Sep 13 2007
Buying Glasses Online
Buying Glasses Online
Just recently I have been asked to speak about the benefits of supplying glasses online at the Great Specs Debate.
The Great Specs Debate is to be held on the 25th September 2007 in front of a large group of opticians (so you can see that I will be putting my head in the lion’s den so to speak). The topic of debate will be about the supply of glasses online with two sides, one against the supply of spectacles online and one for the supply of spectacles online.
Obviously I will be speaking “for” the supply of glasses online and part of the speech will be highlighting the benefits of patients being able to purchase their eyewear online.
Now there was I sat at my desk thinking of all the benefits relating to purchasing glasses online and came up with quite a few, when I thought to myself, the best people to be answering this question is you, my existing customers and visitors.
So, for the next few days I would love to hear what you think the “real” benefits to purchasing your glasses online actually are. Some of your benefits will probably include the price, convenience etc… But I’d love to hear other benefits as well.
Remember your comments are greatly appreciated and will help secure more realistic prices and an alternative solution for your eyewear supply in the future.
Please leave your comments below. There’s no need to login or register and your details will not be passed on (just the comment). You may use a nick name if you wish to remain anonymous.
Many Thanks
Mark Bowden
i wish there was a page just for me so that i could re-order easily
Thank you Martin
However, just to re cap this page is for posting what you think the benefits of having the choice to purchase your glasses online are.
Many Thanks
Mark Bowden
I buy my glasses on line as it saves me time and the prices are generally lower than retailers on the high street due to reduced running costs.
The choice of glasses is often greater online and the buying process can be completed at home and quickly.
I’m on my fourth pair at the moment and each pair has come through without any problems and I reckon they all equate to the same price as one pair from a branded retailer.
Cheers
Hardy
Buying my first official pair of ‘Armani’ glasses from Spex4less has been very easy. the service probably better than my high street stores…
I emailed my prescription, v. straight forward. But there was a problem with the glasses when they arrived. (chipped lens) I made a quick phone call (James) and returned them receiving a replacement / repair within the week!!!
I will certainly go to Spex4less in future….
…and if you require a professional photographer at anytime (est. 25 years) I specialise in Corporate event & portraiture and have facilities at my studio to make lifestyle and product images when required foxevans.com
..Well you can’t blame me for selling myself at the same time!! regards, Tim
Price, price, price and price.
Quality a match for the high street, the only thing missing is having someone adjust the nose pads for you but how difficult is that to do really?
Oh, and don’t forget price.
Positives
1) Price; Far cheaper than High Street Prices.
2) Convenience; No waiting around in optician’s shops.
Negatives
Difficulty getting glasses with long enough arms (sides).
You can try them on in a shop.
John
EXcellent service and making a very large saving in costs. \no waiting around in the opticians and generally very good service
Truely the only reason I purchase on-line is price!
I purchased two pairs,one for close up and one for distance,with the free coating,i was realy pleased with the design and the price,my wife was was due for replacement, so she purchased a new pair as well,
Will contact you again when repalcements are required.
Why not offer discounts for regular customers!
The only problem i have is not ordering the glasses from the shop that does the eye tests. as the staff are not very pleased.
Hi I think that the conveniance of entering the prescription details on line,paying and waiting for the delivery at a price much less than the premises based competitors not to mention the two journeys one to order and one to collect is a wonderful idea. As both my wife and I are severely disabled-mobility restricted, the ability to deal with this online is a real benefit.
Would certainly like to try ordering on line. However my High Street optician has never offered me the prescription. Should I ask? In any case, call me old fashioned, but is it not un-ethical to do that after they made the examintaion originally? The last set of specs were not too satisfactory so maybe I would be passing on a sub-standard prescritption?
Maybe next time.
John Walker
PRICE ad infinitum. I strongly object to paying vastly inflated High St prices. How in heavens name can a simple pair of spec frames cost
£50 and up&up&up….How can they justify these sort of prices?Ridiculous!
Against= if they’re wrong more hassle getting them seen to, but then again you have to travel to and from the Opticians maybe more than once.
Buying on line means that I can avoid the high pressure salesmanship that I have found in all the popular High Street opticians. Their base prices are outrageous, and they have ways of adding on the even more outrageous extras for every small thing. The eventual price often exceeds that of a reliable second hand car with MOT ! All this for two pennorth of bent wire, and a mass produced lens with/without minor grinding adjustment by a technician to meet the precise prescriptiom requirements.
On line the prices are a bit more reasonable, but the whole pricing structure of spectacles is a national scandal whch should be the subject of a wide ranging enquiry by the Office of Fair Trading.
The eye test, though free to us OAP’s, often appears perfunctory and basic. Once it is over, and you have been handed on the to high pressure shark salesperson, you never see the optometrist again, and he/she never checks that the glasses have been correctly made up to the prescription.
I live and work in Germany where High street Opticians are more expensive than the UK.
Having tested the system by purchasing (cheap) reading glasses and have gained confidence in the “On line” system. I have since ordered more expensive options (sun glasses, Bifocals) and have been very pleased with the service and conveniance.
on the negative side, if you are a person who likes to “test” glasses in front of a mirror and have to be “persuaded” by the sales staff. Then console yourself with this thought. “You pay a lot of money for this service so the sales person must sound sincere when they tell you look great with the Buddy Holly style”
I purchased glasses on-line after a fruitless tour around local shops looking for affordable glasses. The glasses I was after were a backup pair for my daily use pair and a pair of prescription sunglasses. My experience of on-line glasses purchase was positive for the following reasons:
1) I was about to go on holiday and so had limited time to trawl round more shops. A few hours searching on-line late one evening was all that was required to get an order placed.
2) Unexpectedly it seemed to be easier to choose glasses on-line. This was either due to their being less choice or it being easier to drill down to the styles of interest.
3) Where budget is tight or spare glasses are being purchased the savings found on-line seem worthwhile.
Suggestions
The image quality of on-line glasses should be made as high as possible and some form of 3d viewing would be useful as would the ability to see a selection of people wearing the glasses.
Some Logitech cameras have a very cool and effective animation/avatar features that allow you to try on glasses, wigs etc. For a sample see here -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qZLgA2g7Ow . How about using something like this to try on glasses on-line? Or a simpler alternative that allows you to upload your photo and try on glasses photofit fashion.
I tend to buy my first pair of glasses from the optician who made the prescription. This means they are well fitting and suitable.
I then buy one or two pairs off the net to supplement these - as I am always leaving them around the house.
The advantage of high street purchase is to get a good fit
The advantage of net purchase is price
In the process of liberation and the breaking of highly profitable cartels that have existed for many years, the big issue I find is that when you ask for the prescription so you can order online, the shop gets stroppy and leaves off information. They also start with the negatives of buying online. I would start by exploding some of the myths that surround buying glasses online i.e. the strangle hold held by the cartels (sorry, high street opticians) and provide maybe a “what to ask the options” and what to demand when it’s not on the prescription.
Great no-nonsense service. Keep up the good work!
John Morgan
I am all for buying glasses online. How ever, my prescription is higher than can be purchased online. So, I have just spent £450 on a pair of spectacles, which to be fair are really nice, but its a lot of money to spend every 1 to 2 years.So PLEASE extend the range as there must be other people whose eye sight is like mine!!!
Obviously price, but also shopping at my convenience (any hour, day or night), comparing products is as easy as bookmarking them, all done in a comfortable, unpressured environment. If I want to have time to make my mind up, I can return at my convenience to have another look without having to trek back to the shops. I don’t need to queue to be served. The speed of supply and the quality of customer service is far superior to most shops. There seems to be more extensive protection for on-line purchases than in the high street.
Price is a big thing but also I can sit and browse through your many designs, I am now over 80 and for the first time when I saw your web site, I felt I could relax and choose my glasses, I have always felt pushed when at an opticians. They do the eye test and immediately take you to the array of spectacles, assuming you are going to buy (and I always have) but NOT any more. Thank you.
