FAQs
Questions about your Contact Lens Prescription
- What should be included in a contact lens prescription?
- Do I need to send Lenstore.co.uk a physical copy of my prescription?
- Do I have to pay for a copy of my prescription?
- Is my contact lens prescription the same as my glasses prescription?
- My Optician won’t give me my prescription. Is that right?
- I feel awkward about phoning up my Optician and asking for my prescription.
- What should I do if my contact lens prescription is about to expire?
- I am on a contact lenses direct debit scheme which provides me with free contact lens examinations and aftercare from my Optician. I don’t want to lose this benefit.
Questions about Shopping at Lenstore.co.uk
- Why should I order from Lenstore.co.uk rather than another internet supplier of contact lenses?
- How do I decide which online contact lens supplier to use?
- How much money will I be able to save by buying from Lenstore.co.uk?
- Can I buy a different brand to the one that I am wearing today because it looks cheaper?
- Can I order as large a supply of contact lenses as I want to?
- I wear an Optician’s own brand set of lenses. Can I buy my lenses from Lenstore.co.uk?
- What if I order contact lenses which have not been prescribed to me?
- Who supplies Lenstore.co.uk with contact lenses?
- Does Lenstore.co.uk have telephone support?
- Is my credit / debit card information safe on Lenstore.co.uk?
- Which credit cards do you accept?
- I have a new prescription. How do I update my Lenstore.co.uk account?
- My personal details and e mail have changed, how do I update my account?
- How do I check my order history?
- Forgotten your password?
Questions about your Contact Lens Prescription
What should be included in a contact lens prescription?
All contact lens prescriptions (no matter what type of lens) should contain all of the following items:
- The name and address of the patient
- Date of Birth (for people under the age of 16 on the date the prescription was issued)
- Name of the practice on whose premises the contact lens fitting was done
- Name and registration number (GOC number) of the Optician signing the specification
- Address of the Opticians practice issuing the prescription
- Start date of the prescription
- Expiry date of the prescription
- Manufacturer Brand Name of Contact Lens (e.g. CIBA Vision Focus Dailies)
- Power of Lens for Right Eye & Left Eye e.g. -3.5
- Base Curve for Right Eye & Left Eye e.g. 8.5
- Diameter for Right Eye & Left Eye e.g. 14.2
Prescriptions for Toric Contact Lenses will also include the following items:
- Cylinder measurements e.g. 2.25
- Axis measurements e.g. 50
In addition to points 1-11 above, prescriptions for Multi-focal contact lenses will include:
- Extra Power of Lens
If you are having your prescription read out to you over the phone, please use the list above to make sure you’ve noted down all of the information you need. Also, always ask for a copy of your prescription to be sent to you (either by e mail, fax or in the post).
Do I need to send Lenstore.co.uk a physical copy of my prescription?
No. It is not necessary for you to fax / post us a copy of your prescription. By completing our online order form you will submit to us electronically all of the details we need from your prescription.
Do I have to pay for a copy of my prescription?
No. Your Optician is legally obliged to provide you with your prescription at no charge. It is one of their duties as a clinical practitioner. The vast majority of Opticians are fully aware of their obligations to you as a patient and will not try and charge you for your prescription. Please be wary of any Optician that tries to charge you for your prescription.
Is my contact lens prescription the same as my glasses prescription?
No. Your contact lens prescription contains different information to your glasses prescription. Not all glasses wearers will be suitable for contact lenses so a separate examination is required before a contact lens prescription can be issued by your Optician. Please do not try and guess your contact lens prescription from your glasses prescription. Key items (such as the power of lenses) that you might expect to be the same will be different.
My Optician won’t give me my prescription. Is that right?
