AIBU to object to relentless upselling at my child's NHS eye test?

[Eyetestconcern]

I took my young teen for a NHS eye test yesterday at a branch of a national optician chain. The NHS eye test for children is free. My AIBU is the "upselling" that was relentless from the minute we arrived. I understand shops need to make money but playing on parental worries about kid's health does not seem the right way to do it. Examples:

1. On arrival child was seated for the eye photos bit of the test. The staff member said they could do better photos to check more of the eye and potential health issues with a different photo. Cost £25! Setting aside the fact that the free test has been fine for years and presumably considered clinically adequate by the NHS, I did not like the inference that without the better option a serious issue might be missed and would be my fault for not paying up.
2. Child has very mild short sightedness in one eye. Usual outcome is to recall in 6 months. However yesterday we were offered very expensive "myopia management" glasses to slow down any potential worsening. Again subtle but strong pressure to buy these glasses despite my child's prescription not even needing glasses at the moment. Certainly fine to wait 6 months .
3. At the end of the test offered expensive Optegra (?) plan to monitor and predict child's eventual prescription for glasses as an adult. I did not really understand the purpose of this but she was relentless in selling it.
4. Child mentioned eyes occasionally get dry / sore after gaming / screen time. The optician suggested a warm compress held on the eyes for a few minutes. This is sensible advice but somehow I was talked into buying an eye compress mask costing £20 when google tells me a warm, clean flannel would be fine!

Lastly when we waiting for our prescription print out at the end another staff member came over and said to my child who was browsing the teen NHS frames (free) that most teens chose adult frames which were not free but could take £50 off. Of course my child then picks up a £180 pair of frames! All in all it felt like a sales pitch playing on parent's health worries rather than a medical appointment to check for eye issues / sight problems. AIBU to think this is not OK? or are the optician / staff just doing thier job offering full range of services?

Go to a local independent next time.

I'd bet my last fiver that was a large chain

I had this at local independent recently so I don't think it's just a chain thing. Very annoying.

We get minimal upselling really, they tend to offer the photo thing, which I decline and they are fine with.

It always costs me money for "free" glasses though. They have really limited frame sizes and styles that are covered by the NHS voucher and because DS has a high prescription he really needs frames that are small enough they won't be super heavy (and just slide down his nose) but with thick enough frames to actually take the lens. I also always need to pay extra for the higher level of thinning. "Free" NHS glasses usually cost me £60 a time minimum.

Yes I think if they do need glasses in 6 months then we will need to pay the extra which is not great but I also want them to wear the glasses!

I think.the big chain you are referring to ... but dare not name! ... is a franchise system and the individual managers decide on policy. I have no such problems with my branch. The manager once chucked a pair of glasses in the bin that had been fitted by a colleague saying they were rubbish! He was more concerned about keeping a good customer and maintaining a good reputation than saving a bob or two.

That amount of upselling would really annoy me.

I’m constantly asked about having contact lenses, which I’ve never asked about in my life. I’m fine with glasses, and really don’t want things in my eyes!
Each time I have to say at least 3 times ‘no, I’m not interested in contact lenses & never will be’.

I suffer from chronic migraines and have to have my eyes tested a lot more often than every two years.
They do seem to play more on the drastic health aspect now and get you to try and purchase the more in-depth retina scan.
I’ve also noticed they try and steer me away from just looking at the free NHS frames and try and persuade me to have fancy designer ones.
I am so clumsy I would never buy those 🤣

This isn’t new, I’ve worn glasses all my life and every single time they try and upsale me things. I just say no thanks I want a cheap frame & my prescription and then I go online and buy a few more frames for cheap. Only thing I do pay for is to thin my lenses as my eyes are minus six.

I use a Boots opticians and they are brilliant and no upselling. Aside from the photo of the eye when I go, which I actually want to monitor a condition.

I had this with the big chain. Pushed hard on myopia glasses. I felt like a bad mother not getting them but they were really expensive and I was worried about DS scratching them or something and how often the prescription might change. Anyway, last trip... nobody mentioned it at all and his prescription was the same so glad I didn't bother.

YANBU

I would hate this. I'd be tempted to send an email to customer services just outlining what you've said here.

My DH has just been tested and the specs and sunglasses he chose in a small independent were £850. He then went to Asda (which is where I go) and got two pairs of varifocals, one with tints for £150. Huge difference! Also no upselling ever at Asda Opticians.

It was a retailer / optician chain already mentioned by a PP on this thread so maybe I need to try somewhere else less sales focused. Thank you for the opinions though useful to know how others would have felt / experiences.

Are we talking about the optician we “ should have gone to”? My last eye test there was absolutely the worst optician experience of my life, the test giver was terse and insensitive, rushed, with all the people skills of à black beetle. Truly abominable.

If its specsavers, yanbu

I had the same experience and paid out for 'anti reflection glasses' that were supposed to stop the effect of bright car headlights at night.... zero difference

Next time its the free NHS pair and nothing else

If it was the 'should have gone to' chain, then don't go there again. I and others have used them and do NOT recommend them. I've had, and others have had, wrong prescriptions from there.

Well that's a safe bet.

It's in the very first line of the OP 😁

I'm a locum optician and work for 2 of the big chains and small local independent shops so I have no vested interest either way but I would say that I recommend the extra scan, myopic glasses and hot eye masks wherever I am working

The extra photo (3d scan) does indeed give a ton more information about eye health than the standard NHS photo. It is entirely optional but if a diagnosis is missed because you declined to have the scan then you can't really blame the optician?

Recommending myopia control for children who are even mildly myopic is in the guidelines of NICE, WHO and the college of optometrists. In fact NOT mentioning myopia control is now considered negligent practice. The fact that the NHS doesn't cover the cost of the lenses is a scandal in my opinion.

For dry eyes the gold standard is to deliver continuous heat to the eyelids for at least 5 minutes. A mask / bag that is made specifically for this purpose is the only thing that will fit the bill. Go soak a flannel in hot water and time how long it stays hot for

NHS sight test fees do not cover the cost of running an optometric practice. Not even close. It's a shop, we have to sell stuff to make money but it's never stuff that doesn't have a logical purpose and benefit

No it wasn't SS but good to know to avoid them too!

Why are you being so cagey about the Opticians?

You are allowed to name them 😳

On the other hand, I was very impressed with the optician at Specsavers recently. He was very thorough and the other staff were pleasant and helpful. I ended up with teenager frames, because my face is small. I’ve been wearing glasses for many, many years and the most recent experience is the best I’ve had in the last 15 or so.

One independent locally has frames that cost £900. Another gave me completely the wrong prescription- far too strong and sold me a pair of glasses I didn’t wear because they were wrong, despite going back several times to have them adjusted.

OK Boots.

The independent opticians I've used have been great. The VE chain were fine and I'd use them again, but it's not there any more.

Thank you for this perspective - interesting. I assumed running costs would be the reasons for the upselling. TBH I wouldn't have minded so much if it been me having the test. But I could easily have spent over £300 I did not have yesterday as the staff played on my health worries for my child. I don't think that is OK.

We have used Specsavers with DS and me for years and never had any upselling. The only extra I pay for is lens thinning for his glasses because of the strength.