I purchase my glasses on line because it is so much easier for me to choose from the vast selection that you have available. It also saves me time and effort visiting Opticians and generally finding glasses on sale for a higher price than I can afford. I have always had excellent service from Mark Bowden and a very quick delivery service.
In a “realife” shop I often feel pressured into buying glasses that i’m not 100% sure about or that are to expensive… I’m no good at saying “no” so buying online takes that pressure away. I can browse without anyone asking “do you need any help” and no one is trying to pressure me or rush me.
The price advantage of on-line buying is obvious.
The accuracy of the dispension you have to trust.
The comfort of the chosen frame is a gamble.
There are ’swings and roundabouts’ !!
Price, price, convenience, range and price again.
Price is the key - I can afford to have a pair in my car, my wife’s car and at home (simple long sighted prescription). You are not the cheapest though…
So far I have only purchased safety glasses from you on behalf of the company I am employed by. The service you provide is quick, accurate, easy and above all affordable.
I bought my first pair of glasses online from Mark nearly two years ago and found i could browse at my own convenience and prices were much lower than the high street. Advice and support was second to none.
I will be purchasing new glasses in a couple of months and i have already decided to buy from Mark again.
At first I must admit to being very dubious about buying something as technical as a pair of spectacles,on-line. However one of my friends, who I have the utmost respect for, as far as his being very careful indeed when parting with money, gave specs 4 less an absolute glowing write-up for their service, quality and delivery.
I tried them out in 2006 with a prescription for a pair of rimless bi-focals. They were not only bloody good, they were almost half the price I had been quoted at my local opticians. In June of 2007 my Wife broke the arm off of her bi-focals, I took it back to where we bought them, I was told to throw them away, they couldn’t be repaired. I contacted Mark Bowden by phone to ask if he would make my Wife a replacement pair of specs.
When I told him the story about the broken pair, he imediately told me to post them to him, not only did he make her a beautiful pair of bi-focals, he made the broken pair like new for a paultry £10. A Business like that is worth telling others about, and that,s just what I intend to do.
Regards.
Freddy Fullerton.
Potters Bar Herts.
Benefits of buying specs online:
1. Much lower price
2. Saves considerable time (we can’t buy any more of this!)
3. Savings can provide for a 2nd pair that we should all have to hand but probably don’t - or for the sunglasses
4. Very useful for people living or working abroad, particularly if they are not fluent in the local language. (As in my case and many others in this region). An increasing number are leaving (escaping? -:) the UK or spending more time travelling.
5. Environmentaly more friendly, unless one is within walking distance of optician - for the Customer. Less energy and space required - for the optician.
6. Useful for students, who are usually on a low budget and computer capable, and often studying away from home location.
7. Useful for people who can operate a computer but may not be having so much success with their bodies.
Hope these few comments are useful.
Good Luck with the Great Debate, Mark. (There’s no contest! -:)
PURCHASING GLASSES ON LINE IS SO CONVENIENT. YOU DON’T HAVE THE TOING AND FROING TO THE TOWN CENTRE. THE SERVICE IS FIRST RATE AND THE FRAMES SHOWN ARE OF THE LATEST STYLES, WHICH ARE SHOWN IN THE HIGH STREET SHOPS, ONLY AT A MORE AFFORDABLE PRICE. I HAVE TOLD ALOT OF PEOPLE ABOUT PURCHASING ONLINE AND ESPECIALLY THIS WEB SITE. I’LL CONTINUE TO PURCHASE MY GLASSES ONLINE IN THE FUTURE, AND WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANKYOU MARK FOR THE SERVICE I’VE RECEIVED IN THE PAST.
I have had several pairs of glasses from speca4less, i have always found them very helpfull and good value.
I think reading the comments already posted you have your answers.
Price,Convenience,Range in today’s society nobody likes to wait for anything everybody is in a rush.We live in a fast paced enviroment,you can buy groceries online,cars online,holidays online,book a hotel in another country online,life and living is online so why not put Sight Online,good name.
Jeff.
hi, buy them on line because it saves me time and money, I get great glasses at a fraction of the cost, wonderful
Firstly: It has to be price.
Secondly: Choice. The local “Specsavers” isn’t always blessed with the glasses you fancy.
Finally, convenience: Purchasing off the web is quick and simple.
So, As long as you know what you’re after then, purchasing off the web is a convenient way to save both time and money purchasing your specs.
The downside….. and there’s always a downside: Not being able to try out something new. It’s all very well looking at a picture but actually trying them on is a must and obviously not very practical via the web!
A real saver though - The re-glazing service. This is a cracking way to keep up with your prescription effectively extending the life of the spex. This is by far the best service suited to web purchasing.
I really appreciate being able to choose my frames and lenses at my leisure with no hidden extras and no Bimbo pressurising me.
Also the no quibble return for change or replacement at no extra cost.
Last but not least the SPEED of service, I’ve never waited more than two days from ordering to delivery.
Specs4less4me4ever.
I bought mine because they were a fraction of the cost they would have been at the opticians. The quality is great and they arrived within 48 hours. I don’t feel it’s at all unethical as you pay for the eye examination; if your local optician wants you to buy their glasses then,like all businesses, they should be competitive. To save a little bit more, next year I’m going to get my eyes tested on my annual trip to Scotland where it’s free for UK residents!
If only you did GP contact lenses and then I’d even happier!!
the main reason is price but off course convenience is another reason it is much easier to sit in front of the computer at the end of a long working day to order my glasses that have the hassle of going to a shop
You can order glasses without leaving the house, just wait (not long)for them to be delivered. I have ordered two pairs from spex4less, both are perfect. The service is 100% hassle-free.
Price and choice are good, and the service is excellent. I see the main benefit in respect of purchasing second or spare pairs of spectacles - but my comment there is heavily influenced by my belief in wanting to support local shops (we have a small independent Opticians shop in our town).
Convenience and price are my main reasons.
It is much quicker and easier to shop on line than have to go into town. I now four pairs at the moment for less than one pair was costing me in a high street shop. Fantastic!!
I have never had a problem in getting the prescription - you have a right to obtain a copy, so just ask for it. Check all the data is completed before you leave the shop. Opticians charge for the eye test so it is not unethical to shop somewhere else for the glasses if you can get them cheaper. They are not giving a free service.
Price and convenience: the High Sreet shops charge exhorbitant prices for the kind of frame you get with ready-made reading glasses.
On-line provider seem to be more aware of customers’ requirements.
As nearly everyone has already said, price. The prices charged by High Street opticians are extortionate, partly because of the their high overheads, but one also has to take into account the high cost of getting there, and the considerable inconvenience, if one lives in the country, as I do.
Time Saving, Lower Prices, Convenience, More Choice, I could go on forever …….
Benefits:
Price, choice, qulity of product, no pressure sales
Minor Drawbacks:
You can’t try them on before buying.
Minor adjustments to achive a perfect fit are not easy to do oneself
I have had extremely good service from my on line supplier.One week from ordering and i can be wearing my new glasses.
The choice is very good indeed, and as we are retired on a limited income, my wife and i have to watch the pennies, we find that the prices are very good indeed.
When we went to the high street opticians it was every two years, because of the higher prices which we had to pay.
We can now afford to have our eyes checked every year and if necessary we can afford to buy new glasses on line, every year.
Benifits are
Price, Convenience and choice
all from the comfort of your own home
speed of service is essential
no chance to try them on before you buy is a problem but can be overcome
I work in a remote station abroad and do not have access to a Boots or specsavers etc, therefore buying on-line is a must, especially in the event of loosing or breaking my glasses.
I get the design I want, at a great price, and delivered within days, otherwise I have to wait until I return to the UK.
