Tokyo Star Optical (Citylink Review SG)

Very disappointed.  Delay after delay.  Excuses.  Finally when I get my frameless specs, the right lens is slightly scratched near the screw, some paint has come off at the nose bridge with a few additional scratches, and the top of the lens not cleanly cut.  Very shoddy rushed job done. An expensive $196.

Tokyo Star staff said their lab made mistake and only informed them of it 1 day before delivery. And the lab's mistake is so absurd, so amateurish, so unprofessional that it's hard to believe. They drilled the holes wrongly into the lenses.  (Bro said they must have hired China staff who being untrained and crude, made the mistake.).  So far no spectacle shop I've been to has this problem with their lab/s. 

The staff Jodie's prescription is wrong. As of Wed 10 Dec, I am still having a headache wearing it while typing on my laptop. The thought of having to make another specs from yet another shop adds to my headache. These stupid opticians. All graduates from the same stupid polytechnic.


Avoid younger opticians (in their 20s or even early 30s). Accurate ability to prescribe lenses requires substantial experience.  Optometry grads think it's easy with machines. But older optical shops with less fancy machines can do a better and faster job.

In fact, years ago when they didn't even have such machines, opticians were very accurate and I never had any problem with the lenses. The frames and lenses also lasted for years. Quality was very good.

Now even after 15~20 minutes of eye testing at the shop that day,  Jodie was still wrong in her prescription. 

Made the specs on Thurs 27 Nov.   Only on Sat 6 Dec,  was I finally able to collect after all the excuses and delay.  This is the longest I have waited for a pair of glasses I ordered.

I'm going to avoid Japanese optical shops from now on (Owndays reviews are also negative).  They don't know how to do business in Singapore.  This is a $196 review of Tokyo Star Optical. 

I checked for reviews before going but since there were none (except a few sponsored), I decided to check it out myself.  Particularly, I was drawn to their 15 minutes claim.

Their Facebook description: "Our concept is 3 basic price of $96, $126 or $156 with a fast processing time of 15 minutes per customer.".

This is not entirely correct.  It's just a gimmick.

1) The actual prices are higher for almost all the frames.

2) 15 minutes "processing time" only applies to plastic frames. The lenses are simply popped in and out of the plastic frames for in-store "processing".  Rather flimsy.  For frames and lenses that they don't do in-store, they send out.  They don't have the machine for setting in screws etc..

3) Inexperienced & untrained staff.  One staff even asked another staff Jodie, "What is Lau Hua Yan"?".  Working in an optical shop, all the staff should know.

4) Very bad customer handling on the phone.  Staff showed displeasure when responding to customer. No consideration for customer's unhappiness and dissatisfaction caused by their failure.

5) Sign of things not right when the collection date on the receipt shows next year's date. Staff was not even aware it was printed as next year's date.

6)  Staff do not honour what they say they will do. 

7) Unlike other optical shops, they take full amount as payment. No deposit.

8) Jodie said if your lenses have been wrongly measured after they have made it,  no redo. You're stuck with it. 

9) A company that cannot be trusted.

10) Their frames are not made in Japan.  Jodie said Korea,  but the "quality" looks like China.  From Korea but made in China? Only China products can give profit.  Made in Korea won't be cheap.


27 Nov Thurs,  I ordered a pair of frameless.  Jodie confidently told me 4 working days ready for collection. She even said she'll speed it up for me. So collection day will be the following Tues or Wed.

Since she said she'll speed up for me, I was expecting Tues (even though I was doubtful since usually optical shops take longer). 

On 3 Dec Wed, I called to ask.  The staff Nick--very irresponsible and stupid--said he "will check & call back".  Many hours later in the evening, he called to say it wasn't ready and it will be tomorrow.

Why wait so many hours to call back the customer?

Next day Thurs 4 Dec, which is actually a week since the day I ordered the specs, no phone call even after 2pm.

I called and the same stupid Nick answered.  He said he will "check with the agent" (same as what he said the day before).

I waited. No reply call for a long time. So I called again. He answered as if he had completely forgotten he was supposed to call back.  "Oh. The agent said they will deliver by tomorrow.".

I asked what time. He said, "Oh, I didn't ask.".   (It shows clearly he didn't even think of the customer who is waiting).

As to why he didn't call me back when he's supposed to, he said, "Oh, I was also checking with Jodie.".

On the phone, I told him that other spectacle shops don't do this. When they give a time frame, they deliver either earlier or on time. Even spectacle hut is on time.

