FAQs

Lenstore.co.uk does not require customers to send a copy of their prescription after placing an order.

There are five shipping options at Lenstore.co.uk:

* Flat Fee

NB. Postal working days are Monday–Friday (although some deliveries may be made on Saturdays).

Your Online Optical Clinic is an exclusive area of Lenstore.co.uk, where customers can receive premium optical services from our Clinical Team including:

• Exclusive contact details to get in touch directly with our Clinical Team to ask your optical advice questions
• Records of the optical advice you have received from the Clinical Team in the past
• Ability to book a range of appointment types with one of our opticians. From video conference appointments, to in person optical advice discussions, and even appointments at one of our clinics where we will perform a free eye test and contact lens check.

As Your Online Optical Clinic, and the services available through it, is a premium service, it may only be accessed by Lenstore.co.uk customers who have previously purchased prescription contact lenses from us.

We apologise if Royal Mail or our courier have failed to deliver your order within the quoted time, however very occasionally they may be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. Please see below for what action to take:

N.B. Please check that the delivery address you provided is correct.

*You are able to track and trace your order using the unique tracking link provided within the dispatch confirmation email.

Dispatch times will vary depending on the individual items ordered and orders are only dispatched when all items are ready. However, 98% of standard contact lenses are kept in stock and are typically dispatched the same working day, if ordered before 5pm.

Orders for non-standard contact lenses (toric, astigmatism, multi-focal or tailor-made contact lenses) will be dispatched when the specialist item is received from the manufacturer; see the following table for expected dispatch times for non-standard contact lenses:

The Collection service is offered to customers whose delivery address is within a limited area of Greater London. If you were not presented the Collection option and would like to use this service please contact our customer services team via email customerservices@lenstore.co.uk or phone on 0800 010 6865, as they will be able to assist you further.

When entering your prescription into the online product page, the first value is the Power (SPH) which will either be a ‘+’ or ‘−’ number (e.g. −1.75 or +2.25). In some cases the Power (SPH) may be 0.00, which can also be written on a prescription as the word ‘Plano’. The second value is the Base Curve (BC), which is typically between 8.3 and 9.0. The third value is the Diameter (D) and is typically between 13.8 and 14.5.

If you have astigmatism or require multifocal contact lenses you will be required to fill in some extra fields. For an astigmatism lens these will be the Cylinder (CYL), typically ranging from −0.25 up to −2.75 and the Axis which will range between 5 and 180. For multi-focal contact lenses you will be asked for the Additional or Extra Power, which will typically range between +1.00 to +2.50. Please note these values may be written in word form on some prescriptions (e.g. LOW, MED or HIGH).

If you see a drop-down list with only one greyed-out value it means that this value is fixed for that contact lens.

If you only require one prescription for your chosen lens, you can select to purchase the contact lenses in single boxes. On the product page, if you navigate just above where you are asked to enter your prescription, you will see the option of how to purchase your contact lenses. In the drop-down menu you can select ‘Single Box’ this will remove the second prescription field to allow you to purchase the contact lenses in one prescription only.

We accept payment through all of the major UK credit and debit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Visa Debit, Visa Electron and Solo. We also accept payment through PayPal.

These payment options were chosen due to the excellent protection and ease of use they provide to you, the customer, whilst paying for orders over the internet.

If you need to make changes to, or cancel, an order that has already been paid for, you will need to contact our customer services team via email at customerservices@lenstore.co.uk or on 0800 010 6865 who should be able to make the amendment for you. Please note, in situations when your order is likely to be dispatched soon, we would recommend telephoning our customer services team directly as email requests can take longer to process. If your order has been processed by our warehouse before we receive notice that a change or cancellation is needed, we may be unable to process the request.

We are happy to accept returns for individual items and full orders. The returned items need to be undamaged, unopened and in their original packaging for the refund to be processed. We have a Freepost address to save you any cost of returning items to us:

FREEPOST LENSTORE
9 Lyon Road
London
SW19 2RL

Please obtain a Proof of Postage Certificate from your Post Office when returning goods, as we are not responsible for any packages lost in transit.

All returns must be received before 21 days have passed since the order was received as stated in our terms and conditions.

If you find one or more of your contact lenses are faulty, please do not hesitate to contact our customer services team via email at customerservices@lenstore.co.uk or 0800 010 6865 who will be able to assist you further. In most cases this is due to a manufacturing fault and we may require the LOT number of the contact lenses affected to process a fault complaint with the manufacturer. As part of our customer satisfaction guarantee we aim to replace all faulty contact lenses that are reported to Lenstore.co.uk. Please keep hold of any faulty contact lenses (in a contact lens case with some solution) for five working days after alerting us to the fault as the manufacturer may ask for the faulty lens to be sent back for inspection.

N.B. The LOT number is typically located on the back of the contact lens box, near the barcode. For Ciba Vision products the code is 7 digits long (e.g. 1234567) and for ACUVUE products the code is made up of a combination of 10 numbers and letter (e.g. 123DH45KI6). LOT numbers are not required for Bausch & Lomb or Cooper Vision products.

We aim to process all refunds within 10 working days, once received by our returns department.

All refunds, either through PayPal or your credit/debit card will be processed to the bank account or credit/debit card used to pay for the original transaction and will typically appear on your statement within 3–5 working days.

We always strive to provide a very reliable service; however in the event you receive an incorrect item we will send out the correct one straight away (subject to dispatch times). We would be grateful if you could also send back the incorrect item via our Freepost address:

FREEPOST LENSTORE
9 Lyon Road
London
SW19 2RL

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. If you are still experiencing difficulties you can give our customer services a call on 0800 010 6865.

