to Think They'd Offer Something Else?

[queeneileen]

I went to a UK-wide chaing of opticians to get my glasses re-tightened (had them three years so they're quite loose and I am due a new pair when I've money) and the woman behind the counter took them and when tightening them, the arm snapped. Now, she admitted herself that she should have pre-warned me but didn't. The store have offered me a free eye test and 50% off a new pair "due to the age of the glasses" - they can't cover the full cost as they're over 2yrs old.

Both those offers are currently being given out to customers.

I can't drive without my glasses, I can't watch TV, and I had to sellotape the arm back on so that I could get home from my DP's.

My DP thinks that, given I'm overdue a new pair, I shouldn't complain at the offer, but I'm not sure. AIBU to think they should have made more of an effort to help repair (fnar) the situation? Had she told me they could snap, I'd have just left them loose and usable. I don't see how offering me the same deals they're offering every bugger else is making the effort to sort out what they've done.

I'm stuck with glasses that I can't really wear (the sellotape isn't really holding up) and the option of getting some half price specs with them or going elsewhere and paying full price. The frames are bloody lovely and I'd been considering just having the lenses replaced.

I'm going back into store tomorrow so I'd appreciate some other points of view.

I think that tbh, getting them tightened at that age is a risk as the plastic brittles, and 50% off a new pair would be pretty good. They can't repair the frame.

If you are desperate and don't think your vision has changed too much - and your prescription is simple - look at the Groupon for Glasses Direct as they start at £19. Or try Asda - I've just had one pair of varifocals, plus a pair of sunglasses (in a fairly complex prescription) for £99 which I was delighted with

Tricky but I think I would hold out for something a bit more useful.

-Essentially you asked the shop to tighten your glasses.
-They said yes.
-They broke your glasses.
-They did not at any point say - "the glasses are old and we don't want to risk breaking them as they are clearly fragile".
-There was not a notice saying that all glasses-tightening was done at own risk
-They are suggesting that you buy a new pair at the same price as you would whether or not they had previously broken your glasses?

I think they owe you 50% off a new pair. (If everyone gets half price glasses then you should get 50% off that price - so new specs for 25% of full-price-that-nobody-pays)

Good luck - oh and carpet tape or duct tape works better than sellotape. Sat on my vvv expensive glasses and duct tape kept them going for almost a year. Only buy cheap frames now!

I'll have a look at Glasses Direct, I'd forgotten they existed!

The bit that snapped was metal, which I'd have thought would have been pretty hardy.

I'm halfway between being cross and resigned to it.

Did you buy it from the high street or supermarket?

That happened to me too! In my case they did warn me beforehand, but I thought 'what the heck are they talking about'. I thought the chance of them breaking was tiny. My glasses were worth about £350 new and yes they were a few years old but very unique and I loved them. I was devastated. They offered me some sort of deal with a new pair but I was so shocked and I just felt I didn't want to give their blasted shop a bloody penny,so I walked out. I felt like is been robbed. They later told me that they break about 20% of all glasses they fix . Total scandal. If I had been told that they was 20% chance of getting no glasses back I would have bought a tiny screw and tightened them myself. I still havn't got a new pair.

Mine was Vision Express happy to name and shame.

I know you can get very cheap glasses nowadays but sadly IMO they look cheap. More sadness

You should pay for your glasses. Please make a complaint higher up. Don't be shy when asking for compensation. Explain the situation. Don't even mention when it was due for replacing because that is irrelevant to the complaint they are making. That is you were not warned and now not having your glasses is affecting your life.

I was meant to say you should not pay for your glasses

They definitely should have warned you about the chance of breakage. How infuriating.

What are they doing to these glasses to break them?
I always tighten up my own and the dc's. Have a pair of cheap sunglasses I bought years ago, that get a yearly tighten.

They should be able to get a replacement part for your frames. I have just had new lens put in my frameless frames. When putting them together they broke the bridge but ordered a replacement, at their expense and apologised for the delay. At the east they should offer you an additional discount as they did not warn you this could happen

They said they had no replacements for the frames as they'd been discontinued and Debbriana it's highstreet.

I dunno what she did to the screw. She managed one hinge and snapped the other. I should have just bought a teeny screwdriver and done it myself.

I'm going to go in tomorrow to get my eyes tested and to complain and will also put an email in to head office.

20%?! You'd think it'd be standard to advise on breakage and have it up on the wall somewhere to cover themselves.

How long does it take for glasses to be made, does anyone know? Just wondering if I should sort out a lift to work.

You should definitely have been warned but that is why you'll find many opticians refusing to adjust glasses that weren't originally purchased from themselves. Glasses can easily break during adjustment if they are a few years old, particularly at the screw hinges as the metal is relatively thin & presumably the specs have been well worn. Have you tried contacting where you originally purchased them from to enquire if the frame is still available?
Do you have varifocal lenses or are they single vision? If just single vision ask them about refitting the lenses in to a new frame, it's called a cut, edge & fit.
They absolutely should have warned you & the assistant will be kicking themselves that they didn't. I would also suspect that they were loose because they were on their way out.
Fwiw though, when I was practising I would have offered considerably more than the current offer in this situation.

Good luck getting it sorted tomorrow .

Thanks for the insight, Draughts! I'm glad to hear that you'd have offered more and that everyone also agrees that I'm not BU.

I'll update tomorrow. I'm going back to my "home store" where I got the pair from originally so I'll see what they say, but it's interesting to hear about the cut, edge and fit, I will certainly bear that in mind :)

Update!

I got my glasses and my test for free and the pair were back with me within the hour.

The chap at Specsavers (can feel comfortable naming them now!) was just brilliant. It wasn't his mistake to rectify, but he really did help (though I may have nearly cried in the store...... I'm a wuss)

Fab. And I can see. And I can get to work tomorrow morn..........oh. Ah well.