Simon Jones: Out of the loop

Last week I came across a Facebook advert for online retailer Mister Spex. Nothing unusual about that, it’s a fairly successful business in the UK and several other countries across Europe. However, a second look, gave me cause for concern, as the advert mentioned an ‘online eye test’. After some digging, it became clear the service wasn’t actually available in the UK. But that doesn’t mean the sector shouldn’t be worried, because it will be here very soon.

There are a couple of aspects that worry me about online refraction, and some would argue that both of them are based on protectionism. The first, is how the tests are marketed. In the Mister Spex FAQ, one of the questions says: ‘Does the online eye test replace a visit to the opticians?’ The answer? ‘In certain cases, yes.’ I don’t think it’s unreasonable to suggest that an online refraction cannot replace a trip to an optometrist or optician in any circumstances.