Price. I didn’t spend any less, I was just able to afford better frames. I bought memory metal frames, and then went and bought a set of wrap round prescription frames, for the same money as I could buy one get one “free” deal on the local high street, for non memory metal and non wrap round sunglasses
I’m not sure about the choice argument, as when I go into an optician to buy glasses, it takes about 2 hours to pick a set of frames you are prepared to pay the price for and feel you look good in! The down side of online is you don’t get the “do I look good in this” feeling before you part with the cash…..
I have bought online several times now and liked aone design so much I bought it again. It is easier than the sales pressure you can get in a shop sometimes, and I can take my time to decide.
Hi
Like Bill above. I usually try on a few pairs of glasses first before deciding on which one is the most suitable otherwise I would be more than happy to shop online.
Convenience and being able to review ranges and options at you own pace, having done that the keen prices are a key motivator to making a purchase.
I would be lying if I said that cost wasn’t an issue however the service that you get is also brilliant. you can look for hours if you please, without a saleperson badgering you into feeling rushed to try on a pair.
And although as someone commented that you cannot adjust them easily you can take them into any optical express and it doesnt matter where you got them from they will adjust them for you, sometimes for free, sometimes for about £5 .When you consider the amount you save buying them online its nothing
hya mark i agree with most people you deal with the
biggest problem is price high street opticians are
not cheap what we are looking at is a sensible price
i think where people go wrong they want trendy frames
ok we all want to look great i have done my it myself
had a pair of varifocals in small lenses because they look good are they doing my eyes good no: at the time i was strugling i was not being fair to my eyes never again there are some nice frames at a good price i will be buying a pair of varifocals shortly which are better for some but can we order online if not there should be ba way round this enough said eric
The demystification of the otherwise arcane business of dealing with opticians etal augments the not considerable benefits of cost and convenience.
Two years ago I couldn’t spell ophthalmologist now I are one!
Sorry,I meant”not inconsiderable benefits”
For me the advantage is the speed with which the purchase and delivery can be enacted. Delivery through the letterbox of my house rather than trapesing off to high street opticians and the time that it usually takes with them to try the glasses on etc Spex4less are usually able to process my online order and deliver the specs within 5 working days which I find remarkable. Their competitive prices are a significant attraction too.
1st Price, it has to be price.
2nd Convenience, no journeys to make etc.
3rd No hassle, just select frames send order and wait (not long).
4th Even varifocals available now.
Brilliant service guys.
Your service being fast,good quality and much cheaper than high street shops speaks for itself as far as I am concerned.
Dear Mark,
I’m pleased to endorse your service with this little story.
Having arranged and completed my National Health Eye Test, I was delivered into the hands of a young lady, for the purpose of selecting frames. The general attitude seemed to be, that I was under an obligation to choose at that moment, from a confusing display. The lady pointed out this and that,emphasizing their fashable merits, by way of distracting me away from my own basic requirements and choice. Eventually, I requested to know the prices of those to which my attention was drawn. It soon became apparent that the expectation was that we were viwing models well over the ‘hundreds’of pounds in price. As a pensioner, I reminded the salesperson that I was not in a position to spend that sort of money, asking her to point out the lower cost items. The atmosphere changed as she said that prices started at £30 and, in an off-hand manner, she pointed to the single £30 pair of frames that lay on a ledge. They, had not merited to be given the dignity to have been included in the ‘general’ display. I then caused myself further embarressment by (innocently) asking if that price included the lenses. I then ventured the opinion that I could not see any great differentiation in the funtional operation of any of the samples, demonstrated to me thus far. The saleslady appeared to be exhausted, even after the few minutes of the time she spent with me and I could sense that I was not making the appropriate responses to the saleslady’s requirements. That led me to take my leave and to seek my own requirements elsewhere.
When I got home, I recounted my adventure to my wife and we both laughed fit to burst.
I went to my ancient Computer, and found www.spex4less.com I was able to view a wide choice of frames, which would have been difficult distinguish from even the best of those I had seen in the Opticians cabinets. So, I telephoned the Freephone number of ‘Spex for less’ to povide the details of my prescription, both for driving and for reading glasses. By return the glasses were delivered to my door. I have to say that I am highly satisfied with the curtesy, quality and the prompt service delivered to me by “Spex4less”. and I am pleased to send these few words of appeciation, in the hope that you can make use of the anecdote at your forth-coming talk.
With thanks,
John Harland.
Like most products and services buying on-line is cheaper. The real difference with buying glasses is that retail outlets are almost all outrageously expensive. I had to buy my last pair at a high street outlet as varifocal lenses were not available on the Internet. These cost over £400 and it is difficult to understand how such charges are justified. It seems to me that there is actually no real competition between retail outlets to the point where I wonder if a cartel is operating.
Needless to say I will endeavour to use on-line purchasing wherever possible in future.
Regards
Barry Heaven
Hi Mark,
I’ve just recently purchased a new pair of glasses from you. I’ve bought several pairs of glasses from your business in the past. I’ve been delighted with all my purchases and the glasses have proved to be at least as good in terms of fit and quality as I’ve had from the High Street shops. Your business deserves every success.
I don’t think online purchasing of glasses is for everyone but for anyone who can measure a set of existing frames accurately and type the details of a prescription into your easy to use form the outcome is likely to be a happy one.
I have to say that choosing an optician can be a hit or a miss affair. There are good ones who *listen* to what their customers say and others who dont. Pick a good one and decide for yourself where you want to buy your glasses. I’ve had one particularly bad experience in the past with a local optician (not one of the big four), so choose with care.
Opticians are professional people and command professional wages. They don’t have to fleece us on price over glasses.
Just remember folks, Mark and others are at least giving us a choice when it comes to price. I for one will never buy glasses from a High Street opticial again… ever.
easy to access, good choice of spec, low price and delivered to your door what more could you want
to me it is the differance of being able to aford spectacles or not
being able to buy spectacles. good luck to all online spectacle
sellars.
I find it easier than going to an optician where you have to book an appointment and could wait for weeks for one then wait an age for your glasses. When you order online you can do it anytime night or day.
Obviously the lower prices available on the internet has to be the main advantage. It has enabled me to purchase bifocals, and polarised bifocals, specs to use with the computer and anti dazzle specs for the car all with prescription lenses.
I get to talk directly with an optician (or sometimes a qualified technician each time I phone with a query.
The most usual concern raised is what happens when you have a problem mine was understood at once and a replacement pair sent within a few days, less than a week very much quicker than offered by “High Street” opticians.
I have recommended a number of friends all those who made purchases have like me been most pleased.
I have discovered that “spring loaded” frames require little adjustment to give comdfotable wear.
the only thing that is lacking on this site is the ability to have a 360 view of the glasses. this would make choosing frames a lot eaiser. that said I bought my first pair a year a go at 1/3 of what the high street wanted-magic!!
My opticians scoffed at online purchasing but I think that is because they are at the back of the queue progress wise with regards the internet.
A lot of their sites are clumsy and hard to use-and over priced
As an ebay powerseller of 7 years, I love the fact that a smaller operation has had the nouse to go ahead and eclipse the high street retailer…full marks guys…
oh…it would be cool if you guys did those reacte a lite sun glass things (the lenses that change in the sun) Been after a pair for a while but not at High street prices…
Thank you for all your comments please keep them coming.
Dan just to point out we do actually do these. They are called transitions and you should find them under the lens coating option.
1. Price 2.Convenience. 3. After sales service!
A couple of months ago I lost my glasses - left them in a motorway service station somewhere. I was not too worried because a week before that I had put them in my shirt pocket together with one of those soft-grip gel pens. This promptly scrubbed all the coating off in patches, so the glasses were pretty useless anyway, and I had already booked an eye test with that place in the high street that says they will do your new glasses in an hour. In my case that means a week.
I wanted varifocals - years ago I got fed up with wearing two pairs at once - and the only frames the shop could show me were ‘designer’. That means some kid straight out of art school had doodled on a bit of paper somewhere and drawn up plans for lenses that are far too shallow to work properly as varifocals. They need to be LARGE lenses if they are to be any actual use.
