1 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: Are opticians just glorified salesman's now?
The end product may be more expensive, but as someone who has worn glasses all day every day since I was 11, it's worth it to know that I am getting all the tests I should be, and a pair of glasses that will last 2-5 years between changes of prescription.
The one time I bought the cheap high street glasses the prescription was right (because it was from my previous provider), my lenses were just as expensive (because with a high prescription, they just are) but the frames fell apart very quickly despite being not much cheaper than the cheapest frames I've had from independent places.
If you have minor vision issues and just want to get the right reading glasses with a spare pair for free then high street chains are fine. If you need glasses every day for several years at a time, it's worth it to go to the guy who does more than a basic 'read this line' vision test and then shunts you to a 16 year old to 'fit' your new £30 glasses.
I know at least one person who's optometrist has saved their life by noticing early signs of rare cancers, and mine had a nerdy chat to me about providing a complex custom prescription for someone who's eyesight is nearing blindness (on my noting that my prescription was now very high and him pointing out it's not the highest he's provided!). If it means the same frames cost a few quid more, I want *that* guy dealing with my eyes, doing my eye pressure tests and retinal imaging.
Comment by miowiamagrapegod at 27/01/2025 at 00:04 UTC
3 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I know at least one person who's optometrist has saved their life by noticing early signs of rare cancers, and mine had a nerdy chat to me about providing a complex custom prescription for someone who's eyesight is nearing blindness (on my noting that my prescription was now very high and him pointing out it's not the highest he's provided!). If it means the same frames cost a few quid more, I want that guy dealing with my eyes, doing my eye pressure tests and retinal imaging.
Really don't know what point you are trying to prove with this. Specsavers optometrists do this too.