8 comments:

At November 12, 2006 at 10:32 AM Anonymous said...

Here's my horror story from trying to buy glasses at a major department store

(already posted the link on your blog)

 

At November 12, 2006 at 7:28 PM sirshannon said...

I just went to Lenscrafters with a friend yesterday. She had a $100 coupon from the lenscrafters website, so her total cost was under $300. They had a good selection of the type of frames she wanted and there were also some "whoa... that price can't be real" selections available. She ended up picking her favorite frames and they were on the low end of the price range there. She could have easily picked a similar frame for $100 more.

The lenses were more expensive that we assumed but the coupon solved most of that. I don't know her prescription but it is somewhat mild so a stronger lens might push the cost up higher.

No horror story here, just a bit of surprise at the fact that I don't have one. Now that I have found this site, I will use the resources here to buy my own next set of glasses online and will let you know how that goes compared to the Lenscrafters-in-the-mall experience.

 

At November 13, 2006 at 1:58 AM Anonymous said...

I went to Vision World this summer just before my insurance expired. For the lenses and frame it came to about 350 bucks. No one at the place had a clue how to fit the frames to a human face. The new type lenses I got are supposed to have no distortion all the way to the edge of the lens. Three months later, I have trouble driving at night with these things, blurry vision in my right lens, and they still don't fit. I'm going to a different opthomologist to make sure I'm not going blind from some odd condition, then I'm taking the new perscription to one of the suggested online vendors.

 

At November 13, 2006 at 8:00 PM Anonymous said...

Re: Zenni -

I had been very pleased w/ Zenni - ordered four times!

However, the fourth pair I got was a lemon from the start (if that exists for glasses) - the nosepads were coming out, screws, etc. Then, while cleaning my glasses, I heard a snap and looked down to discover the lens had broken.

I called the customer service number and have never been treated so rudely by a rep in my life! She never even let me finish explaining, then cut me off and said “hold on” and disappeared for a minute. She kept repeating that they wouldn’t do anything. My favorite comment (in sarcastic voice) - “Well if rimless glasses are too fragile for you, maybe you should just get full rimmed ones next time.” We asked if we could talk to a supervisor and she said “Nope, I’m it.” We then asked for the name of the president of the company to write to. Her response? “The president is in China and I have another call. Goodbye.”
I work in customer service, so believe me, I was being extremely polite!

In short, the glasses may be fine when you get them, and if they are crappy it’s no big loss financially… but pray you never need to deal with customer service!

 

At November 15, 2006 at 5:51 PM Anonymous said...

I personally own one of those $500.00 pair of stilleto glasses. Guess what happened to that hingeless super strong will never break frame after about 12 months of normal use...the frame broke.

The downside to that super special frame is that they won't (claim they "can't") repair it.

I'll never buy those ever again. Thanks so much for this site.

 

At December 8, 2006 at 7:13 PM David Bruce Murray said...

I actually had a bit of a horror story with one of the online companies you recommend...39dollarglasses.com

I had ordered from them once before and been well pleased. They have the Better Business logo, etc. and they also claim to offer a 100% Quality Guarantee statement on their website.

My horror story began when I needed to order glasses for a second time...about four years later. I chose a different frame than I had ordered the first time, plus a pair of prescription sunglasses for a total less than $100. To my dismay, these were much cheaper quality than the pair I had worn for several years. The earpieces were made of hard plastic, and one of them broke the first time I tried to adjust it.

I asked 39dollarglasses to let me return the glasses and either make new ones in the frames I had purchased the first time, or refund my money. Despite their claim to offer a "100% Quality Guarantee" they refused to do either!

I went to the Vision Center at Wal-mart, where a technician repaired my broken earpiece for FREE. Then I came back home and wrote a note to the Better Business Bureau about 39dollarglasses. Ultimately, they did agree to make me another pair of glasses (but not replace the sunglasses) in a different frame, but only after they inconvenienced me for no good reason. Unfortunately, when they made the replacement glasses, they didn't include the lens treatments I had purchased.

While I was at Wal-mart, I noticed they have some excellent deals on eyeglasses in their Vision Center. I hate Wal-mart as a general rule, but in the future, my plan is to go to my regular eye doctor for my exam, then go by Wal-mart if I happen to need new glasses.

Like you, I'm not going to pay a ridiculous amount for eyeglasses, but neither am I going to buy the proverbial pig in a poke from a company that feels no obligation to provide customer service until I complain to the BBB.