The upshot was that, because I could not at the time buy varifocals online, I bought the largest somewhere-near reasonably priced frames in the store. They were, I think, £30. Then came the lenses and the coating - just antiscratch, nothing fancy. That upped the price to well over £200. God knows what transition lenses would have been.
Mark Bowden will now produce the same prescription for me at a cost of about £80, and get them to me in 2 days. Why on earth would I ever buy from the High Street again?
It was so easy to order on line. I have been asked by over 30 people where I purchased my glasses and how much I paid for them.
A really fast service too.
You don’t get bothered by sales staff. Silly women who say you can’t have this that or the other “with those frames”
There’s no parking problems. No time off work. What more can I say ?
Buying on line is easier and quicker in most cases. Then there’s the price……….say no more, nudge nudge wink wink, know what I mean.
Its sooo easy with spex4less, I take a look at which I fancy, fill in the form and hey presto a couple of days time, they are on my doorstep!! No going to town, no debate with the shop watching you and salesperson pointing you to the expensive pairs. With the prices as they are on spex4less I have about six pairs to go with different outfits, new outfit , new spec’s!!
I haven`t orgdered yet but shall do as soon as I have a new prescription.
Friends here in the village have bought with complete satisfaction.
Cost is certainly a factor but not only the cost of the glasses. Each visit to the optician costs me 2 - 3 hours loss of work taking into account travelling, waiting and the actual consultation. Last year I got some glasses from Boots and had to return a further 3 times before I finally accepted the best they could apparently produce (and it still wasn’t right). All in all, I lost at least one day’s work and being self-employed, that was a significant extra cost.
This is when I discovered spex4less and enjoyed a painless transaction, and this was for varifocals. My first purchase but certainly not my last.
I’ve not bought specs online as I cant see how they can be made to fit and be properly centered on eye lens etc. Any specs bought from shops, not opticians, never are comfortable even if optically O.K. So unseen online must be worse. Prove me wrong someone.
I live in Belgium where the price of glasses is ridiculously high. Cost is a major factor for me. Also if you buy on the high street you have the waiting time and travelling time. Buying online is easy and convenient. I’ll certainly buy online again.
Price of course is a great incentive. Also chance to afford several pairs, different styles. I used to go to a multiple opticians. I find it off putting to be passed from one person to the next. Never the same twice. The last time I went I walked out after threequarters of an hours wait. I stood at the reception desk to tell them I could not wait any longer, 3 girls.stood behind counter discussing the till receipt so I eventually walked out of the door. These places can be very impersonal
I have just had my eyes tested again I made an appointment at a small opticians, got good service and bought 1 pair of nice everyday glasses without being pestered with 2 for price of one etc. I shall buy a pair online when I choose another frame possibly rimless or half rim which was more than I could afford at the time. They did give me my prescription
These are the major plus points in now particular order of spex4less
Cost (any more special offers, just missed last one by a few hours
)
Service is excellent, with me in a couple of days.
Guarantee, never had to use it but I’m sure it would be fine.
Postage, nice to see a good price for postage and not a rip off.
I tend to buy ‘extra’ pairs on line so I can afford to have several pairs around the house and in the car.
The realistic price and choice is first class - and so is the service.
Have bought glasses on line, wear them all the time and will buy again when needed. Great way of buying glasses
Hi All
I’m glad to say that everything i was gonna say has already been said by so many so in brief price,ease of purchase,speed of delivery and great phone help when needed as my prescription exceeds the ranges in the online form.And above all as stated by someone earlier no sales sharks putting excessive charges for the smallest item of change/extra. Great service guys
I have my eyes tested at Specsavers and in the past have always bought at specsavers. But despite their claims to the contrary their instore pricing policy is complicated and unclear.We had a bad experience in Deal with a pair of varifocals that my wife bought at specsavers. They turned out to be much more expensive than the ones she thought she was buying. When we expressed this to the customer service at the store they denied showing my wife the wrong frames.The staff were also rude and unhelpful.However despite this my wife intends to buy her next varifocals in the high street because she had to go back to Specsavers twice to have the last pair adjusted properly. She is not convinced that by buying online varifocals will be right first time without some adjustment.I would like to hear your comments on this as I see that you now offer varifocals, and I was thinking of trying some.
My reason for buying from you initially was of course price.
However I was pleasently surprised how easy it was, good choice of frames and they fitted properly.
Being retired I am very much in the market place for the best price for everything and I was very much reassured by having to read your ‘guide to buying on the internet’ before I went ahead.
Hope this is of some use. I will continue to buy from you and would like to persuade my wife to as well.
More power to your elbow!!
Gordon Love
Cost is obviously important but I have never had a pair of glasses fit so well and without umpteen trips back and forth to the opticians - all adding to the cost in terms of time, car park fees, petrol etc. Started to wonder if all the tweaking and adjusting I have had done in the past is because of poor measurements in the first place!!
Hi there Mark,
It is my pleasure to recommend your site.
I get a much better service even though you are on line, you are only a phone call away, I get help and advice choosing my frame and i get them cheaper, i can take as long as i like browsing through your huge amount of frames without some assistant glaring at me and if they are not suitable you are willing to change them.
I am very pleased that you are now doing verifocal.
I am trying to persued my husband to buy his next pair through you.I am also very impressed with your advice on how to choose the correct frame, the vouchers that you give.
I am altogether impressed and i can have more with specs for less!!
regards Margaret marshall
The main reason has to be the price.High Street opticians frames in particular are vastly overpriced.It’s also a good way of saving a lot of time.
Cost is one of the main factors for me when buying glasses. I only uses glasses for reading but find on the high street they are very expensive. Also, ease of use of this website is a big factor plus there is a good range of frames here all at affordable prices. No pressure to buy - a big plus.
I have simple needs concerning spectacles. I need them for close reading - nothing else. So the advantages of buying the specs on line are simple.
1. Convenience. I don’t need to go anywhere, apart from my computer.
2. Choice. I choose the frames I want; I don’t have anyone trying to sell me ridiculous frames I don’t want.
3. Price. At half what they cost in the High street, why should I go elsewhere?
Hi Mark
I received my specs in less than a week from ordering. There is nothing wrong with them whatsoever and they cost a lot less than the local opticians. My wife has just bought varifocals on the net (from another supplier as you did not do varifocals then)and they are fine too.
With the money back guarantee offered there is no reason to be worried!!
I have bought 4 pairs of glasses on-line in the last 12 months, from 3 different suppliers, including frameless varifocals and polarising, and have been very happy with the ordering process, prices and the glasses received.
The main criticisms I would have of the web-sites is that the illustrations of the frames are in some cases too small (low resolution) to get an accurate impression, and that there is not enough information about the lenses (especially the varifocals), with few options for higher grade lenses.
For me, price is not the only criterion, as I also found it quick and convenient to order via the internet.
I will certainly be ordering further glasses on-line, but it will not stop me also using high-street opticians on occasion, when I want a wider choice of lenses.
Great Choice
Great Value
Great Service
Great turnaround
Great Product
Great Savings
So Great really!
There is only one benefit from buying online and that is price. In my experience, after-sales service is poor (no reply to emails). My next purchase will be from a shop; I’m willing to pay more if it means better after-sales service.
Having bought at high street shops I was a little worried about buying on line. However after contacting your company the help and advice was second to none.Your staff are very professional and very polite .Nowhere else can match your price or fast delivery seviceI am sure that once someone has tried your firm they will continue to do so Many thanks for your help and advice throughout our orders.
I have only recently need to wear glasses for reading and was overwhelmed when I went to the opticians to buy some. After nearly an hour of trying them on I had no idea which really looked better on me and doubted I cared, being more concerned that Icould see rather than being concerned what I looked like. I was also appalled at the cost. Buying on line made the process quick and cheap!
Hi Mark, Having read all of the comments I have to agree Being retired and disabled funds are always tight. We have a local private optician who takes it for granted that after an eye test it is automatically taken that a new frame with the new lenses will be required. All of this opticians frames are very expensive. £120-plus.
