Vision Express for sports vision

ehb102 · Nov 3, 2016

Consider this a public service announcement: Vision Express are likely to be sh*t and not know anything about shooting.

My last eye test was three years ago. My last optometrist was sports vision specialist Ed Lyons. I can no longer swan off to Wolverhampton for a few hours so I needed somewhere local for an eye test and day glasses. I picked Vision Express because they offered CPSA members a free eye test and said they did shooting glasses.

Vision Express do one kind of "shooting glasses" and they wouldn't fit my prescription anyway.

Checking in with my last optometrist to get my shooting glasses updated some concerns were raised over apparent changes in my prescription. Needless to say when I asked the optometrist at Vision Express if they were sure they knew what they were doing re the prism in my lenses and they claimed they were, they were either lying or too stupid to know they were wrong.

I want to exercise Vision Express' 60 day no quibble money back guarantee. I ring the shop, the receptionist says they have to make the glasses, give them too me and then I give them back, in case I somehow end up with free glasses.

I call the Vision Express helpline. The person I spoke to agreed it was silly to manufacture a custom product rather than cancel the order and they are looking into the matter. I was asked if I wanted to raise concerns about the standard of service, I said we would look at that when I got my refund.

So once again, free things are the most expensive and the CPSA recommending something means it is probably a good idea to give it a miss.

Specsavers were better.

Mike · Nov 3, 2016

Just send your prescription to Stewards of Bisley who are in Bristol, that's where I and many others go.

westley · Nov 3, 2016

I am sorry, but relieved to hear this, as I thought, it was just our local Opticians.

Having had a recent spell of eye problems concerning JUST my left eye, I was given a prescription at the eye hospital, to give to the local Optician. I turned up there last Monday (exactly 1 week after my eye test at the hospital), with my prescription in my grubby little hand. The (new) Optician looked at the prescription and promptly began ANOTHER eye test (to bill the NHS) he then stated that he 'agreed' with the hospital prescription, but added that although my right eye remained unaltered and despite my being told that my vision was " 20/20 " (whatever that may be in feet and inches !) a pair of distance glasses would increase my depth of perception, especially as an aide to driving.

I then asked about my shooting and if it was possible to get my scores to equal my vision, ie ;- 20/20 ? I was told that my best option would be to buy a pair of their 'sports glasses' with the Zeiss all singin and dancin lenses that will stop a mortar round at 20 feet ! (if I catch it in my teeth !) and all at, the once only offer of £360. I then was told that a new pair of reading glasses would 'only' cost £99. I told them that I had 4 pairs of excellent framed reading glasses (my previous occupation paid for new, every 2 years) and asked if it was not possible to just change the left lens in each of those. It was then explained to me that as a 'special deal' they could change just the left lens on each at a cost of £50 per lens ! I declined their 'superb' offer. Today I have found an Optician who can fit new lenses to my existing frames for £20 per lens. (mind you, he did work for Everest before he came here).

EdLyons · Nov 6, 2016

Glad you got sorted out Westley!

Couple of points of interest - sometimes when prescriptions are issued from the Hospital Eye Service, a clinician may want to check it over to confirm results, as if it's not correct then that Optician is then stuck with the bill for remaking the glasses. If you signed a blue form, then they are submitting payment to the NHS. This is worth the princely sum of £21 ish (which is in part why some glasses are priced the way they are)

But in order to claim this enviable figure, they have to do a full assessment of everything, if they didn't then they're naughty monkeys.

I often recheck external prescriptions purely for my own satisfaction that it's going to be correct either as a freebie if its straightforward or at an agreed cost if more complex, leaving the NHS out of it.

Re 20:20, that doesn't mean the vision is "perfect", it simply means the vision is average, i.e., you can see a row of letters at 20feet away that are designed to be seen at 20feet away.

For shooting, we strive to get visual performance to a much higher standard if the patient is able to achieve it.

When you've had an eye operation, this sometimes affects how the eyes work as a pair, so in some cases glasses can enhance "binocularity" and teamwork.

Im interested in what their Zeiss shooting glasses are, that price sounds more expensive than normal as I know Stewards and the other suppliers do them at sub £200. However, they do NOT use Zeiss lenses, the frames are Zeiss but the lenses certainly aren't.

Ive always wondered whether they should be termed Zeiss Shooting Glasses at all really as the bit you look through isn't ?

One can only assume they were offering better lenses..?

Typically we can get away with more basic lenses for readers and i often "reglaze" old frames as it saves a bit of cash.

Hope everything post op is settled now and you've got no more eye hospital visits to deal with ??

westley · Nov 6, 2016

Thank you Ed for all of your help and support. I am using my Pilla (older type, no post) with either 75 or 40 brownish coloured lenses. I have treated myself to a new gun too, Browning 725 G3. First time out, I managed a 45/54 at the local shoot today, so it begs the question "if it ain't broken, why fix it " ? The 9 birds that I dropped, I knew exactly WHY I had missed. (just slightly different sight pictures, compared to the old gun !). Whilst in the gunshop yesterday, I saw a '62' reddish coloured lens on the shelf. I took this outside at around 3.45pm so the sun was down below treetop level, and it really did 'brighten' things up compared to my '75' so I am going back to haggle a deal on it. If I think that prescription lenses could improve my vision any more, then I will pay you a visit and we can possibly sort it . One advantage that I have is, that I am also very deaf and therefore I am oblivious to all of the horn blowing motorists that seem to follow me around ! :wacko:

PS

I know that I have the start of a cataract in my right eye, but they have said it could be several years before I will need another Op.