Actually, if your Optician is playing by the rules, you should already have a copy of your prescription if you have been fitted for a contact lens. Article 26 (2) of the UK Opticians Act 1989 effectively says that that all Opticians have a legal obligation to provide the patient with a signed written prescription once the fitting has been completed. This means that your Optician should have placed a copy of your prescription in your hand before you walked out of their practice regardless of whether you asked for it or not. The exact wording of the clause in the Opticians Act 1989 which you can quote to your Optician is:
“It shall also be his [your Optician’s] duty to give the person whose sight he has tested, immediately following the test, either a signed, written prescription for an optical appliance or a signed, written statement that he does not need to wear or use an optical appliance”. Article 26 (2), Opticians Act 1989
Unfortunately, it’s become customary for patients to have to ask for their prescription before they receive it. All you have to do is call your Optician and request that a copy of your prescription be sent to you either via e mail, fax or post. Some Opticians are happy to read your prescription to you over the phone. If you’re having your prescription read to you over the phone please have in front of you our section “What should be included in a contact lens prescription?”. The only time that an Optician can validly refuse to give you a prescription is before the end of the contact lens fitting phase (i.e. whilst you are trying out a new contact lens).
I feel awkward about phoning up my Optician and asking for my prescription. They’re very nice people and they’re going to know that I am going to go somewhere else to buy my contact lenses.
We understand that it can be a little awkward to tell someone that you are no longer going to be using a service that they provide. However, asking for a copy of your prescription is one of your statutory legal rights as a patient. Most Opticians are more than happy to provide their patients with their contact lens prescription. There are many different reasons why you might need a copy of your prescription (e.g. a change of address, request from a health insurer). There’s no real reason to feel awkward about asking for your prescription details and most Opticians won’t hesitate in providing you with your prescription.
What should I do if my contact lens prescription is about to expire?
Contact your Optician and organise a contact lens examination. If your eyes are still well suited to contact lenses your Optician will issue you with a new prescription.
I am on a contact lenses direct debit scheme which provides me with free contact lens examinations and aftercare from my Optician. I don’t want to lose this benefit as I think contact lens examinations cost a fortune when not part of a long term scheme. Would the extra cost of examinations not wipe out the cost savings that Lenstore.co.uk can offer me?
Your monthly payment within the direct debit scheme is split into two or three parts: fees for professional care, the cost of the contact lenses and the costs of solutions. If you ask your current supplier for the breakdown of your monthly payment they will provide it for you. The cost of professional care usually amounts to around £60 per annum on a Direct Debit scheme. A single contact lens examination on average costs between £25 and £40 if you are not part of a Direct Debit scheme with your Optician. The odds are that you will save money on your contact lens examination by cancelling your direct debit and paying for them as and when you need them.
Questions about your Optician
Do I need to do anything when I am at my Opticians?
We recommend you do two things when you are at your Opticians practice:
- Ensure that you are fitted with a reputable brand of contact lenses that you trust
- Request a copy of your prescription when you leave
Patients should be automatically given a copy of their prescription after an eye examination (in the same way that your Doctor will give you a copy of your prescription and keep another copy for himself). Over time, this will become the norm in the UK. For the moment, you typically need to ask your Optician for it. Don’t worry if you forget to ask for your prescription, it’s a 1 minute phone-call to request that you be e mailed, faxed or posted a copy of your prescription.
What is a “contact lens fitting”?
A contact lens fitting is the process that you need to go through with your Optician when you either try contact lenses for the first time or you change the type of contact lenses that you wear. Your Optician will assess if a particular contact lens meets your specific needs. He / she will provide you with any trial lenses that you might need. At the end of your contact lens fitting period you will be issued with a prescription. On your request, your Optician will provide you with a copy of your prescription and you will have all of the information that you need in order to purchase your contact lenses online.
What is aftercare?
Aftercare is the professional care and advice that contact lens wearers require after they have been fitted for contact lenses and are wearing them. Aftercare typically includes at least the following:
- Regular contact lens examinations
- Information about how to look after your eyes and what symptoms to look out for
- Details of what to do and who to contact in a contact lens emergency
Do I still need to go to my Optician for contact lens check ups?