 

At May 24, 2007 at 2:26 PM divine evil said...

i read ur stories & just wanted 2 share a lil info about most of the eye dr's & stores.why?cuz i used 2 work at one,& believe me,they ARE ripping u off.cost of eye dr visit:ur looking at spending at least $60. & thats only 2 see the dr about eye glasses,try getting an apt 4 just a contact lens rx(yea even if u only want 2 get colored lenses w/no rx in them)and that apt cost jumps 2 around $100.but that was awhile ago.i got 2 help mark in the new shipment of eye glasses.o.k heres where it gets fun,my manager(not the owner)would tell me how much 2 mark up the prices on them,while i got 2 take off the original $ tags.o.k even if they DO get a discount 4 buying in bulk, "a pair of(just)frames that started out as $16,(yes u read it correctly,)would easily be put on display(no named brands 2)for around $200.while u can imagine what the $30 frames would be after they got through with them.(i assumed that my manager got paid commission,or at least a bonus.i was "let go"by her but i saw it coming.i guess the customers, calling & asking 2 see me instead of her really "urked" her.but these people were just like me,they didn't make absurd amounts of hard earned cash just 2 be wasted on a cheap frame, that the mgr would claim the fault of the customer when they broke,& would drop a customer if they "upset" her or "gave her 2 much grief" about an issue,that i couldn't solve by just calling the frames company on a warranty or if i could repair the glasses(4 free just had 2 take the time 4 it)from a box of discarded frames & parts in the back.) on i would watch in amazement as 2 how they could get away with those prices being marked up so high.& thats not including the lenses.ask 2 see all the prices for all of the add on's they have for lenses(anti reflective coat,hard coat & i 4get what their called "progressives" maybe,where u have tri-focal lenses & the lines are hidden) their are different companies that they get their products from, & u'll have 2 be firm,not mean,least not till they do 1st.they have ways 2 make it work 4 u $ wise,but most don't wish 2 see that $ fall out of their grasp.i don't see how she sleeps at night.always ask 4 a 2nd opinion while ur at the store or 2 call the owner or the company where the frame is from.call their bluff.u can always get ur rx on paper(its ur right by law)from the dr & take it some where else 2 be filled (where they cut the lenses 2 ur rx & put them in the frame that YOU have chosen,yup.u have a fav pair of frames & new a new rx?most frames u can just get the lens replaced,& if they say that "they risk damaging ur eyeglasses by doing that" then their not professional when it comes 2 their work.not all optical managers are as horrible as the 1 i worked 4.u just might find some 1 who's as serious as u, about saving ur hard earned cash.i hope this gets posted so that people can see some light at the end of the hall with their pockets still intact!

 

At May 24, 2007 at 2:27 PM divine evil said...

i read ur stories & just wanted 2 share a lil info about most of the eye dr's & stores.why?cuz i used 2 work at one,& believe me,they ARE ripping u off.cost of eye dr visit:ur looking at spending at least $60. & thats only 2 see the dr about eye glasses,try getting an apt 4 just a contact lens rx(yea even if u only want 2 get colored lenses w/no rx in them)and that apt cost jumps 2 around $100.but that was awhile ago.i got 2 help mark in the new shipment of eye glasses.o.k heres where it gets fun,my manager(not the owner)would tell me how much 2 mark up the prices on them,while i got 2 take off the original $ tags.o.k even if they DO get a discount 4 buying in bulk, "a pair of(just)frames that started out as $16,(yes u read it correctly,)would easily be put on display(no named brands 2)for around $200.while u can imagine what the $30 frames would be after they got through with them.(i assumed that my manager got paid commission,or at least a bonus.i was "let go"by her but i saw it coming.i guess the customers, calling & asking 2 see me instead of her really "urked" her.but these people were just like me,they didn't make absurd amounts of hard earned cash just 2 be wasted on a cheap frame, that the mgr would claim the fault of the customer when they broke,& would drop a customer if they "upset" her or "gave her 2 much grief" about an issue,that i couldn't solve by just calling the frames company on a warranty or if i could repair the glasses(4 free just had 2 take the time 4 it)from a box of discarded frames & parts in the back.) on i would watch in amazement as 2 how they could get away with those prices being marked up so high.& thats not including the lenses.ask 2 see all the prices for all of the add on's they have for lenses(anti reflective coat,hard coat & i 4get what their called "progressives" maybe,where u have tri-focal lenses & the lines are hidden) their are different companies that they get their products from, & u'll have 2 be firm,not mean,least not till they do 1st.they have ways 2 make it work 4 u $ wise,but most don't wish 2 see that $ fall out of their grasp.i don't see how she sleeps at night.always ask 4 a 2nd opinion while ur at the store or 2 call the owner or the company where the frame is from.call their bluff.u can always get ur rx on paper(its ur right by law)from the dr & take it some where else 2 be filled (where they cut the lenses 2 ur rx & put them in the frame that YOU have chosen,yup.u have a fav pair of frames & new a new rx?most frames u can just get the lens replaced,& if they say that "they risk damaging ur eyeglasses by doing that" then their not professional when it comes 2 their work.not all optical managers are as horrible as the 1 i worked 4.u just might find some 1 who's as serious as u, about saving ur hard earned cash.i hope this gets posted so that people can see some light at the end of the hall with their pockets still intact!

 

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