Visited lunettespourtous in Bordeaux yesterday. Looked at their website before, to see if you can make a reservation - even though they advertise that you can just turn up. There was just some concern that we would turn up when there happened to be hundreds waiting!
I booked a 14:00slot yesterday Tuesday for us both. Then I noticed that a separate part of the website allowed you to book an eye examination. What? I always thought you could just turn up, have an eyetest, then carry on and choose specs. And when I clicked the eyetest reservation box it didnât offer any slots before today Wednesday. We had already booked train to get there.
So there was some anxiety whether we could get an eyetest when we turned up to choose specs. We arrived early enough in Bordeaux to be able to amble the 2km from the station to the shop, intending just to get near, then have lunch. We could see about 6 assistants and 4 or 5 customers inside, so we just wandered in (covid secure) and asked about the eyetest. âYes, of course you can have one. Now if you likeâ. The assistant took our details (the basics -address, tel. numbers) and we then browsed the available frames. Varied prices up to âŹ50.
Even though our rdv was for 14:00, they did the eyetests (15mins each) and asked us what we wanted in the specs. I had just varifocal. My wife had varifocal and reactive. I paid âŹ135, my wife âŹ235. These prices would vary a bit if the prescriptions were more powerful.
Varifocals take 9 - 10 days to be ready, but could be posted to us for âŹ9. In fact, they agreed âŹ9 total for the two of us (same parcel, same address).
Seems like an innovation.
Previously, we had to make an appointment with an optometrist for a prescription, then take it to our preferred supplier for the frame and optics.
We pay about half that price online from Zenni, who are technically excellent, but obviously canât offer the luxury of physically trying the frames on first.
But I always thought that was a bit pointless, because without the lenses I donât see much anyway!
Good post Roger. Iâve considered spectacles a rip off in France for nearly forty years (along with mens haircuts ) Good to see (no pun intended) progress.
That must mean cheap reading glasses (2⏠in supermarkets.) It is not technically possible to manufacture prescription lenses and fit them into frames in that time - or at that price. Fake news!
Maybe loss leaders? At least for the âŹ10 you get a choice of frames and some personal service. And NO it means any simple prescription - near or far sightedness. And it includes a free eye test to get the prescription correct.
If you have a valid prescription from the optho - lunettes pour Tous will process that with your carte vitale and the lot will be reimbursed. The last time I went I had forgotten my prescription but emailed it to them afterwards with the receipt etc - they then gave me a brown feuille de soins form which I sent off to my caisse and mutuelle and then got the entire sum (around 100 for me and 135 for James as he had four pairs made up) refunded. You do need a valid prescription though.
There is a Uk company that do prescription glasses for six pounds,but without the one hour proviso If you have a big enough store I canât see why it isnât possible to keep a stock of frames and basic lenses and make up a simple prescription in an hour
Did not have a good experience with this company. Employees not very-well trained. They made several mistakes with my prescription. Beware! Ask lots of questions and verify EVERYTHING before they place your order.
Iâm always suspicious of âget you in the doorâ offers, when itâs patently obvious that they have no intention of selling you anything at that price.
My guess is that the person who tests your eyes is not a qualified optometrist. They donât work so cheap!
) Good to see (no pun intended) progress.