Specsavers - bad quality, where do you buy your prescription glasses

[Fere]

We have Specsavers on our High Street and have used them for a few years now. I am fine with their eye examinations. My problem is that the current set of mine and my son't prescription lenses is terrible. In under a year there are so many mini scratches on the surface of each, mine got a hairline crack out of nowhere. My son's frames broke under a year but I can't say it was 1005 due to their quality.

Where do you buy your prescription lenses/glasses from? I pay well over £200 for mine, with 2 week waiting because they have to be ordered to my prescription (bad astigmatism) and I just want to have something what is going to last at least at least a year without those terrible wear marks. I am pretty sure ones I had before the current pair weren't as scratched as the current ones.

Is there anything I can ask to make sure that if I go to an independent Optician I get a better quality item.

I am thinking of giving David Clulow a go. There's one 40 min drive from here and need a weekend slot.

I had an expensive independent pair of varifocals that were excellent but over £500. When my prescription changed I got two pairs from Specsavers but even the "tailor made" varifocals were not as good and they were heavy and uncomfortable. I sent my old glasses and new prescription to www.reglazemyglasses.com basically asked for the exact same brand and model of Essilor varifocal lenses. (they can get the spacing/alignment off the old lenses). They are way better and under £200. I am a convert to reglazing now for sure.

Specsavers is definitely a franchise company which is why the quality varies widely. I never had any issues at my old branch but when I moved to a new area the ones here were absolutely appalling, so I went back to Boots, who I used until I was about 25 anyway. The last couple of times I've been into Boots there have been a lot of little issues like things being lost or letters accidentally duplicated and sent multiple times in consecutive weeks, that kind of thing, and they've become really hard sell lately, so I am going to try the independent one in my town next time.

@dungtwicebother you can ask your question here amongst us, glasses wearers

Now stuck with two pair of glasses that are now so scratched I can barely see out of them for the next year or so until I can afford more

I bought some ArmourEtch glass etching cream from Amazon for around £10 and used it on the lenses of an old pair to remove the coatings and the scratches went too.

Salvaged a reasonable pair to keep in the drawer by doing this.

Specsavers coat your lenses with a coating that degrades withing 1 in8 months. It should not be allowed.