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Specsavers - how do they get away with it?

124

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,921 ✭✭✭Reati


    Why are people so against them using the PRSI to pay for the eye test?

    They are a business not a charity after all, of course they want to get paid for the test?


  • Registered Users Posts: 364 ✭✭kassie


    i'm due an eye test with specsavers, had a test 2 years ago and got two pairs of glasses at the time (2 for 1 offer). I've heard awful stories about them not letting you reuse your own frames and pushing extras on folks. My mum had to get varifocals from them 2 years ago and they wanted €470 for one pair, cost was so high because "of the specific lenses required". My mother was shocked, and as she had had trouble with them before (having to return glasses in the past as the prescription wasn't right and she couldn't see properly) she went for a second opinion to a local optician and she got her varifocals plus prescription sunglasses (with frames for both) for less than €400 and never had a days trouble with them. My aunt had a similar experience with SS.


    Can i ask for my prescription after i get my eye test? Are they obliged to give me my prescription without purchasing any frames/lenses from them?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,249 ✭✭✭Squiggle


    kassie wrote: »
    Can i ask for my prescription after i get my eye test? Are they obliged to give me my prescription without purchasing any frames/lenses from them?

    Yes you are entitled to a copy of your prescription regardless of whether you make a purchase or not.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,287 ✭✭✭Galadriel


    kassie wrote: »
    i'm due an eye test with specsavers, had a test 2 years ago and got two pairs of glasses at the time (2 for 1 offer). I've heard awful stories about them not letting you reuse your own frames and pushing extras on folks. My mum had to get varifocals from them 2 years ago and they wanted €470 for one pair, cost was so high because "of the specific lenses required". My mother was shocked, and as she had had trouble with them before (having to return glasses in the past as the prescription wasn't right and she couldn't see properly) she went for a second opinion to a local optician and she got her varifocals plus prescription sunglasses (with frames for both) for less than €400 and never had a days trouble with them. My aunt had a similar experience with SS.


    Can i ask for my prescription after i get my eye test? Are they obliged to give me my prescription without purchasing any frames/lenses from them?

    I just had an eye test with them last week they automatically give you your prescription.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,327 ✭✭✭bladespin


    Reati wrote: »
    Why are people so against them using the PRSI to pay for the eye test?

    They are a business not a charity after all, of course they want to get paid for the test?

    I think it has more to do with them promoting the test as 'free' when in-fact it's actually charged albeit to PRSI so not actually free.
    I'm not sure how they would handle a walk-in who wasn't actually entitled to the PRSI test (for whatever reason).


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,417 ✭✭✭OmegaGene


    Galadriel wrote: »
    I just had an eye test with them last week they automatically give you your prescription.

    That must be a new thing because my wife tried numerous times to get hers and they kept fobbing her off very year
    We will keep that on file just call back and we will supply the glasses etc

    The internet isn’t for everyone



  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,099 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Specsavers are a franchise, different stores will work differently. If you push the point every optician will give the prescription but many won't give the pupil distance.


  • Registered Users Posts: 62 ✭✭Nutser


    L1011 wrote:
    Specsavers are a franchise, different stores will work differently. If you push the point every optician will give the prescription but many won't give the pupil distance.


    Specsavers wanted €25 a few years ago to measure pupillary distance.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,272 ✭✭✭RiseToMe


    Nutser wrote: »
    Specsavers wanted €25 a few years ago to measure pupillary distance.

    And are well within their rights to do so, the PD measument is part of the dispensing process (when you buy spectacles) not part of the sight test. So they will charge you a professional fee in order to take it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ Ivan Noisy Sack


    OmegaGene wrote: »
    That must be a new thing because my wife tried numerous times to get hers and they kept fobbing her off very year
    We will keep that on file just call back and we will supply the glasses etc
    I've never had s problem getting mine from them.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,183 ✭✭✭jobless


    been reading this thread with interest.... looking to get new glasses but dont have the money to pay high prices... id like to try some of the online stores mentioned ....
    has anyone managed to get a prescription with pupil distance included?...




  • Yes, I did in vision express on Talbot street.

    The guy doing the test started saying, in an overly loud voice, so that his boss could hear him: "We don't normally give that out because people use it for buying glasses online and if you get the wrong type it can be very damaging. I'd be wary of buying from an online retailer".

    While he was saying this he measured my PD and wrote it down on a post-it and handed it to me. Then told me that he buys his own off Zenni. This was about 7 years ago, so not sure if he's still there.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    jobless wrote: »
    been reading this thread with interest.... looking to get new glasses but dont have the money to pay high prices... id like to try some of the online stores mentioned ....
    has anyone managed to get a prescription with pupil distance included?...

    Your PD doesn't change once you're an adult. So once you have it you have it. That said I always get my prescription from the optician. Once it didn't contain it for I asked for it and was given it.

