Mazza227 Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 I have been to the opticians in the uk today with my daughter (9) who wears glasses. I've ordered her a new pair of glasses and also enquired about prescription sunglasses for when we move. Never had them here as not really advised but will need them more over there I feel. Anyway the cost would be around £180 which I think is a lot of money, I know they're not cheap but that seems steep! How does the cost compare over there? She gets a yearly NHS voucher here which entitles her to about £55 off the total cost of her normal glasses. I assume you don't get that in Aus? any help/advise would be much appreciated :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 No you don't get that in Australia. The last glasses I had in Australia were over $500 and my wife's were even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyman Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 If you have private health cover with HBF you get a free pair every year ...... https://www.hbf.com.au/health-insurance/for/optical Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deryans Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 If you have private health cover with HBF you get a free pair every year ...... https://www.hbf.com.au/health-insurance/for/optical BUPA offer x2 free pairs per year, calendar, so each January on or around 16th ish, we used to nip down to specsavers and collect x4 pairs, two pair for my wife and two pair for me, we now have over 8 pairs each, and I still can't find a pair when i need them. Mind you , we used to spend over 4K aud on private health care each year, so x4 pairs of glasses hardly makes a dent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freesia Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 We have Specsavers- plus all sorts of independents. I recently got quoted by one of each for lenses for prescription sunnies - both said $100- obviously frames extra , but there's a huge range just the same as UK , & I thought that was very reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyman Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 BUPA offer x2 free pairs per year, calendar, so each January on or around 16th ish, we used to nip down to specsavers and collect x4 pairs, two pair for my wife and two pair for me, we now have over 8 pairs each, and I still can't find a pair when i need them. Mind you , we used to spend over 4K aud on private health care each year, so x4 pairs of glasses hardly makes a dent maybe its two free pairs with HBF too as for some reason i got two free pairs ! Ours runs from Jan to December, i get mine in December (though i am picking another pair up next week ) if yours runs the same with bupa and you have used your credit what would you do if your eye sight worsens ......? I have only just started wearing them during the last two yrs tbh ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slean Wolfhead Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 I have been to the opticians in the uk today with my daughter (9) who wears glasses. I've ordered her a new pair of glasses and also enquired about prescription sunglasses for when we move. Never had them here as not really advised but will need them more over there I feel. Anyway the cost would be around £180 which I think is a lot of money, I know they're not cheap but that seems steep! How does the cost compare over there? She gets a yearly NHS voucher here which entitles her to about £55 off the total cost of her normal glasses. I assume you don't get that in Aus?any help/advise would be much appreciated :-) If you have her prescription, and eye measurements (pupil to pupil distance) and frame size from trying them on in shops...you can order them online from anywhere. I use FramesDirect (Miami) and got sent polarized Raybans for less than the cost of a Specsavers generic pair. Australia is not cheap but my argument was mainly about the small range on offer, the best i could find in Specsavers Aus were like Deirdre Barlow's. I find polarized are essential to reduce the glare, especially when driving (for you, not your daughter......) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deryans Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 lol, hope it does not worsen at a rate that outstrips my healthcare, but I'm using reading glasses only, so I do notice my first glasses (if i can find em!) are not that great for reading anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyman Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 lol, hope it does not worsen at a rate that outstrips my healthcare, but I'm using reading glasses only, so I do notice my first glasses (if i can find em!) are not that great for reading anymore just pulling your leg dery ...........mine are for reading too , long distance is perfect .......but i do know exactly what you mean about loosing them .......im going for bifocals next week (to pick up ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 If you have private health cover with HBF you get a free pair every year ...... https://www.hbf.com.au/health-insurance/for/optical Even variable focals with high index lenses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 also enquired about prescription sunglasses for when we move. Never had them here as not really advised but will need them more over there I feel. I have a normal pair of glasses which cost me $150 and a prescription pair of sunglasses which were free. It was a special offer. Buy one full price glasses and get the sunglasses free. Places like Specsavers do children's prescription sunglasses and they often run similar special offers too. Another option is you can buy sunglass screens that clip onto the front of your normal glasses, and these are a lot cheaper than buying actual glasses. We don't have the NHS here. But many health funds may offer something. I don't know as I don't have a health fund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 My OH owns a branch of Specsavers in Australia. Kids glasses are from $99 for two pairs, one pair can be made as sunglasses. Scratch resistant coating is standard and included in the cost. Other coatings and thinner lenses etc available as extras. The Specsavers standard lenses are good quality and the same that you would find elsewhere. They use a material called Trivex for kids glasses which is highly impact resistant and UV resistant, lighter and slightly thinner than standard CR39 lenses (I used to work as an optometrist so I know a bit about lenses). They have a good range of frames too, for both kids and adults. ETA: the eye test is bulk billed for kids, and health funds cover some of the cost if you have one (which we don't so I can't comment on that). