Black & LizarsReviews of blackandlizars.com

I have been a customer of Black and lizard since 2002 and my appointment yesterday was a disorganised shambles. I was due a full eye test only to have a phone call 2 hrs before trying to cancel my appointment. I was lied to 3 times with different versions of the reason and then told to come in at my appointment time. My appointment lasted 7 mins with other lies and a peripheral vision test and told it was ok and then other reasons not to give me a full test which was booked for over a month . I travelled 24 miles to get there. Goodbye black and lizar no wonder you keep closing branches.

I’ve been a customer of Black & Lizars for over 25 years. The past two years have been a litany of negative experiences. From a wildly incorrect prescription dispensed to the inability to order a replacement lens. Customer service has been dreadful. In the past, the staff at the Gordon Street branch had been so helpful and professional. I advise anyone to stay well clear.

My routine eye test came up and I was very wary of making the appointment with B&L due to a bad experience with my previous appointment. There is a particular brand of frames that I have worn for many years, am very happy with them and had no plan on changing them. But, to my disappointment, was told by B&L that they no longer supply them. I then chose a similar frame from an alternative brand to discover there was a problem with the bridge bar obscuring my vision out of one eye. It was immediately obvious to me that I could not accept them as I had driven to the appointment and was not comfortable being expected to drive with this new frame. Amazingly, the dispenser argued with me over my ability to see and even after I physically handed the glasses back to her, she still refused to accept that my vision was obscured. I left the store and had to drive home relying on the vision from the un-obscured eye! After a day I returned to the store with my husband and we both had to pressurise the staff to allow me to change the frame. After that experience I vowed never to return and I decided to search for an optician who supplied the brand of frame I originally wore. Guess what I discovered? B&L do supply the brand I had originally asked for, just not in the branch I had gone to! When I pointed this out, the staff member said ‘oh, we could have ordered them in from one of our other branches’. I was raging to have wasted all this time. 2 years later, I reluctantly decided to give them one more chance. Routine eye test - good. Came out of the test room to spot the branded frames back in store. I was very excited and wanted to go back to them, but because I had moved on from them due to the last disaster, I did not have those frames with me. I explained this to the dispenser but I got the impression that as I did not have the frames on my person I would have to order a new pair. I really wish the dispenser had said the order can be put through using your old frames. Just drop them into the store asap so they can be sent away. He sort of hinted that he could do it but very quickly moved on and started showing me the new frame options. I am really not comfortable with the order and want to use my old frames. I am going to ring B&L on Monday morning to see if they will change the order. I’ve not got my hopes up given my previous experience and if I am forced to go through with this order, I will be £500 down, with a spare frame gathering dust.

Even 1 star is far too much. This is the LAST TIME I get my glasses from them. They used to be good years ago but they are now abysmally bad. They could not get my lenses right then tried to put the blame on me, they gave me appointments which they did not keep, there is such a long list I could write a book! Go to any other optician if you value your health and your sanity.

A failing company. In the past Black and Lizars were the gold standard. Over the last 10 years or so their service has declined. The good opticians have mostly left leaving a skeletal service. Appointments have to be booked months in advance. Their reception staff are rude impatient and have no idea about customer service. I will be transferring all my family’s business elsewhere. It is only a matter of time before this company loses all customers.

I have been a customer here for over 20 years spending thousands of pounds over the years on contacts designer glasses and sunglasses. The last few years I felt a lacking and caring customer service, staff always changing. In November 2024 I had my test, was told I needed emergency surgery for torn retina. After the exam the staff started to take my measurements and put in an order for new glasses. I paid £600 cash. After having emergency surgery and follow up the specialist told me I would need a new eye test (I should have never have been told to get my glasses made until I had surgery) I went back with the new glasses they made me and told the girl what the specialist said and also my concern that I could not see well. She treated me like a silly old woman, scolding me and practically bullying me into thinking it’s my fault I have to get used to Varifocals ( I have been wearing them for years) and there’s no way I need another test as optician would have said. I was totally gaslit. So I left. In April4/5 months later kept getting bad headaches and having a difficult time on computer with work. I googled an optician with good reviews Iris Blue Optical west end of Glasgow ……. What a difference 2 ladies run it a very well experienced in customer care and specialist eye care. Have won many awards . My prescription had totally changed she said no wonder your getting headaches ( the £600 glasses from Blk & Lizars I wore for 4 months went in the bin!) I have bought two new pair now (another £800 however they are wonderful I feel I have my sight back. The service and care has been 100% would definitely recommend. I am so disgusted with the service I received at Blk & Lizars Milngavie after being such a loyal customer for over 20 years I and will never be back. People please stay away it’s actually dangerous the stories I’m hearing as well as my experience.

Have been a client for many years, but recently had eye surgery privately, so no need for glasses anymore. Recently, I started to get eye floaters suddenly and they were quite big; I managed to get an emergency appointment at the Paisley branch. My fear was the retina was tearing. I paid the £50 for extensive retina scan and the quite abrupt optitian there told me the retina was fine. She was quite adamant there was nothing I could do and scolded me for not using eye drops often enough. Thank goodness, I went back to the private clinic for a second opinion: my retina was indeed tearing and I was referred to the Glasgow NHS specialist the next day for laser treatment. Will never trust these people again.

how difficult can it be to get an appointment? "can I have an appointment please in the coming weeks" "when do you want one?" "how about Friday 30th August" "we don't have any appointments that day" "when do you have appointments available?" .....silence....