    Personal bugbear with Spacsavers this month. Daughter getting contacts for the first time - very hard sell from the staff. Signed up for 3 months home delivery - then found out that they will take month 4 next month ... etc. So always 3 months in advance - no thanks - cancelling DD before next payment.

    And the price - €20 for a pair of monthlies. Found them online from the UK for €25 for 3 months supply. Contacts are off the shelf not custom made so you can buy them anywhere.


  • Posts: 0 Shane Vast Salon


    Yeah, so I got a new prescription and bought new glasses from Specsavers a few months ago. Well, technically as I had good quality frames that I liked I merely paid them c. €230 for replacing the lenses in the same frame. Nice profit for them. I wear them once a week just as a break from contacts. Bear in mind they were supposed to be updated (prescription wise) replacement lenses. I tried them on in front of the laptop a week or so later and lo and behold looking at the laptop was a blur and I had headaches.

    Now, with my previous glasses I was able to read the laptop and see in the distance through them. I went back and asked what was wrong. The Specsavers' person said that I had only been given distance glasses. I said I bought new glasses that would replace my old glasses. I didn't pay €230 or whatever for glasses that would only do half the job. I was then told that I am at an age where my prescription has changed and I would no longer be able to use the same glasses for both. Eh, when in a hole...

    I was then told about a "deal" where I could get 50% off blah blah blah and another bullshít "deal" on top of that if I bought more new glasses. And, furthermore, as I did not get any PRSI discount on my above nice glasses (something which was news to me), I could get that PRSI discount also only if I bought this second new pair of glasses (as they claimed that PRSI discount could not be backdated to the good glasses which I had bought a few weeks before).

    So, they wanted to charge me a further €150 to sell me a pair of inferior glasses that I could use for reading and I'd rarely be using my nice, more expensive glasses which I originally bought (as I would be reading more). Despite my wanting to be able to read and see in the distance from the one pair of better glasses, the gouger in Specsavers was trying to move heaven and earth to get me to buy a second set of glasses. I fúcking hate glasses. As mentioned, I only wear a pair once a week to give the eyes a break from contacts, and this hard-sell clown wants to charge me almost €400 for two pairs of glasses that I expressly don't want.

    Most professional businesses would admit they got the initial lenses incorrect when they gave me distance glasses to replace distance and reading glasses, and replace without question. This one is insisting I should try them out first and then decide. Eh, no, just do what your company should have done at the start and stop trying to charge me more for rectifying (but actually not rectifying) a problem created by your firm's incompetence.


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,099 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    The PRSI paperwork officially isn't backdatable, fudges are made. It should have been offered to you the firs time.

    What lenses were in your old glasses? If they are single vision and were OK for previous use, the fact you need two types now it is because you're getting old (sorry....), if they were already mutli-focal in any of its methods of doing so they definitely ballsed up.


  • Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭gobo99


    Orion wrote: »

    And the price - €20 for a pair of monthlies. Found them online from the UK for €25 for 3 months supply. Contacts are off the shelf not custom made so you can buy them anywhere.
    Orion can I ask you what site get your contacts?
    Or if anyone else has experience of buying contacts online


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,228 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    Went into them today. Made an appointment online for the PRSI funded test. They accepted and sent a confirmation email. So I go in and am told quite casually that the website that they use to process the PRSI info is down so I'll have to pay and get it refunded. I rolled my eye of course expecting this to be one of their scams. So I agree yo pay the €30. Got the eye test and afterwards went up to pay. As I produce my card I ask about the refund and the guy says 'yeah you'll get a letter in the post, and you just come in with that'. I tap my card and it beeps, transaction complete, and the guy says 'yeah it can take a couple of weeks for the letter to arrive'. Is this a scam? Are they hoping to pocket my payment and my PRSI money?

    Should I be contacting some consumer standards people?


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,099 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Normal enough


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    They could make a phone call to the DSP to check the entitlement. Or send off the request in advance and get clearance. That's what they do in my local optician.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,228 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    Orion wrote: »
    They could make a phone call to the DSP to check the entitlement. Or send off the request in advance and get clearance. That's what they do in my local optician.

    I thought when they accepted the online appointment that they had confirmed I was entitled to it.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,714 ✭✭✭Xterminator


    i thought they supplied chocolates and a cup of tea.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,289 ✭✭✭robbiezero


    bladespin wrote: »
    Full disclosure: I hate going for new glasses, this dates back to when I got my first credit card (long ago) I had promised myself a nice pair of glasses instead of the old medical card jobbies, armed with a 'special offer' - glasses and sunglasses for £100 I happily went in and before I know it I was being charged £578; coatings I 'had' to have, frame upgrades for just a little more etc etc - yes I swallowed it all.

