It’s been a few years since I bought glasses, and needed an eye test as well. As a good consumer, I thought I’d see what opticians are doing good deals on frames / lenses. Vision Express were advertising that you could get rimless frames, with polycarbonate lenses with anti-scratch and anti-reflective coating for £169.

Whilst not a bargain, it’s pretty competitive, so I headed down. This was the first time I’ve bought glasses from a “pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap’ optician, and for a number of reasons, it will be the last!
The first half of the eye exam is done by automated machines. Very funky and 21st century, but a ’sales assistant’ operated the machinery. She was very friendly, but really didn’t seem to be able to operate it very effectively, and I wasn’t left with an overwhelming confidence in the accuracy of the results.

You then head in to see the opthalmologist for the in-depth exam. After the opthalmologist sees you, you’re shown out to choose from the array of frames by a ’sales assistant’.

Again, the assistant was friendly, but wasn’t a dispensing optician. There’s a reason why you get dispensing opticians - even if it’s just to give advice on the shape of frame / lens that is suitable for my face shape. Also, despite the opthalmologist going into great detail about how I use my glasses, the sales assitant was not told any of this, so could not offer useful advice on what frames / lenses to suggest. It was only because I already knew what I wanted that I could choose.

In an effort to offer more choice, but not take up lots of space with frames and lenses, you can choose a rimless frame, and then choose any shape of rimless lens that is on other glasses. Unfortunately, different lenses sit differently on the face depending on the frame chosen. I didn’t discover the downside of this until my glasses were ready!

Vision Express proudly state on their website (and tv ads) that most pairs of spectacles are ready within the hour - they don’t say that the now very popular rimless glasses are not prepared on site. Still, only a couple of days later, I got a message that my glasses were ready. I went in to try them, and had to point out to the sales assistant that they didn’t fit correctly, so she went to the back of the shop to try and get them sorted. I was in a bit of a hurry, so didn’t pay enough attention. Once I got back to the office, I discovered

  • The lenses didn’t suit me
  • They didn’t fit

I returned the next day, armed with the knowledge that they offer a 30 day exchange / refund guarantee. When I got there, first I was told that they were bent because they were not in a suitable case. This irked me because it was the case I had been given, and the frames are meant to be memory ones, which can be bent out of shape, and then spring back into shape properly! Once she returned from a huddle at the back of the shop, discussing me with another member of staff, I insisted that I wanted to swap them, and she finally relented, and let me choose some new lenses.

I went and picked up my glasses yesterday. Again, they didn’t fit wonderfully, so the assistant took them to some chap at the back of the shop who fiddled with them, and they seem to be much better now.

I’m now left with a reasonable pair of glasses, but having spent the best part of £200 (once you take into account the eye test), I’m left distinctly underwhelmed by the whole experience, and will not be returning (nor would I recommend them). I’ve discovered that they’re relatively cheap, but there’s a reason for it, and I’d rather pay more up front, and get better service!