Buy glasses online for big savings
Online optician happyview.fr offers discounted pairs of glasses by post and is recognised by the sécu
THREE million people are wearing glasses that are no longer suitable for them because of the “prohibitive” costs of eyecare, according to the founder of France’s first online optician.
Happyview.fr offers discounted pairs of glasses by post. It also plans to start its own mutuelle top-up insurance fund for optical costs shortly.
The site, which is recognised by the Assurance Maladie and insurers, offers glasses from e39 to e169, which founder Marc Adamowicz says is up to 80% cheaper than high-street opticians.
“In 10 years the retail price of a frame and two lenses has risen by 30% to an average of e309,” Mr Adamowicz said. “Retail prices for glasses are very high but the cost of making them is small.
“Consumers are paying too much. Why is a pair of glasses that costs about e50 to make sold for six times more?”
“A public health item cannot be sold at the price of a luxury product. There is no reason why the cost of eyecare should be so significant,” he added.
Happyview says it can offer glasses at such a discount by negotiating bulk deals with manufacturers, working with low profit margins and saving money on advertising.
The site does not keep any stock, ordering the glasses from manufacturers only when a customer places an order.
The firm is expecting to sell more than 20,000 pairs this year – and has angered opticians, who say they cannot compete on price.
A prescription is compulsory if you want your glasses to be reimbursed – so you will still need to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist to get your eyes checked.
A “sector 1” ophthalmologist will charge e28 for a consultation – reimbursed at 70% by the Assurance Maladie.
The prescription can be sent by email, uploaded via the website, faxed or sent by post.
It is checked by two qualified opticians working for the site, then forwarded to the firm’s chosen manufacturers – all of whom conform to EU safety norms.
Delivery takes up to a fortnight and is free to a French address. The glasses are sent with a feuille de soins (medical claim form) and invoice that you can then send to your CPAM.
Check out the reimbursement rates at www.tinyurl.com/eyecosts
A duplicate copy of the bill is also provided for customers to forward to their mutuelle, which should pay some of the costs not covered by the sécu.
