I recently went to Specsavers® Batemans Bay and got the full eye-test treatment, and two pairs of glasses, frames and all, for $149*.
Which immediately reminded me of the time when Padma visited Cameron Optometry to have nothing more than a pair of new lenses put into her existing reading glasses, for $214*.
We buy a new pair of glasses only every ten years or so which means we have no ready cost comparison but after I had paid $149 to Specsavers® FOR TWO FRAMES AND TWO PAIRS OF LENSES, I felt justifiably 'ripped off' by the $214 paid to Cameron Optometry FOR JUST ONE PAIR OF LENSES **.
So I asked Cameron Optometry for an explanation. They came back with "... the pricing structure is different ... BLAH BLAH BLAH ... Prices for lenses can vary for many different reasons (things such as lens material used, digital lens technology and coatings to name a few can all affect this), and in my experience the price difference usually relates to the quality of the product ... BLAH BLAH".
Not much of an explanation, so I emailed Optometry Australia, "the influential voice for the optometry profession", for their opinion.
Here's their reply:
"Good morning Mr Goerman, Thank you for your email concerning Cameron Optometry. Any individual business is entitled to charge what it considers to be appropriate fees for their goods and services. This is not unique to optometry - any business, whether they sell cars or provide dental services, are free to set their own prices. Mr Cameron has provided lenses at a certain price. That is his price. What Specsavers charge is their commercial decision. Neither is right or wrong - in each case it is an individual commercial decision. I hope that this information is of assistance."
I think their analogy with car salesmen explains it perfectly and I'm happy to share their and Cameron Optometry's 'commercial decision' (whatever happened to the term 'business ethics'?) with all my friends and acquaintances and The Checkout at the ABC.
More power to Specsavers® who couldn't have come to the Bay soon enough!
* Costs of eye-tests charged separately to Medicare.
** Specsavers charges $99 for supplying and fitting a new pair of hard- coated lenses to an existing frame.
