I recently stumbled upon an eyeglasses website based in Wales, which I am mightily impressed by. SpecsOnTheNet.com is the website of FocusFix, Ltd. which was founded in 1994. The website came online in 2003.

The selection at SpecsOnTheNet.com is good, I counted a few hundred model options and many hundreds more when colors are tossed into the mix. You'll find a limited selection of designer brands as well as the generics aimed at the more budget conscious audience.

UPDATED: There is an error on the tinting price when you choose USD as the currency -- I really doubt that they'd charge £8 if you're in the UK and $170 in the US. I assume this to be $17 for USD, but I'll get confirmation on it. Coatings are a bit pricey for this market segment, but certainly not outrageous.

"So when are you going to tell us about the FREE eyeglasses?"

Patience, my bespectacled friends.

I reviewed their "Virtual Modelling System" (VMS) in a previous entry. If you give it a try, you too can get the "freebies" in the neighbourhood (it is an English company after all) of $8 (you didn't expect free shipping did you?). It really is quite nice and fun! -- Click here for details.

You're not going to find any frames that will turn heads (in any "good" way), but you'll find some very servicable, sturdy frames to be sure. Limit one pair per household, and they limit it to something like 20 free pairs per day so it might take a bit of waiting to get in on the deal. Also, thanks to anonymous, we've found out that there are prescription strength limits to the stock lenses (which makes practical and economical sense) and that there may even be a discrepancy as to what constitutes a "stock lens".

I decided to go retro and get a pair reminiscent of a pair I owned maybe 10 years ago -- bigger lenses than usual and hopefully perfect for those late nights coding at the laptop.

I received mine about two weeks after ordering them. They were "dispatched" (I love the English) within 48 hours of my order. The included case and SpecsOnTheNet logo microfiber cleaning cloth was an unexpected bonus -- especially for a FREE pair of eyeglasses.

The release of their VMS also ushered in their ability to offer bi/varifocals for those of you needing them.

The tortoise-shell isn't nearly as "comic book" in person, although the glasses may be. My four year-old said, "You look like Clark Kent!"