I have been a customer of your Sutton Coldfield Branch for some years, I used to live in Four Oaks but moved to a new home in Amington Tamworth. Some months ago when I visited your branch to enquire if I could move to your Ankerside branch in Tamworth? I visited the branch some months ago to arrange to transfer. On entering the branch I was made to feel as though uncomfortable. I was polite and explained that I was a customer but based in Sutton Coldfield and wished to move my account more locally. You know I am glad I left and stayed with Sutton Coldfield Branch! I am retired but I was a retail manager for fourteen years and I recognise good customer care and thoroughly accept how hard your staff work and promoting an excellent shop window for their company as they do in Sutton Coldfield. I have no need to mention who the staff were on duty this morning at 10:12 Wednesday 20/12/2023 - They were totally professional, welcoming and spent time resolving my problem with my hearing aids. I can only commend their excellent service. It is and has always been, a pleasure to visit this branch!! I would hope that the two and their new starter are made aware of my comments and I thank them whole heartedly. I worked for West Midlands Police for 25 years as a Police Trainer and travelled the World in the British Merchant Navy. Prior to retirement I was an Associate Lecturer at Birmingham Metropolitan College. Praise where it is due and these three professionals are worthy of it this morning.

My local opticians which I've been going to for years was taken over by Scrivens and it's the worst thing that ever happened. I have a yearly eye test due to my dad having gluecoma and I had the same optician for years but now I get a different one every time I go. An eye test used to be half an hour but now it's 10 minutes and not half the things I've been used to having in the test. I was told I had signs of cataracts coming and needed dark glasses so I paid £400 for transition glasses.A couple of weeks ago I had a problem with my left eye. I asked if they could see me but said no I'd got to ring the eye clinic at the hospital. I did and they told me I couldn't self refer and needed my optician to see me and refer me if needed. They didn't know why Scrivens had told me to ring them. I got an emergency appointment with an independent optician 3 days later. He was fantastic. He thoroughly checked both eyes even though I only gone for the sore left eye. Seem I've had something in it and it's taken a small chunk out of my eyeball. Luck as it it has started healing but I needed drops. And guess what??? There are no signs of cataracts. Needless to say I'm going to be moving to this opticians now. Scrivens....poor quality eye test. Shame on you

Very poor customer experience. Appointment started late, staff mightily unconcerned. New prescription needed, so we were rushed off to view frames. Optician 'forgot' to sign NHS voucher when we decided to look elsewhere. Staff and manager refused to get the form signed at our request, and optician had to be challenged in consulting room. Unprofessional and ridiculous.

I visited Scrivens in Southgate, N14 for an eye and contact lens test. At the end of the visit they told me my sight had changed slightly and that they would like me to trial some new contact lenses which they did not have in stock so had to order, in the meantime they could give me some close to see how I got on with these. I never received a call to confirm actual trial lenses had arrived. I called them and they said they forgot to order. When they arrived they were the same as the first trial they gave me. Told me that was the right prescription! how could it be it was what they had in stock!.. My experience when down hill from here with them telling me I was lucky to have two set of lens to trial and no apology for any of their errors. I complained to customer service which was a total waste of my time. I was not able to get a refund and the company has a no refund policy. Best keep away...

I visited Scrivens, Sevenoaks. Very quiet in there which surprised me as all other optitions busy. I went primarily as I was experiencing difficult with distances at night whilst driving. This was completely ignored and told my vision was'okay'. I already wear glasses for reading/computer work and have done for many years. They tested my eyes and the prescription turned out to be exactly the same as my previous one, but was not advised of this. I did get new specs from them as liked the frames but have to say they are not ideal. I was not advised I needed distance glasses, but was advised I needed further investigation by an opthalmologist due to pressure behind one eye. On visiting the opthalmologist some three weeks later, there was no pressure behind the eye but I do need distance glasses. I had to pay for a further eye test to determine the strength of glasses needed for driving. Luckily the opthalmologist worked for a very good opticians and an in depth examination of both eyes was carried out where in fact there is a problem with my optical nerve. I now have my distance glasses with anti-reflective coating and they are great and my night driving feels safer. I have complained to Scrivens, their customer service leaves a lot to be desired and even after a conversation with the area manager this has not been resolved. A written apology would have been good but not even that. The worse opticians I have ever visited. The testing optician was not very thorough and only had my field test when collecting my glasses! What good would it have been then? DO NO I repeat DO NOT use Scrivens - any branch as you will not get the correct service.

