In Optician Magazine, (05/03/10 page 6) the journal for professional opticians, readers were treated to a lighthearted cartoon poking a bit of fun at customers requesting their PD measurement and Scottish singer Susan Boyle!

Leave a comment in the box below and let us know if it had you falling off your seat with laughter.. or otherwise.

In a recent letter to the General Optical Council, Highland based internet glasses retailer, metsuki.co.uk accuses the council of stifling innovation and competition in the eyewear market by failing to update it’s regulations to reflect changing patterns in the way consumers buy their glasses.

The letter goes on to question the integrity and ethics of professional opticians who charge for an eye test then issue a prescription which doesn’t contain all the information necessary for consumers to buy their glasses wherever they like, including over the internet.

The missing information is the pupillary distance (PD), which is simply the distance between the centres of your pupils. This is such an easy measurement to take that anyone can do it at home, but why should they? It takes an optometrist only seconds to measure during an eye exam and stays constant during your adult life. There is no medical reason for the PD not to be routinely added to your prescription; but the current eye testing regulations set by the GOC don’t require it!

Ewan McFarlane, managing director of Metsuki, claims that clinical eye care professionals withhold the pupillary distance measurement as a cynical commercial tactic to force patients into buying over- priced glasses in their High Street shops and to put them off shopping for cheaper glasses online.

Metsuki customers were so annoyed with opticians refusing to provide them with their pupillary distance measurement that the company decided to start an online petition “Give Me My PD” to find out how big an issue this really is. After only 5 weeks the petition has recorded over 800 signatures and comments. The petition will run until the end of the year.

The Rt Hon Charles Kennedy, MP for Ross Skye and Lochaber and in whose constituency Metsuki is based, commented;

“it is very clear that the current prescription process is out of date and is hindering both consumer choice and business growth… therefore I am very happy to support your campaign”.

Mr Kennedy sat on the government committee which was responsible for the de-regulation of the optical sector during the mid 1980s and is familiar with this issue.

Ewan McFarlane added that UK glasses wearers are not alone facing this issue. Over 30% of Metsuki sales are to customers in Europe who report similar anti-competitive practices by opticians in every other European country. This is a multi-billion pound per annum industry and consumers are not getting a fair deal.

Metsuki have written a letter to the Office of Fair Trading asking them investigate the optical sector in both the UK and Europe.

I sent my glasses to be reglazed at Metsuki, as the high street opticians wanted way too much money.

I received my glasses back with the new lenses within a week. I was regulary updated with the progress and the cost was cheaper than anywhere else.

Excellent site, and will definately use again.

Terry L

Speaking at the annual conference of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians Jon Levett, deputy registrar of the General Optical Council, reported that the optical profession would be unlikely to persuade the Department of Health to consider re-regulation of the industry as concern grows over increasing internet sales.

The Department of Health has been presented with no evidence from the industry to show that de-regulation of spectacle sales has resulted in any harm to the public which might lead to a review of the current regulatory framework. The article went on to remark that there may even be a strong case for further de-regulation within the optical profession*.

In fact Metsuki customers report increasing use of scare tactics by some opticians (see inset) and a growing reluctance from some eye care professionals to provide legible written copies of prescriptions and which include Pupil Distance measurements which empower consumers to buy glasses wherever they can obtain the best deal.

*Source: Optician Magazine 16.10.09

Metsuki your one shop stop for designer glasses and designer sunglasses is based a few miles north of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.

For most of our customers this is a bit far to travel to get an eyetest, though we like to think that there are plenty other good reasons to visit the Highlands. So we came up with an innovative solution to help:

The Metsuki £20 Eyetest Voucher.

Our aim is to encourage our customers to have regular eyetests especially before buying a nice new pair of designer glasses.

A good eyetest will not only correct your eyesight, reduce eyestrain and tiredness but it can prevent blindness by early detection of common eye diseases like glaucoma and cataracts and it can even help in the diagnosis of heart disease and diabetes.

As usual, our offer is open to all so please let your your family, friends and work colleagues know about it so they can benefit to.

LOOK after your health, book an eyetest today, treat yourself to a new pair of glasses and benefit from the Metusuki £20 OFF Eyetest Voucher until the 31st of October.

To redeem your voucher simply email, fax, or post a copy of your qualifying prescription and we will email you your personal voucher code which you can enter at our checkout.

You can find our contact details here

Specsavers has posted yet another set of spectacular results which can only leave every other player in the industry (multiples, supermarkets, independents and internet wannabe’s) scratching their head and wondering how.

On pondering their business model there a couple of features about Specsavers which really stand out:

Family owned and family run: Freedom to operate.

What a phenomenal advantage to be able to plan and run your business without having venture capitalists, shareholders, and the city breathing down your neck demanding results by the quarter and ever higher rates of return. And it doesn’t appear to have hindered the company’s rate of growth, on the contrary it would appear every penny saved on the middle men has been re-invested in rolling out 197 stores in Australia and New Zealand in little over a year.

Absolute clarity of purpose and crystal clear communication of their customer proposition.

The Specsavers customer is never in doubt about what he’s getting: 2 For 1. On a range of store brand and own brand “designer” frames and own brand lenses at a sub £60 price point per pair.

In stark contrast most high street and internet retailers communicate no clear proposition. In the best cases the offer is a mish mash of over-priced unbranded frames and unbranded lenses sitting alongside even more over-priced designer stock.

In the worst cases the “glasses from £15.00″ offer is being used as the time worn bait and switch tactic to get customers to purchase from a string of  generic far eastern imports and “B” list designer frames. But customers are not stupid as the Specsavers results go to show.

At Metsuki we admire the Specsavers approach.

We’re also a family owned and run business with a simple proposition: the top 20 brands, every model, every size, every colour with Essilor and Varilux lenses, try before you buy with a Price Match Promise.

I’d like to extend a warm welcome to all of the 6.0 million or so Specsavers prescription holders each year who fancy treating themselves to something special.. just for a change.

Ewan McFarlane (MD Metsuki)

• To get £30 off the marked price enter ST30 at the checkout
• Supplied strictly on a first come first served basis
• One piece only of each frame available from stock.
• Order before 15:00 to ship the same day(add 2-3 days for prescription)
• Offer ends Friday 4th September
• May not be combined with any other volume discount, voucher code or offer.

In a recent report WHICH? compared prices between buying glasses and contact lenses on the high street and online. No prizes for guessing the outcome summarised in the following Which? Verdict.

“While we’ve found that you can make massive savings by buying your next pair of glasses or set of contact lenses online, the key is to do your research and shop around “ both on the internet and on the high street“ to make sure you get the best possible deal on glasses or contact lenses”.

To read the full WHICH? report click here.