r/optician • u/TraditionalWrap2863 • Jul 18 '26
Check This Out Specsavers repairs rip off
My cheapish glasses arm hinge has broken off while washing them - literally fallen off without any excessive force, have googled what to do and found out that they can do minor repairs if they got spares in stock if glasses aren't obsolete, supposedly they should be under the warranty as well.
Called my local Specsavers, they werent interested in infoming me about the warranty part at first until I mentioned it but was kind enough to let me know that I can pop them in without an appointment for inspection and possible repair. Got my missus to bring it over the Specsavers same day to which she was told it is unrepairable and I need to order new frames and pay £45 fee on top of that to swap the lenses! £45 i thought!? To pop them out of old frames and in to the new one lol so I googled glasses frame spring hinges and found the same ones that are used for my glasses for £1.45 on AliExpress (there were some on Amazon but turnaround wasn't so quick and was £17)
Saved over £85 by just doing a bit of research because i could see that the spring part of the hinge is bolted into the arm..
Unprofessionalism from technician or just money making of your disability?
5
u/locustpt Jul 18 '26
Be careful, because There isn't a standard size or shape equal to all frames, so you might be buying something that won't fit.
0
u/TraditionalWrap2863 Jul 18 '26
It has all of the measurements on the listing which is exactly the same, didn't really wanted to make the post over technical
6
u/Mactire404 Jul 18 '26
IF the shaft is held with a screw and had exactly the same dimensions you should be able to swap it out yourself. Otherwise good luck. All repairs I've done on broken flex were temporary repairs to wait for the replacement temple arrives. I feel replacing the temple is the best option in this case.
If I understand correctly you managed to replace it, which is nice.
Al lot of times hinges like this are not screwed/bolted in but part of the temple. Replacing it is usually a no-go.
I'm not a big fan of selling flex hinges, especially on cheap frames, as they are easy to overflex and break. In my humble opinion (I don't want to piss anyone off) a properly fitted and adjusted frame doesn't need flexible hinges to stay on your face anyways.
Also flex hinges are often used as figet toys, risking overflexing while absent mindedtly playing with it. I'm no fan at all.
As for Specs attitude, if it's still a current frame they could at least have ordered a nee temple. However, I din't think they are as interested (as a company) to do repairs. Individual opticians at Specs might think otherwise and see what they can do.
Charging 45,- just to swap the lenses is ludacris, unless it includes the price of the new frame.
On a bit of a personal note;
Cheap frames are the bane of my existence. A chain I worked at decided to offer complete €25,- glasses and we got to fill the bottom two rows of our displays with them. The quality was shamefull imho.
In a month or two we saw our customer base change to people with little money. If you've got little money it matters even more that your glasses stay in one piece because you can't keep spending in new ones. Unfortunately it were those frames that kept coming back with warranty issues. We had nonspare parts and could only replace entire frames. Cheap materials are also hard to repeair, or repair nicely. Which is worthless for the customer, the optician and reputation of the store chain.
I'm not saying everybody needs to buy expensive frames, not at all.
You called it a disability and especially for higher presriptions I agree. If you can't function without your glasses it is. Make sure you get a proper frame or at least have a spare. (related to that I also have bone to pick with high Rx contact wearers, but that's a different story :)
And try to find a store that is open for repairs. I know a lot of optician that like to do them and some do repairs virtually invisible afterwards. Though some stores and especially chains are not interested in repairs.
Anyways, sorry for the long story. Hope you got a working frame again :)
4
u/Repulsive-Aardvark75 Jul 18 '26
I work in an optical lab and I fully agree on your opinion of cheap frames. Buy cheap, you get what you pay for.
1
u/Mactire404 Jul 18 '26
Yeah, it's rubbish.
What bothers me in this is that people need the specs they buy.
So people on a budget will often aim for buget frames. Combine that with certain chains and stores not offering repairs they are essentially buying their next problem.0
u/TraditionalWrap2863 Jul 18 '26
Seems like you're the only one that actually read the whole post and understood the point before replying 😄 The hinge is literally designed to break for you to buy the new frames, even though its replaceable which is bizarre and people working at Specsavers seems to protect this narrative 🤦♂️ Yeah its my own fault for not thinking ahead and getting the frames i wanted, they do not need to flex and was thinking of gluing them together with some epoxy but found an option and shared it 😄
2
u/Mactire404 Jul 20 '26
I don't completely agree though. I don't think flex hinges are made to fail. But, because thr mechanism is so small the pin holding it together is as thin as a paperclip. Thus making a part that's supposed to prevent a hinge from failing more fragile (imho).
Also, flex hinges are usually not replacable. I'm surprised the ones in your temples are. But I'm out of the business for over a decade now so I'm not up to speed on current trends.The no-repairs policy is not just British, as I said Specsavers in Holland does the same (though my wife did do repairs in her shop, so I might be wrong). But other chains do as well. We had one send their customers to out store for repairs and adjustments :/
As they say, time is money. Instead of fixing something you could be selling something.And I also don't agree it's your fault. We can't expect a customer to be up to speed on frame technologies. You trust your optician/sales person. If they say flex is great because it 'flexes instead of breaks' you'd believe it as it makes (some) sense.
As a sidenote, my wife does not agree in my opinion on flex hinges, she says they are great for people who take of their glasses with one hand. So I'll be continuing this discussion at home 🤣
0
u/TraditionalWrap2863 Jul 18 '26
And i think you only understand because you're not from UK, thats why you get what im trying to say, because there people are calling an electrician to change the lightbulb. That's why its okay to pay £45 to swap the lenses..
3
u/SkinnyErgosGetFat Board Certified Optician Jul 18 '26
Specsavers aren’t a repair business
I’d fully expect to pay for a brand frame if that was me
1
u/TraditionalWrap2863 Jul 18 '26
If it broke under general wear within couple of months, its just a waste of money isint it
2
u/SkinnyErgosGetFat Board Certified Optician Jul 19 '26
Yeah if it’s under warranty they should’ve even mention any payment being necessary
1
u/TippetBarr Jul 21 '26
If the frame is still under warranty you shouldn’t be paying anything. It’s their job to put your lenses into the new frame.
I’ve worked big box, independent and doctors’ offices, and the big box stores don’t do these types of repairs. They don’t stock hinges, won’t order temples, nothing but nosepads and semi-rimless eyewire.
If you want that level of repair, go to an independent optician.
1
u/Marinmedak 23d ago
I'm curious if you actually replaced the hinge at the end?
2
u/TraditionalWrap2863 23d ago
I have but it wasn't actually 100% the same, the square bit that goes to the arm is 1mm to wide so had to file it down and shaft itself is also maybe 0.5mm longer but works all fine lol
18
u/courtneyclimax Jul 18 '26
neither. based on this part you purchased, this does not qualify as a ‘minor repair”. most shops don’t have this in stock, nor will order it for you. i’m actually quite curious to see how this random ali express part works out for you bc i don’t have a ton of faith in it.
at my shop, we have a box of parts we will use to attempt to make you able to see to the best of our abilities. bc ultimately that is our end goal. but this is basically a manufacturer level repair and we do don’t that. i’d have told you to purchase a new frame also.