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[quote user="Stan Streason"]

As with all things you get what you pay for.  There is a good margin on frames (sometimes over 200%) but just as you can buy frames for £2 trade , decent ones, with a range of sizes and decent materials can cost up to about £40-50.  The designer names are not always the best quality.

[/quote]

How I wish !!!!!!

My frames were c Euro 280 (ie ADH 1400) and are not designer, but are titanium with a 10 year guarantee. The lenses are crap though, I cant wear the damn things.

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[quote user="Stan Streason"]

[quote user="LyndaandRichard"]I've always been told that for my prescription it is necessary to change glasses every 18 months or so. If a pair of specs costing £70 can last 18 months, then they are much better than a pair that cost £350 in my opinion. It's a no brainer for me.

Besides, most claim to use the same standard CE as high street stores anyway.

So from now on, I will no longer be paying over the odds for my specs.

R.

[/quote]

Technically you only need to change the lenses - a decent frame should be capable of being reglazed as many times as is needed.  It is the frame where the profit is made (for smaller outlets at least).  Also make sure you are comparing like with like - (lens quality, glass/plastic, tinting, scratch resistance etc.).

Whilst I purchase lots of things over the internet so am far from anti you must remember that you need the optician first.  At about £20 for a half hour eye test, that earns them less than a car mechanic.  I want the person who sorts out my eyes to be able to afford decent equipment and be properly trained and up to date.  They need to make a return somewhere.

[/quote]

True, but that's the other bonus of cheaper glasses. The fact that you can change style every 18 months without it hurting your pocket.

(To be honest though, I haven't seen an optician for a test in 5 years (it's 11 years for a dentist for me), and no noticeable problems touch wood. Just can't be bothered, it's so much harder to do in France. Probably a cunning plan of saving the government money I guess! [:)])

R.

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Richard, without sounding like a hypercondriac, which I am not and in case you don't know, an eye test is also a good health check. The condition of blood vesels in the eyes is a very good indicator of the condition of the rest of your blood vessels. I know this through the requirement to have an annual eye test as I have diabetes. As far as dentists are concerned, again it is not just the teeth they look at but the health of your mouth in general, including looking for signs of mouth cancer.
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I was talking about cost to the optician.  200% mark up retailing at £150.  If one pays more than that for frames you are either getting something very special, getting ripped off or paying for a name not for quality.  I would guess your titanium ones are the former.

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How I wish !!!!!!

My frames were c Euro 280 (ie ADH 1400) and

are not designer, but are titanium with a 10 year guarantee. The lenses

are crap though, I cant wear the damn things.

I was talking about cost to the optician.  200% mark up retailing at £150.  If one pays more than that for frames you are either getting something very special, getting ripped off or paying for a name not for quality.  I would guess your titanium ones are the former.

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Graham & Brenda, you are 100% right, and I agree I should get checked out more. It's

just such an effort here. Get your eyes checked. 2 hour wait. Go to the

docs for the precsription 2 hour wait. Then go somewhere else for a

full test. It's just such a waste of time (in terms of logistics).

Something that could be done in an hour (as is the case with the UK and

Australia) ends up becoming an epic movie in France. [:D]

Don't know about the dentist, guess it would be similar. Too scared to go.

Maybe if we ever visit England again, we'll drop in for a ceck then.

R.

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I had my eyes tested last week. No need to see the doctor I made the appointment with the ophtalmologiste direct. He gave me a thorough eye test and printed out a prescription - in and out in about 15 minutes. Very easy ....

Bernice
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[quote user="Bernice"]I had my eyes tested last week. No need to see the doctor I made the appointment with the ophtalmologiste direct. He gave me a thorough eye test and printed out a prescription - in and out in about 15 minutes. Very easy .... Bernice[/quote]

That sounds very civilised, Bernice. I've always feared that my limited French will crash and burn during something as important as an eye-test, resulting in an imperfect prescription, although I suppose I can "mieux and pire" with the best of the French, perhaps! I had also been under the impression that appointments took forever to obtain.

