Import duty etc....

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by dellwear

Thanks for the advice, I think they send it via the route you mentioned, how do I pay the £4 fee to the Royal mail (and any duty), do I need to pay the postman or do they invoice me?

You pay the postie. He'll take a cheque. If you're not in they hold it at your post office / parcel force depot for a reschedule, or you can go there, pay and collect. Possibly you might be able to mail in the payment, but as Global Priority requires a sig, then you or someone needs to be home.

I was thinking whether it is worth sending it to a work address, but they might be more dilligent about tax collection on packages sent to corporate addresses and if you are trying to save the pennies this might not work.

Can you join CostCo they might sell the lenses you want at a silly price, they do the Focus Dailys for about half the price of most opticians, but you need a contact lens appointment first (its the law apparantly that you can't sell contacts without first checking they fit and that the person knows how to wear them - a good law - but irritating - IMHO)

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by SMHarman

You pay the postie. He'll take a cheque. If you're not in they hold it at your post office / parcel force depot for a reschedule, or you can go there, pay and collect. Possibly you might be able to mail in the payment, but as Global Priority requires a sig, then you or someone needs to be home.

I was thinking whether it is worth sending it to a work address, but they might be more dilligent about tax collection on packages sent to corporate addresses and if you are trying to save the pennies this might not work.

Can you join CostCo they might sell the lenses you want at a silly price, they do the Focus Dailys for about half the price of most opticians, but you need a contact lens appointment first (its the law apparantly that you can't sell contacts without first checking they fit and that the person knows how to wear them - a good law - but irritating - IMHO)

Being in for the postie shouldn't be a problem, I just wasn't sure about payment. All seems a bit up in the air regards the charges though

As for seeing a patient before you sell them lenses, my optometrist told me that as long as you have a valid CONTACT LENS prescription (which is different to a spectacle prescription apparently) and can show the issuing company it then they can sell you them without a visit.

It does seem a little different in the US though as www.visiondirect.com don't seem to have anything on their site about faxing them your lens prescription like www.visiondirect.co.uk do.

I decided to keep my after care with Specsavers though as they charge £36 a year for unlimited care, but my local opticians charge £25 a time!! And to be honest I'd feel better knowing I can continue my regular 6 monthly checkups.

Shame you can't get on with toric lenses, I don't know how I'd cope if I had to go back to spectacles, and social contact lens wear.

[Alanmelon]

Ooooh, an optician's thread (sort of). Well being the resident Optometrist, I can tell you that you are correct - contact lenses can only be supplied upon production of a valid contact lens specification in the UK and under the supervision of an Optometrist or contact lens fitter. However, you'd find that most high street practices would prefer to supply to their own specification rather than rely on someone else's.
A word of warning though - the risk of complications with continuous wear lenses is increased, and you should be fitted with them before just ordering some. The generally accepted practice is to have a series of regular checks before going into full time wear (normally after sleeping in them then about a week after that).

SMHarman - have you asked your optician about Daily Toric lenses? They might not be suitable for your prescription, but it may be worth asking.

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Alanmelon

Ooooh, an optician's thread (sort of). Well being the resident Optometrist, I can tell you that you are correct - contact lenses can only be supplied upon production of a valid contact lens specification in the UK and under the supervision of an Optometrist or contact lens fitter. However, you'd find that most high street practices would prefer to supply to their own specification rather than rely on someone else's.
A word of warning though - the risk of complications with continuous wear lenses is increased, and you should be fitted with them before just ordering some. The generally accepted practice is to have a series of regular checks before going into full time wear (normally after sleeping in them then about a week after that).

SMHarman - have you asked your optician about Daily Toric lenses? They might not be suitable for your prescription, but it may be worth asking.

Alan I used to wear Night and day lenses, but I had to stop work for a while and I couldn't afford them so I went back to the daily lenses. I spoke to my optometrist about switching back as I'm now having trouble with the solution they provide (peroxide one step with the catalytic disk) and I think that going back to the night and day lenses is going to be the best option. Sue said that she doesn't see any problem with me buying them on-line and then going to her for my first fitting and a checkup a week and a month later. I didn't have a jot of trouble last time I had them so I;m not expecting any this time. They really are so convenient though, I cant wait to get it all sorted now.

[Alanmelon]

I see, that's ok then Just out of interest - are your current lenses daily or monthly disposable? If daily - what's the solution for?

I have to agree though that lenses are a lot cheaper online and from other suppliers. I think as a result, the public are going to see an increase in professional fees for such services, the cost needs to be covered somewhere!

Oh, and another toric lens moment (for those who know what I'm on about) - continuous wear torics will be available later this year

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Alanmelon

I see, that's ok then Just out of interest - are your current lenses daily or monthly disposable? If daily - what's the solution for?

I meant daily as in not day and night :o They are monthly disposables, not sure who makes them for specsavers but they are the best monthlies that I've used. Its the Specsavers solutions that let them down, I have very sensitive eyes and I cant use the all in one solutions, the only peroxide one they do now is with a catalytic disk (magnesium? at a guess) but I'm finding it's not as good as the one's with the tablets Specsavers cant offer me a different solution so it means I've got to look else where which is a shame as they are one of the company's I deal with that are brilliant.

[Alanmelon]

Those discs are usually platinum coated, dunno if that adds much to the price! Here's a solution you might have some success with, of course, you may have tried it already....http://www.uk.cibavision.com/product...ro_10_10.shtml

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Alanmelon

Those discs are usually platinum coated, dunno if that adds much to the price! Here's a solution you might have some success with, of course, you may have tried it already....http://www.uk.cibavision.com/product...ro_10_10.shtml

Looks like it's along the same lines as the Oxysept 2 step which I got on great with when I first started wearing contacts when I was 17, if I was going to keep the monthlies I think I'd probably go back to a solution like that as these all in ones just don't seem to work for me Trouble is when you start looking at separate solutions to the lenses and the aftercare it begins to get really expensive. Hopefully I've found a solution to the problem but if not then I'll probably have another look, cheers Alan.

[Alanmelon]

Definately sounds like you've found the best type for you in continuous wear. There's always lots of new ideas coming out, so it's worth checking back with your practitioner every now and again!

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by Alanmelon

SMHarman - have you asked your optician about Daily Toric lenses? They might not be suitable for your prescription, but it may be worth asking.

Alan,

I'm using the Focus(r) Dailies TORIC.
L -4.75 -.75 x 180
R -3.5 -.75 x 180

Which from what she told me is the greatest toric correction there is in the daily disposable market.

Left is a perfect match.
Right needs -.2.25 x170 on the astigmatic correction, but the monthys and 2 weeklys won't sit. If I sit in the chair and stare at the letters it rotates to position and I can see perfectly, if I blink it spins off and goes blurry.

The in use result of the daily vs the monthly was the same, so for diving etc the dailys work out best and better still if one floats off you're not as far out of pocket.

Have they increased the toric (astigmatic) strength yet? This was last July so things may have developed further.