by an assistant not an optician and they didn’t do the test where you follow the dot round the screen , not very confidence inspiring .

No issues with the eye test or specs from specsavers – still prefer to walk in to a shop rather than order on-line. And I doubt any of the online options are doing any better on the tax front.

Curiously despite oldfart’s comment my last test did include the dot around the screen.

Would prefer a wider choice of frames – esp for getting something better for the bike – but one trip into an indie to enquire about Oakleys did convince me that that it would be a rather expensive option for practicing face plants.

I’ve never had a problem with them over the last 10-15 years, glasses and contacts.

Though I think the guy in charge of recruitment at our local branch may be a dirty old man 8)

(Slight hijack) do they do prescription sports glasses or would it be better to go elsewhere?

They may be on the Channel Islands but they’ll still be paying VAT on their sales, business rates, NI for their staff, and their staff will be paying NI and Income Tax.

I am a regular, however I was in the strange situation of one branch telling me every year it wasn’t worth getting light and thin lenses, then I changed branch after a bit of aggro with a prescription, new branch recommended thin and light before I even asked! Noticeable and worthwhile difference on my -2.25 prescription. Apparently some of the designer frames include thin and light in the price.

Had a call from head honcho , deeply apologetic , they are going to re do my test from the beginning Thursday morning .

Mine are particularly good – always impressed with service over and above what I would consider decent.

Used them once and had awful service.

Had glasses and prescription sunglasses in the same order. The sunglasses came with the wrong prescription in one lense, so they were left in the shop for them to sort. Finally get a call 2 weeks later to say they are ready, only to find they have a different tint in each lense. This was clear to me, but the staff were adamant that they wouldn’t redo the whole lot again.

Then within a few months the coating on the clear glasses failed…. Tbh- they were so much cheaper than the nearest independent that I shouldn’t have been surprised. This was a few years ago now, so things might have improved.

To add a bit of detail to my post above, I had bought an expensive pair of frameless premium varifocals from Specsavers in May 2013. They weren’t brilliant, very finicky to read with, and the arms and nosepiece detached several times. After about five goes at getting them fixed the optician I had seen a couple of times said that I could choose another pair if I wanted, as these weren’t doing the job. She checked the system and saw that they had gone beyond their 12 month guarantee by a week or two, but as I had had a lot of trouble with them I could choose another pair for free. She steered me towards their titanium range, and to give them their due, they’ve been very comfortable and trouble free ever since then (June 2014). Nice bit of goodwill considering the lenses alone were over £300.

Fast forward to Saturday, and I came off the bike, and in the process mangled the frames on the new ones. Prepared this time to make an insurance claim if necessary, I went back in this afternoon. After making a fuss over my arm in a sling and asking about the accident, the optician declared the frame knackered, as the sprung hinge was sprained beyond repair. She then said she thought the frames were still in stock and nipped over to the display. Five minutes later she had transferred the lenses to the new frames and handed them over. As she turned to the computer to update records I asked how much it would be.. Her reply was that as I’d had them less than a year, they were prepared to do them free of charge as a goodwill gesture.

Just every so often we are treated to service which far exceeds what is expected.

I’ve only good things to say about Specsavers too, always helpful and willing to go above and beyond to keep me happy.
For customer service they are by far the best of any company I have to deal with on a regular basis.

Like any huge chain where a lot of service is required (I.e. like bike shops!), experiences are bound to be mixed.

I’ve got on well with Glassesdirect, make sure you get 2nd pair free or some deal.

That’s great service scapegoat, I’d be very chuffed with that!

I have used Specsavers for glasses and contacts for 15 odd years.

The service at my branch (Cheltenham) has improved greatly over the past few years. Of the companies that I interact with I would say that they give the best service.

On my last appointment I was an hour late due to me making a mistake over the appointment time and they managed to squeeze me in and did not make a fuss about my mistake.

Overall great service and excellent value for money. Lots of companies could learn from them.