have used scrivens for over ten years taking my children when younger. Not brilliant but not bad service the contact lense optician excellent the reason why i stayed. Not any more ordered glasses 2nd January told i would have them within the week STILL WAITING, having lost my previous glasses this a very big inconvience very tired eyes. Phoned branch three times even spoke to the manager, very help full but no conclusion i'm now moving mine and my childrens contact lens account some where else. Please do not use this company being with out glasses is a nightmare.

Had eye test at scrivens Harrow rd w9,told them i cant wear glasses because of titanium allergy,gives me a rash,they still try a sell me a set of frames,had 2 week trial of contact lenses,been there 4 times now, cost £40 and ive got no lenses,every time ive been there they ask me to take lenses out so they can check my eyes,they leave me with no lenses to go home with which makes it difficult crossing the road half blind.healthcare proffessionals LOL.SPECSAVERS B TEAM.

Wanted me to pay over £300 pounds for two pairs of glasses for my son who's a student may I add one pair of frames was £65 and the other £19 they told me they had an offer on buy one pair of glasses get the second half price brilliant I thought how wrong was I,priced everything up "the total is £325"asked if they were sure the price was right yes everything's right so they wanted £250 pounds for lenses!!!!ended up only getting 1 pair of glasses at just over £100 still can't work out how they got to the original £325!still waiting for glasses nearly two weeks later!!!!since been on the Internet and can get two pairs of designer frame glasses for £160!!! Never in my life will I step foot in a scrivens opticians again once I've collected my sons glasses!!!

Sheldon Branch Recently had trouble with new varifocals, Branch Manageress could not have been more helpfull, professional and very interested in solving my problems. She called on many areas of expertise with her organisation. I visited many times and each time was greeted with a smile and full attention paid. My prescription is high and had been increased again so it took a while and many adjustments. Could not of managed without her support and total dedication to fixing my problem. Thank you

Where to start!? Firstly, they charge £30 for an eye test! Tescos and Specsavers are free (with a voucher required for Specsavers). When I had my eyes tested, I was told I needed a prescription for reading and it would cost £99 for lenses plus the cost of frames, so around £150. I decided to go to Tescos for a second opinion as it was free. Tescos told me I have near perfect eyesight, and I don't need a prescription!!! While I was there I realised I could get an equivalent pair of glasses to the ones Scrivens 'prescribed' for around £50.

Brilliant consultation regarding my eye health and eye tests. However I found the sales tactics old fashion and in bad taste. The reasons are 1. Trying to play on health worries to close a deal 2. Offer of today only 10% discount which when they found out I was leaving decided they could extend by a week 3. No qualification, the sales person inmediatedly decided I should look at the budget range which I found quite insulting 4. The eye test results were clear my eyes will not get worse over time with or without glasses however the sales person contradicted this 5. Worse of all I've got the same lens and glasses for £155 online versus £300 in the store even with 10% discount All in all, great test and consultation but old school sales which I assume (and the reason for my review) catch a lot of people out who, in my case would waste £145!!!

I want to support local business and popped in to Scrivens in Bourne End. I asked for a pair of non-prescription transitions sunglasses as I wear contact lenses but have a disease that affects my eyes in bright light. I was brusquely told that I would need a sight test. For non-prescription glasses? I persisted and was informed they would be £149 for the lenses plus frame. I asked if they had a price for both type of translations (there are two - Signature which return to clear and Xtra-Active which return to a tint and go darker). I was told there is only one type "sir", and that I was wrong. At that point I turned on my heel and 10 minutes later wrote this. I had been warned by locals that this optician was bad but needed to see for myself. Wel, it has been confirmed. AVOID AT ALL COSTS! If they can't get this right, how on earth will they approach and handle my prescription?