Yes. Your contact lens prescription is only valid until the date of your next scheduled check up. This is typically 12 months from the date of your last check up. We will send you a reminder when we think you are due for another contact lens examination. Regular contact lens examinations are a core part of patient aftercare. These check ups give your Optician the chance to check the health of your eyes. We recommend that you go for a contact lens check up at least every year.
Can I have a contact lens examination at the Opticians without having to purchase lenses from there?
Yes. You do not have to buy your contact lenses from the Opticians practice that you have your examinations at. However, if you’re being fitted with a completely new brand of contact lenses (or your first ever pair of contact lenses) you may have to buy those lenses from your Optician for up to three months. This is known as the contact lens fitting phase. As soon as that phase is over then you can be issued a prescription and buy from Lenstore.co.uk.
Questions about Shopping at Lenstore.co.uk
Why should I order from Lenstore.co.uk rather than another internet supplier of contact lenses?
Different businesses set out in the same market to do different things. Some want to shake things up as much as possible and get famous. Some want to be the cheapest and that’s it. The truth is that we want to be the company that is most honest with its customers and is endorsed by all Opticians. We think that’s the most sensible and sustainable long term business strategy for Lenstore.co.uk. We’re the first online player in the UK to make striving to win the recommendations of both customers and Opticians a stated goal of our business.
To answer the question of why you should order from Lenstore.co.uk instead of one of our competitors we’d like to refer you to our section below, “How do I decide which online contact lens supplier to use?”. That section was written objectively for people looking to buy contact lenses online and not to promote Lenstore.co.uk specifically. If you think that Lenstore.co.uk fulfils the criteria outlined in that section then you should order from us. If you don’t then we’re disappointed but respect your decision. Let us know why you didn’t choose to buy with us (by e mailing improve@Lenstore.co.uk) and we’ll work hard to win your custom in the future.
How do I decide which online contact lens supplier to use?
If you’re new to buying contact lenses online in the UK then it’s definitely worth reading this section of our website. It should leave you equipped to make the best decision possible on your choice of contact lens supplier. Even if you go off and buy your lenses elsewhere, we’d like to think that by reading this section we allowed you to make a more informed choice of supplier.
Buying contact lenses online is not quite the same as buying a “standard” product such as a book online. Here are Lenstore.co.uk’s recommendations of what to look out for when selecting an internet supplier of contact lenses:
- Does the supplier verify prescriptions?
- Does the supplier provide you with advice on how to wear and take care of your contact lenses?
- Are the contact lenses competitively priced?
- Are the contact lenses being shipped from the UK?
On any e-commerce website Lenstore.co.uk recommends that you ask yourself the following questions before handing over any money:
- Does the website look professional?
- Can you find any customer testimonials?
- Can you find a contact phone number easily?
- Does the supplier explain to you why he needs all of the personal details that he asks for during the order process?
- Does the company have a 100% no questions asked returns policy?
- Is the company upfront about delivery and postage costs?
If you find an internet supplier of contact lenses that fulfills all of the criteria listed above then you should feel comfortable that you are purchasing your contact lenses from a responsible company.
How much money will I be able to save by buying from Lenstore.co.uk?
We have saved customers up to £240 per year versus what they were previously paying their Opticians. You should save a lot by buying your contact lenses from Lenstore.co.uk. Precise savings will differ depending on the prices you currently pay for your contact lenses and the contact lenses that you wear. Given our low costs and ability to bulk buy, we are confident you can find large savings (without compromising safety) versus the high street on our website.
Can I buy a different brand to the one that I am wearing today because it looks cheaper?
In general the answer is no. Prescriptions are brand specific so any responsible supplier of contact lenses can only supply you with that brand of lens. However, if you are currently wearing an “Optician’s Own Brand” contact lens (e.g. Specsavers, Boots, D&A, Vision Express, Clulows branded lens) then the answer is yes. This is because all of these Opticians often buy lenses from contact lens manufacturers such as CIBA Vision, Cooper Vision and Bausch & Lomb and repackage them as their “Optician’s Own Brand”.
Can I order as large a supply of contact lenses as I want to?
