to expect NOT to have to pay to have my DD1's glasses lenses thinned....

[sparklygothkat]

I normally go to D&A for the kid's glasses as I find they have a good range and they don't charge to have the lenses thinned, but today I went to Specsavers and was shocked to discover that they charge £30 to thin the lenses, so I walked out and drove 3 miles to D&A. The man in D&A said they don't charge for thinning as it would make glasses very heavy and dd1 needs to have her lenses thinned.

They are very good (D&A) I did have to pay £20 for Dd1's frames this time, as those were the ones she wanted (which i don't mind paying for) But I refuse to pay for thinning of lenses...

Couldn't you use your voucher to thin the lenses (or towards it) and keep the old frames? Are you allowed to do this?

DD has so many old pairs of specs and we are useless at donating them into the charity bin.

old frames are beyond repair, they have been fixed so many times in the last year that they are dying a slow death...

LOL, your DC's must be so much better than my DS with their glasses. I'm in Vission Express monthly with mangled frames. We now only choose the free ones

I count it as a good thing we can get so much free optical care for our kids as it is. Thinner lenses often seem no more than a vanity thing. Kids lenses are no longer made with glass so I don't see any practical reason to have them thinned...

Either that or I've been out of the spectacle loop for so long I'm missing some marvellous medical advantage to thin lenses? I've not had new specs for over three years because I can't afford them so apologies if this is the case.

Agnes

If my DS's lenses aren't thinned, they wont fit into the frames.

specsavers have told me that if my ds needs any new glasses theyw ill ahve to charge me as the NHS wont pay for any more renewals....he is 7 and has Autism, he has only had his glasses a year and in teh begining when he was getting used to having to wear them we did have a fair amount of breakages but even so, it is recorded that he is sn but they are still being arsey.

i have said that when we he needs a new pair we will be going elsewhere

Mamazon, definately go else where. Scrivens used to let us have new lenses once a month,so at times a was paying out a lot! But Vission Express have been brilliant.

DD went through a spate of needing repairs- so much so I did pay for a second pair. The optician told us that one repair a month wasn't a problem but she doesn't have any special needs - I would have thought a case could be made for more frequent repairs/replacements if necessary. After all, DD has to have six-monthly check-ups all of which is on the NHS and ok because it is recommended by the optician.

Hi, have a question...

My DD has needed glasses since age 4 (now 8) due to one eye not focussing properly. We use a small local opticians where we have to pay £20 for NHS frames, free lenses due to being on Income Support, and £20 to have lenses thinned (otherwise one lense is incredibly thick!)

I had no idea you could get lenses thinned for free!! Feel really ripped off now, especially as find paying for glasses quite a struggle sometimes (need changing every 6 months)

Anyway...Does it sound about right, what I've been paying altogether, bearing in mind am single mum on full benefits?

DD needs an appointment for new glasses next week, but will go elsewhere if am being ripped off.

Specsavers are a franchise and the decision as to whether to charge more for thinning or not would be up to the optician who owns the branch, hence the discrepancies. The practice I work in charge a lot extra for thinning which I personally don't like as I think that most children's prescriptions need thinning for the poor kids to look half-decent but the paltry amount we get from our health service( Ireland) really doesn't allow for any extras. May be different in the UK, though.