Any opticians around? Quick question re etiquette

[Pocketfullofdogtreats]

Hi, I need new glasses but my current (expensive!) ones are only around 9 months old. My optician doesn't reglaze old frames - at least, they said previously that it's much cheaper for me to get new ones. Is it really bad form to have an eye test (NHS - free for me) and then take the prescription somewhere else?
TIA

@Pocketfullofdogtreats No, I’m not suitable for contact lenses. I’m managing with the prisms but my prescription constantly changing (apparently due to early cataracts) is a nuisance!

My optician said they wouldn't reglaze my frames. Until I said I would go elsewhere, at which point they said they could reglaze them but they couldn't guarantee they wouldn't break.

Of course they were fine.

It's so wasteful to have new frames every time if you don't want them. And the pain of finding frames that you like/that fit is well worth not going through if you can avoid it.

I used to have a very high prescription and other issues ( now had cataract surgery) the cost of the frames were a tiny part of my overall replacement glasses cost. I have used the same independent optician for years ( as do lots of my family members - all the ones with complex eye issues) my optician always offers low cost frames as well as the more expensive ones ( I always pick one of the cheapest) I’ve always bought my glasses from them apart from one time I took the prescription to B and the lenses just weren’t right I asked them to re do them still not right so asked for my money back and went back to my usual optician. I dare say I could have persisted and found somewhere else and saved a few bob but the level of service they provide has been amazing nothing is too much trouble you can take as long as you like selecting frames and no hard sell, they will squeeze you in in an emergency, my sister had a detaching retina and they opened the premises up especially for her, they did all my and my mum’s post operative care after our cataract surgeries ( the NHS contracts this out to opticians in my area) this is worth a few extra pounds to me on the cost of any glasses. They do give me a printed copy of my prescription each time without me asking so I could easily go elsewhere but I chose not to.

I wonder if cataract surgery would help? I've been very short-sighted since I was 8 and now after surgery my prescription has gone from -11 to -2.5! (One thing though - they suggested I went for long-sighted but I went for short- sighted because I heard anecdotally that people like me have problems with such a big change.)
So if you get offered cataract surgery it's worth doing some research including on MN to see what your options might be - I went to a specialist NHS eye unit which suited me very well but other options are available if you go privately.

Sounds like you have a very valuable service there. Worth paying a bit more, as you say. But I've always been given a paper copy of my prescription. I think it's normal now - three different opticians for me, DH and DS and they all do it.

@Pocketfullofdogtreats That’s an amazing improvement! I will definitely look into surgery if it’s offered (I’m not bad enough for surgery yet) but I have other medical issues, which mean it will have to be done under sedation, so it’ll have to be at my nearest general hospital. It sounds like you’ve had a good experience though.

Just wanted to update that I had my eye test yesterday and I'm apparently slightly long-sighted so do need glasses. They were fine about me not buying any, it would have been £110 but as a buy one get one free so I'm going to get a cheaper pair online for now then go back to them when I can to get a couple of pairs. I explained our large vet bill to them although I probably didn't really need to.

I have a very high, very complicated prescription and only a certain type of frame fits these.

I was able to re-glaze my sunglasses but so far never my normal pair.

I was overjoyed when my optician now can scan in my frame, order lenses and put them in without me parting from my glasses for more than 15 minutes. I needed a new frame for my main glasses but I wasn't happy with the thought of paying for 3 new pairs at the same time. My prescription means I need super-thin, super coated, super-verifocal and short of Superman vision. These are £500 on their own.

i recently had my eye test at vision express, and ordered glasses with them. I also took my prescription away and ordered a cheap spare pair through glasses direct. They were masses cheaper and my vision is the same through both. People have commented how nice my cheap pair are when I have occasionally worn them out of the house. Worth doing.

If you do a desk job your employer needs to pay for an eye test. They might give you a voucher or reimburse you after, it depends.

Why don’t you have the sight test at the opticians practice which will reglaze your frames?

If you trust the dispensing practice to reglaze your glasses, then they can do the eye test too.

@peerie Is there a particular online company you would recommend for reglazing? I have a sight test today and I really can’t afford what Boots charged me for reglazing for my daughter’s glasses in July. I also didn’t get my own glasses lenses updated after my last eye test due to the expense so I will definitely have to do it this time. I was googling it this morning thinking “there has to be a cheaper way” and found Lensology as one of the options for reglazing and was shocked by the price comparison table (will attach if I can). Boots are the highest prices by far!

Sorry @Peachy2005 only just seen your message
Reglaze Glasses Direct
I've used this company 3 times, all good, would recommend