    Every experience with the optical chains since that has reinforced this, I honestly would rather deal with the roughest used car dealer than these 'professionals'.

    Now, I had a lovely pair of raybans until I lost them last year, as summer is approaching i thought I'd get a new set with an up to date prescription so looked about online.

    Specsavers seemed to offer a nice pair at a reasonable price of €89 and as the ad said 'comes with standard single vision lenses, a scratch-resistant treatment, case and cloth.' I thought I had a winner.

    Their website promised me a free eyetest up to the 30th but found they preferred to go through PRSI when I tried to arrange a test; eh well okay.

    Turned up for the test and all went swimmingly, their Navan staff are lovely, very easy to deal with.

    So test done I mentioned that I'd seen a pair I liked and could I buy them, we selected the pair from the display (marked at €89 as per the web) and went to order, I was asked about thin lenses and coatings but as these are only really for the car I said no thank you, just the standard.
    The calculator came out and I was presented with a bill for €178, a little stunned I questioned this, thinking they were thinking I wanted 2x pairs but no, this was for the pair I'd picked with standard lenses.
    I mentioned the price from the website but was told that that was for the frames with 'standard' lenses, when I said that was what I wanted I was told that for 'sunglasses' I would require polarizing or tinted lenses, €60 and/or €89, that the 'standard' lenses that were free were clear lenses, I thanked them for their time, got my prescription and left, I've just ordered 2 pairs (one sunglasses and a spare set of clears) for €64 online so I'm very happy.

    I'm just trying to understand how they can get away with that kind of carry on, surely there's some sort of advertising standard that's in breach here, selling sunglasses with standard lenses that aren't sunglasses unless you spend another €60 minimum for a tint, how can they describe clear lenses as standard sunglasses?

    Went in there today for an eye test and possibly to buy a pair of glasses ( I wear contact lenses all the time, but was thinking it would be no harm to have a pair of glasses just for wearing in bed or the odd time to give eyes a break from the contacts, as well as for backup).

    Eye test supposed to be free, but 20 euro extra added for something called OCT, photo of back of eye or something, that I wasn't asked if I wanted.

    Optician said I would need to get "slim lenses" in the glasses. I picked out a pair for 89 euro (~40 off via PRSI), but 145 added for the "slim lenses". 2nd pair free, but would need to also have the 145 added for "slim lenses", I was allowed to leave those to get them another day.

    Didn't really argue the point as I assumed optician would know best, but given how little I expect to wear these glasses (actually haven't had a pair in 5 years), I can't help feeling quite gouged.
    Maybe all the above was fair enough from them, but I will not be using them again.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,593 ✭✭✭emeldc


    robbiezero wrote: »
    Went in there today for an eye test and possibly to buy a pair of glasses ( I wear contact lenses all the time, but was thinking it would be no harm to have a pair of glasses just for wearing in bed or the odd time to give eyes a break from the contacts, as well as for backup).

    Eye test supposed to be free, but 20 euro extra added for something called OCT, photo of back of eye or something, that I wasn't asked if I wanted.

    Optician said I would need to get "slim lenses" in the glasses. I picked out a pair for 89 euro (~40 off via PRSI), but 145 added for the "slim lenses". 2nd pair free, but would need to also have the 145 added for "slim lenses", I was allowed to leave those to get them another day.

    Didn't really argue the point as I assumed optician would know best, but given how little I expect to wear these glasses (actually haven't had a pair in 5 years), I can't help feeling quite gouged.
    Maybe all the above was fair enough from them, but I will not be using them again.

    So is that €254 just for one pair. Did they say why you needed slim lenses.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,229 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    went into my regular opticians got some nice carrera titanium frames, thin lenses (cos im blind and they would be thick and heavy otherwise), varifocal, €475 minus about €100 PRSI payment (dont ask me where this came form - not complaining, threw in a pair of varifocal sunglasses as well with the obviously thick standard lenses but i can read in them. great stuff.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,289 ✭✭✭robbiezero


    emeldc wrote: »
    So is that €254 just for one pair. Did they say why you needed slim lenses.

    1 pair was (145 + 89). Was allowed around 40 off for PRSI so just under 200 quid. The second pair then would have been "free" + 145. They were smart enough to not push the second "free" pair on me as I probably would have said "f**k the glasses" and not got either with that price.

    Not really sure why I needed these "slim lenses" something to do with the fact that my eyesight is very poor, (-6.0 in contact lenses) so I would have needed fairly thick lenses normally, but seemingly the "slim lenses" would be better for me for some reason.
    Bit annoyed with myself for not questioning it a bit more at the time, as I hardly need and will only barely use those glasses anyway.


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,099 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Every retail optician in Ireland charges scandalous prices for frames/lenses; its as if they - or their upstream suppliers - haven't realised that you can't get away with that anymore.

