If you only enter the term ‘cheap reading glasses,’ into your Internet search engine, you will soon find a story causing alarm.
The tale is from the respected consumer watchdog Which, and has been reported in the Telegraph, but sometimes as in all news stories you have to look deeper than a headline to find out the facts.
The Telegraph’s banner, ‘Warning Over Cheap Glasses Bought Online,’ is enough to have many scampering off to the High Street, but although we have a vested interest we feel it is only right to fight our own corner with the truth.
Which researchers bought 36 pairs of glasses from various online retailers and 15 pairs failed expert tests carried out by a panel of optometrists.
However, this is actually very misleading.
The Telegraph’s report failed to mention that Which found that 8 out of 9 online glasses for simple prescriptions (below +/- 5) were up to standard and correct. That mean’s 89 per cent of regular prescriptions are fine.
The problems creating the furore were with varifocals and complex prescriptions. This rather important fact has been omitted and has a great bearing on the public’s choice and on good online businesses.
Many people I know have had far more problems with high street opticians than with online services.
At the end of the day – if the glasses you purchase seem “off” then complain and get it fixed. But online retailers like us bend over backwards to make sure customers are happy. That’s why we have so many customers coming back to us.
At Tiger Specs we make sure if you’re not happy with your glasses we will exchange them. There is no fuss and we take your eye health seriously.
We advise that wherever you buy, regular eye tests and contact lens check-ups are vital. You should have a sight test every two years (or more frequently if advised), and an eye test is an eye health check too.