Are glasses (spectacles) expensive in Australia ?
Jul 6th 2010, 4:20 am
#31
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,396
Re: Are glasses (spectacles) expensive in Australia ?
Braver than me - neither their .com or .co.uk website have any physical contact details (only phone number), and their .com domain has a private registration.
Found an address for them on the BBB website, which looks to be a house, but that street doesn't have streetview. The .uk domain is also registered to a house in Swindon.
The reviews I found for them online (however reliable they are) are either very good or very bad.
Found an address for them on the BBB website, which looks to be a house, but that street doesn't have streetview. The .uk domain is also registered to a house in Swindon.
The reviews I found for them online (however reliable they are) are either very good or very bad.
Jul 6th 2010, 4:46 am
#32
has lost The Game
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Chippendale, Sydney
Posts: 8,735
Re: Are glasses (spectacles) expensive in Australia ?
>>you get what you pay for<<
Unfortunately - as in my case above - increasingly this doesn't apply, especially in my experience in Australia.
Some of the worst service and delivery that I have had here has been the most expensive. It's all to easy for new arrivals to be conned even by "reputable" firms.
Unfortunately - as in my case above - increasingly this doesn't apply, especially in my experience in Australia.
Some of the worst service and delivery that I have had here has been the most expensive. It's all to easy for new arrivals to be conned even by "reputable" firms.
I have to agree with Wol here.
My local optician in Balmain tried to take me for a ride when I first arrived. He wanted the cost of the frames, then the cost of the lenses, and then also wanted to charge additional costs for all of the various coatings - all up nearly $500 for a pair of glasses with a weak prescription in them.
A good friend of mine in the UK is a dispensing optician, and he warned me about the coatings scam - most lenses come with the coatings ready applied. It's actually harder to get them without than with. Never pay more for standard coatings.
In the end I just got a copy of my prescription and went with these guys:
www.selectspecs.com
Same glasses, but all in only $200 including delivery and insurance.
They are based in the UK, the US and Hong Kong too. Very keenly priced, and the service is quick and reliable. I have just received my second pair actually, and will probably order some nice tinted ones for the summer. If you have a simple prescription, then online really is the way to go...
S
Jul 6th 2010, 7:44 am
#33
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,397
Re: Are glasses (spectacles) expensive in Australia ?
I use Goggles4u......i get my eyes tested and get a copy of my prescription, then go online and choose your frames etc...easy
I have used them on numerous occasions and never had any issues, on average 2 pairs, delivered is around $80....not bad compared to what the shops are charging.
They go a good range of frames and sizes. Worth having a look...
I have used them on numerous occasions and never had any issues, on average 2 pairs, delivered is around $80....not bad compared to what the shops are charging.
They go a good range of frames and sizes. Worth having a look...
The optician I eventually found (who was cheaper) spotted the error instantly.
