Letters: Not so super shoppers

I felt compelled to write to Channel 4 to complain about the Supershoppers Money Saving Special and its very poor level of journalism.

My first issue with the programme was that there seemed to be an objection to spectacles being fashionable or a fashion item. I would have to ask why are spectacles any different to any other item of clothing or footwear? Most people in the UK own one pair of spectacles and unlike a pair of trousers or a shirt will wear the same pair every day, for up to three years on average, before replacing them.

This long lifecycle requirement brought me to the subject of quality. The presenters suggested frames of equal or similar quality can be purchased online. This is simply not the case. All frames sold in the UK meet the relevant ISO standards and are CE marked accordingly. The material is of a generally higher quality and meets strict criteria for skin contact and interaction. The most basic frame material, cellulose acetate, is made from a combination of cotton and plasticiser. To process cotton is expensive and good quality acetates with a higher percentage of cotton and reinforced temples reflect this in the price. There was no investigation into why some frames may cost more than others, it was a simple case of ‘optician bad, internet good’.