Buying spectacles in France

molliesassy · Post by **molliesassy** » Thu 07 May 2009 12:13

Can I bring my prescription from Ireland to purchase glasses? I tried to purchase glasses before but was told I had to go get a prescription from an optician. They dont have opticians instore.

polremy · Post by **polremy** » Thu 07 May 2009 12:17

molliesassy wrote:Can I bring my prescription from Ireland to purchase glasses? I tried to purchase glasses before but was told I had to go get a prescription from an optician. They dont have opticians instore.

we brought a prescription from England and they made it up in Perpignan (leClerc - polygone nord) - no problem.

john · Post by **john** » Thu 07 May 2009 12:36

According to our friendly opticien (M Parenty in Port Vendres),eye prescriptions are universal,so he'd have no problem with your Irish one.

opas · Post by **opas** » Thu 07 May 2009 12:45

I brought a very complex prescription with me from UK and had it made up at the one in Auchan.......at a bargain price too!

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Thu 07 May 2009 12:51

Krys, the opticians in Perpignan old town, have always been very helpful and have no problem with an English prescription.

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Thu 07 May 2009 14:17

... and all that refunded by the SECU without a French opthalmologue prescription??

john · Post by **john** » Thu 07 May 2009 14:33

Roger O wrote:... and all that refunded by the SECU without a French opthalmologue prescription??

Unless you've got a very good (expensive) Complementaire,Rog,there's no refund on glasses here either!

opas · Post by **opas** » Thu 07 May 2009 17:12

I seem to think I got about 14 euros back off a 310 euro bill

I do not bother with an grad in Mutual as I only have new spex every couple of years and the other spex wearers only us them for reading and just have their lenses changed, last pair was 28 euros.

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Thu 07 May 2009 17:18

john wrote:Unless you've got a very good (expensive) Complementaire,Rog,there's no refund on glasses here either!

I do, John - a legacy from Amadeus - and getting cheaper as there is competition - I'm renegotiating right at this moment....!

molliesassy · Post by **molliesassy** » Sat 09 May 2009 23:23

Thanks for the replies. Great news that I can bring out my prescription the next visit. Can anyone tell me how long it can take to get the glasses made? I will probably go to the shop at Auchan.

opas · Post by **opas** » Sun 10 May 2009 09:34

All depends on your script, same as UK. Mine took 2 weeks as it is complex. My daughter recently had reading glasses made in 3 days.

Colin L · Post by **Colin L** » Sun 10 May 2009 11:39

john wrote:prescriptions are universal,so he'd have no problem with your Irish one.

There must be a joke about Irish prescriptions ....

Meantime I hope the Irish eyes will be smiling soon.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Sun 10 May 2009 13:03

Typically, a simple single vision prescription where the two first numbers do not add up to more than 6 and the second figure is no higher than 2, can be made up in store while you wait (if they have a lab.) Bifocals, complex lenses, varifocals, photochromic etc all take longer since the lens blanks have to be ordered up, up to 2/3 weeks sometimes.
(Except in a few giant optical superstores in the big cities where they have a surfacing lab on site.)
I agree that prices of glasses in France are now very competitive with those in Britain or Ireland (which is probably why Specsavers have no plans to open in France even though they are based in Guernsey.) Here is a rough guide to glasses prescriptions in case it is of interest:-

A spectacle prescription can be written in either of two mathematical forms, both of which are understood the world over, these are called the "Plus cylinder transposition" and the "Minus cylinder transposition."

For example

+4.00 / -2.00 x 90 is the same lens as +2.00 / +2.00 x 180.

The first figure is the sphere, this power is the same over the whole surface of the lens.
The second figure is the cylinder which acts in one particular direction.
The third figure is the cylinder axis which is that direction.

To convert a prescription in one form into the other form follow the rules below (being careful to respect the sign convention that you learned in your O-level maths!)

1. Add the sph and the cyl
2. Change the sign of the cyl from - to + or vice versa
3. Add or subtract 90 from the axis to leave a number between 0 and 180.

eg +3.00 sph / +2.25 cyl axis 45

=

+5.25 sph / -2.25 cyl axis 135.

John & Elaine · Post by **John & Elaine** » Sun 10 May 2009 13:59

Elaine had a French prescription made up by an optician in UK with designer frames chosen at the optician in Auchan Mall but available from the UK with a two for one deal saving over half the French quote and giving her two pairs. Choose your frames here or on line and get them made in the UK and mailed to you!

opas · Post by **opas** » Sun 10 May 2009 14:41

personally I would never accept a pair of glasses where I could not easily go back to to store.
twice in the Uk I had to go back with different glasses(not the same store) due to simple misskey of figures on behalf of the desk clerk.
The first time I was trying them on in store and Outie thought I was kidding when I said i could not even see him.........That silly mistake got me another free pair.

The second time I had been persevering for a week at work with them and went back to query it, an appology and a discount helped calm the waters. I do not know what had gone wrong that time, but It was the fault of Zeiss not at the store.

FORUM