AIBU to think Specsavers ripped me off?

[Snugglepumpkin]

I went to have my eyes tested to get new glasses & found out I have quite a lot of macular degeneration - I am not old enough for it to be counted as Age Related as it apparently was there when I was in my 30s but I don't have any more info than that.
I just thought my eyesight problems were because my old glasses were the wrong prescription.

I have memory problems which I think might be worse than I realised as Specsavers records say they told me I had it over ten years ago but I have absolutely no recollection of that.

So, that all hasn't exactly sunk in yet because for me it's like it's the first time I've heard about this & I find it hard to retain details of conversations so I can't remember now exactly what he said apart from giving me a grid to look at every day & to make a new appointment when the distortions get larger or spread to other areas.
He gave me no information in writing apart from my prescription.

Went downstairs to pick out & pay for new glasses and the woman said to me 'Oh, it says on your file that the optician says you HAVE to have the UltraClear Superclean lens coating with your prescription, it's £30 extra per pair (I got the 2 for 1 offer)

I do know he never mentioned that to me, I wouldn't have lost that information in the time it takes to pick out a pair of frames - it takes a few days before I can't remember stuff, but I felt like I had to have them because an optician wouldn't tell a disabled single parent to spend that much extra for no reason would they?

I felt really uncomfortable paying the extra which I frankly couldn't afford whilst feeling obliged to do it as it was apparently the opticians advice.

I have been googling but I cannot find anything to say that this £30 extra Ultra Clean coating has any medical benefit at all, which means I've thrown away money I don't have spare on a bloody sales gimmick from Specsavers.

So, AIBU to feel ripped off or does someone actually know of a sound scientific reason why I should have paid the extra money for this finish?

As far as I can see it just makes your glasses slightly more scratch resistant & easier to clean.

I go to Specsavers all the time and have varifocals. Have to say found their service brilliant and never pushy with extras.

She was upselling and in your circumstances that seems wrong so I'd tell them so and ask for a refund.

Can you go back or call to get the optometrist to speak to you and explain. If you aren't happy go back and get a full refund and copies of your notes and prescription. Try somewhere else, maybe a local independent place who will (hopefully) take the time to take you through everything and serve your needs and budget. The dispensing optician ( the one who measured your glasses and makes sure they fit correctly, usually the ones who sit down with you after the sight test) should talk you through your options and allow you to make an informed decision, it doesn't sound that happened for you.

Not an optician but i have worked in an independent opticians and have seen the care an attention the patients receive. With a condition like macula degeneration and with your memory issues you deserve a more personalized interaction without feeling obliged to pay for a product you might not need or want.

Hopefully someone will come along with better technical info

Ultra clear superclean helps with reflections and glare on the lenses as well as adding extra scratch resistance and being smudge resistant.
Personally, I won't have glasses without them because I can't stand the reflection. And I can see why you have been recommended to get it of you have macular degeneration, it will just help a bit. But that's what it is, a recommendation. You dont have to take it, and if it was worded to you any other way that's not right.
Specsavers have a 3m no quibble no fuss thing, call them tomorrow and ask to speak to a manger, and tell them you don't want it and you felt you had to get it, they should put it right (if they get difficult mention no quibble no fuss) and order you lenses without it on and refund the difference.

Oh also, they have booklets on macular degeneration, ask them for one if you want any Information and you can always ask to sit down with a dispensing optician to discuss it too

Someone I know quite well has the same problem, had it for years. Varifocals etc didn’t work for her out of all the things they tried (and they went through everything they could think of over many years), but the coating made a difference even if only ever so much. Might be they are talking from personal experience?

And the grid is simply there so you can tell whether it’s stable or getting worse. A handy guide - keep it safe!

The ultraclear coating has many layers to it, one of which is a UV blocker that filters out harmful sunlight. It effectively means you have all the protective benefits of sunglasses but all the time you're wearing your ordinary glasses.

Modern research has shown that UV light can have a harmful effect on the macular, encouraging or accelerating macular changes.

As well as these benefits the Ultra Clear coating has more cosmetic and visual benefits as it helps to prevent light from being lost through reflection. The more light that gets to your eyes the clearer your vision will be, especially with a macular less than 100% perfect.

If this has put you in financial hardship then you have 3 months from the date of purchase to simply go back to specsavers and ask them to change it. You will get a £30 refund and the lenses changed to standard (coating can't be just taken off).

I hope no Optometrist would ever recommend something you don't need but it's also worth bearing in mind that there's a very short window of time to get all the tests done, be personable, be accurate and explain everything in detail, so I'm sure they will have no problem with you calling up to discuss and clarify the situation. If in doubt call and ask to speak to the dispensing optician. They are there to help.

I hope you're liking your new specs!

(Full disclaimer - work for Specsavers but am an optometrist).

Adding - I also noticed you said you had the 2/4/1 offer. So assuming you had a £69 frame that is £129 total for 2 pairs with ultraclear.

If you would rather save a bit more money why not just get one pair. If you do this you actually get the ultraclear coating for free.

So for £69 you will get 1 pair of glasses with frame, single vision lenses and ultraclear coating all in. Do you really need a second pair?

Just a thought....