Where to begin with Scrivens? The entire experience, from beginning to end, was shockingly bad. First of all, I was charged £30 for a sight test that was hurried due to patient delays. The optician who tested me was also surly and unpleasant; he recommended an updated prescription after around 15 minutes. As the change in my vision was small, I advised the staff member I was passed on to that I was not too interested in purchasing a new set of spectacles, though after much bamboozling I found myself looking at frames. I was told that the prices on the frames excluded the lens, which would be another hundred pounds. When I remarked that they seemed expensive, I was told that they were competitively priced. Against my better judgement, I relented and chose the cheapest frame I could find in an effort to keep costs down. I then had to wait around half an hour whilst the same sales girl then ordered my glasses. It was obvious to me that she wasn't comfortable in this task as she kept asking her manager lots of questions and looking, confusedly, at her screen. I felt as though I was being processed by a trainee, and I was concerned that the order wouldn't be placed correctly. The total price for distance glasses was over £250! After waiting almost two weeks, I received a call informing me that my spectacles were ready and that I could drop in 'any time'. When I went the following day, the staff were busy running others' sight tests and I was forced to wait a further ten minutes or so. I was seen by the same girl who hurried through my collection. When I told her that I wasn't entirely happy with the vision, I was told to "go and get used to them". Not satisfied, I asked to speak to the manager, who told me the same thing. Bamboozled once again, I left the branch only to return a week later, where I was greeted by a different face. I was told this time, after some checks, that the lenses were not correct and that there must have been an error in the manufacture of them. By now I was thoroughly fed up with this company and chiding myself for ever coming! I have since lodged a complaint with head office, who are very unhelpful and resistant to refunding any of my money. Overall, this has been a dreadful experience. As other reviews have noted, avoid this place like the plague. It is run by cash-hungry charlatans looking to make a quick buck. Stick to the familiar high street brands; there's a reason Scrivens remain broadly obscure.

I had been using Ronald Brown's for years without any problems, however they were taken over by Scrivens and the service now is absolutely appaling! In the last 6 months l have bought two pair of glasses from their Chingford branch, and on both occassions there have been problems. The first pair are my everyday reading and writing ones. The eye test itself was very thorough, and the optician was very good (if devoid of personality) and identified issues that l already knew exsisted, but it was reassuring to see he was on the ball. I agreed to a new pair of glasses and the bill came to £330 plus the cost of the eyetest. I was told my glasses would take between 7 and 10 days to arrive. However, 10 days later l had not heard anything so contacted them only to be told there had been a problem with one of the lenses and they would have to be redone. All in all l waited just a few days short of a month to get them because apparently they had to be sent to ITALY to be made! WHAT!!!! Not being happy with this l complained to their head office, and after being bumped around from advisor to advisor, l was finally given a 10% refund. To be honest this was pretty much what l paid for the eyetest, so it wasn't any real victory. On recieving the glasses l was not happy with the way the lenses sat in the frame as they seemed very loose and on the verge of falling out. I took them back and the lady there tightened them up and explained that everything was fine and it was just the way the frames were designed. Hmmmmm!!! Then about 6 weeks back l recieved a letter from Scrivens saying l had a 50% off another pair voucher still to use. Apparently this had been an offer at the time but unfortunately no one had told me about it. So (against my better judgement) l decided to take them up on the offer and buy myself a pair of sunglasses. I popped into the store and spoke to a lady who advised me to buy a thicker frame and save on money by not paying for the thinier lenses (l always pay extra to have the lenses thinned so they sit in the frame better) She said as they were sunglasses, the darkened lense would mean the thinkness would not be an issue as it is not possible to see my eyes through them (stops your eyes looking really big) I thought ok, seems good advice and it saved me over £100. Great deal l thought as the sunglasses would now only cost me £75. I got a call about a week later to say they had arrived. I popped in to pick them up and all seemed ok. However after wearing them for a while in the sun my left eye (my weaker one) felt like it was pulling to the right and started to ache. This was followed by my eye watering. I took them back and explained this to the receptionist, only to be told that l needed to continue wearing them so my eyes would eventually adjust. I pointed out to her that my eyes would not adjust as these are sunglasses and as soon as l return to my everyday pair, my eye will get pulled back again. She then informed me that the reason this was happening was due to the fact that l had not had the lenses thinned down as normal. I was furious at this! Had l been told that this could happen when ordering them l would have paid the extra to have them thinned down. The receptionist told me l would have to return 3 days later to see the actual optician to decide what could be done. However this entails a good 20 minute car journey and to be honest l have no faith in them to rectify the problem. I believe l would simply be wasting my petrol. I have instructed them that l will never use them again and to remove my details from their database.

