Back to basics ... but take a look at the price

Alanah May Eriksen. Photo / Alan Gibson

Herald reporter Alanah May Eriksen tests Specsavers' products and service against those of some competitors

Two pairs of glasses, including the lenses, for $199. Or one pair for $79 ... surely there must be a catch.

But no. Specsavers doesn't even insist you have the $60 eye test.

The frames of the cheaper pairs looked basic, but at that price who cares?

The specs in the next price bracket were still a steal at $249 for two pairs and had more interesting designs.

The more expensive ranges, including designer, titanium and rimless styles, were up to $589 for two pairs, which was still considerably cheaper than rivals.

And if you didn't want two pairs, you took 25 per cent off those prices.

Okay, so the glasses were cool, but did that include service with a smile?

Standing in the Bayfair shopping centre branch in Mt Maunganui at 2pm on a Wednesday, you wouldn't expect to be fighting for attention from one of the four retail assistants.

But it appeared everyone who wears glasses had turned up to take advantage of the British spectacle chain's deals that day.

When I finally pinned down one of the assistants, he was more than happy to listen to all my questions. And I wasn't pushed to have a new eye test done. All I had to do was bring in the prescription for my specs - despite it being two years old - and they'd make up the lenses that would cure my long-sightedness.

Too easy. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

Around the corner at competitor OPSM, things were a lot quieter, despite fight-back deal such as 70 per cent off some styles.

A pair of Dolce and Gabana leopard-print frames caught my eye.

They were in the dearer price bracket at $599 ... with 20 per cent off.

But the frames price didn't include the lenses, which could be more than $150, I was told.

OPSM's eye tests were also slightly dearer than Specsavers' at $70.

In Tauranga, Colleen Saunders Optometrists was a bit more upmarket.

Colleen went out of the way to help me, even suggesting styles that would suit my bone structure.

Sure, some of the more pricey glasses were in the $600-plus range but Colleen wrote down the reference number of a pair of $329 OGI frames that would have suited me fine.

Her eye tests were the same price as OPSM's, but her lens prices started at $220.