I had my eye test done locally and sent off my frame to Mr. Bowden of specs for less and they were returned to me within the week.
I think that this kind of service is needed across the country. Keep up the excellent work.
Hi! Have only needed one pair to date but was very satisfied with the price. Only minus I can think of is that it is even easier if you want an average size of frames as the choice is restrictive.
Buying from ‘Spexs4less’ online is an easy process and saves time. The glasses are perfect, optically and with correct fitting when they arrive. They are much cheaper than the high street stores, have a wide range of choice and a price to suit all, even the designer glasses are available at a good rate. Can afford to have two pairs althoug I have bought four pairs over the last 18 mths.
Great Cutomer Service!!!! Can ring them, email them and they respond quickly, that day! The repairs or alterations of the glasses is negligible costs, more of a customer service, than a hugh expensive, as is with the high street opticians.
For me the one item above all the others is Custmer Service, nothing is too much trouble for them. The customer is number 1, so I feel a valued customer. I cannot rate them high enough. Recommended them to lots of people.
thank you
G. Jenkins
Buying online made it easier for me to justify buying two pairs of spectacles, instead of being able to afford only a single pair as before. Then when my prescription changed slightly, made it possible to replace one of them with an updated pair without having to think very carefully about whether the cost was justified.
Hi, I have to say that it is both the convenience and the price.
I live on an Island, we have very limited choice in frames etc., this enables us to not only have more choice, but more up-to-date choice. We are usually only shown the glasses that are out of fashion in other parts of the country….
Price as I said earlier is also a contributing factor, if not the main one in my case. Low wages decide what we wear.
The simple answer to your question re the benefits of purchasing glasses online is simple.Your not likley to get run over, fall down an unopened manhole cover, bump into a lampost or trip of the kerb on your perilous journey to the opticians…. take Mr Magoo for example, forever getting into scrapes one way or the other.
Buying glasses online is a less stressfull way of making your purchase. When your prescipted spectacles protrude through your letterbox safe in the hands of the local postie,only then can you with confidence,venture outside once more.. onto the perilous high street, safe in the knowledge that you can see clearly now !
I think I have bought more than 8 pair of specs from specx4less
for me and my spouse, It is not only the price that is good.
The quality is top class even in the cheapest range have sprung
loaded arms. Look at specsavers frames the offers are all poor quality frames.
After reading in a newspaper about the cost of frames only being £2.50 to the Opticians (and I was I insulted into the bargain for being an OAP by a girl in Specsavers) i decided to have my eyesight done elsware and buy my specs on line seems they don’t teach respect anymore so I might as well buy on the internet at least that does not insult me
Cost is certainly the biggest factor to buying glasses online. I have to buy plastic or titanium as ordinary metal can cause problems and I object to having to pay upwards of £250 for a decent pair of glasses, buying from you I can have several pairs. I have been really pleased with your service and also your after-service which is every bit as important. I just wish there was some way to have eye examinations as well without having to go to a high street store.
I have bought two pairs of bi-focals last year on line and they were perfect just what I ordered but I need another eye sight test so wont buy just yet I looked around and I see buy one get second pair free this seams expensive when you can get same pair on line from £30 buy two pairs for less then one pair!!
I am a real fan of buying spectacles on line!
From Peter
It has to be cost first and formost.I buy spects 3 at a time due to the fact I tend to destry them.I either drop them, sit on them ,tread on them .reverse the car over them .I am for ever bending them back into shape .It was getting a bit expensive with high street prices.If you need a tester feel free to call
I have been limited in places I can get my glasses online as I need varifocals with prisms. I am really pleased that spex4less can now do these and will be ordering. The obvious advantages of buying online are much lower prices and less time taken out of a busy life. A less obvious advantage is freedom to take as much time as needed choosing frames and lens types without being intimidated by assistants who somehow always seem to point you in the direction of the most expensive frames and lenses regardless of whether they are needed or even suitable. When online you can go away to think about choices and come back later. Anything that is not clear can be sorted out by contacting the provider or researching generally online. It all helps in getting the most suitable glasses at very good prices.
It took a long time to take the plunge into buying glasses on-line and I certainly wish I’d done it sooner. The main advantages are price, choice and convenience. The disadvantage is that you can’t try them on first - I wish there was a photo of someone wearing each style - it would make the process much simpler.
Price, no hidden charges and no hard sell.
Appreciate you have lower overheads and can see you pass them onto us customers!
Keep up the good work!
Price most definately and also not feeling pressured by an assistant to buy something you really are not sure about or that turns out to be more expensive than you really want to pay
um and ah at leisure and price. It is usually more impersonal online but you present yourself in a very personal way and I feel confident that I can ‘talk’to you if I have a problem or particular need. Good service, quick, convenient, bargain. Thanks
I got a cheap examination at an opticians who gave me the perscription. I then went searching for a place online to buy glasses then I descovered Specx4less and I was amazed at the difference in prices. So naturally I bought them here.
I have an independent optician right next door to me, and a Tesco Extra with it’s own optician 5 miles away, and I’ve used Spex4Less.
I like my independent optician, and use him to provide my prescription (for which he gets paid an appropriate sum) and to provide a repair or adjustment service when my specs get dropped or broken, for which he charges me what I regard as a reasonable sum. It does take him several days to get new frames or frames repaired.
I bought my last spectacles (varifocals) from Tescos. Even though I got two sets (clear and sunglasses) they don’t seem to have exactly the same prescription and the clear lenses I wear every day had to go back for restitution as one of the lenses fell out on a regular basis - once when driving. I don’t think I will buy from there again, as I felt pressured and walked out paying more than I had expected.
I bought some bifocals (for desk and computer work) from Spex4less, based on the prescription provided by the independent optician. These are just right for the job and I probably wouldn’t have purchased them if they hadn’t been a really keen price with a promise (fulfilled) of excellent service.
I use varifocals for most of the day, and will buy my next set from Spex4Less when my Tescos frames break, which I suspect will be shortly after I have had them for a year…
Glasses are certainly a lot cheaper than high street. I did order a pair of glasses online (Glasses direct - I did not know about Spec4less at the time). Quality was good and it was about a third of the price of glasses on the high street - I have the thinner lenses
One thing I did have trouble with though is getting the glasses to fit on my face. I had to resort to getting a high street optician to sort them out and I had to face a few awkward questions about why they did not fit properly (they were too long in the arm).
I like the fact that buying glasses online you do tend to have a none quibblke guarantee. It is very hard to get a PD reading in an eye test
Bought two pairs of glasses online and have had absolutely no complaints. Vastly cheaper, larger range, can choose what I want without the sales push to buy the most expensive frames. I doubt I would ever purchase my glasses from a high street opticians again. Its far quicker online than going around the high street trying on glasses, ok you can’t try them on and look in the mirror online, but you do have plenty of advice, and so far the glasses I have got online have been spot on perfect.
i brought a pair of glasses from spex4less the first time as i went to the opticians to have a regular eye check and they supplied me with new glasses costing me £130.00 and after a week of trying to get used to them i went back to the opticians as they were not right only to be told by the optician just use them for reading when i couldnt see well at all without glasses i decided to go to another optician for a precritian check and after the precriptian was confirmed to be different from that of which i was supplied they tried to get me to purchase another pair of glasses which again would of cost over £100 pounds and not being made of money i went home found spex4less on the internet and thought i would give them a go as the glasses was a fraction of the price and they had a good selection that was a couple of years ago now and i still get my glasses from spex4less and i have also started getting my daughters glasses from them as well the service we recieve is excellant and i lost my percription and phoned when i needed new glasses and they were very helpful and friendly and delivery is usually within a week i wont be going anywhere else for glasses in future and recomend my family and friends to all visit spex4less cant fault the service at all and best thing is i can afford a new pair of glasses if i get fed up with the colour and style that im wearing
The first reason would be price
Glasses seem to be very over priced in the High Street, and the new chains of opticians seem to be cashing in on a fashion item rather than offering a professional service
But buying on line also saves time, not having to make an appointment and visit the optician a couple of times
I also get the feeling that the High Street opticians will always suggest you need new glasses when they do an eye test, so really they use it as a selling tool, not a medical service
And so far my experience has been very good, and the on line serivce is more professional and quicker
Colin
Difficulty in getting rimless glasses with large (deep) lenses.
