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I think Zenni has really gone "'round the bend" in recent months. If you've been in the forums lately, it's littered with people complaining about Zenni Optical's supposed customs issues, chronically full voicemail, unresponsive and rude customer service, and people waiting MONTHS for their glasses (if they get them at all). Even with this growing list of problems Zenni keeps taking orders instead of digging out and making things right.

I'm getting about a half-dozen requests a day looking for help in getting eyeglasses from Zenni. I have never been able to build any sort of relationship with them -- and they get the benefit of thousands of click-throughs from this site every month. If the roles were reversed, I'd certainly not behave as they have.

They have never been interested in communication with me (ignoring email and voicemail alike), so I question their level of interest and commitment in dealing with a single, average consumer.

All of the retailers have had issues at one time or another, but I've always been able to step in on behalf of the consumer and request a satisfactory response with 39DollarGlasses, EyeBuyDirect, Goggles4U, and Optical4Less. They listen and will almost always do the right thing -- even if it sometimes takes a few hoops to jump through.

I'm sure Zenni has an explanation, but good luck getting it. As it stands currently, I will no longer be helping them out.

With Zenni, now, it's definitely a "caveat emptor" situation.

ED. NOTE: As of late Saturday (1/31/09) afternoon, Optical4Less is down -- DNS issue. Can this be related as well to Chinese New Year? Tiresome, this is.




Just had a quick conversation with "Cody" about these glasses...

...and where to find them.

The final message sent lukewarm coffee out my nose.
Oh snap!

So my wife just got a "deal" at Sears -- a pair of middling frames for $150. Mine are going to be $30, and kick way more ass than hers. Who's the immature drunk now?

It's been a challenging last couple of days -- this helps set the tone for the weekend.

Thanks Cody.

Goggles4U has always been a favorite of mine. Those glasses up above in the banner were the first pair I ordered -- and they sent me happily along this path (don't look for them, they're not available any longer).

Steve and the folks at Goggles4U have given the old site a facelift and I think it's a big improvement. It's much cleaner, allows the frames to spread out a bit and makes it easier to navigate through their collection.

Goggles4U's inventory is different than all of the other sites. They tend to get single frames (or maybe a couple at the most) so if you see something you like, don't hesitate. Additionally, they carry a massive number of unique frames -- making them feel a bit more like a traditional brick and mortar store.

They've beefed up search. It needs a few tweaks, but with the aforementioned inventory, it's a necessity. Take a look:

Everything seems to work pretty well, and I'm thrilled that they've included my most important measurement in the mix -- "Temple". It's a little wonky, but works. If you need a 140mm temple, like me, enter "139". It appears to be a "greater than" search.

I couldn't get the new Virtual Try-on software to upload my photo, and without scaling by PD, I'm not sure it will be of much use. You could do some math and probably do it yourself, but I think it might be best to wait for an upgrade. I find that I don't use these as much as I thought I would. I know my ideal dimensions like some people know their phone numbers.

Coatings are still included in the price and you'll also continue to enjoy the FREE SHIPPING.

I just ordered a couple pair on Monday, so I'm excited for them to arrive.

Nice work guys!


Oh, if you're new to the game or have forgotten what the site used to look like, click the Canadian or French flags at the top of the site for a reminder.

Chris, just forwarded me an email he received:

Dear Buyer,

The lens replacement program has been discontinued. If you would like you may place an order for the frames and the lenses from the website,

Apologize for the inconvenience caused.

Thanks
Alex
--
GlobalEyeglasses.com
Tel: 1-800-717-7134
Fax: 1-888--297-2178


I think this is a tough business process both economically and technically. For those of you in need of re-lensing, I've had great luck with 39DollarGlasses twice now -- with another on the way shortly.

T-Rave is an energetic (to say the least!), blogger, vlogger and Multi-media engineer. He spoke about his new glasses (from Optical4Less) and the GlassyEyes site in his most recent "Monday Madness" post.

I bring this up for a number of reasons:


  1. It's cool to see someone so excited -- it's infectious.

  2. I own two pair of that frame -- one of them very dark sunglasses

  3. O4L was out of stock on them but happily that is no longer the case

  4. He sent me an email at a time I was looking to write a quick post ;-)

Take a look at the video here. He lays out the information at the 4:11 mark -- but by all means give the rest a look.

Thanks T-Rave, I hope they work out for you.

P.S. I've mentioned this before, but just a note: The glasses pictured are the P113, and they can be found on the "Plastic Eyewears" page, about halfway down.

Steve at Goggles4U popped in to the forums this afternoon to offer help to a customer in need -- and left a great (insider) way for all of us GlassyEyes users to get in touch with their customer service.

There have been hundreds (thousands?) of satisfied customers with Goggles4U through the GlassyEyes site in the past 2-plus years and when someone from the GlassyEyes flock has trouble things usually get worked out.

If you're having a problem with an order, get in touch with them at following, easy to remember address:


If that doesn't work, drop me a line.

Thanks Steve!

I'd like to see more of this kind of thing.


I was reaching for a pair of socks in the ol' socks and underwear drawer a while back and felt a strange lump under a pile of some of the more rarely worn articles in the back corner. I pulled out the 39DollarGlasses micro-fiber pouch and found the origin for the GlassyEyes site.


It was my DIY-"fixed" pair of Ray-Ban RB5010 glasses. I'd been looking for them for over a year. Taking them out and popping them on, I had mixed feelings that quickly turned to pure thankfulness.

If they had broken at a different time in a different manner, I'm sure I'd still be in a pair of overpriced frames and lenses of the greedy LensCrafters monster. Thankfully I was broke -- and willing to take a chance (or two).

I'm still giddy every time I get another of these affordable, perfect pairs of eyeglasses. I just received a couple new pair in the mailbox over the past week -- bringing the total collection to two dozen (I think). More on them in the next few days.

I'm not going to lose these again. Maybe a display case is in order... ;-)


(ED. NOTE: Due to popular demand -- The un-broken frames on my face are the p113 frame at Optical4Less -- about halfway down the "Plastic Eyewears" page. It's back in stock! I own two pair -- one sunglasses, one not.)