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“Low prices = Poor value with ASDA”

written by ajtayblue on 13/07/2015

My wife and visited the Hollingbury store to order glasses for both of us. This opticians is not local to us, a 40 mile round trip, but we were enticed by ASDA's advertising.

I explained fully my need to have a large field of vision with varificals and was advised that I should go for a Essilor, top of the range lens. I was shown a picture in a catalogue of the expected field of vision and was impressed. A frame was chosen for Clear lens (Essilor) glasses and Sunglasses (your standard varifocals.) The Essilor lenses cost an extra £140

My wife chose three frames; all single vision, distance, sunglasses and reading.

On Sunday the 5th July I went to collect my glasses. Tried them on in store. It is very difficult to assess fully within the small confines of a store. Subsequently I discovered that the sunglasses were terrible. I had to tip my head way down and peer through the very top of the lens to get clear vision. With the intermediary range the amount of visual distortion rendered them dangerous for driving. The dashboard indicators “swim” with severe distortion . After 1 hour of eyestrain they were taken off and put away.
With the clear lens Essilor lenses, I had to turn my head to the right and then look through the glasses to get clear vision. Additionally the mid-range was so poor that at 60cms range of my computerscreen only three word were in focus in a sentence and the oblong screen took on the shape of a Trapezoid.

A huge disappointment and now a third 40 mile round trip to the store It was established that the measurement of eyes had been done incorrectly by the original dispenser. However, due to my extreme dissatisfaction with the miss selling of these Essilor lenses with regards to them being the “best” and my lack of confidence with staff competence I have elected to receive a full refund and will now go to a proper Optician.

My wife has collected her glasses to day. The distance and the Sunglasses are OK. As soon as she tried the reading glasses she immediately said that everything was blurry. She established that it was the left lens at fault.
The ASDA employee took the glasses away and came back saying that they were as per the prescription and that my wife had to try them for a few days until her “brain” adjusts. I was very dubious and questioned further but the lady stuck to her diagnosis.

When we got home my wife tried the glasses again and this time noticed that the right lens appeared correct but the left lens was no good for reading but was, in fact, OK for distance vision. She persevered a little longer but then had to retire due to a migraine induced by these reading glasses.

I personally inspected these. Her near prescription in +2.00 for both eyes. When I pass the right lens over text the text magnifies as expected. When I pass the left lens over the same text it actually shrinks. This is not correct.

I will, on Monday, take these glasses to an independent opticians and ask them to test them against the prescription.

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Well, despite the ASDA lady "checking" my wifes reading glasses,it appears that the left lens is totally the wrong one; they have put in the lens for her distance vision! I had the glasses checked against her prescription today at a proper opticians.

I HAVE A NOTE OF TOTAL NO CONFIDENCE IN ASDA OPTICIANS NOW.
My advice? Unless you have a simple prescription and only want a single vision lens AVOID these people.