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Online Glasses Vs High Street Opticians: Consumer Watch

04 February 2012

As you will know from previous posts I am new to this buying glasses online stuff and before buying my latest purchase from Specspost I regularly purchased from my High Street store Specsavers.

I purchased my previous pair from Specsavers in September 2011 straight after I had had my regular 2 year check. I did feel a little pressured into purchasing my glasses from there as I was taken straight to the glasses after my eye test. Yes you do need to have your prescription at your opticians but do not let them pressurise you into actually making a purchase.

When I bought my Gok Wan glasses they made it sound like I was getting a good deal throwing in free scratch resistant coating (which actually wasn’t a huge bonus having paid £125 for them). After a couple of weeks of general wear, taking them off and putting them back on a few times a day, they seemed to suddenly become extremely weak, even over that short period of time; one of the handles even dropped slightly from its initial flush match up with the front of the glasses, I had to go back to Specsavers for them to adjust the screw for me.

My recent purchase from Specspost seem to, so far, be very different, they continue to feel very well made and firm without being uncomfortable, there is definitely none of the ‘flimseyness’ that came with the Specsavers pair. I generally feel less nervous about putting my Specspost pair down than my Specsavers pair; as they feel a lot more intact than my high street glasses. The whole process of buying them was easy, and I got exactly what I wanted. They came in a great little glasses case and were well packaged, to avoid damage in the post. My specsavers glasses did come with a box but it is far too bulky to be able to carry it around, without hassle, in my handbag.

My Specspost purchase (the James Dean black and white glasses) are still like new, the hinges haven’t loosened over time like the Specsavers pair. They do feel the same in regards to the plastic frame, and both pairs are of good quality, but the difference is in the way they are put together. They are much more resilient to damage for instance dropping them; I am always dropping my glasses and you shouldn’t expect, when you have paid £125 for a pair, to need a new hinge.

I am unsure as to whether I will purchase glasses from my High Street opticians again, unless prices are drastically reduced. But for now, I am very happy with the service I get from Specspost.

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