This bill has to be a joke

@Asylum (47893)

Manchester, England

January 8, 2016 2:16pm CST

The actual amount of the bill is satisfactory, but the constituent breakdown makes very little sense. Yesterday I took my spare pair of glasses to the optician to request the right lens be removed and replaced with clear glass. This will enable me to use the left lens while I await my next cataract surgery. When quoted £24-50 I was quite content with the cost and happily paid there and then. This morning I took the receipt from my wallet and for curiosity looked at the details. The overall cost was broken into two parts as follows: Goods Charge: £6-86 Dispensing Charge: £17-64 Total Charge: £24-50 I have no qualms about the overall cost, but the comparison in the two parts of the bill seem ludicrous.

28 people like this

26 responses

@jaboUK (64346)

• United Kingdom

8 Jan 16

It seems a lot to me to be charging £6.86 just for a bit of clear glass. And the charge for just swopping the lens seems a lot too.

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

8 Jan 16

The glass I can understand because it will require cutting to a precise shape, but fitting it is childishly easy.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

9 Jan 16

@Platespinner I was assuming the goods charge was for the actual cut glass, but you may be right.

@pgntwo (22405)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 Jan 16

Fleeced, I think is the term you might apply to the second line item...

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

8 Jan 16

Charging that is one thing, but I would not expect them to have the audacity to display the breakdown on the bill and boast about it.

2 people like this

@pgntwo (22405)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 Jan 16

@MALUSE I have - it is a the cost of having the optician there at all. Alas.

2 people like this

@kaka135 (14994)

• Malaysia

8 Jan 16

Labor cost is really expensive over there.

It might be a good thing. Sometimes I see some people are treated too unfairly when the pay is too low here.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

8 Jan 16

Much of the labour cost where a business is concerned simply increases the profits.

1 person likes this

Patsie Hatley is Deceased

@Hatley (163772)

• Garden Grove, California

8 Jan 16

labor is always so expensive lol.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

8 Jan 16

Yes, but they do not need to brag about it.

1 person likes this

Belle Starr (Iz)

@BelleStarr (61463)

• United States

8 Jan 16

In other words most of the charge is for actually replacing the glass not the glass itself?

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

8 Jan 16

Yes, just to put the glass in, which is not exactly a technical job.

2 people like this

@Auntylou (4262)

• Oxford, England

8 Jan 16

I feel somewhat the same way about my dentist charging £45 just for a 5 minute check up twice a year

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

8 Jan 16

I can appreciate what you are saying.

2 people like this

@pgntwo (22405)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

8 Jan 16

The question I have about dentist visits is: why 6-monthly? Even the car MOT is annual...

1 person likes this

@Auntylou (4262)

• Oxford, England

8 Jan 16

@pgntwo I actually read recently that we do not need check ups so often.

2 people like this

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@mommaj (23112)

• United States

8 Jan 16

Don't you hate how much you have to pay for labor costs. Good luck with your new eyes and the surgery.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

8 Jan 16

At least I am being supplied with precisely what I wanted.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

8 Jan 16

@mommaj Yes it is, but the price breakdown is still annoying.

1 person likes this

@mommaj (23112)

• United States

8 Jan 16

@Asylum That's all that matters.

1 person likes this

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@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

10 Jan 16

Sounds cheap, I prepared a spare pair and sunglasses and it cost me 80 euros. Once the other eye is done I can chuck the glasses away.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

10 Jan 16

The cost is not a concern to me, but the breakdown of the cost was a shock.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

10 Jan 16

@thea09 Mine will take a week, but that is not too bad.

1 person likes this

@thea09 (18305)

• Greece

10 Jan 16

@Asylum I'm sure you were able to have the convenience of picking them up straight away tho'' which is worth paying extra for. I had to go back for mine as they send everything away to Athens.

