New to Online Eyeglasses? Click Here!
Ongoing: Click here for 15%-off EVERY ORDER at EyeBuyDirect This is the best ongoing deal on the internet for EyeBuyDirect!
Goggles4U drops prices, drops additional discount codes. People are concerned, but this is still one of the best places to buy online. Link!

I'd be delusional if I thought people were coming to the site to read my random musings on the world optometric. People come to the site (trip over it?) searching for options to spending hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on their eyeglasses.

I wanted to highlight the "focus" of the site (pun intended).

To that purpose, I'm promoting the reviews and the links to the forums to the top of every page. I've been reading some web usability books for the ol' job and am recommitting myself to getting the stuff that matters in the hands of those looking for it in more efficient ways. This being a hosted blog, I'm hamstrung a bit, but I think I'll be able to find decent compromises with the system.

The "stars" are based on personal and member reviews and experiences. Each month or so, I comb the message boards and my personal emails and come up with a tally for each of the retailers above. I'll be adding to the list as new retailers bubble to the surface in this increasingly crowded and confusing space.


I appreciate all of the email and the stories I get to read each and every day. They are the heart of the site, so keep 'em coming!

Thanks again for all of your support!



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8 comments:

At February 12, 2007 at 11:45 PM Anonymous said...

Really useful guide! Thank You. It'd be nice to see what the default lenses are made of on your retailer summary pages. For example, eyebuydirect uses CR39, whereas most of the others use polycarbonate (harder, but fuzzier). So far, I haven't found anyone online selling Trivex or higher end anti-reflection coatings like hoya.

 
At February 12, 2007 at 11:51 PM Ira said...

Thanks for your input. I agree about adding the default lens composition. I have all sorts of lenses now, but I prefer my CR39s without fail for long days.

Additionally, check BestBuyEyeGlasses.com for a vast selection of lenses. I checked them out a few months ago, but they're not really in the same market that I review here.

As things grow, I'll probably revisit them.

Thanks again!

 
At February 16, 2007 at 12:48 PM Anonymous said...

Great guide. I just stopped by to get the link to send to yet another friend.

On a side note, I plugged in the wrong prescription for a set of lenses on a Goggles4u order. Didn't realize it until after I received the glasses. They wrote back offering to make another pair for only $10. Very decent of them.
So far, I've had timely communication and service from them as well.

 
At February 16, 2007 at 12:51 PM Ira said...

This is what I like to see. I'll add a positive "tick" to Goggles 4 U right now.

Thanks!

 
At February 22, 2007 at 9:13 PM Anonymous said...

I made a plus/minus sign error in a scrip I sent to discount eyeglasses.net and got an email the next day from Kam saying, more or less, "are you sure this is the right?". Scanned my scrip and emailed it back and sure enough, I'd made a mistake. Nice catch on their part.

 
At February 26, 2007 at 2:05 PM Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.  
At March 21, 2007 at 2:10 PM Anonymous said...

I have been following your blog and found it to be INVALUABLE and in need of more exposure. The work you are doing will expose the gouging that the optometry profession uses against unsuspecting consumers. I went ahead and did a little research and found appalling tactics being employed to swindle us consumers. All of the discussions I have posted are available to members of the ODwire.org forums and the profiles of the optometrists are public information. Please share these finding with your audience, thank you.

Cheers,
Made in China and sold for $450!

A Dallas Optometrist on ODwire.org said the following on 2/20/2007:

"A pair of SV stock poly Alize cost me $34, and carry a 2 year warranty. We sell 'em all day long for $199/pair, for a profit of $165/pair. Our capture rate for AR is about 90%. Also stock poly non coated, cost $6/pair and sell for $109. I experimented with cheap ARs, and they TOTALLY suck.

Now show me the math where you can beat the $165 profit on a pair of SV lenses. If you can, I'll still love you in the morning

Another Dallas optometrist said the following on 2/20/2007:

"Poly AR for 7.98 sell for 149.00 in my neck of the woods. Remember, in my office, medicaid rules. In your neck of the woods, its a whole diff ball game."


A Columbus Optometrist posted the following topic and comments about pricing on 2/19/2007 on Odwire.org

$$$ designer frames versus lower priced frames?

"Ive read all the posts involving this topic and I dont think any really addressed this topic. There are cheap frames $5, middle $15-25 and designer frames ($35-$$$$). read on

I've worked at a few private practices and it just burns me up that we pay soooo much for frames. I know that they are good quality designer (italy) frames but c'mon! $80 for a frame that cost less then $4 to make. There is now way that putting Calvin Klein increases the cost of the frame from $19 to $80. (and yes I know that are decent designer frames for around $30-40)

The reason I said $19 is that there are a lot of generic suppliers of frames that carry Japan made titanium frames for about $19. I recieved a sample frame and twisted/abused it for a while. Quality looks good to me.

If I ever open a practice I will have a 50/50 mix. Half designer and half lower priced (I dont think I'll buy the $3 frames but ones in the range of $15-25). So maybe in 3-4 years, I'll let you guys know what I think.

It just burns me up! Please explain, I may be wrong here.

Any thoughts?"

An Alpharetta, GA optometrist posted this discussion about trying to sell 2nd pair glasses to otherwise healthy customers. This discussion was posted on 2/25/07 on odwire.org

Best ways of selling 2nd pair

As a newbie owner of my 1st practice, the financial reward of 2nd pair selling is huge. What is the best way for me, in the exam room, to explain the benefits of a 2nd pair of glasses without sounding like a salesperson? I've tried the AR for those working w/flourescents and headlight glare and sunglasses for cataracts patients with good success but what about the healthy, noncomplaining patient? Also, how can my employee solicit a 2nd pair for a patient who isn't really thinking to do so?

 
At March 26, 2007 at 8:29 AM Anonymous said...

someone email me their lens script please. i will edit the name and power and lens manufacture so i can fax it to the company i'm buying from online.

thanks so much lukasforgetit@yahoo.com

 

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