Contact lens

Even though I have enough contacts I brought with me from America, I want to buy contacts here for the first time since my employer will pay £130 for it.  I'm assuming that no one would accept my American prescription and I will have to have an exam done.  I live next to a Specsavers so I was thinking of going there.  Does anyone have any experience with them or another recommendation? I looked around online and it seems like many places try to sell you some package.  What I want is to just buy a year’s worth of lens at one time. Will I be able to get the same brand that I'm currently wearing?

Why do you assume no one will accept your American prescription?  I would definitely try to use it if you have a current one.

And yes, you should be able to get the same brand.

I'm in Scotland by the way.  So at least the basic eye exam will be free

Oh, that's good - yes, then you might as well get the exam if you want one. 

I've used my American prescription and had no problem getting it filled. Many of the contact lens brands are the same so you might be able to get the same kind you are already using.

Unfortunately, I don't have any experience with Specsavers I went to a local, independent optometrist.

Why do you assume no one will accept your American prescription?  I would definitely try to use it if you have a current one.

I don't have a paper copy of it.  I just have my boxes with the infomation on the side.  I'm not sure if my optometrist would be willing to fax something more official.  

You'd need something faxed or emailed, yes.  But it's up to you as to whether you want to do that or just get a new exam.

I've been buying my contact lenses from PostOptics.co.uk for years now and they're consistently cheaper than everywhere else I've checked, and staggeringly less than half the price my opticians quoted. Really fast shipping, too.

Don't get me wrong - I adore 20/20 Optical and they're brilliant for eye tests and writing prescriptions for contact lenses (I've had some horrendous contact lens prescriptions in London from opticians that usually deal with glasses!!), but take your prescription and buy elsewhere, because they're super expensive to buy lenses from. And I say this even after an eye exam there save my life (no exaggeration, bleeding in my eyes was the first sign of my bone marrow failure)!

Does anyone know how much customs duty would be if I just ordered them from America? It looks like that route may be cheaper/more convenient for me right now.

We use   www.lensbase.co.uk
They don't require a prescription from your doctor, just the numbers from your current lens box.  £40 for a six-month supply.  And free shipping.

When I first got to UK SpecSavers said I had to have an exam, that the prescription from my US doctor wasn't sufficient.  I don't know why, maybe I looked gullible and naive.  I was.