The eye test seemed thorough and the optician was nice, but the glasses took two weeks to arrive. When they did arrive I was not happy with them and expressed this to the young lady who served me. She told me that I would have to try them for 3 (three) months before Scrivens would look into it for me. The trouble is that the Computer screen appears blurred. I emailed the assistant manager for customer care thee times but the only reply I got was that she was away on holiday. She did not leave an email address for her colleagues on the customer care team. After paying over £250 for the glasses I expected better service than this.

How I wish I'd researched the reviews before I set foot in the door. Went by chance to get sight test and had an available slot. The girl took my specs off me to check their prescription, then left me sitting in the shop for 20 mins without them on and I'm as blind as a bat without them. Felt really uncomfortable. Optician came to fetch me and I had to ask to be given my specs back to put on. During test told him problems with my eyes and he said he would show me some eye drops to use. He said another staff member would do my side vision test. I went out and was told the printer wasn't working and the computer was playing up so had to give out my details again. The girl serving me told me the lenses would be £445 for the thinest lightest lenses. No breakdown of costs explained. I asked if that included the frames and was told no. I exclaimed that that price was expensive as I usually paid around that for the lens and designer frames. I said I wanted to call back on Saturday to choose some frames when my husband could be with me. The girl wanted me to choose some frames there and then and said I could go back Saturday and change my frames if I wanted. I was shown the designer ranges around £149-189 and said I'm not paying £600 for glases. I looked at the cheaper ranges and with reluctance I chose the cheapest pair in the shop to keep the cost down but I was feeling uncomfortable and under pressure. I asked about the photo machine where I could see a picture of myself in the frames. The girl offered to take photo on my mobile. I later noticed there was a photo machine but the girl said it wasn't working! At no time was I shown any samples of my lenses, when I asked for colour samples of the react to light lens, they didn't have any of those either! I was getting more uncomfortable but like a fool I agreed to pay in full. I did have a problem with my debit card but wish it had been declined and not accepted as I came home (without any prescription, order paperwork, I hadn't signed any papers). During the evening I reflected on my experience and realised how appalling and shambolic it was! I was paying nearly £500 for new glasses that hasn't changed much on the prescription for a frame I wasn't too happy with. I then remembered I had never had the side vision test or been shown the eye drops! Next morning I rang customer services asking to cancel and for a refund. No one called me back so I rang through to the shop and explained my reasons to the girl who had served me. She seemed surprised at what I said. She then offered to get me samples of lenses to show me but I stressed I wanted a refund to shop elsewhere. I was told a manager had to agree to it and it would take a while. I said I would wait as long as I could have the refund. When I chased a week later I was told it had been authorised but would take two weeks and I would have to go to the shop to collect a cheque although I'd paid by debit card. This morning, nearly two weeks later, I checked my bank statement and was surprised to see it had been refunded two days ago into my bank. No phone call to advise me but at least I got my money back. Although I paid in cash for a sight test which I never got the prescription for! MY ADVICE TO ANYONE THINKING OF HAVING SPECS FROM HERE IS - DON'T BOTHER!