The coating is a must if you have macula problems but I'm sure if you ring they will take it off

It's worth having. My dad turned it down and complained non stop about glares and light reflecting on his lenses. They changed the lenses for ones coated in the anti glare formula. He's been happy since. It's honestly worth it. So I don't think you have been ripped off. Maybe next time someone is adding something onto your bill, just ask them why.

Pumkin, if you don’t mind me asking how old are you?

I never take them up on the 2for1 offer and instead of taking the free glasses I negotiate discount on stuff like thinning.

@Soundasapound

Ive been a spec savers customer for many years and always found the staff great, so well done!

Several years ago I tried contact lenses but struggled with them as I wear verifocals and have astigmatism. I tried a few different ones. Are there any new ones on the market now that might suit? (Sorry for hijacking the thread 🤓🤓)

Varifocals!

YANBU. My dd recently turned 16, so is too old now for the children's offers on their glasses. Because of her medical condition, her eyes are tested every 6 months and usually needs new glasses that often due to her prescription changing.

At her last appointment, the optician was great, but the salesperson tried to guilt trip me into lots of extras at great expense that I couldn't afford like different lens coatings, and "she needs the highest level of lens thinning because we want her glasses to look nice" kind of thing that many girls of my dd's age might be upset about. They get commission, and you're free to tell them no.

Sorry to jump in but can someone explain what to do with the grid again because I was also given one but completely forgotten what it’s for. This thread has reminded me

Specsavers will change and refund you if you don't want it, but the coatings do work.
You'd never see an optometrist in a pair of uncoated lenses.

With the "macular degeneration" they are probably referring to drusen that they can see at the back of the eye, if they're not affecting your vision and they are relatively common.
You can have something called an OCT done, many Specsavers now have these and this looks at the individual layers of the retina in lots of detail.
Having these drusen, means that you are a little more likely to develop macular degeneration as you get older.

You do also need to check your eyes regularly on something called an amsler grid, there's an online here
www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/amsler-grid.htm
this site has full instructions underneath, but you're looking for any distortion of the grid.

It's also very important that you don't smoke and eat a diet that has a range of fruit and veg. There are dietary supplements you can take too, but if you're on a low income, it's better just to ensure you get a wide range of vitamins and minerals through your diet. Plus not all the supplements have been proven to work. The not smoking bit is the most important.

I get my glasses at Asda. A fraction of the costs of Specsavers. When I ask them if it was because they got their lenses elsewhere, they said that lenses were made at the exact same place but the reason it is much more expensive at Specsavers is because they have a different approach to marketing with very expensive advert campaign. They will try to get as much out of their customers as they can. I would never shop there.

I'd be surprised if they ripped you off. Our household has had only positive experiences with Specsavers. One day at work, I had bright flashing and distorted vision for several hours - couldn't see properly, and it was even worse when I went for a walk to try and see if it would help. Had a voucher for a free eye test, and got the full work up, and a conclusion it was probably a one-off visual migraine. No hard sell on any glasses. All for free. Very impressed. DH gets his glasses there, and has always been pleased with the service.

@myidentitymycrisis, when you look at the grid straight on all the lines should be perfectly straight. If they look wonky you should go to an eye A and E immediately as you could need urgent treatment to stop the condition getting much worse. This is very important and you should be checking frequently. Its good to have it pinned up on a wall somewhere.

Definitely worth the extra £30

Tooner thank you! I’m similar to OP in that I forget things easily, and I should have written the details down at the time will do that today. Now.

I've always found Specsavers brilliant. Someone I know was told by them that she had macular degeneration, as well, and was referred to a specialist. She went on a special diet (I'm sure there's plenty about it online) and kept it under control for years. I'm guessing it was the 'dry' form you have, otherwise they'd have advised you to see specialist right away.

The sooner you start eating the things that are advised (IIRC it's spinach, red pepper, things like that) the better. Any deterioration in your sight, as the optician said, you need to a referral to a specialist. You should really start the ball rolling on that right now, don't be put off asking for a referral.

This is a good list of advice from The Mayo Clinic:

........The antioxidant vitamins in fruits and vegetables contribute to eye health. Kale, spinach, broccoli, squash and other vegetables have high levels of antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin, which may benefit people with macular degeneration. Foods containing high levels of zinc may also be of particular value in patients with macular degeneration. These include high-protein foods, such as beef, pork and lamb. Nonmeat sources include milk, cheese, yogurt, whole-grain cereals and whole-wheat bread.

........Another good choice is healthy unsaturated fats, such as olive oil. And research studies have shown that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as found in salmon, tuna and walnuts, may lower the risk for advanced AMD. But the same benefit is not shown from taking omega-3 supplements, such as fish oil pills.

........Manage your other medical conditions. If you have cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure, for example, take your medication and follow your doctor's instructions for controlling the condition.
Maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly. If you need to lose weight, reduce the number of calories you eat and increase the amount of exercise you get each day.

........Have routine eye exams. Ask your eye doctor about the recommended schedule for follow-up exams. In between checkups, you can do a self-assessment of your vision using an Amsler grid. These steps will help identify if your condition develops into wet macular degeneration, which can be treated with drugs.

Specsavers are shit, I had a work voucher for glasses because I only use thrm for VDUs. They made me pay for glasses even thought the optometrist said i needed glasses for VDU use. They said I might use the glasses for somethig else 🙄 Twats.