Mainly price.High street does not come close.
Choice/Convenience. Easy to sit at the PC, browse through the catalogue (huge choice)and place order in one easy operation. Saves the hassle of a trip in to town and then try to be persuaded that you need something you really don’t at what I think is well overpriced.
PRICE.I LOVE BUYING MY SPECS ONLINE BECAUSE OF PRICE AND TIME TO CHOOSE WITHOUT THE HASSLE YOU FEEL IN A HIGH STREET SHOP.UNFORTUNATELY MY LAST PAIR HAD TO BE VARIFOCALS [NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME ON LINE]AND THE COST WAS PROHIBITIVE. SO I AM NOW DELIGHTED TO SEE THAT I CAN NOW GET VARIFOCALS ON LINE SO THE HIGH STREET OPTICIANS HAVE HAD THE LAST OF MY MONEY !
I drove to Spex4less with my optical prescription gave it to Mark , he ( quickly and very professionally ) measured me for the Varifcal Transition lenses and the new glasses arrived in less than a week , were perfect and cost a quarter of my local shop quote !
I have had one pair of specs, and a trail of marketing, from the site. The specs were not bad, and I was lucky to find a wide enough frame on the site, but I have twice had to have them repaired by a local optician.
Advantages: I am an international service engineer, and do not have any time at home to make appointments. High street “1-hour” merchants do not offer wide or long-arm frames, and you do. So it is possible to get them from you.
Disadvantages: It is not easy to judge the quality of the frames, and while you offer inter-optical spacing customisation, you can do nothing to help with vertical centering. I have, in the past, had frames where bad vertical centring can cause severe optical problems, so to avoid this with your site I chose a frame size with small lenses, to minimise the risk.
Pricing: Prices are competative on a UK basis, where frame prices are out of all proportion, but I have had cheaper sets made by ‘1-hour’ locations in Uruguay, the USA, and South Africa. In all those places, and in most of europe, frame prices are much more reasonable than in the UK.
I have little quibble with the quality of what was delivered, but since I do not regard spectacles as a fashion accessory have not ordered more than once.
Having ordered several pairs of Specs on line
Can’t give enough praise to Specs4Less Good quality at low prices,excellent service,no quibble replacement or exchange,even when it was me that got it wrong (ticked the wrong box)and of course no hanging around or trying to get appointments in the high street.Main benifits are wider choice and ease of ordering on line,better prices and usually swifter delivery of compleated prescription.
Got my first pair delivered to holiday home in France –which is why I ordered on-line .Very pleased .Brilliant service arrived within 1 week of order. Now intend to use all the time .Great price ,great service.I feel confident that the service is genuine.
For me the cost benefit of ordering on line is the driving force. Really this is from both ends of the market. My eyesight throughout my life has been good but with age I have needed reading glasses and some correction for distance.
For reading glasses I have in the past relied on ready made glasses sold in chemists. However for a similar price I can now buy prescription glasses with hard plastic lens which are far superior to the ready made varieties.
I now wear glasses all the time which overcomes both my reading and long distance problems. For this I want high quality varifocals. In high street opticians these cost several hundred pounds. I have obtained the quality I want on line for under £100. No contest.
We know through friends a man who has made a fortune out of selling spectacle frames - although he has not told us himself, we learn that even the top brands come from the same source - largely the Phillipines - so there is nothing extra wonderful about the more expensive brands other than their added name.
Although I have not yet bought from Mark - I am wearing rimless Varifocals (three bits of wire for £200 alone which were almost unrepairable when they broke on the bridge!!!) I would very much like to, but I have not yet managed to find the rimless + varifocal in his wide selection which has made me draw back so far.
Also my presciption has not changed - so I hope that soon I will be able to get all three coming together!
Like many of the above the main concerns I have are of cost and time. I am relatively new to the net and did not know what to expect. I was impressed by the choice available and thought ‘well if they are not very good I have not lost a lot’. The service I got was most excellent, so much so that I ordered a pair of sunglasses soon after. I am due another eye test in the near future and I will definately order more glasses from spex4less.
Tony Mac
HI Mark,
Well what can i say… the service is super.
Its a very easy to use website, I purchased a pair after my dad passed on the website to me. My husband then needed glasses to so we brought his from you as well. (he loves them)
I have just had a quick price check and the glasses i have would have cost me over £200 pounds from a opticians. I paid less than £90.
I had a problem with my last pair it was fixed above and beyond my expectations. Extreamly pleased.
I would quite frankly never buy glasses anywhere else again.
Its so simple.
I quite like to confound the staff in the opticians when i have my eyes checked as they circle hungrily waiting to rip you off… then i take my prescription and tell them i have to go as i’ve run out of time… they are still saying but…!!! as i go out the door… its great.
I have spoken to You (Mark ) and your lovely on the phone.
And John was very helpful as well.
thank you for a super service.
someone said something about a loyalty bonus?, but i think you send great offers our way all the time so am very happy as things are.
Amanda
I purchased my glasses online mainly because the eye problem I have cannot be dealt with by prescription, so I merely needed decent tinted lenses to take away the glare of lights. Opticians made this process inordinately difficult as they made me feel if I did not need presription glasses I was wasting their time, but I cannot see in bright lights without tint as my retina and optic nerve are damaged, so my need is just as great. Anyway, ordering online is far cheaper, the process seems much quicker, and most importantly to me, I can choose the pair I want without a salesperson directing me to the most expensive pairs they have! The service was very efficient and I had my glasses within 2 days of ordering, whereas opticians in the high street had told me at least 4 days as they would have to be specially made as plain tinted lenses. The range of glasses is excellent and there are clear instructions all along the way to direct you in the correct way of sizing up your glasses, as well as virtual “trying on”. I would not buy in a high street again and I have recommended online buying to all my friends for the future.
Purchasing glasses online saves time and money as well as giving very good quality and choice.
With spex4less there is good human contact if required also.
Over all a first class service. Highly recommended.
I buy my glasses online as it saves time and the prices are chaper than on the hight street. The customer service is excellent and the choice is very comprehensive
Glasses are such a personal item, they need fitting to the face, and you do need to spend time looking at a large selection of frames, and try them on, that is the plus for going to an opticians.
Then there are the negatives, time spent looking at a lot of frames, the more there are , the longer it takes, you are terrified that you may miss the perfect frames, if you do not try them all on !. and the PRICES , what justification is there for these prices ?.
Online selection, quick , easy , prescription emailed in, fast turnaround, you get personal time back for your use.
but if you have special requirements outside the mainstream user, then online may not be for you…
Main driver for online buying, PRICE, opticians frame prices do stick in my throat.
The sheer convenience of
shopping on line in the comfort of one’s own home without having to park the car, or be jossled fighting through crowds of shoppers.
The time to browse through the many different styles displayed on the web site without being pressured and the obvious ,being the price all contribute to the pleasurable experience that is Spex4less.
Purchasing online does indeed save time and money. And the best online providers give excellent service, such as ‘no questions asked’ replacement of new glasses that do not suit the buyer. But we have to ’shop around’ to get the best deal. For semi rimless bi-focals we need to find glasses retailing at less than £40. The best deal I’ve found is one stop glasses (website of the same name). When spex4less matches this price I’ll go back to them !
I buy online when I want single vision specs as the price is soooooooooooooooooooooo attractive. I wear varifocals most of the time so on-line can be a problem. My prescription is outside your range of options so I can’t get specs from you. The online service I have used has been as fast as the ‘offers’ on the local high street and at less than half the cost and I was contacted by ‘phone when I first bought online as I had quoted a non-standard inter pupilary distance and they thought I might have made a mistake. (I hadn’t)
I am waiting to hear that varifocals are available and then will have no real qualms about ordering online.