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Kids glasses are from $99 for two pairs, one pair can be made as sunglasses. That is a great deal. Funky frames too. When I was a child in the UK you had one style with two colour choices. Pukey Pink or Poo Brown NHS glasses - so ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy1 Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Buy them online from zenoptical. Just bought my first pair for a fraction of the cost as a test and must say they are great. Cannot see any difference from what is sold in the shops. I think someone is making a killing somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Buy them online from zenoptical. Just bought my first pair for a fraction of the cost as a test and must say they are great. Cannot see any difference from what is sold in the shops. I think someone is making a killing somewhere. Not really, after you take into account staff salaries, indemnity and other insurances, massively high retail rents that landlords such as Westfield charge (and Westfield charge extra based on a shop's turnover too), equipment costs which needs to be maintained and replaced, professional training and memberships for staff, stock, advertising, accounting fees etc, utilities, shop fit and maintenance costs and so on. A high street optometrist will also provide after sales care if you have any problems with your eyes or glasses after you have collected them. Unfortunately, my husband can't afford to work for nothing, particularly when he has worked very hard and made many personal sacrifices to be in the position that he is in. He has a family to support. He also likes to pay his staff a fair and reasonable salary for the hard work that they do too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 We have specsavers here. My hubby needed reading glasses for the first time - with our medibank (private health) cover he got two pair of FCUK glasses covered, so he had nothing to pay. My daughter has a strange lens combo - we ended up paying about $200 for hers, I got glasses and prescription glasses for $200 (total). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelensvaleHoward Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 We're with HCF also but only the extras Pam and I get 2 pairs every year and we only pay a little due to coating on the lenses we prefer to have Plus we all get 2 free dental checkups a year Makes the extras worth buying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 No you don't get that in Australia. The last glasses I had in Australia were over $500 and my wife's were even more. That was your choice to pay thAt much! You can get glasses much cheaper than that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelensvaleHoward Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 That was your choice to pay thAt much! You can get glasses much cheaper than that! Yeah massive price differences for sure Even when Pam tried a pair of multifocal lenses and she went for the top ones available we didn't pay $500 But some do prefer to shop in designer shops for a status Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tina0101 Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 We went to Specsavers when we got here - glasses and prescription sunnies for less than $250. The range was pretty stylish too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike@Bonbeach Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 The problem as I see it with the Extras part of the health cover (we are with NIB, we were with BUPA both the same rules) is that although we are entitled to $300 per year each for spectacles, to get that $300 you have to spend $500, ie out of pocket by $200. Even if you buy a pair of glasses say for $300 you will be out of pocket by $120. I'm talking about varifocals and decent quality lenses. I followed up an advert by Specsavers who offering varifocals at $99, when I went in to the store the assistant said that yes they were available at that price but were the most basic lenses, with no coating or glare reduction. I would love to know of an Extra provider which would allow me to claim $300 per year without out of pocket expenses. Anybody know one???. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 You round also have to pay in the UK for all those kinds of extras so it is no more exoensivd here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 would also have to pay and no more expensive, (iphone cant spell) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 My glasses cost a small fortune as I have really bad eyesight and therefore opt for the extra thin lenses. I don't bother with getting prescription sunglasses as they don't have the thin lenses and are a pain to switch from normal to sunglasses and back again all the time so I have bought myself a pair of fit overs instead (https://fitovers.com). These are sunglasses that go over your regular glasses. This works much better for me. They also have the added advantage of covering the top of the glasses and around he sides therefore blocking much more sunlight from my eyes. I got mine from the cancer council shop here in Adelaide but you can also get them from some opticians. As for extras cover I have cover with Health Partners which covers me for so much per year then I get a 40% discount if I get my glasses from a Health Partners store. We only pay $31 a fortnight for two adults and two kids and it works out quite a good deal with three of us wearing glasses, the dental cover and $1000 towards braces for each of the kids. Not sure if works out quite so good if you don't use the Health Partners opticians and dentists though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Yeah massive price differences for sure Even when Pam tried a pair of multifocal lenses and she went for the top ones available we didn't pay $500 But some do prefer to shop in designer shops for a status Some people have stronger prescriptions or more complicated requirements. I had my eyes corrected with laser treatment a number of years ago but prior to that my glasses would typically cost £500 in the UK. The high cost was for the lens not the frame, I never had designer frames. Never had glasses in Australia so don't know what my lenses would have cost there. Age is catching up on me now though and I think it will be time for reading glasses in the next year or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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