topic Re: Does anyone go to in Community Spirit

Does anyone go to

crystal**flake — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:04:04 GMT

Spec savers???

Are they any cheaper than the private/owner optometrists?

Re: Does anyone go to

monman12 — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:22:09 GMT

Yes, cheaper, (Optical Superstore) and little if any cost for their basic frames. However, some better frames cost extra.

I am tough on glasses, so I have obtained my optical script from the Superstore and will try an OS online order with a titanium flexible frame that here costs a few hundred dollars.

Re: Does anyone go to

crystal**flake — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:26:32 GMT

Thank you Monman, I'm going to give them a try next time I want new frames.

I just got new ones the other day and they cost me $175 and thats for a cheaper looking pair.

Re: Does anyone go to

foxette-in-sox — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:52:35 GMT

Buy your frames on the internet-overseas is much cheaper than in au.

Then get your prescription lenses from Optical Superstore as they came in around half the price of Spec Savers when I obtained a few quotes just 2 months ago !

Re: Does anyone go to

mlor16 — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:58:35 GMT

I think some of the smaller optometrists are offering similar deals as Specsavers now. I paid $250 (all up) for two pairs of reading glasses a couple of months ago. That was at a small optometrist that I have been going to for years. My husband got his at Specsavers about a year ago and he paid exactly the same price for two pairs as well. Big W do them now too but I don't know how much they charge.

Re: Does anyone go to

mainecoon1 — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:06:04 GMT

crystal I have been told that Spec Savers is the budget store of OPSM.

I used them last year and was not happy with the service, they seem to employ a lot of people but unfortunately none of them seem to know what they were doing. Even though I had an appointment I had to wait 20 minutes after the appointment time to see the optometrist as they forgot about me.

When I got my glasses back they had the wrong prescription in them the person who served me insisted that they were the right ones and that my eyes need to adjust to them when I told them they were wrong and I would not pay for them the said they would send them back. I had to wait another 2 weeks for my glasses and I am still not happy with them but thought I would just make do until later on this year when I will go to a none budget optometrist.

Re: Does anyone go to

crystal**flake — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:18:55 GMT

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I didn't think to look online for frames or shop around. I always felt obligated to buy from my regular optometrist. Now I know.

Re: Does anyone go to

bright.ton42 — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:34:38 GMT

A friend of mine just got her specs from them and they have a good policy

of free exchange if you don't like them for three months.

She didn't like her first pair and took them back, and chose a new

pair, no questions asked.

My local smallish optician is good and they have a one month exchange

policy which I used, and got another pair. I think what my friend ended up

paying at Specsavers for good frames (not the budget) worked out to the same

as me at the private one. She also said the service was good.

Re: Does anyone go to

id-to-post-anything — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:40:01 GMT

I have used them

If you need pretty straight forward glasses, ie basic frame and stock lenses, then they are pretty cheap. If you want/need, high index lenses, thin lenses, ones that darken in the sun, tinting etc, then they were more expensive than Masterspecs, whom i usually use.

Also, the lenses are made overseas and they ended up taking a month to come in. I was not happy

Re: Does anyone go to

**meep** — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:47:39 GMT

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I didn't think to look online for frames or shop around. I always felt obligated to buy from my regular optometrist. Now I know.

Me too. My optometrist has really good quality but rather expensive frames. I saw him a couple of months ago and contemplated getting my new frames from Spec Savers but at the end of the day, you get what you pay for. He was more than happy to offer me a great deal for a pair of designer frames with photochromic and anti-reflective lenses after I mentioned that this time I would shop around 😉

Re: Does anyone go to

mainecoon1 — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:35 GMT

ID you are right mine are bi focal and they made a hash of the prescription they also cost me $100.00 more than the normal lenses, when they offered me anti reflection for an extra $50.00 I said no thanks.

brigh.ton the return policy might work if you don't like the frames or they are uncomfortable but it does not work if they give you the wrong prescription in the lenses. I was not even offered a refund when I was unhappy with the prescription and medicare will only cover one check up per year. If I had demanded a refund I would have had to go to another optometrist and pay to have my eyes checked again. The first glasses I got had the completely wrong prescription (another persons), the second one was the correct prescription according to Spec Savers but there was distortion in my peripheral vision and blurring, so it looks like they did not interpreter my eye test correctly.

