It’s Easier Than Ever to Mess Up Online Glasses Orders 😫
Let’s be completely honest: ordering glasses online in the UK can go brilliantly – or it can go very, very wrong and costly.
You find yourself sitting there and happily clicking through gorgeous frames, sipping tea. You find “the one you’ve been looking for,” add your prescription, and bang, it arrives. But hey, wait… why are the lenses so blurry? Why does the frame sit wonky on your face? Why does your prescription look like it’s for someone else entirely?
Over my 20+ years as an optician, I’ve helped hundreds of patients who’ve made these common (and totally avoidable) mistakes when buying glasses online. If you want to avoid the stress, returns, and sore eyes, stick around – I’m breaking down the 5 biggest pitfalls and how to dodge them like a pro.
Ordering Glasses Online UK: What to Watch Out For
Yes, you can confidently order glasses online in the UK – just make sure you don’t fall for these 5 classic mistakes.
Whether you’re NHS voucher-eligible or buying out of pocket, this guide will help you shop smarter, see clearer, and look sharper.
Mistake #1: Using an Outdated or Incomplete Prescription
This is the biggest one. No joke – 4 out of 10 prescription uploads we receive at Specsoria are either expired, missing key details, or are just… unreadable.
🚫 What Goes Wrong:
- Using a prescription that’s over 2 years old
- Missing the PD (pupillary distance) measurement
- Uploading a blurry photo of your script
💡 What to Do:
Always get an up-to-date NHS or private eye test. Make sure you get your PD measured or you can ask your optician for it directly. You are entitled to it – it’s your legal right to have it.
I once had a lovely gent upload a prescription from 2004. “My eyes haven’t changed much!” he said. We still laugh about it, but trust me – they had changed. 😂
Mistake #2: Not Checking the Return or Reglaze Policy
You wouldn’t buy shoes without knowing if you could return them, right? The same goes for glasses — except shoes don’t mess with your vision.
🚫 What Goes Wrong:
- Realising too late that custom lenses aren’t returnable
- Being stuck with a wrong prescription and no refund
- Paying again to reglaze the same frame
💡 What to Do:
At Specsoria, our clear reglaze and returns policy means you’ll know exactly what’s refundable, and how to fix issues quickly.
See our Reglaze & Returns Policy
Mistake #3: Skipping Frame Measurements
Your face is unique. So is the bridge of your nose. If you pick a frame just because it looks good, you might end up with a fit that pinches, slides, or tilts.
🚫 What Goes Wrong:
- Glasses too wide or too tight
- Lens centres don’t align with your pupils
- Style looks great on screen… not so much in real life
💡 What to Do:
Make sure to check the frame size – look out for measurements like lens width, bridge size, and temple length. A good advice I can give is that, if you’ve got an old pair of glasses that fits you very well, you can use it as a guide!
Mistake #4: Ordering Lenses Without Understanding Your Needs
Beware of online optical shops that love to upsell lens coatings and various lens types. Ask yourself if you really need them? Maybe you do – Maybe you don’t.
🚫 What Goes Wrong:
- Choosing varifocals when you only need reading glasses
- You didn’t pick blue light protection and you stare at screens all day
- Getting transitions when you prefer sunglasses
💡 What to Do:
Think about your lifestyle. Are you working on computers? Driving? Outdoors a lot?
At Specsoria, we walk you through lens choices based on real-life use, not upsells.
Tip: Your eyes deserve better. Understand your glasses lenses in a simple way
Mistake #5: Ignoring Delivery Times & Prescription Checks
Thanks to Amazon – we now expect everything in 24 hours or even less. But custom lenses take time – and rightly so. If you order from a site that doesn’t verify your prescription, that’s a red flag.
🚫 What Goes Wrong:
- Glasses arrive quickly… but the lenses are wrong
- You don’t get a prescription confirmation
- The online store just ships them out without a human check
💡 What to Do:
Specsoria verifies every prescription before your lenses are made. If anything looks off, we call or email you – not just to cover ourselves, but because we care.
🎯 Final Thoughts: Ordering Glasses Online UK Can Be Brilliant… If You’re Smart About It
Let’s recap the top 5 mistakes:
- Using an old or blurry prescription
- Ignoring the returns or reglaze policy
- Not checking frame size or fit
- Picking the wrong lens type for your needs
- Expecting instant delivery without verification
Avoid these, and your online glasses journey will be smooth sailing. You’ll save money, skip the queues, and look sharp doing it 😎
Are you ready to order glasses the correct way? Visit Optical Voucher Shops’s collection now