You can order contact lenses to last you until the end of your current prescription. For example, if you have 6 months remaining on your prescription you can buy 6 boxes of 30 daily disposables for each eye.
I wear an Optician’s own brand set of lenses. Can I buy my lenses from Lenstore.co.uk?
For the most part, yes you can. An “Optician’s Own Brand” contact lens (e.g. Specsavers, Boots, D&A, Vision Express, Clulows branded lens) are often repackaged versions of contact lenses that they buy direct from contact lens manufacturers. As such, we are supplying you with contact lenses which fit your prescription exactly. Click here to see a table which allows you to “lookup” the original manufacturer name of your Optician’s own brand contact lenses.
What if I order contact lenses which have not been prescribed to me?
You should never take the risk of ordering contact lenses that you have not been prescribed. The truth is that if you were to put a contact lens in your eye that does not match your prescription it would probably feel very uncomfortable and you’d want to take it out. It’s worth noting that Lenstore.co.uk verifies all prescriptions before dispatching contact lenses. That means that Lenstore.co.uk won’t dispatch any contact lenses that you have not been prescribed for you. Unfortunately, not all internet suppliers of contact lenses will take the time or money to verify your prescription. Be sure that your prescription will be verified by whoever you purchase your contact lenses from before ordering from them.
Who supplies Lenstore.co.uk with contact lenses?
Lenstore.co.uk is supplied directly by the major manufacturers of contact lenses (i.e. Johnson & Johnson, Ciba Vision, Cooper Vision and Bausch & Lomb). We have good relationships with all of our suppliers and do not use intermediaries in order to source products. We play by the book and therefore we’re a trusted distribution partner for manufacturers.
Does Lenstore.co.uk have telephone support?
Yes. You can contact Lenstore.co.uk’s customer service team on 0844 870 0065 from 9.30am – 5pm Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays). Your call will be answered by one of our team in the UK. We will help you in any way we can. We look forward to hearing from you.
Is my credit / debit card information safe on Lenstore.co.uk?
Yes. Lenstore.co.uk uses a third party Payment Service Provider called Sage Pay (which is owned by Sage UK Limited and formerly known as Protx) to handle all transactions on our website. Sage Pay is fully PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliant and does not share your payment information with anyone.
Which credit cards do you accept?
We accept all of the major UK credit and debit cards: Visa, Mastercard, Maestro/Switch, Solo , Visa Electron and Visa Debit.
I have a new prescription. How do I update my Lenstore.co.uk account?
Login to your account using the area in the top right hand corner of any page on the Lenstore.co.uk website. Once logged in a My Account button will appear in the area in the top right hand corner of our website. Click on the My Account button and click on the My Patient Details panel that appears on the next page. You can change the details of your Optician or your prescription start and expiry dates in the form that appears. Click Update Account at the bottom of the page when you've made your changes and your details will be updated. We collect other details about your prescription (e.g. the power of your lenses) during the shopping process.
My personal details and e mail have changed, how do I update my account?
Login to your account using the area in the top right hand corner of any page on the Lenstore.co.uk website. Once logged in a My Account button will appear in the area in the top right hand corner of our website. Click on the My Account button and click on the My Patient Details panel that appears on the next page. You can change any of your personal details in the form that appears. Click Update Account at the bottom of the page when you've made your changes and your details will be updated.
How do I check my order history?
Login to your account using the area in the top right hand corner of any page on the Lenstore.co.uk website. Once logged in a My Account button will appear in the area in the top right hand corner of our website. Click on that button and My Account button and click on the Order History panel that appears.
Forgotten your password?
Click the "Forgot your Password?" link which is in the top right hand corner of any page on our website. Enter your email address on the page that appears and we will send you a send you a temporary password.
Further Information
The following questions from our policies and procedures section also tell you a little more about Lenstore.co.uk. We’ve found that many of our customers look for them on this page of our website so please follow the links below for the answers:
What is Lenstore.co.uk’s shipping policy / process?
How long does it take to receive my contact lenses?
Does Lenstore.co.uk charge for shipping?
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