Re: Does anyone go to

id-to-post-anything — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:06:56 GMT

Mainecoon---I had a similar issue too. I needed multifocals but their optometrist decided that I didnt really need it. Only after I absolutely insisted that the reading part of glasses make a huge difference to my sight, rather than just the tiny technical difference, did she actually agree to let me have those ones made.

I never went back after this

Re: Does anyone go to

purple_haize — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:12:02 GMT

I go there and so does my daughter.

I have never had a problem with them, infact it was them that found out that I had bleeding behind my eye and that I have glaucoma.

My glasses have never taken more than a week to come in and I have stronger lenses.

I wouldnt go anywhere else. I know some of my friends go there as well, and are very happy with them.

Re: Does anyone go to

mlor16 — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:14:06 GMT

I only need glasses for reading. But if it's raining I also wear them for driving. I have really good multifocals. They cost $700. I decided I wanted a separate pair of reading glasses and these are the ones that I got a little while ago. One thing I did notice is that the lenses are really thick. As idtopostanything pointed out if you want thinner lenses and other stuff you have to pay more.

Re: Does anyone go to

azureline** — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:16:40 GMT

I think it is dependent on each individual store as to service.......price is good, choice is good.... tests are probably better than any I have had prior.... I had an issue with fit of a particular pair and nothing seemed to help until I got a guy who was very good and worked to fix the problem.

Re: Does anyone go to

freddie*rooster — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:36:52 GMT

Maine, had you phoned Medicare and explained to them what happened, they would OK a 2nd eye test. I had an eye test at spec savers and wasn't convinced of their findings, so I called medicare and explained, they told me I could go to a different Optometrist for a 2nd test.

Re: Does anyone go to

bright.ton42 — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:37:28 GMT

brigh.ton the return policy might work if you don't like the frames or they are uncomfortable but it does not work if they give you the wrong prescription in the lenses. I was not even offered a refund when I was unhappy with the prescription and medicare will only cover one check up per year. If I had demanded a refund I would have had to go to another optometrist and pay to have my eyes checked again. The first glasses I got had the completely wrong prescription (another persons), the second one was the correct prescription according to Spec Savers but there was distortion in my peripheral vision and blurring, so it looks like they did not interpreter my eye test correctly.

Well that's unforgivable in my view. They should have immediately retested your eyes

and made good their mistake. To send you out with poor vision is unbelievable.

Re: Does anyone go to

mainecoon1 — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:05:19 GMT

ID I have always only had reading glasses when I went to SS they told me I needed multi focals for work because of the computer and paperwork I do as I am looking up and down all the time, I was stupid and let them talk me into it.

brigh.ton to be honest I did not want them to go near my eyes again and I guess if I had insisted they would have retested but by then I did not trust them.

Freddie thanks for the information re medicare, I did not even think to call them if it ever happens again I will make sure I do.

I used to go to Paris Mikki and I will be go back to them again as I found them to be very professional. It will be interesting to see if they think I need multi focals or if I only need reading glasses for work.

Re: Does anyone go to

aspie*mum — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:23:39 GMT

SS are absolute rubbish! I tried them once and NEVER again.

I wear multifocals, and got them there once and they were awful - there was a great big fuzzy line between prescriptions (for reading and distance!) - and they did nothing! Told me to live with it and the glasses were unwearable (and they do look cheap and nasty). I was livid.

Whenever I had issues with OPSM glasses there was NO problems - they would adjust prescriptions etc. More expensive, but much better service and aftercare.

I think SS is ok if you are just having reading glasses but I would NEVER recommend them. Rubbish.

Costco Optical is great. Not a huge frame range, but it changes often and very cheap. I'd say cheaper or as cheap as SS and dead cheap with rebate. I am about $180 out of pocket (Chloe frames) at Costco optical for multifocal. With OPSM I have been out of pocket $500+ at times for multifocals. They also have great after purchase service.

Re: Does anyone go to

cherry*135 — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:56:46 GMT

I can get unlimited medicare benefits for optometrists vists per year, because of my high prescription.

I buy contacts though, not glasses.