Glasses broken when with opticians
Discussion
My wife purchased some new lenses for her glasses as her prescription changed following a recent eye test.
She liked her existing frame and asked for the new lenses to be put in this frame. The frame had minor damage (the bit that holds the glasses on her nose was slightly out of place) but was still usable (if it wasn't usable she would have purchased a new frame at the time).
The optician (a small independent) has called and said the frame got broken when they put the lenses in it and given 2 options
1) Refund price of lenses.
2) We can buy a new frame.
She didn't sign anything and wasn't told that anything was at her own risk.
Should the optician liable to pay for a new frame here (perhaps with a small contribution from us given the preexisting minor damage)? - I wouldn't make a fuss but this was a designer brand frame and varifocal lenses which aren't cheap. If I took my car in for a service and it was written off because a lift collapsed I'd not expect them not to pay for it because it had a minor scratch on the paintwork.
She liked her existing frame and asked for the new lenses to be put in this frame. The frame had minor damage (the bit that holds the glasses on her nose was slightly out of place) but was still usable (if it wasn't usable she would have purchased a new frame at the time).
The optician (a small independent) has called and said the frame got broken when they put the lenses in it and given 2 options
1) Refund price of lenses.
2) We can buy a new frame.
She didn't sign anything and wasn't told that anything was at her own risk.
Should the optician liable to pay for a new frame here (perhaps with a small contribution from us given the preexisting minor damage)? - I wouldn't make a fuss but this was a designer brand frame and varifocal lenses which aren't cheap. If I took my car in for a service and it was written off because a lift collapsed I'd not expect them not to pay for it because it had a minor scratch on the paintwork.
Can you prove they were negligent with the frame?
How old were the frames?
If they were pretty new, and you think they were negligent, you could take option 1 and then go through the process of small claims court for the cost of the frames.
Or take option 1, and go somewhere else, and never do business with that shop again.
Definitely don't take option 2.
Also FYI, most glasses and sunglasses frames are made by the same company Luxotica. When you buy a designer frame, you're paying for the name when compared to glasses of same material. There is unlikely to be much of a quality difference.
Edit to add:
It's not clear, but I understood option 1 as they'll refund the cost of the lenses, and give you the broken frame back... leaving you with no glasses
How old were the frames?
If they were pretty new, and you think they were negligent, you could take option 1 and then go through the process of small claims court for the cost of the frames.
Or take option 1, and go somewhere else, and never do business with that shop again.
Definitely don't take option 2.
Also FYI, most glasses and sunglasses frames are made by the same company Luxotica. When you buy a designer frame, you're paying for the name when compared to glasses of same material. There is unlikely to be much of a quality difference.
Edit to add:
It's not clear, but I understood option 1 as they'll refund the cost of the lenses, and give you the broken frame back... leaving you with no glasses
Sounds rather bad customer service from them - is the frame a very (very) expensive one?
Seems weird they would lose business and come across as a concern to other customers over frames they probably can source for a few pounds.
Maybe if your wife makes it clear she will accept a decent copy you can at least get some glasses and be done with it?
Seems weird they would lose business and come across as a concern to other customers over frames they probably can source for a few pounds.
Maybe if your wife makes it clear she will accept a decent copy you can at least get some glasses and be done with it?
Specsavers will not reglaze anything other than their own-brand frames now. When I asked why given they used to make you sign a disclaimer they said that they still get grief when something happens so the just point blank refuse now.
Guess with their own-brand ones the cost to them of providing a new frame if it does break is minimal.
Guess with their own-brand ones the cost to them of providing a new frame if it does break is minimal.
Happened to me a couple of years ago, same scenario (independent, slightly out of position nosepiece) got called that the frame had snapped when installing the new lenses and was broken in such a way as to be impossible to repair. Result was that I could choose any frame that I liked so chose a nice Rodenstock pair from the catalog that they had to get from Germany and all I had to pay for was one set of lenses - no charge for the new frames or the old now useless lenses.
purplepolarbear said:
She didn't sign anything and wasn't told that anything was at her own risk.
Yes She did and of course She was. Buyers remorse 100%
But your wife. I’d suggest agree always And buy a chocolate cake.
Or a puppy.
I’m sure when you discuss, you’ll later post about ‘small print’
There’s no small print other than the print she couldn’t be bothered to read.
You're going to be blamed, either way.
I’d still suggest option 1.
Option 2 is a bit more long term.
TVR1 said:
purplepolarbear said:
She didn't sign anything and wasn't told that anything was at her own risk.
Yes She did and of course She was. Buyers remorse 100%
But your wife. I’d suggest agree always And buy a chocolate cake.
Or a puppy.
I’m sure when you discuss, you’ll later post about ‘small print’
There’s no small print other than the print she couldn’t be bothered to read.
You're going to be blamed, either way.
I’d still suggest option 1.
Option 2 is a bit more long term.
TVR1 said:
purplepolarbear said:
She didn't sign anything and wasn't told that anything was at her own risk.
Yes She did and of course She was........... ........There’s no small print other than the print she couldn’t be bothered to read........
Rather than go in all guns blazing, be polite and ask if they would give a discount off the replacement frames due to them breaking.
There’s always a risk with old damaged frames breaking when putting in new frames. They were in effect defunct with the old prescription in anyway, so all you’ve lost is an old damaged frame.
There’s always a risk with old damaged frames breaking when putting in new frames. They were in effect defunct with the old prescription in anyway, so all you’ve lost is an old damaged frame.
Ham_and_Jam said:
Rather than go in all guns blazing, be polite and ask if they would give a discount off the replacement frames due to them breaking.
There’s always a risk with old damaged frames breaking when putting in new frames. They were in effect defunct with the old prescription in anyway, so all you’ve lost is an old damaged frame.
Thanks - I think this is what we'll do first. There’s always a risk with old damaged frames breaking when putting in new frames. They were in effect defunct with the old prescription in anyway, so all you’ve lost is an old damaged frame.
Does anyone know if the lenses that have been made are likely to be usable if we got another frame in the same style from the same manufacturer? - if so, I think I'll suggest we get new frames in this style - that way it should be more profitable for them than if they refund the cost of the lenses.
Why did the frame break ? Was the service provided with reasonable care and skill ?
If not, The Consumer Rights Act is your friend. The optician will be responsible for replacing the frame.
However, the onus is on you to prove that the service was not provided with reasonable care and skill and preexisting damage/ an old frame complicates things a bit.
I'd suggest a small contribution towards a new frame - 20% ish perhaps ?
If not, The Consumer Rights Act is your friend. The optician will be responsible for replacing the frame.
However, the onus is on you to prove that the service was not provided with reasonable care and skill and preexisting damage/ an old frame complicates things a bit.
I'd suggest a small contribution towards a new frame - 20% ish perhaps ?
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