Plus, Tokyo Star opened more than 1 month ago. Surely, the staff should be accurate in telling the customer when the specs will be ready for collection?

On the day I made the specs, Jodie told me that it will be ready either Tues or Wed. But now it's already Thurs. Still no specs.  And now,  a further delay.  Plus, my specs broke last night.

When I said these,  instead of considering the customer's side, Nick became angry.  His voice hardened and became unpleasant as he repeated that he will call me "tomorrow" when (and if) the specs are delivered. 

I asked what time can I expect his call? (Since he doesn't do what he says.).

He immediately didn't know what to say.   (Surely, he can't expect me to wait whole day for his call?)

I said, "Surely, you have to give a time so I know when to expect? Afternoon?  Or do I have to wait till evening?".

He finally said, "No, morning. Eleven.".

Very likely, it's not going to be "eleven" or anytime at all.  But I said, "Ok. I will wait for your call.".

That ended it.   Later, Jodie called to repeat that I can expect a call tomorrow morning but not necessarily at 11am.  

See how they keep being uncertain about the time? This is very different from other spectacle shops that are able to easily tell you when you can expect your glasses because the delivery timings and lab/agent are known to them. 

She added, "I think it's better you wait for my call.".   Meaning: don't call us, we'll call you, and don't come down to collect unless we call you.

Since I have already said what I wanted to say to Nick, there was nothing more to say to her.

Note that she said "morning".  As of 12pm Fri 5 Dec, she still didn't call.  "Morning" means before 12pm.  Yet once again, she had sounded very certain when she assured me that it would be "morning".

At 1.10pm, she called.  As expected, there will be no specs again. It will be tomorrow (Sat 6 Dec).

I said, "Then why did you say it will be ready in 4 days?". She said, "It's because I estimated it but the lab somehow took longer than expected and they have to get the lenses again and drill hole.".

Somehow took longer? Have to get the lenses again?? What did she mean?

I said, "Is tomorrow confirmed?".

She said, "Yes, confirm. It will be delivered tonight but I need to prepare it.  I think it'll be too late tonight because they're rushing it.  So you can collect tomorrow.".    (That's odd.  First, spectacle delivery is in the daytime.  Second, no spectacle shop ever says they need to "prepare it". )

I asked, "What time will it be delivered tonight?". She hesitated.

Without waiting for her answer, I asked, "Past closing time?". (I shouldn't have provided her this. Should have let her answer.)

She quickly said, "Yes.".

I asked what time should I come to collect tomorrow. She thought about it and said "1pm".   (The shop opens at 11am.  The answer should be I can collect anytime since she said delivery was last night. Other spectacle shops will always say "anytime" since it's already available.)

Sat 6 Dec. I arrived earlier at about 12.45pm. Jodie was cleaning my new glasses. Nick was also there.

I asked them what happened. Jodie said the lab somehow drilled wrong holes and damaged the lenses. They had no more stock of the lenses and had to get them from Japan.

I said, "The lab is experienced, right? How could they have drilled wrong?". She didn't know.

All this time, there was a problem yet they kept saying "tomorrow", "tomorrow", "tomorrow".

And Jodie even tried to cover it up by saying the collection date is stated 7th on the receipt!  (Ridiculous. She had said collection was either Tues (2 Dec) or Wed (3 Dec) and that she would even speed it up.).

I said, "The receipt is printed next year's date.".

She and Nick were surprised.  They looked at the receipt.  Jan 07, 2015.

After Nick made another excuse about why they were late (he blamed the lab), I left the place.

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On the day that I was considering the display frames with Jodie, the frameless one actually broke.  The frame was flimsy plastic and the left lens broke off from the screw.  I asked if this was going to happen if I ordered it.

She said it's because it wasn't impact-resistant.  But from my experience, if a display piece breaks like this, it means the frame quality is inferior (because it recently happened to me at another shop).

I paid the full $196 even though they don't accept deposit because I thought Tokyo Star could be trusted.

I don't think my new specs is going to last.

At first, I recommended to bro but now we are going elsewhere.
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Update 5:24pm 31 Dec Wed:

I don't have a headache anymore when wearing the glasses. But there is still a problem with the measurement somehow. Makes my eyes & mind tired when typing Word document. It feels like the measurement is heavy on the left eye and on the center of my forehead. I just want to take it off. But when I take it off, the words are not clear. So I put it back on... *shakes head*

Why is it so difficult to make one damn specs?