Optical complaints up by more than a third

Complaints to the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS) rose by 35 per cent to 2,479 in the year April 2008 to March 2009 when compared to 2007 figures, the optical watchdog's annual report has revealed.

Published last Friday, the review also highlighted particular difficulties raised by consumers when dealing with optical practices. These included complaints about 'buy one, get one free' (BOGOF) offers, failure by practices to comply with requests for prescriptions and refusal to measure the interpupillary distance.

In terms of methods of complaints, of the 2,479 contacts logged by the OCCS, 43 per cent were received by letter, 9 per cent by email and the majority (48 per cent) were made by telephone.