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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to think Specsavers is as good (or better) than some independent optometrists?

30 replies

NooNooHead1981 · 19/03/2023 17:48

Just wanted to ask you if you have any experience of Specsavers vs an independent High Street opticians/optometrists please?

I've been to both, more recently Specsavers in the past 18 months who diagnosed me with a condition called narrow angles and referred me to the hospital eye clinic for assessment and then a laser iridotomy procedure.

If they'd not seen this (no pun intended!), there was a very high chance of sight loss in both eyes.

I'm not saying independent optometrists or opticians are any worse, nor are they ever not able to diagnose serious eye conditions. But, my DH had not been to Specsavers for an eye test in spite of us having one 5 minutes down the road because he "doesn't trust them" and would rather go back to his own old independent high street opticians near his parents' that he's been using for years, even though they live 200 miles away. He refuses to get an eye test done at Specsavers on the basis of a lack of trust.

Yes, it is his perogative, absolutely. But to dismiss them totally without trying them is a bit like saying all the supermarkets or other service providers aren't good enough, but I will stick with the one I've used for years because of trust and convenience 😳🤔

I've had a bad experience with Specsavers in my teenage years and have also used a local optometrists for years before we moved here. It just seems a bit silly to assume that the local Specsavers isn't as good. The guy who worked there (biased, of course), said because of the fact they are a major high street one, they can invest in the expensive technology needed to diagnose complex conditions that the smaller ones can't often afford. Surely that's a good reason to trust them in some ways?

AIBU to think they are ok and as good as the independent ones?

OP posts:
Bornslippery · 19/03/2023 17:50

I agree, they diagnosed something wrong with my eyes too that was quite rare. Amazing follow on treatment as well.

Roselilly36 · 19/03/2023 17:53

High street optoms, have the same qualifications as independent optometrists.

clarepetal · 19/03/2023 17:54

I like them.

Nimbostratus100 · 19/03/2023 17:56

it is likely to be the same staff, moving around between the two, exactly like people say teachers a re better in private schools, without realising it is exactly the same pool of staff moving between the two organisations

Divorcedalongtime · 19/03/2023 17:58

What?! No way!!!! My independent one foes the lenses there and then and you don’t have to wait for them. Occasionally they are out of stock and you may get them the day after. I would never go back to chains.

Brenna24 · 19/03/2023 17:58

It is going to depend entirely on the branch and staff. Our local branch is infamous and they badly damaged my friend's eyes. Others may be brilliant.

Poblano · 19/03/2023 17:59

I'd personally never go back to Specsavers after they insisted that DS was not short sighted (his school had raised concerns). They even wanted to charge me for the appointment as it had been less than 2yrs since his last one.

I took him to another optician, who said he was significantly short sighted and gave him glasses. Those glasses completely changed his life.

GlassBunion · 19/03/2023 18:01

I was diagnosed, at Specsavers , with a cataract in my left eye.

It was my right eye.

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 19/03/2023 18:02

It's a franchise I think, so I assume quality varies massively. I'm pretty happy with my branch. The optometrists I see seem thorough and knowledgable.

I have complex lenses (high index plus varifocal), and simply cannot afford to go elsewhere due to the massive discount I get with the contact lens scheme.

Original poster
NooNooHead1981 · 19/03/2023 18:03

Hmmm, so it seems it's a pretty individual case depending on the experience. I have never had a problem with independent ones but I feel it's not totally fair to dismiss the high street opticians without using them. Just my opinion, of course.😄

OP posts:
EnfysPreseli · 19/03/2023 18:04

Specsavers are virtually the same as an independent optometrists. They have a Joint Venture Partnership model which allows the local businesses to buy services from Specsavers. They aren't franchises, but it is similar. The optometrists are all fully qualified professionals usually working from just one or a limited number of shops owned locally. It's not like a high street chain.

WinterMusings · 19/03/2023 18:05

Irrespective of where they work (SS/indie) how can you tell if they're a GOOD optician??

I'm wary of SpecSavers (near me) as the first one sorted my first ever pair of glasses. Seemed fine. But hadn't noticed astigmatism in both eyes, the second one picked it up and flattened my glasses & said my first 'levels'? (The +- )were incorrect).

i can't find any recommendations locally, so I don't know where to go/what to look for/how to judge???

