To think specsavers is being a little unfair....

[Fairylea]

Genuinely not sure if I am being unreasonable or not. There's nothing I can do about it anyway but I am a bit perplexed by this.

I am extremely short sighted with astigmatism (-9.50 both eyes). I need complex lenses which are thinned down - these cost £150 at specsavers (more elsewhere, I have rang around everywhere and I cannot order online as they need to take measurements and for my type of lenses it is more risky to get right).

I get my contact lenses through specsavers for £13 a month. Part of this deal means I also get a free pair of glasses every two years. I have a pituitary problem which affects my eyes so I need to give them a rest from contacts in the evening as my eyes become sore.

The free glasses deal doesn't cover the whole cost of my glasses because of the lenses I need. So I end up with extra to pay as the deal is limited to standard lenses.

I am entitled to an nhs eye voucher which comes to £90 ish or thereabouts.

However, I have been told that I cannot use the nhs voucher with the free glasses offer as they are both "offers".

Surely that is wrong though? The nhs voucher isn't an offer, it is an entitlement because I am on a low income (for health reasons if anyone is interested).

I think it's a bit unfair really. I don't know how anyone with really bad eyes like me is supposed to afford glasses when the cost of the voucher doesn't even cover them and you cannot use it with a deal!

Surely an offer and an nhs entitlement are two separate things?

Check you have been issued the correct voucher OP. I get £90 towards my lenses yet my eyesight is nowhere near as bad as yours.
You might be entitled to more than £90.
NHS voucher values explained will give you more help.
Sorry I can't do the link.

Before someone has a go at me for having contact lenses on a low income

really people would do that? that's like having a go at someone for wearing shoes on a low income.

I've used my nhs voucher against 2 for 1 designer glasses with SS before. How odd.

Can I ask how you get the NHS voucher towards glasses please?
I am on very low income (health issues) and I wear glasses, but have avoided getting my eyes tested as I can't afford new glasses if I need them.
Thanks in advance.

www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/am-i-entitled-to-an-nhs-optical-voucher.aspx

This explains it. I used to get one because I had a high prescription.

I'm guessing it's a voucher for those on certain benefits?

When I used to receive tax credits, my eye tests and glasses were free. The voucher covered up to a certain cost and beyond that I paid the difference if there was one.

Please go back to your specsavers, OP.

I have just had new glasses, varifocals in my case. Also short sighted with astigmatism (-11), and I had both the free glasses offer AND and NHS voucher on the same order. (I only get £36 towards mine...)

Someone hasn't got it right somewhere. And the NHS voucher is not an "offer" it's an entitlement.

And the NHS vouchers are not all to do with receiving benefits.

I get free eye tests and a voucher towards the cost of complex lenses precisely because my eyesight is crap and I am over the prescription threshold for these vouchers.

And I work full in a good job so it's not income related.

OP you need to check you've got the right voucher, I think.

Get your prescription elsewhere then come in and claim your glasses, bit of faff but proves the point

I'm -7 with astigmatism and and, as above, I've never gone for the thin lenses. They always give me dire warnings about jam jar lenses but I've never had a problem because I go for thicker wayfarer style frames.

I've used my Specsavers prescription to buy glasses online from selectspecs. They're a good bet for cheap spare pairs.

Cherry

That's fine at -7, but at -11 those lenses get really thick and can't be hidden by thicker frames.

My local Specsavers in Belfast told me I could use the voucher for an eye test and towards glasses or contact lenses but they couldn't sell me contact lenses unless I paid an additional £17 for a special 'contact lens eye test' - on top of the free eye test.

Its like they resented having to honour the voucher and so were adding on an extra fee to counterbalance that.

Fairylea I have similar prescription and am on the specsavers contact lens scheme.

In the end I got my glasses from asda (completely forfeiting the money towards glasses as part of the scheme) because it worked out cheaper.

It is £99 for 2 pairs in Asda and most importantly they thin down the lenses automatically if you have a high prescription I couldn't believer it!!

Take you prescription in and they will measure you.

Just scanned the thread.

I am -10.00 and have worked in opticians for many years. (although not in the last 7 years)

When you have a high prescription (over + or - 10, which the OPs will be when taking the cyl into account) then you are entitled to an NHS voucher. You can also get one if you are on certain benefits.

What you need to be aware of is that there is no such thing as NHS glasses anymore. The NHS will give you a voucher of varying value depending on the prescription and why you are entitled. People who claim benefits will get a voucher to a higher value than people who just have a high prescription. Most high street opticians will make up the value of the voucher to cover the cost of basic specs.

The high prescription only voucher will often be only used to face value. When I worked in opticians it was about £16 but it might be different.

The offer that they are talking about would be the 'offer' of making up the difference between the voucher value and the cost of the lenses.
Voucher values: www.aop.org.uk/uploads/regulatory/england/2014-15_optical_voucher_values.pdf

It's also worth knowing that all branches of Specsavers are franchises and therefore tend to make up their own rules they are also a bunch of bastards who don't pay sick pay

unless I paid an additional £17 for a special 'contact lens eye test' - on top of the free eye test.

You have to have a separate test for contact lenses. The sight test and contact lens tests are two different things. It's like the MOT and the service on your car. Looks like the same stuff but it isn't.

Also, with a prescription like yours please don't be tempted to buy online. There are more measurements that you need to take for high prescriptions and you have to be measured by an optician or dispensing optician by law.

I have a complex prescription and get a voucher. Bought one pair of sunglasses and one pair bifocals( designer, gosh I hate that term) with anti glare coating ;for £130 ( voucher about £90)
I always use independent opticians, better service value etc.

I am longsighted +9 in both eyes and have the same problems, it costs me a fortune for the lenses, the last pair I got were 275 but what can you do, I am not entitled to any help apart from a free eye test. I used spec savers but people have recommended ASDA opticians for price

That's what one person there said, another told me it was 'after care'- both after an initial person told me it was necessary the first time you have lenses.

When a company can't decide what it's charging for it makes me suspicious as to the validity of the charge or maybe only one really had enough knowledge to be working with customers skimping on the in-house training as well as sick pay

Do Asda really thin lenses for free ? Mine are horribly thick and I have to pay circa £150 for thinning.

Try Boots, I am on their contact lenses scheme and you get all glasses 50% and lenses 50% off. Including thinner ones. They will accept voucher too as part payment.

Yes they do, VSeth, as long as your prescription is over a certain threshold.

I used to pay a ridiculous amount for glasses in specsavers. I now get mine from Asda. Last time, I got two pairs for £99 - both with the thinnest lenses.

As my vision is now so bad (over -10 with astigmatism) I now get a complex vision voucher. Asda accepted this and took the money off the £99, no problem.

Jaysus, wish I'd known about this NHS voucher. I'm -11 in both eyes, and paid a whopping £670 for my last pair of glasses. Frames were around £100-£150, if I remember rightly, so that's LOADS for the lenses. I also hardly ever wear them

Well I'm back! Thank you so much everyone for all the advice and information. After an hour or so being in the shop and arguing with them and waving my print out about they agreed I can use my voucher towards the cost!

So I managed to get my new glasses free after all and they will be ready next week. I am very excited.

They did try to say they didn't have to honour the voucher because they class it as an offer but I had a bit of a go and said it isn't an offer its an entitlement!

Very happy with the outcome... talking to you all encouraged me to be more forceful. Thank you.

Specsavers are wankers.

I really hope this helps.

I don't know the exact rules for whether or not they are totally obliged to accept the NHS voucher even for special offers. But if you are not happy and think they are in the wrong you could try giving your local Trading Standards Office a ring. They're usually quite helpful.