May possibly miss the “fitting” part of the service but this has a frighteningly high price. Also if a screw comes loose and is lost I can at present visit shop for a repair and not be without glasses. Don’t know what would happen with an online purchase, would I have to return and be without for a few days. Again, this is still a very expensive backup I suppose.
What will happen when you have taken over the world? will we still be able to obtain a prescription some where?
Looking forward to my first online pair.
I think that the net has been great for people in as much its shown us what that you can buy glasses cheaper and with the same quality frames if not better for less than half the price.I for one will never buy glasses from a shop again.
Supplier spex4less.
Well, I can’t say I’ve been 100% satisfied with the service. 1st pair - no problems. I went to D&A for an eye test for free (discount voucher) then got a quote of approx £180 for 1 pair. Left the shop with prescription. Ordered a pair of rimless at half the cost. Delivery quick. The frames, it has to be said, look cheap and of lesser quality. Finish not so good.
2nd order a few weeks later - titanium flexi using same precsription. Glasses arrive with a week. put ‘em on - can’t be right, blurred vision. Returned with rimless so that the measurements could be taken off them. Overall, a lot of too-ing and fro-ing. Finally got them OK.
3rd order - reglaze of a pair of Osiris frames from Specsavers. Great frames - asked for reactive lenses. Get this - the glasses were returned with 1 clear lens and one reactive !!! Phoned up straightaway, apparently a customer in France had just called with the same problem - Tighten up your quality control Mark.
4th order - well, I’ve not made it yet. Dare I?
Pros - Cheap, cheap cheap. Customer service - Mark did phone me and apologised personally.
Cons - In my experience - quality control could improve, frames look cheaper than high street, overall waiting time about the same, since you have to get a prescription in the 1st place you’re still inconvenienced to some degree.
Bottom line - I probably will order another pair of titanium flexis with reactive lenses but I’ll remind them of my previous experiences by phone rather than just using the web-based order service. After all, I may have just been unlucky (twice) Alternatively wait for a 50% off offer at the high street shops.
Price + the ability to get varifocals online + including a guarantee.
I buy my glasses online because of the prices. I find them relatively cheaper than the high street shops. It is convenient, I can do it from the comfort of my home. I have also recommended alot of my friends to buying online and they have all had a good expereince in doing so. They have also found that the same glasses in the high street shops are so much cheaper online which at the end of the day is a savings in their pocket!
The ease of ordering, selection and price far outstrips any High Street Trader. The fact that they always fit without adjustments, something that never occurs in the High Street, completely de-mistifies the whole process. I and my husband will continue to purchase spectacles in this way.
if you can supply glasses at these prices then I think high street opticians even with their overheads are charging far to much.
my optician says you cannot supply personal service.i am very pleased with eye tests done in the high st.but when it comes to fitting of glasses it is a joke in my experience.
when i can get from you bifocals for £35 of very good quality i am afraid there is no contest.the service from you is first class and will use your company for any glasses i need in future.
it may seem unfair to opticians doing all the eye tests and health checks and then we buy from you.so they know the answer?
It would have to be price. Cheaper, very quick and efficient service (from your company at least). The first pair I got in a colour which didn’t look right and you swopped them with no trouble and, again, very quickly. Prescription would seem to be the same as from an optician. Yes, you do have to ask for your prescription from some opticians, but it’s yours, you paid for it. My local Specsavers have even adjusted my online glasses and only charged me a donation to their charity box!
Hi Mark,
Hope your talk goes well. I cannot believe that you can expect a
justifiable counter argument.
The outrageous prices charged by the high street shops cannot be defensible. A friend told me recently that she had been offered a pair of glasses at over £500.00 - but she beat them down to £350 odd. She felt she had a bargain - some bargain!
On my last visit to an opticians I received the High price ‘tour’
and managed eventually to persuade them to let me see the ‘cheap frames’ the loss of interest was palpable.
Well done for your enterprise in providing an On -line solution.
Roy
Good price, comfortable frames, excellent turn-around time. Only disadvantage I can think of is the problem of having had a duff eye-test (which happened to me with Specsavers, and without an apology!) As long as the prescription has been proved, I think it’s a fantastic service.
price is the main driver..I’ve bought photochromic bi-focals on the web from the USA at less than 50% of the price quoted for virtually identical glasses at my local High St optician …with their four members of staff all kitted out in nice uniform, mainly standing around doing very little.
my golfing tinted specs can from Mark Bowden’s company…again at much less than the local optician charges. On both occasions I’ve been happy with the quality of the proiduct, the convenience of ordering on-line and the speed of delivery. And I’ve not added to global warming by getting in my car to go the High St optician!
PS: I get contact lenses online too…for exactly the same reasons.
I recently purchased a pair of reading glasses on line from Mark and was pleasantly surprised to find that they were just as good, in fact even better than ordering from my local opticians. Its so convenient being able to order online and the prices are the best I’ve ever come across. It was a much better experience for me than going to my local D&A who I found were only interested in selling me the top designer frames with matching prices, and who literally shooed me out of the shop, when I decided to take the prescription only. Never again, anytime I need new glasses I will go online and order from Mark. Also I misread the codes and decided on a sun tint, however when I received them they looked like sunglasses which I didn’t like , I asked if I could return them and have clear reading lenses instead, this was no problem and within a week I had my glasses returned with the clear lenses. Can’t get service any better than that and I have purchased glasses previously from SpeckyFourEyes on line but there is no comparison. Thanks again Mark and you will be hearing from me and my friends. Well done
Glad to help Mark.
Buying on line means to my husband and I that we don’t have to keep trying on then going back to the first ones again etc. It also means no hard sell by an optician in the ear. Did I mention my husband and I are disabled though not (yet ) in wheel chairs? Imagine the convenience of doing it sitting down in our own home. Comfort and sight. A very good combination. LEE
clarity of pricing structure without having to wade through mutually exclusive ‘offers’
glasses arrived in a week, quicker than my high street optician and i didnt have to wait until i had time to get back to optician to pick up, with associated parking hassle.
communication not all it could be. easier ‘face to face’ in high street. promotional offer of anti reflective coating was not applied, even though i emailed several times after ordering.
high street optician has my prescription details on file, which is good. there didnt seem to be a way of being a ‘returning customer’ with details stored on website, so that is a shortfall of the system, not online purchase concept.
customers should be able to log in, the system already holding prescription and address and payment details with just an ‘update your prescription’ option if they have a new eye test. online is not for the faint hearted who might worry about correctly entering prescription details.
at the moment i am unsure about advisability of buying varifocals online using the process described. that still needs the personal touch to ensure correct alignment, but i am only a layman in this field.
surely much better for people in rural areas who have to make several long journeys to a high street optician for eye test, ordering and fitting on arrival.
from deepest cornwall…………………
Thank you Mike.
Just though I would jump in here as you mentioned a problem with the anti reflective coating.
Just to clear this up the anti reflective coating is always applied if the codes are entered.
However, this at the moment is not printed on invoices. The way you can tell if this is applied is to hold your glasses in front of you and look accros the lens. You should see a green/purple “Bloom” to the lens and this is the anti reflective coating.
If you don’t see this give me a call and I will arrange for another pair to be sent out to you.
Also thank you for your comments.
Mark Bowden
First and foremost is the value for money, then the huge choice of quality frames and last but not least is the courteuos and professional way you are treated.
Mark,
You must be very pleased at the response from your satisfied customers.
It is very difficult to think of anything different to say. When I bought my first pair from you I was a little worried, as I couldn’t understand how the glasses could be so much cheaper than those sold in the High Street. I have now bought several pairs since the first one, all of which have worked very well. I now can’t understand how the High Street opticians are so expensive!
