Cost of child's glasses

[TheInterceptor]

Can anyone decipher this receipt for me? My husband took our 6 year old son into a high street opticians today and it ended up costing us £185, even after the NHS voucher was applied!

We usually pay extra to have the lenses narrowed so they're not as heavy, but I don't remember it costing this much last time.

He chose a frame from the teen range (has a wide head!), which had a sticker on saying 'FREE with NHS voucher'.

Does it seem right?

Why not just buy the cheapest second pair and not pay for the lenses?

I used to get two pairs for the same reason but rarely needed them. It was cheaper to invest in one decent pair and then have a cheap back up.

Ds is 13 and -6.5/-7 and I have never paid a penny for his glasses getting two pairs (he is prescribed two via the hospital) I think the key is being very clear with what is included and questioning extras.

we get frames which are big enough that so far we haven’t needed to thin although that is certainly coming so I will pay for that for the main pair when it’s needed.

maybe it changed from branch to branch but I have never had any upselling from Specsavers for his glasses - infact when I asked about thinning they said it wasn’t needed

Unless his prescription has changed wildly just save his old pair as his backup pair

I'm about -9 and that's what I usually do to save the cost of the second pair

Or alternatively as I think someone has suggested get a cheap non thinned down pair for the second pair

90% of the time he will probably never use them and even if he has to it will only be for 10 days or so

My dc gets glasses in spec savers. They had gone for a designer pair and £89 was taken off so I paid the £50 excess out £20 anti glare. Second pair were sunglasses which were free. Last time my dc chose from the women's range. Children's we're too small and childish.

UPDATE

Spoke with the chap there, and he explained my husband had ordered two pairs of all-singing, all-dancing glasses.

After some discussion, we decided to change the order to the middle thinness lenses for the first pair, and the bog-standard thick lenses on the back-up pair, which if necessary DS can manage with whilst waiting for repairs on the main pair.

Total cost £100, and he refunded the £85 there and then. Very pleased with the result.

Thanks for everyone's input!

My son has worn glasses since almost birth , I am a non glass wearer and I have never worked out the pricing for his glasses tbh

I have always chosen the nicest glasses so I'm 'happy ' to pay but it changes all the time and I've always thought it was a bit weird how they price them ..
Free this , not free that bla bla .. it's all weird and certainly not very transparent .. I'm amazed they get away with it 🤷‍♀️

Glad to hear you got it sorted out, OP.

Thank you