[torryquine]

Can anybody recommend any opticians in Chennai, where I could get prescription glasses made up?  It doesn't have to be a quick service, as I intend to go and order them the day we arrive in India, and pick them up before we fly home a few weeks later.  Quality of service is more important.

Thanks in advance
TQ

[H.Nick]

Hello TQ... Is it too tedious an answer to say that a two-for-one offer from a UK optician is probably as cheap as  Chennai?

That's what I've just done, while here in UK.

However, if you want replacement lenses for existing frames then Chennai will be cheaper.

[Judi]

TQ - I was just going to tell you that Nick-H wiil be back in Chennai after 5th June, and he or Mrs H ought to be able to recommend somewhere.  However, I think he might have beaten me to it

[torryquine]

Oh!  Thanks for that guys - I'm suprised.  I bought a pair of specs in Darjeeling last year that were eye-wateringly cheap (and even then, was told that I'd paid too much for them), so assumed the same was true across India.  

I only need simple lenses (if rather    thick ones), so I'll have a nose about when we get to Chennai and see what I can find.

Nick are we still on for a Chennai meetup?

[cyberhippie]

Torry and others I'm not sufficiently familiar with Chennai to comment there but I have been buying glasses in India for years and IMHO it's still a great deal!!

I have pretty bad eyes, so very strong lenes are required, that used to mean bottle bottom glasses thankfully no more!!

I recently bought vari-focals with ultra thin, light weight plastic leses and nice spring loaded Italian frames all for the price of 3700 Rp, which is lot cheaper than I could get in Europe (my mother in law enquires about vari-focals and was quoted a rediculous price of over 700 Euro???)
The guy actually was a bit late in having these made and delivered them to my hotel in Bharatpur, from Delhi, a round trip of about 300 Kms. What about that for service!!


Another way to get glasses even cheaper, is to stick with locally made Indian frames, there's quite a selection and they seem strong enough to me but they are less than half the price of the imported frames, which the optician will usually offer you first!

Also try and pick opticians away from the tourist beat, chances are you will get much better deals. In Margao Goa for instance the price of glasses has gone through the roof, due to the tourist interest!!

[digital drifter]

I'd second CH here, the glasses are cheap.

I'd suggest the following 2 step approach.

get an eye exam there

then with the presciption, ask an Indian to go into the shop(another one from where the exam was done) and get a quote.  Don't worry about the frames; make sure you specify something like

plastic
antiglare
scratchproof


and needed stuff

get the quote and came back a little later and choose an Indian made frame for it and compare prices.  If they insist on that 'carbon fibre' frame or titanium one, tell them you have no intention of paying Rs. 2K for the frame alone.  choose an arbitrary value say Rs 600-1000 for a frame and see what you get.  & let them know, that you sent the first person....


BTW, on an off topic issue, I had to get an English colleague to get a key dup made, for my apt. in the UK. for 2 quid worth of work, no one offered to make a apt. key dup for me. Gave it to my colleague, got it done in 10 minutes flat.

Just saying, it's OK to do the same here.

[torryquine]

digital drifter, on May 19 2006, 07:13 PM, said:

BTW, on an off topic issue, I had to get an English colleague to get a key dup made, for my apt. in the UK. for 2 quid worth of work, no one offered to make a apt. key dup for me. Gave it to my colleague, got it done in 10 minutes flat.

Just saying, it's OK to do the same here.

Wow! that's not nice DD!  (Have you seen the film "Crash" btw?).  But that's a great tip, and I guess what goes around, comes around......

[digital drifter]

what's not nice?  (I'm sorry, I did not get what you were trying to point out;  I haven't seen Crash)

Judging by my skin colour, I was refused service, for 2 GBP worth of work; apparently he thought I could not live in an apt. like the key indicated? so he must have thought I'm out to case and clean out the apt?
What I liked about the whole episode, is my office colleagues, though sheepish about the whole affair did not apologise or make excuses for that.  They knew, I knew and it was all unsaid.  Typically English!


Judging by your skin colour, you are getting ripped off. that's all.  stick it to them everywhere! Or even better make a noise about it.

[H.Nick]

If you want cheap, then very cheap can be had here with no problem.  So many Indian people seem to wear glasses, and theyy are not just available to the rich!

Trouble is that many of us, when we go to the optician, spend most of our time looking in the mirror, and going for frames that we think look good. Then, if if have a "thick" prescription, we start getting interested in the high-tech thin equivalent lens. Then we start adding the extras, like photo-chromatic and so on.

The opticians that we have been to here only do a basic eye 'test'. They just check out what strength glasses you need. But a visit to a proper eye doctor will not cost much (we can recommend one in Adyar).

I had a good and thourough eye test in SpecSavers in Truro (UK). Two pairs of titanium frames cost about 120BP (I've already broken one ---        --- after just a few weeks ). ---and the reading glasses I got from the 99p shop are almost as good!!!!!!

TQ ---- when are coming? PM me here or on IM. It would be good to meet up

[HowieUK]

I started wearing reading glasses recently and got a pair to use at work from specsavers in the UK!
the cost was £70 UK Pounds although my works paid for them so they didn't cost me personally.

I decided to buy another pair from Tesco's as I had the prescription details.  They cost me £8 UK Pounds and I wear them more than the £70 ones.  There also doesn't seem to be much difference in the build quality!

Howie

[torryquine]

digital drifter, on May 22 2006, 04:21 AM, said:

what's not nice?  (I'm sorry, I did not get what you were trying to point out;  I haven't seen Crash)

Judging by my skin colour, I was refused service, for 2 GBP worth of work; apparently he thought I could not live in an apt. like the key indicated? so he must have thought I'm out to case and clean out the apt?
What I liked about the whole episode, is my office colleagues, though sheepish about the whole affair did not apologise or make excuses for that.  They knew, I knew and it was all unsaid.  Typically English!
Judging by your skin colour, you are getting ripped off. that's all.  stick it to them everywhere! Or even better make a noise about it.

Hi DD, we've already clarified this by PM, but for the sake of other readers, I meant exactly what you said above - it's not nice that you were judged by your skin colour and it's pathetic that people still do that (maybe they always will?).  I recommend Crash as one of the most intelligent films I've ever seen, because like all the characters in it, you are forced to consider your predjudices....who dosn't hate that white cop at first?  Your experience of getting a key cut reminded me of the plight of one of the characters.  Telling you any more would spoil it for you - go see it.

Nick, yes lets get something organised, we'll be there in September.