So, as everyone has said, price is the prime factor for buying on-line, followed by the ability to choose in the comfort of your own home, rather than listening to a salesperson telling you that a frame “suits you, sir”, when you know that they are just trying to make a sale.
I have never had any difficulty with obtaining a prescription from an optician, as I believe that they are legally required to give this to you.
The beauty of buying glasses online is that you can take you time choosing the right frames. I get rather annoyed at comission paid store assistants trying to get me to buy frames that will pay them the highest in their wages at the end of the month.
Frames are cheaper on-line (mine are Georgio Armani). I can also say that the lenses fit the frame better than any I have had before, usually there are gaps where the lense has been overground.
The service I received from spex4less was excellent, I was kept up to date with the progress of my order and my finished product was delivered in 5 days of ordering.
I was amazed at the prices - a huge saving and I usually tell at least one person a day how much my glasses cost me - and they’re amazed too! I was a little confused regarding the size of the frames at first, but the optician and the site was a great help.
Next was the service, far quicker than the high street and to cap it all, when I had a problem (mine, not the service) it was dealt with quickly, efficiently and courteously.
The price is certainly one of the main factors .The convenience of browsing through the different types of glasses in your own home,at your own convenience plus the assurance that there is a back up service is a real boon,
my partner and I have both bought glasses on line from you and have been delighted both with the price and quality not to mention the designer label
Whenever we need more you can be assured that we will be buying from you again especially as you now provide varifocal lenses!!
Cheers
Ian
I have a 3 in 1 machine and I wish I could just send you a copy of the prescription because even with your explanation it is all Greek to me
Diane
i purchased semi rimless and as i have a fairly large prescription i ordered the thinnest lense with transitions the quality was very good and the price was excellant it was ny first purchase online and found it very straightforward. the same pair of spectacles would have cost double what i paid for them, so the benefits for online buying means shop in your own home no parking headaches, quick delivery, and quality,would certainly use again
Buying Glasses Online:
I’d be a lier if I said it wasn’t mainly because of cost, but another benefit is that I don’t have to listen to the spiel of pushy salesmen/women trying to sell me glasses that I don’t want.
And guess what …it’s good for the environment too. Now I won’t be polluting as much because I won’t have to drive into the town, order my glasses, drive home and then back to the store again to collect them.
Everyones a winner.
Except the high street stores, but I guess they managed to extort me for the eye test so they still get something out of it.
Alex.
Price and convenience for me.
For the optician, wider audience than is possible on the high street.
The obvious positives about price and convenience have already been well published. Personally, I really like to take my time chosing the frames. This can only be done online. However I would make a plea for longer side-arms on the men’s frames. Next time you are out shopping see how many men’s specs are perched half an inch above the top of their ears.
I have purchased two pairs of glasses online, and done the same for my wife.
We both need varifocals and although at the moment specs4less does not supply these I chanced a well known far eastern supplier with a name remarkable similar to specs4less to supply. I must say that the fast light reacting varifocals they supplied were excellent to our prescriptions and in stylish frames (both rimmed and rimless)and at a price approximately half the high street cost.
We have been wearing these specs for 2 years now and have had absolutely no problems,(unlike those from our high street supplier, whose named Italian frames needed frequent adjustment).
Obviously I prefer to buy onshore, but am not prepared to be high jacked in price and choice.
The sooner Mark can master the varifocal problems, the better. Until then I will continue to buy from my existing supplier as my eye test and prescription is due imminently.
It is price! When I replaced my lost glasses I payed about 15% of what the originals had cost at the High Street Optician. Also totally convenient. Have always had very good service.
How much more convenient to make your choice of frame and purchase from home than driving into town at least twice - AND finding a car parking space!! (one for the eye test and the next for collecting). Also when my frames broke I was able to send them back to Spexforless and received a replacement within the week totally FREE! Lower price was the first attraction. I had to pay almost 300€ (I live in Spain) for two pairs of glasses from the opticians. When I received them I did’t feel comfortable in the frames I had chosen and had to PAY AGAIN to have the lenses fitted into two different frames. Now Varifocals are available my husband will be ordering his replacement spectacles from Spexforless also. I don’t see us ever going near an opticians again except for the eye test.
also a story you might like….
my optician has an offer on at the moment 3 for 1….
so i went along with it and chose my 3 frames and the price came to £241.90.
i feigned surprise and said it was too much…
the response i got astounded me…
they could sell me the Jai Kudo’s on their own for £149.95
so if i am not mistaken..
3 for 1 = £2491
1 for 1 = £149.95
strangely i took my prescription and left
on your site an equivalent deal (2 x designer and 1 x standard with tint) came to around the £180 zone!!!
1) Better fit. I have an extra large head and PD. I found high street tend to stock all about the same average size, and all in the supposedly fashionable narrow rectagular shape that provides a narrow blinkered view. Online I have found a much bigger range of sizes to suit my head, and all the sizes being clearly displayed unlike the high street where I had to try them all on only to find they were too small.
2) Safer vision. I would point out that price is also a safety issue i.e online discounts mean I can afford features like anti-reflective and lower index for better safer driving vision, and UV coating for my health. If I bought high street I would be price limited to only the very cheapest with no frills.
Extremely pleased with the service received, I have recommended your service to friends and family.
My wife’s glasses are extremely expensive from High st retailers, so she will be your next customer.
Well done!
Hi Mike,
In answer to your question “why buy glasses online?” there are three requirements in this order of importance!
1. The need to have a good and competant local optician - this is important both off and online, many are half baked and dangerous!
2. The quality of the lens.
3. The price.
Dear Mark,
I can honestly say that the price is the ‘huge attraction’;
then comes the easy on-line appeal, obviously the website has to be extremely user friendly.
Then with yourselves, you do offer an exceptionaly good service, honesty, customer care and “money back guarantee”.
I feel for one who really doesn’t want to bother with the one on one time constraints of visiting an optician, you can see and read all about the latest frames, colours, features etc. on the website.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Hugh & Billie (South Africa).
I thought I would try buying my specs online, my wife had just had an eye operation, she had a hole in her retina, so after a while needed new spec, she used her own frames, the lenses were £230, from a local dealer, 2-3 weeks later they said they were ready, when we went to get them, she could not see through them, they said they would sort, it a further two weeks, we went to get them, when she asked what had been wrong with them, they said the lens had been fitted the wrong way round, seemed a bit far fetched to me.The guy asked me about my glasses saying it was time for me to change them,
I told him the pair I was wearing were supplier by them, and that I had been wearing glasses since I was about 10 years old, and that they were the worst pair I had ever had, he look up my record and said they were cheap lenses, he could do another pair of lenses for
£300.
So I thought I would try online, I picked specs4less, sent my perscription in on the 7th August picked the frames then recieved my glasses on the 14th August, a slight nick at the bottom of the left lens was rectified in two days, the glasses ars fine, my wifes from the local dealer took 6-7 weeks and then were wrong.
I and my wife will buy online in future.
hi mark,
love to get glasses on line,but i think opticians getting cute to this.
the last two opticians i visited,tested my eyes,made the glasses,but they were not correct,took them back and they retested my eyes,remade glasses to a different prescription which were then ok.
as you can see not very good for buying glasses on line,maybe you can suggest some way round this problem.
regards
ROGER
I have bought three pairs of glasses from specs4less. I was slightly dubious as to whether they would fit but thought the amount saved was worth taking the risk. All three pairs have proved excellent.
All the above confirm why I shop on-line, however, I am fed up with the high street optician, personally, because when you purchase it means two trips before you actually get the glasses, then in many past cases I have had to return because a lens kept coming loose, or the arms also.
With your glasses, I enjoy wearing them every day and I have not had any problem similar to the above. Maybe when the high street starts to realise ALL their customers are shopping on-line then they will realise, we the customer expect more from them than high prices.
I’d just like to add all of the above x 10
brill prices,choices,service,everything really. people who go to specsave must be MAD. Keep up the good work Marky boy.