To think nowadays you need a mortgage if you need glasses?

Finally! Bit slow.

Nothing wrong with people pointing out there are cheaper options available that others may not know about.

No suitable for everyone, sure.

I'm not sure you can expect people not to use the best option available for them, which may be the cheapest, especially when the cost of living is so high.

There is no way I will be paying extra cash for my glasses in the vain hope it will keep high street opticians alive.

They will either survive because they provide a service that people want that on line doesn't in spite of the high prices, or they won't.

Or another company. goggles4u.co.uk cheaper

We get free eye tests at work and so much off glasses provided they’re for the computer but yes this time I needed 3 pairs! Distance glasses, distance sunglasses and now reading glasses. I think it’s got worse but I’m too scared to get them tested again!

This is one of the biggest reasons why I don’t buy my glasses online. Have two different ears.

When I worked in call centres and the last 4-5 years at the supermarket (when introduced headsets) when only one ear piece, I wore on the left ear. As it’s flatter against my face

I rather spend £150 more getting the right fit etc than constant headaches

Exactly. The ones championing cheap glasses online, will be kicking off when their eyesight gets tricky and complicated and awkward, and they get different issues with their eyes, and there's nobody to go to. because the high street opticians are all closed down!

It's easy to look down from your ivory tower at others going through different experiences to you, and judge them. People are not spending £600 on 2 pairs of glasses because they've got more money than sense. People are spending this out of necessity, because of a very complicated prescription, and because 'online' doesn't work for them. It annoys me that a few people are not getting that!

!

Exactly. There is no situation where my DH will ever buy glasses online. As I have said already (and some others have said too about their eyes, or their partner's,) his eyesight is far too complicated, and fragile, and precious. (He has several issues, and has previously had treatment on them.) No way are we risking damaging his eyes, and causing further issues by getting £29 glasses of the internet, that are like jam jar bottoms with his extreme prescription.

Good for others if they find this OK.

Like getting the frames adjusted to fit around my two different ears?. I must have spent 30 mins getting the arms adjusted the last time I picked my specs up

But that's the whole issue of the thread isn't it? The fact that it's extortionate and so many people struggle to afford it. I get it, you don't care.

I would love to spend less on my glasses but not at the expense of actually having somewhere to get my eyes tested.
However, I have yet to see anyone fully explain how buying your glasses online gives you all the parts of my glasses fitting I need.

I thought airing one’s views on things was allowed on Mumsnet!

I think I’m mortgaged to Vision Express for life. I am short sighted, long sighted and I have astigmatism. I pay monthly and if it weren’t for being able to do that I wouldn’t be able to see.

But... I CAN afford it. If I couldn't, then I probably would have gone elsewhere long ago.
Whether other people can, or can't afford it, is none of my business. Clearly plenty of other people locally are choosing this particular opticians, as it's seemingly thriving and staying in business since the 1930s.

It's not irrelevant if you can't afford it

Don’t moan about high streets becoming unloved and unused when most of you buy specs online from China - opticians disappear from high streets never to return.

People can spend their money how they like and see value in different things. Supporting a brick and mortar store for those who can afford it and want to is good, means less likely to all be stuck with online only.

I don't recall asking for your opinion.

I am ENTIRELY comfortable supporting a local, family-run business, who have given me nothing but excellent service - not to mention catching a potentially serious eye issue early - for 35 years.

And if that means I pay a few quid more than I would at Specsavers, or Vision Express, I'm happy to do it, and can afford to do it. I'm very much aware that my eyes are "complicated" - I've had 3 eye surgeries in my life - and I feel safe and comfortable in their care. The money is genuinely irrelevant.

Not a clue Never had fitting issues. I have a frame I'm keen on so when the prescription changed I bought new glasses with the same frame that I know fits well and suits me.

If they are no good they can be returned

And you originally said only works online with low simple prescriptions etc. When people have said otherwise you are trying to think up more and more reasons to buy expensive ones in the shop

No one cares how much you spend on your glasses but don't try and say the rest of us that buy them online are walking round half blind

What if the ear pieces don't fit, or when they arrive they aren't quite in the right place? I always have to have adjustments when mine arrive at the opticians.

Of course, if nobody got their glasses fitted at the opticians then we'd soon find we can't get our eyes tested at all.

I’m the lucky one whose husband works for a glasses company so makes my glasses for free 😁

It's extortionate! I'm lucky that I do earn enough to be able to afford it but I do have to save for them. I keep my last pair as a spare because I certainly can't afford to get two pairs.

I really need a new pair as this one is scratched but it'll probably have to wait until after Christmas at least

Me neither. Some of us genuinely have no choice but to spend hundreds of pounds to be able to function every year - it's ridiculous.

Last time I went, my optician cheerfully told me I saved £45 with a voucher. The bill was still nearly £600 😂

It is isn't it.

Unlucky.

I've never been able to find an online company that do my level of astigmatism