Specsavers - will they exaggerate the need for a pair for specs?

Go in, tell them you've just had a test elsewhere and you were cynical and are now seeking a second opinion. Should make them wary enough not to try and pull a fast one.
 
Well considering a recent Which report found 17 out 39 eye tests to be "Very poor" - with people getting the wrong result and the wrong type of glasses
Some of the opticians visited actually suggested purchasing the wrong type/strength of lenses - therefor causing problems that were never there to start with.

This and the fact there are no laws regulating eye-testing places....... means It's highly likely.
 
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Just to add, I've used specsavers for about 10 years and never had a problem - even to the degree of them giving me a free pair of contact lenses when I lost one when out before I was even a customer.

I do believe they are all franchises though so I can't comment for them all.
 
It would seem very very unlikely.

the decision to start wearing glasses is always one that you make, all they can do is recomend you get a pair. surely you know if you are struggling to see things in every day life?

Dumbest thread of the day award.
 
Yep - it's hardly a dumb question. I've often thought about it like that, and often thought they probably do prescibe glasses for 'OK' patients just because they were in 'their own determined' average eyesight range and not the good eyesight range. Does anyone here even know what range of vision Specsavers, or any other high street optician say requires corrective lenses ??????

AS I said above - there is no regulation of their industry and no laws for them to break - so why should they give a monkeys what they tell a customer. For all we know your local specsavers could tell everyone they need glasses..... how many people actually go back once they get their new glasses (with headaches and poor vision caused by incorrectly prescibed specs)...... hardly any probably..... Most probably just don't wear them anymore.

And as the Which report in 2007 found out - 17 out of 39 couldn't even carry out an eye-test properly (which in itself is pretty worrying) - how can they even begin to tell someone they 'might' need glasses..... when they haven't even carried out all the necessary tests that people have paid them for.
 
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I would think that if you can see perfectly fine, never struggle to read the TV information or posters/rail information and can recognise people from a distance that it is unlikely that you need glasses desperately.

Remember however, that sight tests aren't just about glasses. They also check the general health of your eyes, so definitely worth the £10 even if you decide not to get the glasses.
 
Simi said:
Are you qualified to be giving out that kind of advice?
That's not far off my prescription and without my glasses I get terrible headaches.
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If the op is getting headaches then fair enough but he's made no mention of that, just asked about a low prescription.

I'm not an optom but have practical exprience with different prescriptions as I used to make glasses. I also have a higher rx than that and don't need glasses.

When getting a lenses out of a packet at round about the same power as the OP's rx you could hardly see any difference between them and unaided vision.
 
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Simi said:
Are you qualified to be giving out that kind of advice?
That's not far off my prescription and without my glasses I get terrible headaches.
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wordy said:
That's next to nothing, you'll be fine without.
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I went in because I use a computer for about 50 hours a week (or more).

This is what the ophthalmologist said - I can live fine with or without them, I could use them some of the time or all of the time. He says that it will alleviate eye strain, he noticed my squinting (and apparently I was not squinting with the lenses in), and of course I can read clearer with them.

I'm not disputing or questioning any of that - I saw for myself. Just curious about the business practice.
 
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Hatter The Mad said:
This is what the ophthalmologist said - I can live fine with or without them, I could use them some of the time or all of the time. He says that it will alleviate eye strain, and of course I can read clearer with them.

I'm not disputing or questioning any of that - I saw for myself. Just curious about the business practice.
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Some of the larger chains do have a target %age for test to sale, but the impression I got from most of the optoms I worked with was that they couldn't care less about that and once they had told the customer the truth about their result and handled them over to the retail assistance it was up to them to make the sale.
 
wordy said:
Some of the larger chains do have a target %age for test to sale, but the impression I got from most of the optoms I worked with was that they couldn't care less about that and once they had told the customer the truth about their result and handled them over to the retail assistance it was up to them to make the sale.
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Thats my experience too. I've never had any pressure from the opticians in spec savers, quite the oposite in fact when I decided I wanted contact lenses for sport the optician was happy to recomend the cheapest option that specsavers do even though they don't fully correct my prescription as I only where them a few hours a week.

I still think this thread is madness as the OP should know if he needs glasses to correct defective vision and it is entirely his choice as to wha point living with bad site becomes to much of a pain and he gets glasses. Hell I was able to make the decision to get glasses for distance work at 14 and to start wearing them continuously at about 16 so the OP must be capable.
 
Well over 10 years ago when I had my first eye test at specsavers they said that I didn't really need glasses (I only had a slight difference in my left eye at the time) as it would only make any difference when reading, but then last year when I had to have another eye test (at a different branch of specsavers) as recommended by my doctor they did suggest glasses (although I only use them when I'm on my computer or using one of my many consoles) and they tried to get me to have a ultraclear coating which I didn't bother with since I was penniless at the time (my NHS voucher just covered the cost of the glasses).
 
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