Elsewhere in this thread there was a comment about someone frightened to visit a dentist in France. We've had mixed experiences. The first guy, visited when my crown fell off (no, I'm not a Prince!) turned out to operate in his front room, with no nurse and limited hygiene in evidence, though we both survived and the crown is still in situ. The second is a big practice in Mamers (72) with very state-of-the-art equipment and technique, and hygiene at 101%. The only surprise came when we attempted to book 6-monthly appointments - their book didn't go that far ahead! When cooperlola gets out of jail shortly, we will be there for a renewal!

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Some ophtalmologistes certainly have a long waiting list but they do vary. It's worth asking a few convenient to you to see what the delays are.

Do you live near Mamers? I know it well, we have friends who live in St Rigomer des Bois (between Alencon and Mamers)

Bernice
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[quote user="Bernice"]I had my eyes tested last week. No need to see the doctor I made the appointment with the ophtalmologiste direct. He gave me a thorough eye test and printed out a prescription - in and out in about 15 minutes. Very easy ....

Bernice[/quote]

15 minutes doesn't sound very thorough to me.

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It would probably depend on the patient's history and age as to whether pressure and lenses are checked. For a first visit to an opthamologist 15 minutes is barely long enough to note any history, but if it is a repeat visit to tweak a prescription then that is different. 

It's worthwhile getting these checks regularly (every two years). Early intervention can avoid loss of vision due to glaucoma.  It's much more important than going to the dentist, I think. 

If you lose your teeth, you can eat soup. If you lose your sight you won't be able to eat soup without assistance. [;-)]

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This was a repeat visit - my fourth annual visit to this ophtalmo. Glaucoma check every time plus questions about health etc. The equipment is very high tech, similar to equipment used in eye hospital in the UK where I had an eye operation before moving to France.

Bernice
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Thanks Coops for your advice.  It worked beautifully when I went to Liverpool yesterday and was able to get an immediate appointment.  I have my varifocal prescription and now all I need to do is to decide where to get my specs from.  I'll read all the messages from this thread first!

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[quote user="Bernice"] Do you live near Mamers? I know it well, we have friends who live in St Rigomer des Bois (between Alencon and Mamers) Bernice[/quote]

Your friends must live near that lovely forest along that road - Perseigne, I think it's called. Yes, we're about 10 miles south of Mamers. Bonnetable is actually slightly closer in the other direction, but Mamers has better facilities, though is not as pretty. With Cooperlola's release from hospital now imminent, we may slowly begin to pick up a more normal life here again, although she'll still be at the day hospital several times a week for a while yet. Apart from a few very local socials, we haven't moved much out of the house on Deb's weekends at home - she needs the rest after a hard week's physio!

Heard a very warming story about a lady patient being released from the day hospital yesterday. She'd arrived at the main hospital a long time ago - paralysed. Yesterday, she was able to walk out! Result!

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Thanks for the tip re internet specs.  I just ordered a pair of glasses with dark tint (ie sunglasses) for €29 all in.  Brilliant!

Yes I have a check up every 2 years or so (a bit overdue if I'm honest), mainly for the glaucoma and other checks as my prescription has not changed in more than 15 years and is only -0.75 diopters so I feel confident about buying a pair of specs on the net.  I think if I had a special/strong requirement I would go to an optician.

Well done Debs on your recovery.  It never ceases to amaze me at the power of the human body to recover (with some equally amazing medical assistance of course)

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We get ours from glassescrafter.co.uk have used them to buy about 10 pairs now as my son needs new every 6 months and at 14 keeps losing his. They are excellent, take about 2 wks to arrive though, but very cheap and  fashionable styles.On average we pay 40 pounds a pair all in, considering my sis had really bad eyes and used to pay up to 300 pounds in the Uk for her lenses alone, she has now 4 pairs and prescrition sunglasses for the price of one!!

highly recommended!

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