1 person likes this

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@allknowing (153544)

• India

12 Jan 16

Wonder why you did not think that the amount was huge while you were paying for it. The entire process must have taken them not more than 30 minutes. Your money, your decision

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

12 Jan 16

The convenience of having glass rather than simply removing the lens was worth £25 to me, but the breakdown seemed very disproportionate.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (502194)

• Italy

9 Jan 16

In our day labour costs are exceeding the value of the goods. Here, to look at a broken electric or electronic device they ask for a flat fee of about 150 $, not to repair, just to have a look and let you know if they can repair it. Of course, most of the time, a new item is cheaper.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

9 Jan 16

It would be infuriating to pay someone $150 and be told that it cannot be repaired.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (502194)

• Italy

9 Jan 16

@Asylum I would be too, this is the reason why I pay a little amount to have the guarantees extended up to 5 years.

1 person likes this

Margaret Mwangi

@Missmwngi (12915)

• Nairobi, Kenya

8 Jan 16

I agree seems like it should be the other way

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

8 Jan 16

I would have been much happier if the item costs were reversed.

@poehere (15123)

• French Polynesia

10 Jan 16

Here on the islands labor cost is an outrage. I think now many people charge 110 euro per hour and can go as high as 135 euro for an hour. Now this is not even right.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

10 Jan 16

That is a simple case of having a tied customer base that has nowhere else to go, so they either pay the ridiculous cost or do without.

@poehere (15123)

• French Polynesia

10 Jan 16

@Asylum Here we don't have much choice on this one. We either pay or do without because there is no where else to go.

1 person likes this

ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12069)

• United States

10 Jan 16

Are they telling you the cost of the actual replacement and the labor? I don't like it when fees are broken down either. What a waste of time. Just tell me the bottom line.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

10 Jan 16

I agree absolutely. I was quoted the total figure and was quite happy with it, but the breakdown annoyed me.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

11 Jan 16

@ElizabethWallace It applies to many bills, most of which are unnecessary.

1 person likes this

ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12069)

• United States

10 Jan 16

@Asylum They do this with our phone bill too, I am sick of it.

1 person likes this

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@fishtiger58 (29819)

• Momence, Illinois

9 Jan 16

I don't much understand the English money but it's always a money grab. Sickening.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

9 Jan 16

I accept that they are running a business and want to make a profit, but they could charge a more balanced remuneration.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

9 Jan 16

@fishtiger58 Much better thank you, but I am still finding it difficult to put my own eye drops in.

1 person likes this

@fishtiger58 (29819)

• Momence, Illinois

9 Jan 16

@Asylum Fat chance of that happening. How's your eye?

1 person likes this

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@marguicha (230334)

• Chile

9 Jan 16

Labour costs a lot here too. A few months ago I had to buy a new microwave oven. I know the old one can be repaired, but it would cost more than to buy the new gadget. I don´t like that as I was not rised in this culture where everything is disposable.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

9 Jan 16

I have encountered the same scenario and often ended up buying new devices rather than have the old ones repaired.

Anne Marie Guyer

@LeaPea2417 (40020)

• Toccoa, Georgia

9 Jan 16

I am sorry that happened.These companies play mind games with their customers, you think you are getting a deal but it is really not a deal.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

9 Jan 16

It would be reasonable if it took 2 hours to fit the lens, but in reality it is absurd.

1 person likes this

@garymarsh6 (23978)

• United Kingdom

9 Jan 16

That is about the same as I paid but it is worth it. £6.86 for the glass and £17.64 for the fitting! Well worth it Barry,

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

9 Jan 16

I fully agree, but the costs seem disproportionate to the relation between the two items.

Nanette Piotrowski

@nanette64 (20363)

• Fairfield, Texas

9 Jan 16

Oh good lord @Asylum . First of all who would think a piece of glass would cost that much and second, to pop it in the frame and hand it to you for that price? Good grief! Granted, the overall cost wasn't too bad, but seriously?

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

9 Jan 16

It is a ridiculous price for fitting a piece of plain glass.

1 person likes this

Suranga Abeysekara

@hiru84 (942)

• Malaysia

9 Jan 16

Every thing is so expensive today.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

9 Jan 16

The total cost was acceptable, but the breakdown seemed illogical.

1 person likes this

• Ireland

9 Jan 16

The broken part is really so illogical never heard of somat like that

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

9 Jan 16

The comparison between the two itemised factors does seem rather extreme.

1 person likes this