“I wear varifocal lens glasses and picked a pair from your Bolton store when I received them I found that i physically could not see through them at work and when I raised this to staff for the fourth time they informed me that the glasses were to big for me so the varifocal was wrong - something that should have been raised before the purchase was made. I have to pick a new pair of glasses and I am having to pay an extra £50+ for a mistake that could have been prevented weeks ago if the staff had told me beforehand. Lesson learned I will not purchase glasses from Specsavers again.”
“I had a very unpleasant experience with Specsavers (Harrogate) recently. Having booked an eye test which went well. I was then hustled down stairs by an assistant who had been sent for by the optician. At no point was I actually asked if I wanted a new pair of glasses, however I stated that I would have the same frames but again pressed into looking at other frames (even after the I-pad suggested a similar frame to those I had). The price was then calculated without any explanation of what I was actually getting. I know I should ask however I suffer from anxiety and it was a very harrowing experience.
After two weeks of discomfort I return to spec savers to find I have been given the wrong type of lenses. Apparently this was due to a “typo” during the initial visit and charged £30 more than I should have. I am now waiting for the new lenses.”
“Eyetest 3 years ago. Left eye :+1.5 Right eye:+3.5.
Eyetest 2 weeks ago: I wanted a test as things getting blur. She said Yes! Its got a bit worst seens the last eyetest. Left: +0.75 right: +2.
Is it worse????? ???????
Ok got new glasses and see f##k all with it. Great service. Or maybe not.”
“Went to Specsavers in Bishopsgate to get varifocals put in 2 pairs of glasses (which I had originally bought in the Lewisham branch) one of which had reactor lenses, collected them two weeks later (Bishopsgate is nearer to where I work)when I tried the reactor lenses last weekend they didn't work. Went to Specsavers this morning to ask to get them changed and i was told i would have to pay AGAIN. Why should I pay again for something I had already paid for!!!!!!”
“A customer for over 30 years; over 20 years on a contact lens lens scheme with my wife and my daughter added over 5 years ago. My wife went for a lens check (16/04/19) after which the store staff stated her direct debit had been cancelled. Furthermore new scheme members were required to pay 3 months in advance for lenses and as hers were due in April requested payment of £54. They also stated that my direct debit had also been cancelled and that I would need to make a similar payment. However upon review of my account I found all direct debits active and payments had been made the previous month and were not in fact due until 6 days time. I contacted the store and queried but they insisted I had cancelled the bank instruction and would need to pay the fee which she, as an up-front and honest individual didn't question so paid. The timing of my wife's appointment we are given to understand was purely coincidental. Question: Is it reasonable to ask a customer to pay in excess of £100 up front 20 years into a contract because someone, somewhere cancelled the bank instruction. End result, we are potentially over £100 out of pocket and Specsavers have over £100 of extra cashflow in the system and we have no discernible benefit? Personally I find this completely unreasonable having paid on a monthly basis for in excess of 20 years. I am seeking legal advice for breach of contract and on principle have decided to walk, seeking an alternate provider. Shame on you Specsavers!”
“Poor customer service at Chatham branch in Kent. Martin and other staff are giving false information to customers. They lied that the frame I wanted was not available at other local stores but I visited the local stores myself the glasses / frames were available. Liars we pay your wages. Lost trust and will not be going there again.”
“After speaking to one of your staff members from your Sale branch, telling him that I had damaged both arms on my glasses after having a fall, I was advised to call into the branch asking if they could fit the lens into one of your new frames, not having purchased the glasses from you ,the young lady on the help desk said this could not be done as the lens would not fit any of your frames,also go to the optician where they were purchased, as a 78 year old thought she would have wanted the custom, Not impressed with your help desk advise”
“I had several eye tests over the years, spend hundreds of pounds on new Glass's !! Only to be thrown away, because I couldn't wear them ! I discussed this with the Spec Savers Branch in Bletchley. After being told I was "Light Sensitive " I asked IF I could have the "Puff of Air and Light , AFTER MY EYE TEST " NOT BEFORE. Maybe this was the problem ? Several cancelled appointments later I left to go to somewhere else !!
Who with an immediate appointment ,after explaining my "Problem".
DONE AN EYE TEST WITHOUT THE FLASH OF LIGHT OR PUFF OF AIR !!! (This was done AFTER the Eye Test) .
Took TIME , YES TIME ! Empathy , All this Spec Savers Staff had NEVER SHOWN !
The NEW Optician: I showed him ALL MY UNWORN GLASS'S From Spec Savers Actually said the Prescriptions WERE ALL WRONG !!!!!!!!!! EVEN THE NEW PAIR JUST FROM THE CURRENT Year, the year before, the year before ……..etc
I Said "You might as well CRUSH THEM !! HERE KEEP THEM !!"
The END of this NOW
I HAVE A NEW PRESCIPTION, WITH NEW GLASS'S WITH ACTIVE LEN'S. I HAVE THEM , NOW IN MY FIRST WEEK !!!!!! AND HAPPY !!
The MORALE
DONT GO TO SPEC SAVERS !!!!!!!!”
“This is the worst shop for eye tests, customer service and anything else you can think of. Had an eye test to be told by the person that I was currently wearing glasses that were too strong, got new prescription and now have to wear 2 pairs of glasses instead of my previous glasses which are varifocal as I can only see out of my new glasses for computer work. My dad also paid 1300 pounds for hearing aids which one of them hasn’t worked for weeks, as he is elderly we asked in the local shop if it could be the battery, that was 3 weeks ago, still no batteries ......my husband then took my dad to the shop to find out they don’t stock them and he would post out, surprise surprise still no delivery.... could write a book about this shop,,,,,,!!!”
