Maybe why YOU can't get used to Varyfocals

[Skippy2001]

I had a real issue with my new varifocals and went back twice to the optician who insisted it was just a matter of getting used to them. I gave u and stopped using them as they gave me eye strain.

Now three years later I came across this thread on a well-known review site! Apparently this is INDUSTRY STANDARD; Anyone else think we should be told this when we complain about headaches? Here it is, it is still posted for anyone to see.

I was very surprised at this treatment from Specsavers. I arranged an appointment and went for eye test as per normal and everything excellent… +1.50 for medium, or intermediate distance ( computer) and +2.00 for close reading…. Same every test for years.

I do a lot of reading and simultaneous writing on the computer so the varifocal or bi focal option of +2.00 and +1.50 seemed great. £150 later I had two identical pairs of classes ordered.

They arrived on time and I then tried the glasses and immediately I noticed the intermediate distance was blurry, it really did not work at all so I assumed they got the prescription wrong.

I went to Specsavers and the very kind and helpful lady looked at the prescription ordered for the bi focals and confirmed that it was indeed + 1.50 and +2.00. I know my eyes and told her it certainly was not correct. She agreed to go to the lab downstairs and test the 1.50 part of the glasses.

When she returned she explained that in fact my eye had not lied: the 1.50 was indeed 1.25 in the glasses!!!!

But wait for it…. It was not an error. She explained that Specsavers cannot make 1.50 to 2.00 bifocals because the leap is ‘too severe’. So why the subterfuge?

Regardless of the right or wrong of this I was amazed that it is company policy to alter prescriptions in this way without telling the consumer and then…. only when the consumer notices and has eye strain…. do they say anything.

This is beyond shocking. Do the opticians working there know this is standard practice?

So if YOU get a pair of glasses and find your eyes are hurting trying to use them… ask Specsavers if they have altered the prescription to suit their machines… and forgotten to tell you..

The very nice lady who dealt with us gave as a refund.

Shocking.

I've tried twice with a gap of many years, with varifocals and loathed them both times but to be fair to specsavers and vision express they gave me a refund. No idea whether they altered the prescription but wouldn't try again anyway.
I am now resigned to separate reading, distance and intermediate glasses, occasionally bi-focals.
I never buy from opticians though. Get test and buy from Glasses Direct.

My wife struggle with varifocals and eventually resorted to buying online and ever since has had no issues. I am not sure I can name them. My concern is that Specsavers clearly alter prescriptins without telling a person. There is a very big difference between +1.25 and +1.50... Indeed if your sight dropped ( or improved) that much they'd be selling you new glasses on that basis... My point generaly is that maybe, when so many struggle with new varifocals... jst maybe they need to check the glasses are the correct prescription... and it is not them getting used to the glasses after all. It's a bad idea to persivere if your eyes are saying occchhh

Well that might explain why Specsavers gave me a refund without even trying to explain how to wear them or get used to them. I couldn't see a thing with them on.

I suspect you’ve misunderstood OP.
Bifocals are different to varifocals - they have a line going across them. They only have a distance area and a reading area. So if you needed +1.00 and +2.50 add for reading. The top of the bifocal the top would be +1.00 and the reading bit would be +3.50 with no steps in between.

All varificals have a large area at the top for distance, a narrower corridor with an out of focus area in the middle at the sides for intermediate (so computer distance) and a larger reading area at the bottom and it’s graduated. So say you needed 1.00 for distance and +2.50 add for reading, you would get all the different steps down the lens at some point from +1.00 to +3.50.
Most varifocals have a maximum of +3.50.
They take some getting used to - I now wear them myself - basically you need to point your nose at the thing you’re looking at and move your head more, rather than your eyes, so that you’re looking through the correct part of the lens.

You are always going to have that out of focus bit though at the sides and it tends to be larger with cheaper varifocal lenses. Although, having said that, I prefer the mid-range lens.

Specsavers definitely offer lenses with both a +1.50 and +1.25 add (although the difference is minimal. I generally wouldn’t recommend a change of glasses is someone only had a +0.25 change.

www.eyesite.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/eyesite-lenses-glasses-_357395417.jpg

Hopefully this helps too

Yes; 'this too helps' me understand the thinking of Specsavers... and it seems.... the entire industry????

I see the point but when a prescription is of a relatively low order, ie +1.50 then a 0.25 deviation represents almost 20% change. With a much stronger prescription then the percentage is much lower, thus the appreciable difference is also lower and less noticable ( and harmful ).

My own experience seems to bear this out ( as does the reviewer ) in so far as we both noticed that an almost 20% unauthorised and un-notified change to our prescriptions. I shall not say 'hidden' as that might allow an inference of deliberate misrepresentation.

Whilst an optician may well consider +/- 0.25 to be insignificant in a prescription of 2.5 or more they would certainly not in a prescription of say 1.0.

Clearly as the prescitrion stengnth increases the adverse effect is inversly proprtional to said increase. ( It gets less :-) )

Besides even if it makes no difference…. Surely the consumer has the right to be informed. Consumer Proecttion from Unfair Trading regs 2008 suggests so. ( Breaches of which by the way are criminal... but lets not complicate things).

Maybe I am just a difficult consumer: :-)

On the other hand maybe I am right and Specsavers should inform the consumer of changes to their prescription regardless of the effect or reason.

Oddly enough I have a communication from Specsavers on behalf of Doug Perkins (CEO) apologising. They have also called me and apologising and agreed while heartedly with my point… as any rational unbiased and intelligent person would….. Even employees of Specsavers.

His email is [email protected] it’s in the public dolman so does not breach any rules to mention it. Executive complaints can be reached here: [email protected]

I hope anyone suffering the same concerns will find this useful.

I'm shortly doing a post which will show how all major retailers selling online breach consumer regs every distance sale AND make a criminal breach also. Every retailer, every sale!! I hope everyone finds it as interesting ans they do astonishing.

Specssavers are the very worst for varifocals, they are literally shite.
I've had three pairs of varifocals from them which I could not see anything out of - they turned the world into a fog. I'd have crashed the car wearing them.
When i complained I was told this is normal you need to get used to them....bollox.
When I got some privately, naturally much more expensive, I could see out of them right away and had no eyestrain whatsoever.
I am resigned that if I want to see it's going to be at least £350.
Specsavers should be banned from making varifocals because they are inept, dangerous not up to the job.

There are online providers who do provide good glasses but you need to be careful. As they are made for you the CCR2013 Regs are not avaiable to you.

OP do you mean optical tolerance standards? So how exact the lens needs to be compared to the prescription?
If so, it’s only +- 0.12DS in lower prescriptions, only higher on higher prescriptions over -18.00DS. I can’t remember what the ISO number is off hand.
Will have a look.

The up to date regs are ISO21897:2017.
If you google that plus pdf you’ll get a table which explains how exact a lens needs to be for each prescription type.

I've had no issues with my local Specsavers and varifocals (and I only have the el-cheapo lenses). I can see my phone screen now!

Mine are from Specsavers. No issues.

If you just need glasses for reading and computer use you need 'office' lenses, which have a very slim section of distance prescription at the very top so not suitable for all day use but great for work at computer and reading distance. Specsavers and similar 'cheaper' opticians use standard blanks for the lenses that are graded in .5 sections. An independent optician will have the lenses individually made to suit your prescription at the distances you need- not use generic ones and hope that your eyes used to the lenses.