Location: Canada
Background: When I first started wearing glasses the optometrist would just give me a piece of paper that I could take to any shop to get my lenses made. Then they started refusing that paper and insisting I either leave my frames with them for two weeks, or that I buy new frames.
And now it seems like even asking for the script, or the measurements, is ‘against policy’.
I recently went in for an eye exam and some new glasses, and the optician said something I have never been told before.
I had asked if they could give me the prescription for my sunglass lenses since they don’t deal with the brand that I prefer, and he said that I would have to schedule another appointment at a shop that deals with that brand, because the prescription was not enough, and I would also need the measurements he took.
I asked if I could have those measurements and he said it was against policy.
Is he lying to try to get me to buy new frames from his shop? Or is there something to what he is saying?
Confession - When he walked away I took a picture of the measuring app he had used which seems to show all the measurements.
Would this be useful to another shop? I’m just trying to buy lenses without spending a fortune on yet another frame.
It all feels like a scam.
Also Canada, my optometrist has never given me a problem asking for my prescription. However, they don’t measure the Pupil Distance (PD) which your lens fitters might require.
This measurement is the distance between your pupils in millimetres. It can be measured with a standard ruler. Mine is 69 (nice)
My optometrist explicitly does not measure the PD because the glasses shop they have adjoining doors with will do it for you. We often just measure ours at home because it’s far cheaper to shop for glasses online.
Awesome. I have the PD measurement from that picture, along with other measurements.
I assume this covers everything the lens folks will need.
Your PD is here so that’s fine. If however you require a multifocal/progressive or computer/office lens you will need heights. The heights in this picture are only applicable to the frame you are wearing. However if you’re going to another dispenser to buy frames and lenses from them they will measure you up.
For the record, in Australia your lens prescription is your property, but as was stated by someone else usually the optical dispensers will take your PD, and they often aren’t recorded on your script. Also, as a dispenser if I call your optom to request a copy of your script, they will give me the prescription but not the PD. It’s something usually taken w, at point of sale.
Source: Dispenser/Optical Mechanic for over 20 years.
Thank you kindly for the reply. This makes some sense. It is just so scummy feeling because the information is there, it is about me, but I can’t use it to shop around. I probably just had a great opto who went above and beyond back in the day and that coloured my expectations.
Yeah, we deal with some practices that don’t easily share prescriptions. There’s always bad eggs! If a customer asked for their PD I’d give it to them, but conversely if a customer came to me wanting lenses and told me their PD I’d measure it anyways. It’s really only important for you to know if you’re ordering lenses online.