    Random pair of metal frames with thinned lenses on Zenni = under $60. Plastic ones with non-thinned lenses from about $8.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,327 ✭✭✭bladespin


    Get your prescription (full) and order on-line, just bought a pair of glasses (nice frames-their own not designer though) on spex4less with all coatings etc £23.92 including delivery.


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,421 ✭✭✭✭astrofool


    robbiezero wrote: »
    1 pair was (145 + 89). Was allowed around 40 off for PRSI so just under 200 quid. The second pair then would have been "free" + 145. They were smart enough to not push the second "free" pair on me as I probably would have said "f**k the glasses" and not got either with that price.

    Not really sure why I needed these "slim lenses" something to do with the fact that my eyesight is very poor, (-6.0 in contact lenses) so I would have needed fairly thick lenses normally, but seemingly the "slim lenses" would be better for me for some reason.
    Bit annoyed with myself for not questioning it a bit more at the time, as I hardly need and will only barely use those glasses anyway.

    from memory, some frames can't fit the non-thin lenses, depending on the prescription you have.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,443 ✭✭✭sondagefaux


    OmegaGene wrote: »
    That must be a new thing because my wife tried numerous times to get hers and they kept fobbing her off very year
    We will keep that on file just call back and we will supply the glasses etc

    Specsavers cannot simply refuse to provide customers with their prescription details.

    It's a pretty serious breach of the Data Protection Act.

    I suggest your wife contacts Specsavers in writing to request her prescription details using a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act:

    https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/individuals/know-your-rights/right-access-information

    If they reply with 'we have it on file, call in and we'll supply glasses' or similar, she would have grounds to make a formal complaint to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner: https://www.dataprotection.ie/

    The fines for breaches of data protection law have been greatly increased since the GDPR (the EU's General Data Protection Regulation) came into force.

    All the data, including prescription details, that Specsavers have on file about customers should be made available to them on receipt of a Subject Access Reques under the Data Protection Act, and there are time limits for providing the information set out in law, which should normally provided for free:
    Can I be charged a fee to make an access request?
    In most cases individuals cannot be required to pay a fee to make a subject access request. Only in certain very limited circumstances, per Article 12(5) GDPR, where the initial request is ‘manifestly unfounded or excessive’ (which the controller must prove), can a controller charge a ‘reasonable fee’ for the administrative costs of complying with the request.

    https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/individuals/know-your-rights/right-access-information

    In the case of Specsavers, it's most likely they will be the 'controller' of your wife's data (unless they've outsourced it to someone else); you should be able to find out from their website or by contacting them.

    See Also:

    https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/guidance-landing/data-subject-access-requests-faq

    Data Protection Commission phone numbers:

    +353 (0)761 104 800
    +353 (0)57 868 4800
    09:15 - 17:30 hrs
    (17:15 Friday)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,443 ✭✭✭sondagefaux


    L1011 wrote: »
    Specsavers are a franchise, different stores will work differently. If you push the point every optician will give the prescription but many won't give the pupil distance.

    They have to by law if they have it on file.
    OmegaGene wrote: »
    That must be a new thing because my wife tried numerous times to get hers and they kept fobbing her off very year
    We will keep that on file just call back and we will supply the glasses etc

    Specsavers cannot simply refuse to provide customers with their prescription details.

    It's a pretty serious breach of the Data Protection Act.

    I suggest your wife contacts Specsavers in writing to request her prescription details using a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act:

    https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/individuals/know-your-rights/right-access-information

    If they reply with 'we have it on file, call in and we'll supply glasses' or similar, she would have grounds to make a formal complaint to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner: https://www.dataprotection.ie/

    The fines for breaches of data protection law have been greatly increased since the GDPR (the EU's General Data Protection Regulation) came into force.

    All the data, including prescription details, that Specsavers have on file about customers should be made available to them on receipt of a Subject Access Reques under the Data Protection Act, and there are time limits for providing the information set out in law, which should normally provided for free:
    Can I be charged a fee to make an access request?
    In most cases individuals cannot be required to pay a fee to make a subject access request. Only in certain very limited circumstances, per Article 12(5) GDPR, where the initial request is ‘manifestly unfounded or excessive’ (which the controller must prove), can a controller charge a ‘reasonable fee’ for the administrative costs of complying with the request.

    https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/individuals/know-your-rights/right-access-information

    In the case of Specsavers, it's most likely they will be the 'controller' of your wife's data (unless they've outsourced it to someone else); you should be able to find out from their website or by contacting them.

    See Also:

    https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/guidance-landing/data-subject-access-requests-faq

    Data Protection Commission phone numbers:

    +353 (0)761 104 800
    +353 (0)57 868 4800
    09:15 - 17:30 hrs
    (17:15 Friday)


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