Does anyone else think we're getting a bit fleeced here?

[polly]

I've just broken my right bausch & lomb rgp lens (good eye) and my opticians have told me that a new one will cost £120 - that's at least £50 more than when I broke it last year - due to the manufacturers price increases! (Obviously I should be a bit more careful, although I think the fact that it's considerably thinner than the left lens contributes to the breakages). The only alternative of course is to go for another lens and pay for the fitting.
And then of course there's everybody who's entitled to free eyetests due to age or low income but then has to pay for the solutions...
Unfortunately I couldn't find a site for b&l on the web so I'm ranting here instead.

[John Smith]

Hi Polly,

Isn't Google Wonderful?

Try http://www.bausch.com/uk/vision/index.j ... ukhomepage if you want a whinge! There's a "Contact us" link near the top.

[Janet Manning]

Lenses are expensive, but so are glasses. My glasses cost over £400 and I only get minimal correction in one eye for that! Most of the population who wear glasses are paying these sort of prices, so we're not unique as KCers.

I suggest some sort of insurance. I used to get my RGP corneals from Clulows and they had their own insurance scheme, which covered breakages and replacements due to change in prescription. I now have HSA insurance which gives you varying amounts back on a range of therapies, dental and optical costs, depending on the premium selected. It's definitely cost effective for me.

Janet

[polly]

I realise that glasses are expensive as well because I also buy glasses, in addition to the contacts, and the solutions, but my point related to the fact that b&l had doubled its prices, which cannot possibly be related to increased costs (unless they've suddenly started making lenses out of diamonds or gold dust, that is!). People have recently been complaining of British Gas's 10% price rise so I think it's more than reasonable to complain about a 100% price increase.

[Bob Somi]

Its a case of rip-offf Britain again - Same lens in USA and other parts of Europe is some 40- 50% cheaper. With KC lens its a captive market as there is virtualy no competition; most vendors make just one type !