To change any of your account details you will need to log into your account online and select the My Account link where the options of ‘Customer Details’ or ‘Change Password’ will appear, please select the corresponding link depending on what information you wish to change.

Customers have the option to store their card details securely with Lenstore.co.uk, for effortless reordering in the future. However, should you not want to store your card details, you may uncheck the relevant box on the Payment Methods page, so that your card details are not stored and are only used for the current order.

There are many different types and brands of contact lenses available to cater for the particular needs and requirements of each patient. As everyone has uniquely shaped eyes it is essential to have a wide choice of contact lenses to ensure that the fit of the lens is comfortable. The lens your Optician has prescribed you will be the one they believe best fits your needs and requirements. Another factor which requires the need for such a large range of contact lenses are situations where you may have an astigmatism or require a multifocal lens. We at Lenstore.co.uk believe that having more choice is better and is the reason we are always looking to expand the range of contact lenses and contact lens solutions we stock.

At Lenstore.co.uk we supply daily, two-weekly, monthly and yearly contact lenses. This information will typically be supplied on your prescription or on the box of the contact lenses you have been prescribed. Most contact lenses are either disposed daily or require you to clean and store them in solution overnight; however we do offer a range of extended wear contact lenses. With these contact lenses you are able to continually wear them overnight for as long as your Optician recommends, without the need to clean them. Please note, not all patients are able to wear contact lenses for extended periods.

When having your contact lens test your Optician will recommend a suitable solution for the contact lenses you are prescribed, which they believe will cater to any requirement you may need. We would recommend consulting your optician before trying a new solution as each brand will contain different ingredients and typically cater for specific needs, e.g. removal of protein build-up or dry eyes.

We would advise you consult your optician if wish to try a new brand of contact lenses as they will be able to suggest whether or not the lens will be suitable for your prescription and possibly offer you a trial.

We recommend you do two things when you are at your Opticians practice:

1. Ensure that you are fitted with a reputable brand of contact lenses that you trust
2. 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.

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).

Your prescription details can be found on your box of contact lenses or on the individual blister packs. If you do not have either of these you can call your Optician who will supply you with the correct details.

Your prescription will be made up of 3–7 values, depending on your requirements. Most contact lens prescriptions contain 3 values; the Power (SPH), Base Curve (BC) and Diameter (D). However, some prescriptions will contain up to 4 additional values to cater for an Astigmatism and/or Multi-Focal needs. These extra values are the Cylinder (CYL), Axis, Extra Power (ADD) and Dominance. The table below outlines what each of the values mean:

You are advised to have a contact lens check-up every 12–24 months.

‘Toric’ and ‘for astigmatism’ contact lenses cater for those who have an astigmatism, which means the cornea is not perfectly spherical. Instead the cornea is shaped similar to the back of a spoon, being elongated on one side. This causes blurred vision as the eye cannot focus light onto the retina sharply enough. The toric lens caters for this and adjusts the focus of the light accordingly.

Your prescription will contain the brand of contact lenses your Optician believes best matches your prescription and will typically be the lens that best suits the shape your eyes and any other requirements you may have. As everyone has different shaped eyes you will find some more comfortable to wear than others and your Optician will select a lens that best fits your prescription.

Your Optician will consider whether to prescribe you monthly or daily contact lenses depending on your requirements. It is not always possible to swap from monthly to daily contact lenses and vice versa, as some patients' eyes may not be suitable for the other type of lens. If you feel you would benefit from swapping the type of contact lenses you wear we would recommend consulting your optician who will be able to assist you with further advice.

If you feel your prescription may have changed before you are due your check-up, we would recommend consulting your Optician who will be able to assist with further advice. Please note, it is important to regularly have a check-up as if your eye sight has changed, you may strain your eyes if you do not update your prescription.

Given our low costs and ability to bulk buy, we are confident you can find large savings versus the high street on our website. We have saved customers up to £240 per year versus what they were previously paying their Opticians*. You should save a lot of money by buying your contact lenses from Lenstore.co.uk.

*Precise savings may differ depending on the prices you currently pay for your contact lenses and the contact lenses that you wear.

Our customer services department operates from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

Lenstore.co.uk is the fastest growing supplier of contact lenses in the UK. We supply the very same contact lenses that your Optician has prescribed to you. We supply them cheaper than your Optician and we deliver them right to your door. We’ve also got Lenstore.co.uk Opticians in house that provide us with advice on the contact lenses we sell.

Lenstore.co.uk’s privacy policy can be found here: Privacy Policy.

Lenstore.co.uk’s terms and conditions can be found here: Terms & Conditions.

You can contact Lenstore.co.uk by telephone or email.

Calling from a UK landline? Call us free on: 0800 010 6865

Calling from a mobile? Save money on: 0330 330 3015

Email: customerservices@lenstore.co.uk

All contact information is on the ‘Contact Us’ page.

We source all our contact lenses directly from the four major manufacturers; ACUVUE, Bausch & Lomb, CibaVision and CooperVision. Our solutions and accessories are also sourced directly from these manufacturers, plus AMO and ALCON who are worldwide specialists in pharmaceutical accessories (Please note: links to the manufacturers websites will open in a new page).

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 emailing improve@Lenstore.co.uk) and we’ll work hard to win your custom in the future.

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 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 fulfils all of the criteria listed above then you should feel comfortable that you are purchasing your contact lenses from a responsible company.

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.