“On my way to collect my glasses I asked a reception lady if I should go straight to the "collections" section, she told me "No, you queue over there....like everybody else...."
Eventually I get called over to collect the glasses, only to find the order was wrong, they ordered polarised glasses instead of reactors. Was told all they can do is apologise and that I have to wait yet another week for them to get the right glasses. At £250, it's the last time I go there.”
“Specsavers Enfield did not keep my appointment time, I had to wait a long time, and then had to leave as I was using my lunch break for this appointment and was running out of time. They said they have emergency appointments which they cannot turn down, where does this leave their customers regular appointments? I think they were happy to let me go as the frustrated gentleman who was after me would have got his test quicker.”
“Booked an appointment for my day off but got a call to say they had to cancel an hour before I was due in. I asked them to make an appointment in a shop local but said I was better off calling myself. I couldn’t make an appointment for the same day. Not happy!!”
“Poor customer service. You make an appointment and your kept waiting for 2 hours while they take walk ins who are seen before you. I have been waiting for my second pair of glasses for a month. When I enquired why they were still not ready o was frostily told you have one pair so can not see what the problem is. No help with choosing frames or completing my eye tests. Daventry specsavers.”
“Been a Specsavers customer for years. However, I find them to be a bunch of threatening bullies, unless you do what they say, when they say! I haven't been able to visit the store for a while due to ill health. Rather than ascertain the problem (e.g. I might have died), Specsavers sent me an unfriendly and snotty letter stating my contact lens scheme is suspended and will be cancelled. Nobody treats me like that! I'm taking my business elsewhere with immediate effect! I can get much better value elsewhere, with equally good eye care. The moral of the tale? "Shouldn't Have Gone to Specsavers." The only good thing about Specsavers is the funny TV ads that customers like myself pay for!”
“Went to Spec savers in Armthorpe Doncaster the owner of the franchise would not apply my work discount advising my prescription was for reading when I went in for VDU so I could not claim my £45.00 discount. Watch them they are crafty and misslead customers to cheat you out of discounts.”
“Very poor service that left me waiting for 45 minutes for an eye test. When I asked when I would be seen they told me off for not 'signing in', despite never being told to do this and there being no signs to do so. The staff were really rude and unapologetic too. Will not be returning.”
“I attended Spec savers in Halifax, West Yorkshire after a blackout and feeling very delicate and needed a new pair of spectacles as I have double vision.
The first problem came with the assistant, who despite me explaining on several occasions that I needed her to be succinct as I was having difficulty with processing information and felt really ill continued to chat away and offered lots of information which wasn't relevant to the question we had asked.
The last time I reminded them of the trouble I was experiencing the assistant began to talk very slowly but still conveying the same irrelevant information and then continued to talk to my friend at a normal pace discounting my presence. I explained that I could still hear them, it was me who had to make the decision, and that I needed direct answers to questions and not the same information spoken at a slower speed.
I interrupted them as they continued in the same vein and asked to speak to someone else.
The next person who attended us was an optician who understood and we were dealt with quickly and efficiently and an emergency pair of reading spectacles was ready the same day.
When I came to collect my daily use spectacles I explained during the fitting that these weren't correct and I couldn't see properly. After the lenses were checked against my current prescription, I asked if the prism film had been applied correctly.
This film had been prescribed by the local hospital ophthalmic department whilst the correct prescription was determined and dispensed and is ridged, so it has a definite feel to it. I was assured that this was correct and to 'get used to it'.
I took the spectacles home and after two days contacted Spec savers via email and described the problems as above.
I was contacted the next day by the 'senior optician' who explained to me that it was impossible to tell which way up a prism film goes by the direction of the ridges, plus other deflections of any culpability,which left me doubting myself
My experience with the first sales assistant was ignored and I asked to return to the store.
As I was having terrible problems seeing I asked what would the visit be for and what was the hoped for outcome and was told that the spectacles would be checked. Taking into consideration the previous conversations plus that I had an ophthalmic appointment the next week I decided it really didn't warrant the considerable effort to travel to an unproductive appointment whilst experiencing significant difficulties with my sight.
At my ophthalmic appointment it was immediately discovered that the film was upside down by running a finger against the film and this was corrected.
I then emailed Spec savers again with this information.
The next phone call was confusing as the manager focused on terminology and disagreed that this film could be determined by feeling it and that the direction of the film had no bearing on the information I had passed on about my prescription. It was agreed that I could return the spectacles for a full refund within a given time period, so this is something.
I then attended a local optician for an eye test and to have the prism prescription incorporated into my lenses.
The optician felt the direction of the prism and gathered the correct information from this and then used a machine to find the exact prescription of my lenses plus the prism film.
The two experiences of opticians has left me in no doubt that Spec savers are lacking in many areas of expertise and I can only advise people to avoid this branch based on this.”
“Had the most disgusting service from East Ham Branch. 4 separate visits and no explanation provided about the lens thickness. On calling the woman sales assistant wouldn't let me speak about my frustration and then cut me off. i rang back and she cut me off. AGAIN.
It's not even about the lack of the vital information that they failed to mention. I'm more annoyed about the appalling customer service I received. Other big brands would not never treat customers in this manner at all.”