Starlightstarbright1 · 19/03/2023 18:05

Any sight test is as good as the optometrist.

all are businesses with different goals .

DarkDarkNight · 19/03/2023 18:09

I Won’t go there after they gave me a prescription way too strong and when I went back to say I wasn’t happy with the glasses (they made me dizzy as soo as I put them on) said I just needed to get used to them.

I should have pushed the issue but didn’t so ended up going to D&A and getting my eyes tested again and buying more glasses. The optician said my actual prescription was halfway between my old one and the Specsavers one, I would never have ‘got used’ to them. They made the room spin.

Divorcedalongtime · 19/03/2023 18:10

Also long before j discovered independents I boycotted specsavera as the only opticians who enforce a no appointments for children during school hours even if the child is home educated or privately educated, so if you had said vision express or boots I would have felt less provided by this.
either way they are all less than.

bucketloadofcats · 19/03/2023 18:12

I've had good and bad experiences with Specsavers. They're all franchises, so the quality of one has nothing to do with the quality of another.

FlamingoQueen · 19/03/2023 18:14

They told my DH he didn’t need glasses, despite the fact he drives for a living and was struggling. Went to Boots and they said he needed glasses. Wouldn’t trust Specsavers at all.

HuggingtheHRT · 19/03/2023 18:14

I would disagree. Had a dreadful experience with Specsavers. They made a mistake on my eye test and sold me glasses with faulty lenses. Went back twice to complain about them and was fobbed off saying my eyes 'needed to adjust'.

Independent optician confirmed that the prescription had a mistake (probably human error with recording the numbers) which meant my left lens was way too strong and (if that wasn't bad enough) the focal point in my vari-focal lens was in the wrong place.

Would never go to Specsavers again.

Xrays · 19/03/2023 18:17

They are only as good as the actual person you see to be honest. I have worn glasses since I was 4, I’m -9.50 in both eyes with astigmatism and retinal issues. I’ve had so many eye tests and been referred to eye clinics so many times I’ve lost count. I’ve had both good and bad experiences at Specsavers. And good and bad experiences at independent opticians. I do like their new OT scan machines but a lot of independents also have these now too.

Original poster
NooNooHead1981 · 19/03/2023 18:18

Funnily enough, I didn't used to trust them when I was prescribed lenses too strong for me in my teenage years. But, having had this experience with them recently, I was a bit less sceptical of their services.

I also used an independent optician a couple of years before that wasn't quite as good and never picked up on my narrow angles. But then, he didn't have the whole range of specialist equipment that Specsavers did to scan the eye internally in detail 🤔

OP posts:
gogohmm · 19/03/2023 18:18

I like them, specifically the branch I used to use, wasn't as impressed last time but it was under covid restrictions so perhaps that was part of it. Their surgery centre venture was excellent, far better than the other outfit dp originally went to for cataracts, the surgeon did two days a week for the nhs, 3 days for them.

Blossomtoes · 19/03/2023 18:20

I’ve always been happy with Specsavers but my bloke has just changed to an independent and he reckons they’ve knocked Specsavers out of the park.

BanditsGravyStain · 19/03/2023 18:22

Poblano · 19/03/2023 17:59

I'd personally never go back to Specsavers after they insisted that DS was not short sighted (his school had raised concerns). They even wanted to charge me for the appointment as it had been less than 2yrs since his last one.

I took him to another optician, who said he was significantly short sighted and gave him glasses. Those glasses completely changed his life.

I had this when I was younger but opposite. Local optician said I was fine but when the teacher wrote on the board in green or red i couldn’t even see it. High Street chain ( vision express) said I was short sighted.

I don’t mind Specsavers though I’ve always had great service from them

Whatalovelypair · 19/03/2023 18:22

they're a franchaise so it depends on the people running it some just exploit young labour

Ktime · 19/03/2023 18:25

The one in Kingston-Upon-Thames has terrible customer service.

I get a free VDU voucher from my employer for an eye test and glasses. After their excruciating upselling tactics, I realised the assistant didn’t even knew what I was and wasn’t entitled to. I told myself never again and forgot about it, except they emailed me asking for feedback, which I did (politely).

The manager called me complaining that I had upset the assistant. Why ask for feedback is you don’t actually want honest feedback? I avoid that branch at all costs.