...and again with the angry optometrist.

"smosh" posted with a question on how to get frames adjusted -- even plainly stating that he didn't want to "resort to subterfuge" again:

a couple of years ago I bought a pair from framesdirect.com - at that
point I saved $350 or so...from $600 down to $250. My ears are
slightly different heights, so the earpieces always have to be bent.
I took the framesdirect.com glasses to my optometrist and passed them
off as sold by another of their locations (i had seen the frames there
first, then started googling, leading to framesdirect.com)

I want to buy another pair, but I don't want to resort to subterfuge
to have them adjusted.

So what do people do?

The people of the GlassyEyes forums had a number of helpful suggestions including "deborah's" experience:

I plan to take mine to the optometrist who prescribed my lenses. I
told him what I was doing, and he said that of course I could (and
definitely should) bring them in to have the prescription tested and
to have them adjusted.

At this point "adameyeball" chimed in with the smugness and vitriol we've seen so often by a number of people "connected" to this industry.

Here are the highlights (with my responses in blue):

> deborah i have a better idea for you. why don't you lay your glasses
> on the computer and have the computer adjust them. thats what you
> signed up for when you bought glasses online.

Or she could do exactly what she said she was going to do and take them to her optometrist who is apparently more interested in the vision of his patients than in moving his "100 thousand dollars worth of frames". Look in the mirror, adameyeball. Really look.

> need a screw replaced, ask the computer to do it since the reason i
> charge a higher price is that i have customers who pay for that
> service (they get unlimetd adjustments and service).

Or you could just pick up an eyeglass repair kit for like a buck and fix it yourself. Or ask a professional and offer them a few bucks for the trouble. I guess I wasn't aware that optometrists worked on a retainer basis. Even my worst pair of frames from a brick and mortar store only needed to be adjusted 3 or 4 times (before they broke on my face). I'd guess that was less than 15 minutes of time in the "unlimetd adjustments and service" (I don't normally call out spelling and punctuation, but you kind of deserve it). By your logic, and the price difference, that works out to more than $1200/hour for adjustments. Um, I'll pass.

> please don't come into my office trying on frames and trying to get the model
> number ,instead try them on virtually online.

That's a fantastic idea. Optical4Less and EyeBuyDirect offer excellent "virtual try on" systems. They do a pretty good job with the technology.

> why should i expect to service a product you didn't purchase from me
> for free! would you go in and ask them to fix the watch you bought
> online for free??

You shouldn't -- and if it's your store, feel free to be a dick about it. The other option is charge a fee. $5? $10? You might make enough for lunch for you 2 minutes of time.

> so go save a hundred dollars and buy your glasses
> online just remember not to come into my office not to get them
> adjusted .

Please let us know where you are so we can "remember not to come into [your] office". If I'm not mistaken, it's a little place in Park Slope? I would hate to have anyone "wasting your time".

FWIW, I have the same issue with one ear higher than the other and I just give my frames a gentle twist. Works every time (unless we're talking titanium -- and then there is a need for more "physical" measures).

If there are any illustrators out there, I'd love an "angry optometrist" image to pop into articles such as this.

"elcuervo" has sparked as close to a riot as the GlassyEyes forums has seen in a while. It began simply enough...

Anyone can give me any directions on what's the current trend on
frames? I'm new to using glasses and i'm looking for some pointers on
what everybody is using these days... i'm 23 by the way.. pictures
would be nice, thanks!

...and escalated quickly into a very active thread on the merits of, fashion of, and dare I say disgust of an American tradition -- the Aviator eyeglasses frame.

I've got a pair of Aviator-style sunglasses that fit the bill on the boat and in the car, but I wouldn't consider them for anything besides late nights working in the non-sunglasses variety.

Interested in joining the fray? Here's the link (don't be an a-hole in there m'kay?)

Interested in seeing what they look like on your face without having to set foot into one of those mall stores? Check 'em out at Albert's place (Optical 4 Less) here.
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[Ed. Note: I've not been in the habit of pulling too much content verbatim out of the forums for publication on the blog, but this one, by Chuck, struck me last evening as important -- and potentially interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing the responses. This may become a regular feature.]

---

I'm going to pose a potentially troublesome question...just for the sake of discussion. I'm curious how others have handled this.

QUESTION:
Is it wrong to use the local stores as a fitting room? Especially if you have no intention of buying from them?

ONE SIDE:
The local stores provide a valuable service, pay rent, must make sales to stay around, etc. If I use them and do not compensate them for their time, then I am taking advantage of their hospitality and good will. If no one buys glasses from them, they will go out of business and will no longer be available to those who need them, locally. They will not be around, so that I can try on glasses similar to those online, and see what looks good! It's the same basic argument for supporting local business over national conglomerates.

OTHER SIDE:
My prescription (very weak, but bifocal) would cost around $400 at WalMart Optical, or at my local optician's boutique. $300 and $350 per pair, for single vision options, at the same
places. I can get 2 pairs of single vision glasses at Zenni, in frames nearly identical to those I'm looking at, for $8 a pair...a total of $16. $400 vs $16. That's 1/25 the price... FOUR PERCENT!!! I'd be lying if I said this wasn't tempting. 96% less?! That's impossible to ignore. I wholeheartedly try to support local businesses...but come on!

MY SOLUTION:
I went into the optician's boutique, told them I was looking at different places, and that I was there to try on frames. She asked me what styles interested me, whether I had worn glasses
before, and where else I was considering. Her reaction was priceless. The stores were OK, but the online option brought a look of horror to her face.

So, I told her the complete truth -- I teach a computer class to a lot of little old women on fixed incomes, and we're going to order me a pair of glasses, online, as one of our lessons. One time I bought a pair of shoes. I focus on the "you can buy ANYTHING online" aspect of ecommerce, in this portion of the class. So, basically, I volunteered to be the guinea pig. If the glasses are good...fantastic! If not, I'll order them the regular way.

On the spot she offered to adjust them for free, and even to fit me for progressive bifocals if I'd just come in and let her see what is available, online. A very generous offer, I'd say. Did the same thing at a WalMart Optical center, and a similar offer was made... While you may get the "evil online" speech, they seem to be quite accommodating...especially if you don't string them along, thinking that they're going to get a sale out of you.

Chuck's told you how he handled the situation...now we'd like to hear how you handled it.